Weekly reading: Ki Tissa
Torah: Shemoth 30:11-34:35
Haftorah: Melachiem א 18:1-39
Suggested HaBerith HaChadashah Reading: Q0r. ב 3:1-18
Exo 30:11-38 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
12 “When you take the census of the children of Yisra’ĕl, to register them, then each one shall give an atonement for his life to יהוה, when you register them, so that there is no plague among them when you register them.
13 “Everyone among those who are registered is to give this: half a sheqel according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, twenty gĕrahs being a sheqel. The half-sheqel is the contribution to יהוה.
14 “Everyone passing over to be registered, from twenty years old and above, gives a contribution to יהוה.
15 “The rich does not give more and the poor does not give less than half a sheqel, when you give a contribution to יהוה, to make atonement for yourselves.
16 “And you shall take the silver for the atonement from the children of Yisra’ĕl, and give it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. And it shall be to the children of Yisra’ĕl for a remembrance before יהוה, to make atonement for yourselves.”
17 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
18 “And you shall make a basin of bronze, with its stand also of bronze, for washing. And you shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and shall put water in it.
19 “And Aharon and his sons shall wash from it their hands and their feet.
20 “When they go into the Tent of Meeting, or when they come near the altar to attend, to burn an offering made by fire to יהוה, they wash with water, lest they die.
21 “And they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a law forever to them, to him and his seed throughout their generations.”
22 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
23 “And take for yourself choice spices, five hundred sheqels of liquid myrrh, and half as much – two hundred and fifty – of sweet-smelling cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty of sweet-smelling cane,
24 and five hundred of cassia, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, and a hin of olive oil.
25 “And you shall make from these a set-apart anointing oil, a compound, blended, the work of a perfumer. It is a set-apart anointing oil.
26 “And with it you shall anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark of the Witness,
27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense,
28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand.
29 “And you shall set them apart, and they shall be most set-apart. Whatever touches them is to be set-apart.
30 “And you shall anoint Aharon and his sons, and set them apart, to serve as priests to Me.
31 “And speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘This is a set-apart anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.
32 ‘It shall not be poured on the flesh of a man, and make no other like it, according to its composition. It is set-apart, it is set-apart to you.
33 ‘Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
34 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Take sweet spices, fragrant gum and cinnamon and galbanam, and clear frankincense with these sweet spices, all in equal amounts.
35 “Then you shall make of these an incense, a compound, work of a perfumer, salted, clean, set-apart.
36 “And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Witness in the Tent of Meeting where I meet with you, it is most set-apart to you.
37 “And the incense which you make, do not make any for yourselves, according to its composition, it is set-apart to you for יהוה.
38 “Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
Exo 31:1-18 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
2 “See, I have called by name Betsal’ĕl son of Uri, son of Ḥur, of the tribe of Yehuḏah,
3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of Elohim in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all work,
4 to make designs for work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze,
5 and in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, and to work in all work.
6 “And I, look I have appointed with him Oholiaḇ son of Aḥisamaḵ, of the tribe of Dan. And I have put wisdom in the hearts of everyone who is wise-hearted, and they shall make all that I have commanded you:
7 the Tent of Meeting, and the ark of the Witness and the lid of atonement that is on it, and all the utensils of the Tent,
8 and the table and its utensils, and the clean gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense,
9 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand,
10 and the woven garments, and the set-apart garments for Aharon the priest and the garments of his sons, for serving as priests,
11 and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the Set-apart Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they are to do.”
12 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
13 “And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign1 between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, יהוה, am setting you apart. Footnote: 1The only sign of יהוה setting us apart, the only sign of the everlasting covenant, is His Sabbaths, one of them being the seventh day Sabbath. This is repeated in Ezek. 20:12 & 20.
14 ‘And you shall guard the Sabbath, for it is set-apart to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people.
15 ‘Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to יהוה. Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death.
16 ‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall guard the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.
17 ‘Between Me and the children of Yisra’ĕl it is a sign forever. For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”
18 And when He had ended speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Mosheh two tablets of the Witness, tablets of stone, written with the finger of Elohim.
Exo 32:1-35 And when the people saw that Mosheh was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aharon, and said to him, “Arise, make us mighty ones who go before us. For this Mosheh, the man who brought us up out of the land of Mitsrayim, we do not know what has become of him.”
2 And Aharon said to them, “Take off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 “And all the people took off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aharon.
4 And he took this from their hand, and he formed it with an engraving tool, and made a moulded calf. And they said, “This is your mighty one, O Yisra’ĕl, that brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim!”
5 And Aharon saw and built an altar before it. And Aharon called out and said, “Tomorrow is a festival to יהוה.”
6 And they rose early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
7 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Mitsrayim have corrupted themselves.
8 “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a moulded calf, and have bowed themselves to it and slaughtered to it, and said, ‘This is your mighty one, O Yisra’ĕl, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim!’ ”
9 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “I have seen this people, and see, it is a stiff-necked people!
10 “And now, let Me alone, that My wrath might burn against them and I consume them and I make of you a great nation.”
11 But Mosheh pleaded with יהוה his Elohim, and said, “יהוה, why does Your wrath burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Mitsrayim with great power and with a strong hand?
12 “Why should the Mitsrites speak, and say, ‘For evil He brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from the heat of Your wrath, and relent from this evil to Your people.
13 “Remember Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yisra’ĕl, Your servants, to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I increase your seed like the stars of the heavens. And all this land that I have spoken of I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ”
14 And יהוה relented from the evil which He said He would do to His people.
15 And Mosheh turned and went down from the mountain, and in his hand were the two tablets of the Witness, tablets written on both their sides, written on the one and on the other.
16 And the tablets were the work of Elohim, and the writing was the writing of Elohim engraved on the tablets.
17 And Yehoshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted and he said to Mosheh, “A noise of battle in the camp!”
18 But he said, “It is not the sound of those who shout of might, nor is it the sound of those who cry out in weakness, but the sound of singing that I hear.”
19 And it came to be, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. And Mosheh’s displeasure burned, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it into powder, and scattered it on the face of the water and made the children of Yisra’ĕl drink it.
21 And Mosheh said to Aharon, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”
22 And Aharon said, “Do not let the displeasure of my master burn. You know the people, that it is in evil.
23 “And they said to me, ‘Make us mighty ones who go before us. For this Mosheh, the man who brought us out of the land of Mitsrayim, we do not know what has become of him.’
24 “And I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let them take it off.’ And they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.”
25 And Mosheh saw that the people were let loose, for Aharon had let them loose, to their shame among their enemies.
26 And Mosheh stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Who is for יהוה? Come to me.” And all the sons of Lĕwi gathered themselves to him.
27 And he said to them, “Thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl: ‘Each one put his sword on his side, pass over to and fro from gate to gate in the camp, and each one slay his brother, and each one his friend, and each one his relative.’ ”
28 And the sons of Lĕwi did according to the word of Mosheh. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
29 And Mosheh said, “You are ordained for יהוה today – since each one has been against his son and his brother – so as to bring upon you a blessing today.”
30 And it came to be on the next day that Mosheh said to the people, “You, you have sinned a great sin. And now I am going up to יהוה – if I might atone for your sin.”
31 And Mosheh returned to יהוה and said, “Oh, these people have sinned a great sin, and have made for themselves a mighty one of gold!
32 “And now, if You would forgive their sin, but if not, please blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
33 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I blot him out of My book.
34 “And now, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. See, My Messenger goes before you. And in the day of My visitation I shall visit their sin upon them.”
35 And יהוה plagued the people because they made the calf, which Aharon made.
Exo 33:1-23 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Come, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Mitsrayim, to the land of which I swore to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ, saying, ‘To your seed I give it.’
2 “And I shall send My Messenger before you, and I shall drive out the Kenaʽanite and the Amorite and the Ḥittite and the Perizzite and the Ḥiwwite and the Yeḇusite,
3 to a land flowing with milk and honey. For I do not go up in your midst because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.”
4 And when the people heard this evil word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.
5 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Say to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. Should I go up in your midst for one moment I shall consume you. And now, take off your ornaments, and I shall know what to do to you.’ ”
6 So the children of Yisra’ĕl took off their ornaments at Mount Ḥorĕḇ.
7 And Mosheh took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the Tent of Meeting. And it came to be that everyone who sought יהוה went out to the Tent of Meeting which was outside the camp.
8 And it came to be, whenever Mosheh went out to the Tent, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Mosheh until he entered the Tent.
9 And it came to be, when Mosheh entered the Tent, that the column of cloud descended and stood at the door of the Tent, and He spoke with Mosheh.
10 And all the people saw the column of cloud standing at the Tent door, and all the people rose and bowed themselves, each one at the door of his tent.
11 Thus יהוה spoke to Mosheh face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Yehoshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the Tent.
12 And Mosheh said to יהוה, “See, You are saying to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not made known to me whom You would send with me, though You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favour in My eyes.’
13 “And now, please, if I have found favour in Your eyes, please show me Your way, and let me know You, so that I find favour in Your eyes. And consider that this nation is Your people.”
14 And He said, “My Presence does go, and I shall give you rest.”
15 And he said to Him, “If Your Presence is not going, do not lead us up from here.
16 “For how then shall it be known that I have found favour in Your eyes, I and Your people, except You go with us? Then we shall be distinguished, I and Your people, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
17 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Even this word you have spoken I shall do, for you have found favour in My eyes, and I know you by name.”
18 Then he said, “Please, show me Your esteem.”
19 And He said, “I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you, and I shall proclaim the Name of יהוה before you. And I shall favour him whom I favour, and shall have compassion on him whom I have compassion.”
20 But He said, “You are unable to see My face, for no man does see Me and live.”
21 And יהוה said, “See, there is a place with Me! And you shall stand on the rock.
22 “And it shall be, while My esteem passes by, that I shall put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand while I pass by.
23 “Then I shall take away My hand and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”
Exo 34:1-35 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I shall write on these tablets the Words that were on the first tablets which you broke.
2 “And be ready in the morning. Then you shall come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain.
3 “And let no man come up with you, and let no man be seen in all the mountain, and let not even the flock or the herd feed in front of that mountain.”
4 And he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Mosheh rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as יהוה had commanded him, and he took two tablets of stone in his hand.
5 And יהוה came down in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the Name, יהוה.
6 And יהוה passed before him and proclaimed, “יהוה, יהוה, an Ěl compassionate and showing favour, patient, and great in kindness and truth,
7 watching over kindness for thousands, forgiving crookedness and transgression and sin, but by no means leaving unpunished1, visiting the crookedness of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Footnote: 1This is confirmed in Num. 14:18, and in Jer. 30:11.
8 And Mosheh hurried and bowed himself toward the earth, and did obeisance,
9 and said, “If, now, I have found favour in Your eyes, O יהוה, I pray, let יהוה go on in our midst, even though we are a stiff-necked people. And forgive our crookedness and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”
10 And He said, “See, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I am going to do wonders such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of יהוה. For what I am doing with you is awesome.
11 “Guard what I command you today. See, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Kenaʽanite and the Ḥittite and the Perizzite and the Ḥiwwite and the Yeḇusite.
12 “Guard yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.
13 “But break down their altars, and smash their pillars, and cut down their Ashĕrim –
14 for you do not bow yourselves to another mighty one, for יהוה, whose Name is jealous, is a jealous Ěl –
15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they whore after their mighty ones, and slaughter to their mighty ones, and one of them invites you and you eat of his slaughterings,
16 and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters whore after their mighty ones, and make your sons whore after their mighty ones.
17 “Do not make a moulded mighty one for yourselves.
18 “Guard the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Aḇiḇ, because in the month of Aḇiḇ you came out from Mitsrayim.
19 “Everyone opening the womb is Mine, and every male first-born among your livestock, whether bull or sheep.
20 “But the first-born of a donkey you ransom with a lamb. And if you do not ransom, then you shall break his neck. Every first-born of your sons you shall ransom. And they shall not appear before Me empty-handed.
21 “Six days you work, but on the seventh day you rest – in ploughing time and in harvest you rest.
22 “And perform the Festival of Weeks for yourself, of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.
23 “Three times in the year all your men are to appear before the Master, יהוה, the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl,
24 for I dispossess nations before you, and shall enlarge your borders, and let no one covet your land when you go up to appear before יהוה your Elohim three times in the year.
25 “Do not offer the blood of My slaughtering with leaven, and do not let the slaughtering of the Festival of the Passover remain until morning.
26 “Bring the first of the first-fruits of your land to the House of יהוה your Elohim. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
27 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Write these Words, for according to the mouth of these Words I have made a covenant with you and with Yisra’ĕl.”
28 And he was there with יהוה forty days and forty nights. He did not eat bread and he did not drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the Words of the covenant, the Ten Words.
29 And it came to be, when Mosheh came down from Mount Sinai, while the two tablets of the Witness were in Mosheh’s hand when he came down from the mountain, that Mosheh did not know that the skin of his face shone since he had spoken with Him.
30 And Aharon and all the children of Yisra’ĕl looked at Mosheh and saw the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
31 But Mosheh called out to them, and Aharon and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him, and Mosheh spoke to them.
32 And afterward all the children of Yisra’ĕl came near, and he commanded them all that יהוה had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
33 And when Mosheh ended speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
34 But whenever Mosheh went in before יהוה to speak with Him, he would remove the veil until he came out. And when he came out he spoke to the children of Yisra’ĕl what he had been commanded,
35 and the children of Yisra’ĕl would see the face of Mosheh, that the skin of Mosheh’s face shone, and Mosheh would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.
Haftorah: Melachiem א 18:1-39
1Ki 18:1-39 And after many days it came to be that the word of יהוה came to Ěliyahu, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Aḥaḇ, and I give rain on the earth.”
2 Thereupon Ěliyahu went to present himself to Aḥaḇ. And the scarcity of food in Shomeron was severe.
3 And Aḥaḇ had called Oḇaḏyahu, who was over his house. Now Oḇaḏyahu feared יהוה exceedingly.
4 And it came to be, while Izeḇel cut down the prophets of יהוה, that Oḇaḏyahu had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.
5 And Aḥaḇ had said to Oḇaḏyahu, “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis, it could be that we find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not have any livestock cut off.
6 And they divided the land between them to pass over it, Aḥaḇ went one way by himself, and Oḇaḏyahu went another way by himself.
7 And as Oḇaḏyahu was on his way, then see, Ěliyahu met him. And he recognised him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my master Ěliyahu?”
8 And he answered him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Ěliyahu is here.’ ”
9 And he said, “What have I sinned, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Aḥaḇ, to kill me?
10 “As יהוה your Elohim lives, there is no nation or reign where my master has not sent to look for you. And when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the reign or nation swear that they could not find you.
11 “And now you say, ‘Go, say to your master, “Ěliyahu is here” ’!
12 “And it shall be, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of יהוה takes you away to a place I do not know. And I shall come to report to Aḥaḇ, and when he does not find you, he shall kill me. But I your servant have feared יהוה from my youth.
13 “Was it not reported to my master what I did when Izeḇel slew the prophets of יהוה, how I hid one hundred men of the prophets of יהוה, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14 “And now you say, ‘Go, say to your master, “Ěliyahu is here!” ’ Then he shall slay me.”
15 And Ěliyahu said, “As יהוה of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I shall indeed show myself to him today.”
16 Oḇaḏyahu then went to meet Aḥaḇ and informed him, and Aḥaḇ went to meet Ěliyahu.
17 And it came to be, when Aḥaḇ saw Ěliyahu, that Aḥaḇ said to him, “Is that you, O disturber of Yisra’ĕl?”
18 And he answered, “I have not disturbed Yisra’ĕl, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the commands of יהוה, and you have followed the Baʽals.
19 “And now, send and gather all Yisra’ĕl to me on Mount Karmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baʽal, and the four hundred prophets of Ashĕrah, who eat at Izeḇel’s table.”
20 Aḥaḇ then sent for all the children of Yisra’ĕl, and gathered the prophets on Mount Karmel.
21 And Ěliyahu came to all the people, and said, “How long would you keep hopping between two opinions? If יהוה is Elohim, follow Him; and if Baʽal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
22 And Ěliyahu said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of יהוה, but the prophets of Baʽal are four hundred and fifty men.
23 “Now let them give us two bulls. And let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but set no fire. And I, I prepare the other bull, and shall lay it on the wood, but set no fire.
24 “And you shall call on the name of your mighty one, and I, I call on the Name of יהוה. And the Elohim who answers by fire, He is Elohim.” So all the people answered and said, “The word is good.”
25 And Ěliyahu said to the prophets of Baʽal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many. And call on the name of your mighty one, but set no fire.”
26 So they took the bull which was given them, and prepared it, and called on the name of Baʽal from morning even until noon, saying, “O Baʽal, answer us!” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they had made.
27 And it came to be at noon, that Ěliyahu taunted them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a mighty one; he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or it could be that he is asleep and has to be awakened!”
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves, according to their ruling, with knives and spears, until the blood gushed out on them.
29 And it came to be when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of bringing the evening offering. But there was no voice and no one answered, and no one paying attention.
30 Then Ěliyahu said to all the people, “Come closer to me.” And all the people came closer to him. And he repaired the altar of יהוה that was broken down.
31 And Ěliyahu took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Yaʽaqoḇ, to whom the word of יהוה had come, saying, “Yisra’ĕl is your name.”
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the Name of יהוה. And he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 And he arranged the wood, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”
34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time.
35 And the water flowed around the altar, and he filled the trench with water too.
36 And it came to be, at the time of bringing the evening offering, that Ěliyahu the prophet came near and said, “יהוה Elohim of Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yisra’ĕl, let it be known today: You are Elohim in Yisra’ĕl, and I Your servant, have done all these matters by Your word.
37 “Answer me, O יהוה, answer me, and let this people know that You are יהוה Elohim, and You shall turn their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of יהוה fell and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
1Ki 18:39 And all the people saw, and fell on their faces, and said, “יהוה, He is the Elohim! יהוה, He is the Elohim!”
Suggested HaBerith HaChadashah Reading: Q0r. ב 3:1-18
2Co 3:1-18 Are we to begin to recommend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of recommendation to you, or from you?
2 You are our letter, having been written in our hearts, known and read by all men,
3 making it obvious that you are a letter of Messiah, served by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living Elohim, not on tablets of stone but on fleshly tablets of the heart.
4 And such trust we have toward Elohim, through the Messiah.
5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to reckon any matter as from ourselves, but our competence is from Elohim,
6 who also made us competent as servants of a renewed covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the administering of death in letters, engraved on stones, was esteemed, so that the children of Yisra’ĕl were unable to look steadily at the face of Mosheh because of the esteem of his face, which was passing away,
8 how much more esteemed shall the administering of the Spirit not be?
9 For if the administering of condemnation had esteem, the administering of righteousness exceeds much more in esteem.
10 For indeed what was made esteemed had no esteem in this respect, in view of the esteem that excels.
11 For if that which is passing away was esteemed, much more that which remains in esteem.
12 Having then such expectation, we use much boldness of speech,
13 and not like Mosheh, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Yisra’ĕl should not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.
14 But their minds were hardened, for to this day, when the old covenant is being read, that same veil remains, not lifted, because in Messiah it is taken away.
15 But to this day, when Mosheh is being read, a veil lies on their heart.
16 And when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.
17 Now יהוה is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of יהוה is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, as with unveiled face we see as in a mirror the esteem of יהוה, are being transformed into the same likeness from esteem to esteem, as from יהוה, the Spirit.
• "Scripture taken from The Scriptures, Copyright by Institute for Scripture Research. Used by permission" On the whole of this website. For more information click [Here]
| Ki Tisa Aliya Summary  |
| General Overview: The portion discusses the census of the Israelites, the washbasin of the Tabernacle, the anointing oils for the priests and kings, the incense offering, and the Sabbath. The Torah then relates the story of the Golden Calf, G‑d's anger at the Jewish nation, Moses successfully arguing for Divine forgiveness for the sin, the subsequent breaking of the tablets, and the giving of the second tablets. First Aliyah: G‑d commands Moses to take a census of the Jewish adult male population by collecting an atonement offering of half a silver shekelfrom each individual. The collected silver was melted down, and was made into sockets for the beams of the Tabernacle. G‑d instructs Moses to make a copper washstand for the Tabernacle. The priests would use this laver to wash their hands and feet before their service. G‑d tells Moses the recipe for making holy "anointing oil." This oil, which was prepared with various aromatic herbs and fine spices, was used to anoint and sanctify the Tabernacle, its vessels, and Aaron and his sons. The remainder of the oil was put aside, and was used to anoint kings and high priests of future generations. G‑d also gives Moses the formula for the incense which was offered twice-daily in the Tabernacle. The duplication of the anointing oil or incense for personal use is prohibited. G‑d imbues Bezalel with wisdom, and appoints him to be the chief craftsman of the Tabernacle and its contents. G‑d appoints Oholiab as his assistant. This lengthy aliyahconcludes with G‑d telling the Jewish people to observe the Shabbat, the eternal sign between Him and the Children of Israel. Second Aliyah: After G‑d revealed Himself to the entire nation at Mount Sinai and told them the Ten Commandments, Moses ascended the mountain where he remained for forty days. There he was to study the Torah and receive the Tablets. The Jews miscalculate when Moses is supposed to return, and when he doesn't appear on the day when they anticipate him, they grow impatient and demand of Aaron to make for them a new god. Aaron cooperates, all along intending to postpone and buy time until Moses' return, but despite his efforts, a Golden Calf emerges from the flames. The festivities and sacrifices start early next morning. Moses pleads with an incensed G‑d to forgive the Jews' sin. G‑d acquiesces and relents from His plan to annihilate the Jews. Moses comes down with the Tablets, sees the idolatrous revelry, and breaks the Tablets. Moses enlists the Tribe of Levi to punish the primary offenders. Three thousand idol worshippers are executed on that day. Moses ascends Mount Sinai again, in an attempt to gain complete atonement for the sin. G‑d tells Moses to lead the Jews towards the Promised Land, but insists that He won't be leading them personally; instead an angel will be dispatched to lead them. Seeing G‑d's displeasure with the Jews, Moses takes his own tent and pitches it outside the Israelite encampment. This tent becomes the center of study and spirituality until the Tabernacle is inaugurated. Third Aliyah: Moses asks G‑d to reconsider the matter of the angel leading them. G‑d reconsiders, and agrees to lead them Himself again. Moses then requests that G‑d's presence never manifest itself on any other nation other than the Jews. Fourth Aliyah: G‑d's agrees to Moses' request that His presence only dwell amongst the Jews. Moses requests to be shown G‑d's glory. G‑d agrees, but informs Moses that he will only be shown G‑d's "back," not G‑d's "face." Fifth Aliyah: G‑d tells Moses to carve new tablets upon which G‑d will engrave the Ten Commandments. Moses takes the new tablets up to Mt. Sinai, where G‑d reveals His glory to Moses while proclaiming His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. Sixth Aliyah: G‑d seals a covenant with Moses, assuring him again that His presence will only dwell with the Jews. G‑d informs the Jewish people that He will drive the Canaanites from before them. He instructs them to destroy all vestiges of idolatry from the land, and to refrain from making any covenants with its current inhabitants. The Jews are then commanded not to make molten gods, to observe the three festivals, not to eatchametz on Passover, to sanctify male firstborn humans and cattle, and not to cook meat together with milk. Seventh Aliyah: Moses descends Mount Sinai with the second tablets, and unbeknownst to him beams of light were projecting off his face. Aaron and the people are originally afraid of him. Moses teaches the people the Torah he studied on the mountain. Moses wears a veil on his face from that time on, but removes it when speaking to G‑d and when repeating G‑d's words to the people. © Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center |
