The Heart of the Torah

Torah Scroll

Torah is a Hebrew word which has more than one meaning. At its core, Torah means teaching or instruction. But it is most often translated as “law” in English Bibles - Bible Hub [1]. Torah has taken on other meanings over time. It is also used to mean the Ten Commandments, or the first five books of the Bible, that is, the five books of Moses. For this article, when I use the word Torah, I am referring to the five books of Moses.

We will be looking for the “heart” of the Torah, but it won't be the mathematical center of the Torah, it will be the thematic center. To do this we will look at the structure of the text to reveal its meaning.

Scholars have come to appreciate the significance of literary structure for determining the meaning of a work: that the form conveys meaning.

This quote and most of the quotes here come from the L. Michael Morales book Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?  [2].

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Form Conveys Meaning

The form that I'm talking about is the chiasm, a literary device in which ideas or simply words are presented and then repeated in reverse order. Often, the chiasm will have a center passage which can be the main point, or simply a turning point in a story (Esther is such a story - Luke 810 [3], Chiasmus Exchange [4]). See my blog post Rhythm and Rhyme [5] for an introduction to chiasms in the Bible.

Simple Chiasm

The first thing to notice is that there are five books in the Torah. It's easy to see that Leviticus is the center book. But that's not quite enough for us to jump straight to Leviticus, but yes, we do end up there. Think of Genesis and Deuteronomy like bookends, framing the Torah as a chiasm, these two books end with a patriarch blessing the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob and Moses). One scholar called them Prologue and Epilogue. Surprising to me is a Jewish custom for children to begin their Torah education in Leviticus, not in the fascinating stories of Genesis or Exodus - Israel Bible  [6].

The chiastic elements are more numerous in Exodus and Numbers, meaning that events in Exodus are mirrored in Numbers in reverse. In broad terms, in Exodus, Israel journeys through the desert TO Sinai. In Numbers. Israel journeys through the desert FROM Sinai.

Smith also points out how the second half of Exodus deals primarily with setting up the tabernacle, while the first half of Numbers is concerned with taking it down, Leviticus itself comprising God’s speeches from the tabernacle. [2]

Not only does Leviticus take place in Sinai, but it takes place in the Tabernacle. The chiasm identifying Leviticus as the center of the Torah shown in Morales' book is eight levels deep.

A Exod. 15:22–25 transformation of water from bitter to sweet

  B 17:1–7 water from the rock

    C 17:8–16 Amalekite–Israelite war

      D 18 leadership relief for Moses

        E 18:27 the Midianite Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law

          F 19:1–2 arrival at Sinai

            G Exod. 40:17 1/1/2 the tabernacle was raised up

              X SINAI and Leviticus

            G' Num. 1:1 1/2/2 the tabernacle of meeting

          F' Num. 10:11–23 departure from Sinai

        E' 10:29–32 the Midianite Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law

      D' 11 leadership relief for Moses

    C' 14:39–45 Amalekite–Israelite war

  B' 20:1–13 water from the rock

A' 21:16–18 the spring

Note the pattern of the chiasm: every item A - G in Exodus is mirrored as G' - A' in Numbers.

*Moses appoints judges in Ex 18 at the suggestion of his father-in-law. He appoints elders at God's command in Num 11.

**That is, Leviticus occurs between these dates  (1/1/2 is shorthand for the first day of the first month of the second year), that is Leviticus takes place during the first month of the second year after leaving Egypt. In a sense, Leviticus is timeless because it has no chronological markers.

I think it's safe to say Leviticus is the center of the Torah.

One third of the way there. Let's apply chiastic analysis to Leviticus itself.

Chiasm Of Leviticus

Leviticus can be divided into seven sections, though scholars will disagree over the exact boundaries of the sections. These seven sections are not of equal size. However, most scholars do agree that the center of the seven sections happens to be the Day of Atonement.

BTW, the mathematical center of the Torah depends on whether you mean the middle chapter, the middle verse, the middle word, or the middle letter. The middle letter is in Lev 8:28 - Kefirah of the Week [7].

God wanted to dwell with his people Israel, and through the book of Leviticus He is showing them how to do that, how to approach Him, how to be reconciled, and then how to dwell with Him. Think of it as a spiritual journey from common to holy. One moves from a state of unclean to clean to holy, with Atonement being the pivot point in the process. Scholars will label the seven sections differently, I like this one that Morales includes in his book.

R.M Davidson diagram of Leviticus

A 1-7 - Sanctuary Laws

  B 8-10 - Priestly Laws

    C 11-15 - Personal Laws

      X 16 - Atonement

    C' 17-20 - Personal Laws

  B' 21-22 - Priestly Laws

A' 23-27 - Sanctuary Laws

In other words: Laws, Laws, Laws ATONEMENT, Laws, Laws, Laws.

One may consider Leviticus in two halves, with chapter 16 serving as the fulcrum. ... The first half deals primarily with the approach to God through blood, while the second half is taken up with life in God’s Presence through increasing holiness, the overall goal being fellowship and union with God. [2]

This reminds me of

Rom 5:10 … we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son , much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Reconciled - Lev 1-15

    Atonement - Lev 16

Saved by His life - Lev 17-27

We can see that Atonement (chapter 16) is the center of Leviticus. Two thirds done. Can we use this chiasm trick once more?

Chiasm of Atonement

Atonement has the most detailed description of any holy day, compare it to the Feast of Trumpets, which is summed up in less than a verse as a memorial of blowing. Atonement is unusual in that the High Priest does almost all the work – sacrificing animals, sprinkling blood, entering the Holy of Holies etc., while the people are told to rest and fast. Morales shows that Leviticus 16, the Atonement chapter, is itself a chiasm. It is a chiasm within a chiasm within a chiasm – Chapter 16 within Leviticus within Torah. The chiasm of Leviticus 16 goes seven layers deep.

FRAME: ‘And YHWH said to Moses . . . ’ (16:1)

  A - Aaron should not go into holy of holies any time he wishes (16:2)

    B - Aaron’s sacrificial victims, special vestment (16:3–4)

      C - Sacrificial victims provided by people (16:5)

        D - Aaron’s bull, goat for sin-offering, goat for Azazel (16:6–10)

          E - Aaron sacrifices bull (16:11–14)

            F - Goat sacrificed as sin-offering (16:15)

              X - Atonement (16:16–20a)

            F - Goat sent to wilderness (16:20b–22)

          E' - Aaron’s closing activities (16:23–25)

        D' - Goat for Azazel, Aaron’s bull, goat for sin-offering (16:26–28)

      C' - People rest and humble themselves (16:29–31)

    B' - Anointed priest officiates wearing special garments (16:32–33)

  A' - Anointed priest makes atonement once a year (16:34)

FRAME: ‘As YHWH commanded Moses . . . ’ (16:34)

*The most holy place inside the tabernacle is called the Holy of Holies. The Atonement ceremony is performed by the holiest person in the holiest place at the holiest time.

**Verses 16-20, between the sacrifice of the two goats, is the heart of the Torah, the center of the innermost chiasm. Summary of vs 16-20 - The High Priest makes atonement for the Holy Place, for the tent of meeting, for himself and his household, and the altar. He purges the holy places from the impurities of the assembly of Israel.

Lev 16:16 He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their unlawful acts regarding all their sins; and he shall do so for the tent of meeting which remains with them in the midst of their impurities. 17 When he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. 18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it; he shall take some of the blood from the bull and some of the blood from the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. 19 With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and consecrate it from the impurities of the sons of Israel. 20 “When he finishes atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat.

Morales thesis is that Israel went from unclean to clean through the sacrifices and rituals of chapters 1 – 15, then is made holy by the Atonement ceremony of chapter 16, and then gets laws in chapters 17 – 27 on the subject of holy living, that is, living in communion with God. BTW, this material is from chapter 1 of Morales' book.

Conclusion

Let me share some thoughts about the “Heart of the Torah”

The Bible is more organized than I was aware of. When I read about the chiasms in the Torah in Morales's book, I got excited. Whenever I learn something new in the Bible, I want to share it. I only learned about chiasms five years ago, now I learn that the entire Torah is structured like this. I don't think that Moses could have designed it that way. He was recording events as they happened, he couldn't possibly have known that Israel would fight a second war with Amalek, that he would strike the rock a second time, etc. To me, it shows that God Himself is the author, that the Bible is His word. I find these “wonders in His word” to be faith boosters. And you can see it for yourself, in any translation – I did not resort to Hebrew to show the chiasms. Many more chiasms exist in the Torah and the rest of the Bible (1900 of them  [4]) – just do an Internet search to dig deeper.

One other thought I get from this is the importance of Atonement. We have just reviewed the structure that shows Atonement is the heart of the Torah. The way the text is structured (form conveys meaning) shows that it is important to God. It should also be important to us. To learn more about the Day of Atonement, see UCG Bible Study Tools [8]. It is the pivotal ceremony where Israel became holy. It represents the pivotal atoning work of Jesus where all mankind will become holy.

Heb 9:12 “by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.“

References

1. https://www.biblehub.com/hebrew/8451.htm

2. https://smile.amazon.com/Who-Shall-Ascend-Mountain-Lord/dp/0830826386

3. https://www.luke810.com/esthchiasm.htm

4.  https://www.chiasmusxchange.com/2015/11/27/esther/

5. https://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2017/12/rhythm-and-rhyme.html

6. https://theisraelbible.com/beginning-a-childs-education-with-leviticus/

7. https://kefirahoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-center-of-torah.html

8. https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-study-course/bible-study-course-lesson-12/the-day-of-atonement

Cover It With Covering

When you think of the Day of Atonement, you don't normally think of Noah’s ark. It doesn’t seem like the ceremonial sacrifice involving two goats has anything to do with Noah’s ark. But there is symbolism in Noah’s ark that has parallels with Atonement, so let’s explore what Noah’s ark has to do with The Day of Atonement. And while we're at it, why it's important for Christians.

Gen 6:14 "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.”

There are variations in different translations that say “cover/coat it with pitch/tar inside and out” - BibleHub(Gen 6:14) [1]. The King James Version and a few other translations say “pitch it with pitch”

But isn't the wording in Gen 6:14 unusual? The Pulpit Commentary [1] explains that the Hebrew says “literally, shalt cover it with a covering.” Cover it with a covering? Pitch it with pitch?

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The word translated as cover is the word kaphar, and some sources say that it is the origin of the English word cover - Edenics [2],  Karaite Insights [3], meaning Hebrew kaphar became English cover. However, in 71 out of 102 occurrences, kaphar is translated as Atonement, It is also translated as reconcile, forgive, purge, pacify, cleanse, appease, or pardon - Hebrew Dictionary [4]. The word translated as pitch or tar is kopher, which is from the same root word kaphar. In English we would say like the Pulpit Commentary “cover it with covering”. Gen 6:14 is the only place kopher is translated as pitch  [4].

Kapporet

Two other words are derived from kaphar: Kapporet and Kippur.  Kapporet is translated as mercy seat, which was the gold lid that covered the Ark of the Covenant, that is, kapporet is a noun form of cover. It is the cover of the Ark of the Covenant.

By the way, the Ark of the Covenant and Noah’s Ark are two different words. The word used for Noah’s ark is the same word used for the basket that the baby Moses was placed in to float down the Nile River. The ark of baby Moses was only covered outside with pitch (different word for pitch). These are the only two places that particular word for ark  (tevah) is used in the Bible. There are any fascinating parallels between the ark of Noah and this ark of Moses - The Ark Of Moses.

And kippur should be familiar as the Hebrew name of the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. And kippur is always translated as Atonement.

The point to remember is that the root meaning of all these words (Pitch, Mercy seat, Atonement) is COVER. And we can use Noah’s ark as a memory aid “Cover it with covering”

The word Atonement is a made up English word - Ministry Magazine [5], Etymology Online [6], Theopedia [7].William Tyndale coined several new words for his translation of the Bible 1526-1536, which made their way into nearly all later translations - David Rolphh Seely [8].

Tyndale was the first to use the terms Jehovah, Passover, atonement, scapegoat, and mercy seat in his translation of the Old Testament. The King James Bible and the Restoration, David Rolph Seely  [8]

While we certainly owe a great debt to Tyndale for his pioneering effort in translating the scriptures into English, his choice of words has shaped theological thinking for 500 years. You can read scholarly articles about Atonement by men who have never actually kept Atonement.

Let’s explore the Atonement symbolism of Noah’s ark as simply the word cover. I’m not saying we don’t want to be “at one” with God, but maybe we lose sight of the symbolism involved in the simple word cover [5]. With the caution that like most things, kaphar is more complicated than I'm showing here -Abarim(k-p-r) [9]. Often the symbols in the Bible point to Jesus in some way. For example, both the High Priest and the sacrifices point to Jesus. Likewise, many elements of Noah’s ark can be viewed as symbols pointing to Jesus. Consider this picture – inside the ark, you are safe from the water, outside the ark, you perish. Inside Jesus you are safe, outside, you perish. Normally water is associated with life, but here water means death. Noah entered the ark from one world, and exited to a new world, much like ancient Israel left one world (Egypt), passed through the water and entered another world (eventually the Promised Land of Canaan). And like us, at baptism, we enter the water as slaves to sin, and exit as slaves to God, which is freedom. We all pass through the waters of death to a new life. The ultimate fulfillment of this will be in the resurrection, we will truly enter a new world. The ark then symbolizes the deliverance through Christ, and transport to a new world.

Let’s assume that the covering of the ark was actually pitch (pitch was made from wood until recent times - Creation.com [10]). Commentators say that the pitch represents the blood of Jesus - Good News Mission [11]. Our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus. Note the similarity to the Passover Lamb's blood on the doorposts. Pitch was smeared on the ark, lamb's blood was smeared on the posts and lintel of the door frame, and Jesus' blood was smeared on the cross – ark, doorpost, cross, all three made of wood. The covering of the Ark (probably pitch) pictures Jesus’ blood, covering our sin.

Some commentators see this as God covering His eyes to our sin. When we ask God for forgiveness, in a sense we are asking Him to cover His eyes to our transgressions [3]. In our culture we would say, “look the other way”.

The ark was covered with pitch inside and out, that is, there are two coverings. The Day of Atonement in the Bible is actually plural. The phrase "Day of Atonement" occurs three times, and it is always plural, as in the Day of Atonements or the Day of the Coverings - Day of Coverings. We also see multiple coverings or Atonements in Lev 16 where the High Priest carries out the sacrifices of the Day.

Lev 16:33 And he shall make an atonement (covering) for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement (covering) for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement (covering) for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.

There are different ways to look at that symbolism. One way is that no matter which direction you’re looking, you see the shed blood of Christ. That is, God the Father looks from the outside, He sees the outer covering, the blood of Jesus, instead of our sin. 'Hab 1:13 "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil” hence sin must be covered - covered by blood' - Gleanings In Genesis [12]. We look from the inside, and we also see the blood of Christ, protecting us.

One commentary said that the first covering is to make us right before the LORD, as it says in Lev 16:30. The second covering is to make us right with our fellow man - Day of Atonements[13].

MythBusters testing truck bed liner material

Another way we might look at “cover it with covering, inside and out” comes from an unlikely source, testing truck bed liner material [10]. The TV show MythBusters ran a segment in 2012 where they tested whether coating a wall inside and out made it blastproof. And contrary to their expectations, it did. An ordinary wood or concrete wall was badly damaged by a blast. But when the same wall was coated inside and out with bed liner, it withstood the blast. You can watch the video on Youtube yourself - MythBusters [14].  Another show called SmashLab showed that the coating has to be applied to both sides - SmashLab [15]. It suggests that the pitch made Noah’s ark not only waterproof, but impact resistant. When the fountains of the deep broke forth (Gen 7:11), or when the waters receded, the ark could have crashed on rocks, cliffs, or  even mountains. The ark had no propulsion and no rudder. It went wherever the water took it. Likewise, sometimes we can’t steer clear of trials. It is possible that the two coverings may have made the ark impact resistant. I realize that comparing truck bed liner with pitch is somewhat unfair.

What about the life of a Christian? The analogy is that being pitched inside and out makes us able to withstand crashing on the rocks of life. God doesn’t always spare us from the crashes, but makes us impact resistant.

How are we covered with covering inside and out? When the Old Covenant was ratified, Moses literally sprinkled the people with blood, that is, they were covered outside.

Ex 24:8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

When the New Covenant was ratified, the disciples took the wine, which represented taking Jesus’ blood inside.

Luke 22:20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

The pitch on the outside and the pitch on the inside are both parts of the same ark. Two covenants, same law, same blood. One interpretation is this: keep the letter AND the spirit of the law.

There maybe other interpretations of the two coverings, I would like to hear your thoughts on this.

References

1. https://biblehub.com/genesis/6-14.htm
2. https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/edenics/hebrew-words-found-in-english-words.htm
3. https://karaiteinsights.com/article/kippurim.html
4. http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/3722.html.
5. https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1962/03/atonement-kaphar
 Tyndale and those who followed him failed to see this symbolism clearly enough to translate kipper as "cover." Instead, they chose or made up a word that expressed the result of the process—at-one-ment with God.
6. https://www.etymonline.com/word/atonement
atonement (n.) - 1510s, "condition of being at one (with others)," a sense now obsolete, from atone + -ment. Theological meaning "reconciliation" (of man with God through the life, passion, and death of Christ) is from 1520s; that of "satisfaction or reparation for wrong or injury, propitiation of an offended party" is from 1610s.
7. https://www.theopedia.com/atonement
The word atonement, is almost the only theological term of English origin. It was likely first used in Tyndale's English translation as derived from the adv. phrase atonen, meaning "in accord," literally, at one. In the English Bible, it is mainly used to translate the Hebrew word kipur, although it is used once in the King James New Testament to translate the Greek word katallage (see Romans 5:11).
8.https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/king-james-bible-and-restoration/3-william-tyndale-and-language-one-ment
 In the process of translating the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English, Tyndale coined several new English words—transforming older English words or in some cases inventing unique and striking new English words—that have since become central terms in religious discourse
9. http://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/k/k-p-r.html#.XVokkvk3nIU
There are four different roots that are all spelled כפר (kpr) There doesn't seem to be an etymological relationship between these four, but their similarities may have prompted the poetic writers of the Bible to engage in word play.
10. https://creation.com/noahs-ark-pitch
pitch can be extracted by distilling or heating wood. In fact, prior to the rise of the petroleum and coal industries, this was exactly how pitch was made.
11. http://goodnewsmission.net/12-pitch-it-within-and-without-with-pitch/
12. https://www.biblebelievers.com/Pink/Gleanings_Genesis/genesis_13.htm
13. http://www.betemunah.org/kippur.html
Yom HaKippurim is the actual scriptural name for this festival, which means the Day of the Atonements. The meaning has two connotations to it: One, that a person repents for his sins that he has committed against HaShem and asks HaShem for His forgiveness, and the other is to ask for repentance from your fellow man for the sins that you have committed against him.
14. youtube.com/watch?v=3JOXrpCLCJg
15. youtube.com/watch?v=VSvVy6oiMZI

Day Of Coverings

High Priest in Holy Of Holies

Many consider Yom Kippur to be the holiest day of the year, because it was the only day the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. In English, we call Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement. However, it seems the word atonement has lost any real meaning - Yom HaKippurim [1]. Some people talk about being "at one" with God, but the Hebrew word kippur doesn't mean "at one", though that may be the ultimate result. "It is obvious that the English word 'atonement'  does not correspond etymologically with any Hebrew or Greek word which it translates." - Bible Study Tools (Atonement)  [2]. The Bible doesn't even call the day Yom Kippur, it calls it Yom HaKippurim or Yom Kippurim, plural not singular kippur, whatever kippur means, which we will get to later. It would be better to say Day of Atonements. If you have achieved at-one-ment with God, how do you achieve more than one at-one-ment? Are you at one twice?

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Now I know what you're thinking - what's this got to do with Noah's ark? Well, the word kippur is used in describing the construction of the ark. This is also the first occurrence of kippur in the Bible, the first occurrence of a word often gives a word's root meaning. See Gen 6:14

"Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.

Modern Replica of Noah's Ark

Both the word "cover" and the word "pitch" are kippur. A number of translations say to "pitch in inside and out with pitch", ie. pitch it with pitch. In Hebrew, it reads to kafar it with kofer (In Hebrew, vowels don't matter, p and f are the same). Cover is the root meaning for kafar, though it has other meanings we will see later. "In fact, the English word "cover" can most likely be traced back etymologically to the Hebrew word kafar" - Yom HaKippurim [1]. That would make it "cover it with covering" - Ridiculous KJV Bible Corrections [3]. One meaning then of Yom HaKippurim is Day Of (The) Coverings.

Cover What?

To the Door Posts and Lintel

What is to be covered? The first answer is "cover our sins". The pitch of Noah's ark symbolizes the blood of Jesus which covers our sins. Note the similarity to the Passover Lamb's blood on the doorposts. Pitch is smeared on the ark, lamb's blood is smeared on the posts and lintel of the door frame, and Jesus' blood was smeared on the cross - all three made of wood. This is important - the covering is blood, and it cleanses us from sin.

Lev 16:30 for it is on this day that atonement (kafar) shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement (kafar) for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement (kafar).

Heb 2:17 (CJB) This is why he had to become like his brothers in every respect - so that he might become a merciful and faithful cohen gadol (high priest) in the service of God, making a kapparah for the sins of the people.

1 John 4:10 (CJB) Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.

Here is how Dr John Hinton of the Bible Restoration Ministry [4] put it, "As kopher was used to cover the ship that provided for the salvation of the righteous, which amounted to God's forgiveness of mankind whom he would otherwise have destroyed completely, so those who accept Christ's offer are forgiven by being covered by his blood." - Ridiculous KJV Bible Corrections [3]. 

Second Covering

But remember Noah's ark was covered inside and outside with pitch - two coverings. And it is the Day of (the) Coverings. The first covering is to make us clean before the LORD, as it says in Lev 16:30. The second covering is to make us right with our fellow man.

The meaning (of Kippurim) has two connotations to it: One, that a person repents for his sins that he has committed against HaShem (God) and asks HaShem for His forgiveness, and the other is to ask for repentance from your fellow man for the sins that you have committed against him - Betemunah [5]. 

Cover What?

Cherubim Covering the Ark

Cover has another meaning that fits here. When we ask God for forgiveness, in a sense we are asking Him to cover His eyes, as if He didn't see sin happen. "The covering over of another's eyes to make it as if he didn't see certain events that happened in the past, specifically negative events. This 'covering' is usually accomplished by the giving of some kind of monetary reward or gift to the person in order to 'help' him forget." -  The Day of Getting Yehowah to Cover His Eyes And Forget [6]. A monetary gift would not work to buy God's forgiveness, but our fellow man may accept a payment in place of vengeance. This is my understanding of the real meaning of "an eye for an eye", payment instead of reciprocal injury. Covering the eyes works in a negative sense too, "for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise" - Exodus 23:8.

Kippurim

I mentioned above that kafar has other meanings, several in fact. Each meaning of kafar adds layers of meaning to Yom Ha Kippurim. According to Betemunah [5], kafar can mean  "to appease, make atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge away, put off, and make reconciliation". And just as kafar has multiple meanings, so does Yom Ha Kippurim. Whether you believe that atonement is cover, or ransom, or substitution, or all three, the day and its rituals are full of symbolism.


References

1. https://karaiteinsights.com/article/kippurim.html
2. http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/atonement/
3. http://av1611.com/kjbp/ridiculous-kjv-bible-corrections/The-Pitch-of-Noahs-Ark.html
4. http://www.kjv-asia.com/bible-believing-ministries-dr-john-hinton/
5. http://www.betemunah.org/kippur.html
6. https://karaiteinsights.com/article/kippurim.html

A Tale Of Two Siblings

Am I the Shepherd's Shepherd?

Cain killed Abel. God marked Cain and drove him away. But before God pronounced sentence on Cain, He asked him, "Where is your brother Abel?" I have to think God knew the answer, but wanted to see what Cain would say. The response was "Am I my brother's keeper?" I read many years ago that Cain really said "Am I the shepherd's shepherd?" I thought that "shepherd's shepherd" was more clever than "brother's keeper". Well, I began to study Hebrew not quite as many years ago, and while I'm not fluent, I can read it a little. What I learned is what the verse really says is, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Just like all the translations said.

The translation "Am I the shepherd's shepherd" is out there. I found it in books and articles, some say it confidently, some explain the reasoning. I'll include more in the references, but here's a couple.

Cain’s response to God is an insolent witticism. Abel’s occupation is of course a keeper of flocks. Cain responds, literally, ‘Am I a shepherd to the shepherd?’ The implication that Genesis wants to convey is ‘yes! – you are responsible for your brother.’ - Crookedshore [1]

In the domain of shepherding, the shomer (the Hebrew word used for "keeper") is the keeper of the seedlot, the one who tends the sheep when they are not out grazing. Using this sense of the term. Cain is asking contemptuously, "Am I the shepherd's shepherd?" - The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis By Leon Kass [2]

I'll agree it may have been implied, but the Hebrew says "Am I my brother's shomer (keeper)?"

But that's not what I came here to say.

Twins??

I want to share something about Cain and Abel's birth. It's been the source of discussion since ancient times. The reason is that it's worded oddly in the Hebrew. In all the standard translations into English, it just appears that the boys are brothers, but here's how it reads in the J.P. Green literal translation.

And she continued to bear his brother, Abel. And Abel became a shepherd of flocks. And Cain became a tiller of the ground. - studylight.org [3]

Note Eve "continued to bear". Some rabbis suggest that means Cain and Abel were twins -  Genesis in Advance of Present Science [4]. Some say that all of Adam and Eve's children were born as twins, one boy and one girl - The Book of Genesis in Late Antiquity [5]. I favor the interpretation that Cain and Abel were twins. Supporting evidence below.

But that's not what I came here to say.

What's In A Name?

What's in a name? Maybe not so much in our names today, but Biblical names, especially in Genesis have meaning. Consider our cast of characters.

Adam - red clay, mankind, a man. The first several times "adam" is used in Genesis, it is "ha adam" or "the man". I assume God named Adam, but the name Adam is not used until Gen 2:20, after "the man" has named all the animals, as in "but for Adam there was not found a a helper suitable for him".

Eve - mother of all living. Adam definitely named Eve, in Hebrew her name is "Chavvah". If I may bend the translation of Gen 3:20 a little, "And the man called his wife's name Chavvah; because she was the mother of all chayyah (living)". It really says chay, but my version rhymes...

Cain - gotten, gained. It appears Eve named the boys. "There is some reason to believe from the expression, "I have gotten (qaniti) a man from the Lord" Genesis 4:1, that Eve herself had caught a glimpse of this meaning (Gen 3:15), though she applied it to the wrong party." - Barnes' Notes on the Bible [6]. Gen 3:15 reads "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel." We view it as a prophecy of the Messiah, in fact "Genesis 3:15 is known by the term Protevangelium, or 'first gospel'—a prophetic picture of the time when Satan would be defeated by the woman’s triumphant 'Seed.'" - Answers In Genesis [7].

Seth's Line Is The Gospel

Abel - breath that vanishes, worthless. When Eve named Seth (Appointed) , the replacement for Abel, it appears she understood that Cain wasn't the seed to crush the serpent's head - Don Stewart [8]. But when she named Abel (Hevel), it reads like he is an afterthought because she already acquired Cain. Some say Hevel means worthless - Trivial Contemplations [9].

But that's not what I came here to say.

Connection To The Tabernacle

This is what I came here to say.

High Priest only allowed to
enter Holy of Holies
on Yom Kippur

The story of Cain and Abel foreshadows a ceremony at the Tabernacle thousands of years later. Consider this, the righteous one was killed, the guilty one was sent away. This is exactly what happens during Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement in English. Two goats were selected, one goat sacrificed for the Lord (who was treated more "humanely" than Abel), and one goat to be removed, Azazel in Hebrew often translated scapegoat in English. The Azazel goat bore the guilt of the nation of Israel.

Lev 16:5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.
6 And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.
7 And he shall take the two goats, and set them before Jehovah at the door of the tent of meeting.
8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel.
9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering.
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.

20 And when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat:
21 and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness:
22 and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a solitary land: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. 

According to Jewish sources, the two goats were to look identical, preferably twins - Double Portion Inheritance [10]. Humanly, there was no way to tell them apart. Without God's inspiration, we could not tell right from wrong. After the High Priest cast lots, he would tie a red cord on a horn of the Azazel. The crimson red dye in the cord came from a grubworm - Gospel In A Grub [11]. Twin goats - twin brothers. Makes sense, evidence, not proof.


It's easy to see that Jesus the Messiah fulfilled the role of the first goat, sacrificed for the Lord. There are different interpretations of the Azazel goat. Some say it pictures Jesus, some say it pictures Satan. Based on Rev 20 and the book of Jude where stars picture angels, I personally believe that the Azazel pictures Satan, not Jesus. Cain was evil and guilty, and was sent away into the land of Nod (Wandering). Satan is evil and guilty, and will be sent away to the abyss and then to black darkness. Jesus is righteous and does not fit the symbolism associated with Cain or Azazel. You can read more about The Day of Atonement at United Church of God God's Holy Day Plan - Atonement [12]

Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it , and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.

Jude 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.

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If you liked this article, you might also enjoy A Tale Of Two Sighs [13] or The Gospel In Six [14].

References

1. http://www.crookedshore.com/beginnings-in-genesis-the-shepherds-shepherd
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=H9RxCpsBPPsC&pg=PA142
3. https://www.studylight.org/bible/lit/genesis/4-2.html
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=xikpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176
5. https://books.google.com/books?id=7YRFizhgCokC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104
6. http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/genesis/3.htm
7. https://answersingenesis.org/sin/original-sin/lessons-from-the-fall/
8. https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_756.cfm
9. https://trivialcontemplations.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/cain-and-abel-the-story-of-accomplish-and-worthless/
10. http://doubleportioninheritance.blogspot.com/2011/05/twin-goats-on-yom-kippur-fulfilled-in_25.html
11. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2016/04/i-am-worm-gospel-in-grub.html
12. https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/atonement-removal
13. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-tale-of-two-sighs.html
14. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-gospel-in-six.html
See also
"Am I My Brother's Keeper?: Christian Citizenship in a Globalized Society" by Mark W. Scarlata
"On Stone and Scroll: Essays in Honour of Graham Ivor Davies" edited by James K. Aitken, Katharine J. Dell, Brian A. Mastin

DIY Salvation

Indian Piercing Ritual 1908 [1]

In a TV show I watched recently, a man undertook a Native American ritual of self inflicted pain to "set things right in the universe". He suffered severe pain and deprivation to make amends for wrongs he had done, after which his daughter was healed. Of course, that's TV. But the notion of self inflicted pain for spiritual gain is not confined to Native Americans, it is in many religions. The Roman Catholic Church has a well developed theology concerning what they term penance. Usually, a priest would decide on the act of penance, also called epitemia. But it appears the more zealous can add to the penances.

Acts of self-discipline are used as tokens of repentance. Easier acts of self-discipline include devoting time to prayer or reading of the Bible or other spiritual books. Examples of harder acts of self-discipline are fasting, continence, abstaining from alcohol or tobacco, or other privations. Self-flagellation and the wearing of a cilice* are more rarely used. Wikipedia - Penance [2]

 *Cilice - a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt) worn close to the skin

Other religions are mentioned in the Wikipedia article. The Eastern Orthodox Church practices penance similar to the Catholics without the confession to a priest. Anglicans practice confession and penance, so do Methodists. Apparently, Lutherans do not. To show how universal self inflicted pain for spiritual reasons, consider this.

Rituals of expiation and satisfaction appear in most religions, whether primitive or developed, as the means by which the religious person reestablishes or strengthens his relation to the holy or divine. Atonement is often attached to sacrifice, both of which often connect ritual cleanness with moral purity and religious acceptability. Britannica [3]

We see above two reasons for self inflicted pain, one is to make amends for one's sins, and two is to gain spiritual favor, insight, or closeness to God. Does it work? Is God pleased with flagellants? [4] It appears self inflicted pain makes the person feel less guilty. In an experiment with college students, Dr Bastian of The University of Queensland observed this.

Humans have been socialised over ages to think of pain in terms of justice. We equate it with punishment, and as the experimental results suggest, the experience has the psychological effect of rebalancing the scales of justice and therefore resolving guilt. Medical Xpress [5]

But logically, the person who self-inflicted pain is exactly as guilty as they were before the pain - they only felt less guilty. Say one breaks a traffic law, like running a stop sign, does contrition and remorse or even pain make them any less guilty? No.

Does this "Do It Yourself Atonement" work? Can I make it right with the universe by inflicting pain on myself? Can I do acts of charity to balance out the score? In my own life, I have committed plenty of wrongs I would like to right, many people I've hurt, beginning with my parents. I wish I could say that was before I began to believe in God and believe God, before striving to live by His word, that is, before I knew Him. But I've committed wrongs since then I would like to undo. And in many ways those hurt me more, because I should know better, because I've let my Father down, and I want to make it up to Him. So, how do we make it right with God?

It's All About the Tabernacle

It may surprise you that the Tabernacle of ancient Israel is a template of how to approach God, and it is full of other symbolism as well. To approach God, who dwelt in the innermost part of the Tabernacle, called the Holy of Holies, one entered the Tabernacle through its only door, on the east side. That door is Jesus Christ, "I am the door of the sheep." - John 10:7,9. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" - Acts 4:12. The first item one encounters in the Tabernacle is the bronze altar, used for animal sacrifices. You can't go any further towards the Holy of Holies till a sacrifice is made.

But the Bible is very specific about the sacrifices, a lot of "column inches" are devoted to them. The point here is that it is not a do-it-yourself sacrifice. You and I don't get to decide the sacrifice God must accept. Sacrifices were substitutions, an animal's life instead of a human. These sacrifices ultimately picture Jesus, substituting Himself, that is some aspect of His life and ministry, for us. And the priest who performed the sacrificial ceremony also pictures Jesus, especially the High Priest. It's all about Jesus' sacrifice, not ours.

What about fasting? It is a voluntary self denial (mandatory on Yom Kippur), a kind of self inflicted pain. Fasting is known in the KJV Bible as "afflict your soul", it's not talking about a health fast. But fasting is not about making the universe right. Fasting is not a hunger strike to get your own way from God. Fasting tells God that His ways are more important to you than food itself. Fasting is about humbling your self. Then He will restore you, read Isaiah 58:1-11 below. 

So people have the rightful notion that a sacrifice is the first step towards reconciliation with God, but we have twisted that sacrifice to be one of our own choosing. Self inflicted pain may make us feel less guilty, but it is Jesus sacrifice that actually makes it so. I want to make it up to God, I'm disappointed in myself for letting him down. I think this impulse is in all of us based on the fact that all religions have some sort ritual of expiation as explained above. This may be why we have an intuitive notion of sacrificing in order to reconcile with God. But there are many wrongs we can't right. The obvious examples would be things like murder or crippling someone. We can't reconcile with people who have passed away. We can't take back adultery, etc. Alcoholics Anonymous Step 9 says "Be willing to make amends" AA [6]. And the Bible says "Bring forth fruits in keeping with your repentance" -  Mt 3:8. Yes we should make amends, but we can't fix everything. We can't do it all ourselves.

Jesus did the heavy lifting. Our part is to "repent and believe the gospel" - Mark 1:15. As a nation, we've got a lot of repenting to do. Then live in such a way as to "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" - Rom 12:1.

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Isaiah 58:1-11 

1 Cry loudly, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their transgression
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done righteousness
And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight in the nearness of God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’
Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire,
And drive hard all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist.
You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.
5 Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10 And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11 And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

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References
1. http://historic.al/image/apsaroke-indian-man-during-a-piercing-ritual-1908-black-and-white-by-jvpd-7372
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penance

3. http://www.britannica.com/topic/atonement-religion

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellant

5. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-self-inflicted-pain-eases-guilt.html
6. http://www.alcoholic.org/research/aa-step-9/