Scroll to Scroll:

Todays Parsha #19: Terumah (The Contributions)

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEKS STUDY QUESTIONS (Mishpatim):
1) What commandment in this Torah portion appears to have been clarified or even
limited in its scope by later regulations?
The original commandment is here
"Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them: 2 "If you buy a
Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a
free man without payment. 3 "If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the
husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 "If his master gives him a
wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong
to her master, and he shall go out alone. 5 "But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my
master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' 6 then his
master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost.
And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him
permanently. (Exodus 21:1-6 NAU)
However the clarification is given here
39

'If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells
himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave's service. 40 'He shall be with
you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the
year of jubilee. (Leviticus 25:39-40 NAU)
2) If you know the answer to #1, why was this command modified later?
Because the specific rules on the Jubilee, or Yovel, had not yet been given. When the
debts are canceled, this includes the debt of the one who agreed to serve forever. So
even an Israelite who opted to get the awl in his ear to stay with his family can look
forward to, assuming he lives long enough to the next Jubilee, to becoming a free
man. In both cases, the commands and privileges are given to HEBREW slaves, not
those from other nations.
3) What does the use of the word DEROR in the Haftorah portion help us prove about
Yshuas resurrection?
It would fall to Yshua to proclaim true release of the captivesmeaning those
who were captive in Sheol. He did thisthe release year or year of YHWHs
favorwhen he died in 30 CE. That year was a SHEMITTAH, or Land Sabbath,
and thats when he descended into Sheol and gave freedom to the dead, as we read
1|Page

here:
And he preached to those souls which were detained in Sheol (Hades)- 1 Peter 3:19
(AENT)
4) If you know the answer to #3, where is this result of the resurrection predicted earlier
by Yshua in the Gospels?
(Luk 4:14) And Y'shua returned in the power of the Spirit to Galeela and the news
concerning him went out into every region that was around them. (Luk 4:15) And he
would teach in their assemblies and would be praised by every man. (Luk 4:16) And he
came to Nasrath where he had been raised, and he entered into the assembly as he was
accustomed on the day of the Shabbat and stood up to read. (Luk 4:17) Then the scroll of
the prophet Yesha'yahu was given to him, and Y'shua opened the scroll and found the
place where it is written, (Luk 4:18) "The Spirit of Master YHWH is upon me and
because of this, He has anointed me to declare hope to the poor. And He has sent me to
heal the brokenhearted and to preach release41 to the captives and sight to the blind. And
to free those with the power of forgiveness who are oppressed.42 (Luk 4:19) And to
preach the acceptable year of Master YHWH.43 (Luk 4:20) And he rolled up the scroll
and gave it to the minister and went and sat down. And all of those in(Luk 4:22) All of
them were testifying about him and were marveling at the words of blessing that were
proceeding from his mouth. And they were saying, "Is this man not the son of Yosip?
the assembly, their eyes were fixed on him. (Luk 4:21) And he began to say to them that,
"This Scripture in your ears is fulfilled today." (Luk 4:23) Y'shua said to them, "Perhaps
you might tell me this parable, 'Physician heal yourself.' And all that we have heard that
you did in Capurnakhum, do here also in your city." (Luk 4:24) And he said, "Truly I
say to you that there is no prophet who is accepted in his own city. (Luk 4:25) For truly I
say to you that many widows there were in the house of Israel in the days of the prophet
Eliyahu when the heavens were shut up three years and six months and a great famine
was in all the land. (Luk 4:26) And Eliyahu was not sent to one of them except to
Sarpath of Tsidon to a woman, a widow. (Luk 4:27) And there were many lepers in the
house of Israel in the days of the prophet Elisha,44 and not one of them was cleansed
except for Naaman the Aramean." (Luk 4:28) Then when those in the assembly had
heard these things, all of them were filled with anger. (Luk 4:29) And they rose up and
cast him outside of the city and they brought him to the ridge of a mountain that which
their city was built upon to cast him down from a cliff. (Luk 4:30) But he passed
between them and departed.
5) There have been some who have attacked the book Hebrews on several fronts. One
of these is the idea that Paul did not write the letter. Is there evidence within the
Epistle to prove Paul was the author and if so, what is it?

2|Page

Hebrews 2:3 footnote:

13) Confirmed to us by those who heard from him this writer was not an eyewitness
to Yshuas glory during his earthly ministry. This is perhaps one of the greatest clues
given by the writer of Hebrews regarding his identity. While it is true that other writers,
like Luke for example, collected accounts of Yshuas life from eyewitnesses (Luk_1:15), Luke himself is counted as a Gentile (Col_4:11-14), making it unlikely that he would
have enough apostolic weight to have his words encouraged in a Hebrew believing
community. Rav Shaul himself makes a division between missions to both groups, while
they contained the same message (Gal_2:7). When we look at prominent Jewish leaders
who were specifically enjoined to preach the Gospel to the Israelites who are scattered
among the nations, it is a very short list of possible authors. Additionally, we can add to
this criteria the fact that this same Jewish leader was important but not a direct
eyewitness to Yshua, and that he has sent the letter according to direct reference
(Heb_13:24). Finally, very reliable Eastern and Western manuscript traditions from Italy
(possibly Rome) mention the author, therefore it all points to one name: Rav Shaul. The
emphasis also on the writers encouragement to remember those in prison as if you
were bound with them: and recollect those in affliction as being yourselves clothed in
flesh (Heb_13:3; Heb_13:23) also fits very well with the other times that we know Rav
Shaul was writing from his places of confinement. Please see footnote Heb_13:24.
Hebrews 13:24 footnote:
73) Although it is very apparent that Rav Shaul (Paul) wrote the book of Hebrews; the
church founder Origen stated that only God knows who wrote this. In the Middle East,
there are no doubts. Clement, Eusebius and Jerome state that Hebrews was originally
written in Hebrew. However, since Paul was the main scapegoat for the establishment of
the Hellenized Christian religion, it only stands to reason that Hellenic theologians
preferred to paint Paul as a Grecian Academic, rather than Hebrew Jew or Messianic
Pharisee. All of his earliest Aramaic manuscripts end with written from Italy sent by
the hands of Timothy. Timothy was imprisoned along with Rav Shaul in Rome, but
released beforehand to deliver Pauls letters (see Rom_16:21; Php_1:1; 1Th_3:2;
1Ti_1:18; 2Ti_1:2; Phm_1:10; Phm_1:13). The Marganitha, an ancient Aramaic source,
states that there are Fourteen epistles of the Great Apostle Paul which includes
Hebrews.
1) Meaning of Parsha title/summary of contents.
Terumah means the contributions concerns a list of the offerings Israel gives to help
build the Tabernacle in the wilderness as well as detailed instructions for building the
Ark of the Covenant and other divine furniture.
3|Page

Vayedaber Yah-weh el-Moshe lemor.

Daber el-beney Yisra'el veyikchu-li trumah me'et kol-ish asher yidvenu
libo tikchu et-trumati.
Vezot hatrumah asher tikchu me'itam zahav vachesef unechoshet.
Utchelet ve'argaman vetola'at shani veshesh ve'izim.
2) Read Parsha (English-Exodus 25:1-27:19. Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color
Commentary.
VAYEDABER YAHWEH EL MOSHE LEMOR (25:1) = And spoke Yahweh to Moshe
saying. This would have probably been during the 40 days and 40 nights that Moshe was
up on the mountain with Abba YHWH.
TERUMAH (25:2) = offering/contribution, but literally something lifted up/elevated.
What may at first be something very mundane and ordinary normally is elevated to
service when given to Abba YHWH.
NECHOSHET (25:3) = copper, and on the route to Sinai there were copper and
turquoise mines.
SHESH (25:4) = linen, but actually derived from the Hebrew word for six. Some
sources indicate this is because the linen had a 6-ply construction, giving it the
consistency of something close to silk. However, there are other 6associations with
linen. Yshua was wrapped in linen upon his death after having spent 6 hours on the
torture stake and 6 day/night periods in the earth. SHESH is also the number of petals in
the SHOSHANIM or lily, and in 1st century Israel this flower was put on ossuaries as a
symbol of resurrection.
Special Focus: The Color of the Tzit Tzit
UTCHELET VE ARGAMAN (25:4) = sky blue and purple. The color of TEKHELET in
a tzit-tzit in terms of a shade of blue is not that mysterious in my opinion, although the
matter continues to be debated fiercely in Talmudic circles.

4|Page

The word ARGAMAN is kind of deep reddish royal purple, and we know what that dye
was because of its prominent use amongst Middle-Eastern royalty. So whatever
TEKKELET is, it cant be a purplish blue.
The historian Josephus though gives us this very important clue:
And for the mitre (turban of the high priest-AGR), which was of a blue color, it seems
to me to mean heaven; 187 for how otherwise could the name of God be inscribed upon
it? That it was also illustrated with a crown, and that of gold also, is because of that
splendor with which God is pleased. Let this explanation suffice at present, since the
course of my narration will often, and on many occasions, afford me the opportunity of
enlarging upon the virtue of our legislator. (Antiquities, 3:186-187)
And:
232

But that belt that tied the garment to the breast was embroidered with five rows of
various colors, of gold, and purple, and scarlet, as also of fine linen and blue, with
which colors, we told you before, the veils of the temple were embroidered also. (The
Jewish War, 5:232)
Next, lets look at this little detail.
37

You will put it on a blue (tekhelet) cord; it will go on the turban; the front of
the turban is the place where it must go. 38 This will go on Aaron's brow, and Aaron
will thus take on himself the short-comings in the Set-Apart things consecrated by the
Israelites, in all their Set-Apart offerings. It will be on his brow permanently, to make
them acceptable to Yahweh. (Exodus 28:37-38)
Since this shade of blue is identical to that on the blue thread of the tzit-tzit, then the tzittzit itself must also be some shade of sky-blue. We also see fine linen and blue listed
together and this is the same blue that is referred to for the turban and for the belt,
through which the tzit-tzit would also be. That is why, in my opinion at the moment, the
issue of the color of the tzit-tzit is well established in Hebrew as to what TEKHELET is.
In fact, we saw more evidence of what the TEKHELET was just last week when Moshe
caught a glimpse of the heavenly throne and the paving stones were SAPPHIRE, a darker
sky blue. Lets look at that again, plus supporting and confirming Scriptures on the same
subject:
And they saw the Elohim of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a
pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His
hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw Elohim, and they ate and
drank. (Exodus 24:10-11)

5|Page

Then, in vision I saw that above the solid surface over the heads of the winged
creatures there was above them something like sapphire, which seemed to be
like a throne. 2 He then said to the man dressed in linen, 'Go in between the
wheels below the winged creatures; take a handful of burning coal from between the
winged creatures and scatter it over the city.' He went in as I watched. 3 The winged
creatures were on the right of the Temple as the man went in, and the cloud filled the
inner court. 4 The glory of Yahweh rose from above the winged creatures, towards
the threshold of the Temple; the Temple was filled by the cloud and the court was full
of the brightness of the glory of Yahweh. (Ezekiel 10:1-4 NJB)
Sapphire and linen, blue and white, the same colors of the sky and clouds and the same
colors that are in the tzit-tzit!
How the color was derived from, i.e. through what creature, is another aspect. In other
words, what was the creature the Talmud calls the HILLAZON?
I think we really can identify the murex snail as the legendary hillazon, because those
snails have also been found in and around Mount Zion. You can find out about that
here.
http://foundationforbiblicalarchaeology.org/content/index.php/projects/1-mountzion-excavations
This source says in part
Located on a slope of historic Mount Zion, the traditional site of both King Davids
Tomb and the Upper Room of Jesus Last Supper, the excavation area would have been
within the gates of Herodian Jerusalem. The cup was discovered near a ritual pool this
summer, when team members finally reached levels of the Second Temple
period. Gibson determined that the cup could be dated to some time between 37 B.C.E.
and 70 C.E, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple following the first
Jewish revolt.
Other finds from the site include the mikveh (ritual bathing pool) with an intact vaulted
ceiling (above), a room with two ovens from the Roman period plus a third oven which
may date to an earlier period, as well as a number of murex snail shells with holes drilled
through them (below).
Murex snails were cultivated in antiquity at sites along the Mediterranean Sea, and a
royal blue dye was extracted from them. Experts believe that this blue color was used for
the priestly garments, as well as the tzizit, or braided tassels, worn by all pious Jews of
the period. According to Biblical texts, G-d commanded the male Jews to include a
thread of blue (tekhelet) in the fringes of the corners of their garments.
And finally, when the Torah was translated into Greek, the Septuagint used the word
hyacinth in place of tekhelet and in Israel the hyacinth flower is a darker shade of
sapphire sky blue!

6|Page

VEASU ARON ATSEY SHITIM AMATAYIM VACHETSI ORKO VEAMAH

VACHETSI ROCHBO VEAMAH VACHETSI KOMATO (25:10) = and make an
ark of acacia wood, 2 cubits long, 1 cubits wide and 1 cubits high. In English
inches this makes the ark 45 inches long by 27 inches wide by 27 inches high. The
cubit is fixed to 18 inches, the physical dimensions of a particular man, whether that be
Adam or Moshe we do not know, but we do know this is fixed the pattern Moshe saw
on the mountain (Exodus 25:40, Acts 7:44, Philippians 3:17 and Hebrews 8:5) and
which is mirrored in angelic dimensions in heaven (Revelation 21:17). We also know
that the longer cubit was a regular one plus a handbreadth which was reserved for altar
in Ezekiels future Temple vision (Ezekiel 43:12-21).
Going Deeper: The Ark of the Covenants Measurements as Calendar Code!
One of the most fascinating things about Scripture numbers is they seldom have only
one use. There is a ton of amazing math going on in the dimensions of the Tabernacle,
its furnishings and the outfit of the priests and high priests. Explaining one tenth of it
would literally make for a very thick book, so I will focus on one of the simpler
aspects behind the Ark of the Covenant math.
It turns out that the Scriptures tell us the suns annual path is divided into 12 houses
(very long story) that are 12 equal divisions of the 365.2422 day year, or 30 days, 10
hours, 33 minutes, 36 seconds. In order to make that math less messy, Scripture gives
us other ways to divide the time within a month, and these include windows of
heaven, that translate to 2 days each (another long story).
In any case, each cubit of the Ark of the Covenant equals here a day, and so the 2
cubit length corresponds to the 2 days of a window of heavenwhich is a specific
part of house or month that the sun rises out of 2-3 days at a time.
Similarly, the 1 cubit width and height of the Ark of the Covenant relates to the
perceived size of the sun as it comes out of a given window. This is because the sun
only rises once a day and the perceived size of the sun from our position on earth is a
7|Page

half of a degree, so on average the sun will track 1 degrees over 2 days per
window. This means the ancient Hebrews, just by following the codes in the Torah,
had an extremely sophisticated and accurate mathematical estimate for the length of
the solar year, which is also eloquently explained in the poetry of Psalm 19 and other
places. Maybe thats why the Ark is made of gold, has wings, and is placed in the
western (setting) end of the Tabernacle.
Note on 25:12-13: The four rings, two on each side, that take the two poles that carry
the Ark are also about the tracking of the sun. Again the gold represents the sun and
the four rings are the four seasons of the year. The two poles are the two equinoxes of
the year, as the first half arcs from spring to fall (front to back of the Ark) and the
second half reverses the process (from back to the front pole). The two rings that hold
each pole on each side are the consecutive seasons in each equinox, so the front poles
rings are spring and summer on that side and the back poles rings are fall on winter on
the back side of the Ark of the Covenant.
VENATATA EL-HAARON ET HA-EDUT ASHER ETEN ELEYCHA (25:16) = it is
in this ark that you will place the testimony I will give you. This is most probably the Ten
Commandments, but it is possible that given this passages later chronology, that it might
include more than that, but short of the completed 5 Books by Moshe.
Note on 25:17: The matching dimensions of the mercy seat (2 cubits by 1 cubits) on
top of the Ark of the Covenant are meant to mirror or double the measurement of two
windows of heaven which are exactly 5 days. But the cover does not add time per se to
the overall dimensions of the Ark in terms of how the Ark divides up the solar year.
KERUVIM (25:18) = cherubs. These are the same type of angel that guard the way to
the tree of life in Eden so that man cannot go back there. Since the Ark is the connecting
point on earth between Abba YHWH and man, it represents the possibility that paradise
might one day be regained. Some Rabbis say there are two cherubs so that one male and
one female may be representative of the human family. Others think that each cherub
represents one of the two main Names, Yahweh and Elohim.
The mercy as in mercy seat for the Ark of the Covenant is actually kippureth,
from kippur, to cover or make atonement for. This is the same root for Yom Kippur.
In a sense its also the cover for covering over our sin! (Exodus 25:19). The term
bread of the Presence in Hebrew is actually LECHEM PANEHIM, or Bread of His
Face. (Exodus 25:30)
VENOADETI LECHA SHAM (25:22) = I will commune with you there. The word for
commune is derived from ADAT, which means to assemble or congregate in a SetApart context. Therefore, Abba YHWH is saying that He will assemble with His
worshippers, much in the same way that Yshua said, Where there are two or three
gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them.

8|Page

VENATATA AL-HASHULCHAN LECHEM PANIM LEFANAY TAMID (25:30) =

and on that table that showbread must be placed before My face at all times. The
historian Philo has a very interestingsome would say radicalinterpretation of the
meanings behind this and other items associated with the Tabernacle:
172

And loaves are placed on the seventh day on the sacred table, being equal
in number to the months of the year, twelve loaves, arranged in two rows of
six each, in accordance with the arrangement of the equinoxes; for there are
two equinoxes every year, the vernal and the autumnal, which are each
reckoned by periods of six months. At the vernal equinox all the seeds sown in
the ground begin to ripen; about which time, also, the trees begin to put forth their
fruit. And by the autumnal one the fruit of the trees has arrived at a perfect
ripeness; and at this period, again, is the beginning of seed time. Thus nature,
going through a long course of time, showers gifts after gifts upon the race of
man, the symbols of which are the two sixes of loaves thus placed on the table.
(The Special Laws, 1:172)
KIKAR (25:39) = A talent, or 3000 shekels, equivalent to 150 pounds of gold. See
Exodus 38:26.
UREH VAASEH BETAVNITAIM ASHER ATAH MOREH BAHAR (25:40) = and
see that you make everything according to the pattern that you will be shown on the
mountain and make (the menorah) also in that manner. This is an incredibly profound
statement. There is a heavenly pattern to everything that is being built on earth and
therefore a fixed measurement and method and materials required to build a mirror image
of it, though according to Paul in the book of Hebrews, the heavenly versions of these
things are better. For me though one of my favorites words of them all is here: TABNYT
( -pattern). Notice there is a TAW for the first and last letters. In Hebrew and
Aramaic TAW can symbolize an execution stake, in paleo the t is like an X and in the
script of the Aramaic NT (t) it also kind of looks like a cross or twisted stake. In
between the crosses are the letters BEYT-NOON-YODH and that spells BENAY or
My Son. So the pattern that Moshe sees on the mount is directly related to Yahs Son
Yshua who is between the crosses, such as when the thieves are crucified on either
side of him!
VEET HA MISHKAN TAASEH ESER YERIOT SHEN MOSHEZAR UTCHELET
VEARGAMAN VETOLAAT SHANI KERUVIM MAASE CHOSHEV TAASEH
OTAM (26:1) = Make the tabernacle out of ten large tapestries consisting of twisted
linen, and sky blue, dark red and crimson (wool) patterns of cherubs woven into them.
The word here for fine twisted linen is SHESH, which is derived from the number 6,
because 6 threads are weaved together to form the strand of fabric. It is also reminiscent
of the SHOSHANIM (lily flowers) which have 6 petals and appeared on ossuaries (bone
boxes) as a symbol of resurrection. The two images come together beautifully with our
Savior Yshua who was buried in linen wrappings and who rose from the dead.

9|Page

Note on 26:5-11; 27:12-18: The use of the number 50 throughout these passages is very
important. 50 symbolizes the number for dwelling on the earth. It is also, by its factors
of 10 (witness) and 5 (Torah) the witness to the Torah/instruction.
Special Note on Exodus 26: The 11 curtains of the Tabernacle are also a calendar code
that tells the Israelites how to reckon the year. With each cubit equaling a day, the five
inner curtains are 28 cubits longs by 4 cubits widethe 4 cubits represent
foundation/architecture which is the meaning of the number 4and the 28 cubits of
length are the length of 28 days, the average visible cycle of the moon each month.
Similarly the outer five curtains are 30 cubits long by 4 cubits wide, and the 30 cubits
represent the 30 total days for every lunar month, because the lunar month is an average
of 29.53 solar days long (it can be as short as 29.2 and as long as 29.8), there is always
part of a 30th day, which includes 1-2 days of darkness at the beginning and end of each
month. Then we have the eleventh and last curtain over the top, facing east, which is the
direction of the rising sun, which means to set the lunar months by the solar year.
VAHAKEMOTA ET-HA-MISHKAN KEMISHPATO ASHER HOR-EYTA BAHAR
(26:30) = Then you will erect the Tabernacle according to the plan you were shown on
the mountain. The word for PLAN is derived from MISHPAT, judgments, so it is as if
Abba YHWH is saying erect it according to my judgments. This is a much different
word for plan or pattern that is used ten lines later, in 26:40.
Note on 26:32: I find it interesting that the word NATAN here is used to mean hang
and yet it also means to give, almost approaching the sense that the veil is being
offered before the Tabernacle like a sacrifice.
AMMUD (27:10) = pillars. The exact word is used in Galatians 2:9 when Paul describes
Yaakov, Yochanan and Keefa as pillars. Since Yshua was often looked at in the
prophecy of Amos 9:27 that the tabernacle of David that has fallen will be picked up, its
interesting that within that new Tabernacle, these disciples are the pillars holding it up.
Bonus Teaching: Confronting the Unexpected Enemy, Part II
So last week we saw how a usually reliable source, Biblical Archaeology Review
magazine, took a very regrettable view by allowing a guest commentator allege that
Genesis was nothing more than a myth and if we had a problem with that, the so-called
solution was to simply comfort ourselves with the idea that myths are cooler than we
thought they were. And, when I wrapped that teaching, I didnt imagine it would have a
sequel, at least, not this soon, but as they say in Israel, a funny thing happened on the way
to the beyt midrash.
Between my cable channels and Netflix, I have a lot of history driven content programs
to choose from. Usually, overall, the documentaries I like to watch do a pretty good job.
Occasionally they do a phenomenal job and change my mind on any of a variety of topics
but also occasionally (thank Father Yah for small favors) they really, really mess up.

10 | P a g e

Such was the case with a program I caught on the Smithsonian Channel called Bible
Hunters. The premise was to tell the true stories behind the scholars and others who
either by accident or design made huge discoveries in the field of Biblical research.
Now most of their content, it was a two hour program, was just fine. They told the story
for example of Constantine Tischendorf and his discovery of Codex Siniaticus, the oldest
Greek Bible known to exist, dated from about 350 CE. That part of the story was very
well done, as this was a real life adventure filled with spiritual politics and secular
intrigues worthy of any great Hollywood screenwriter. It went over a two century
odyssey between the time Tischendorf discovered Codex Siniaticus up to now where it is
in the British Museum.
But then they went on to their second story, that of Agnes and Margaret Smith, and this is
where they did not do well at all. Who are Agnes and Margaret Smith you may ask? For
starters, they are the only women archaeologists ever honored with official portraits in
Cambridge Universitythe one in Britain I meanand considering this was in the
height of the Victorian Era that was quite an achievement which, like Tischendorf, took
place at the same monastery in the Egyptian desert, St. Catherines, or the traditional (and
wrong) site of Mount Sinai.
The Smith sisters grew up as sheltered geniuses, with a father who loved to encourage
their intellectual pursuits. In one case, he made a deal with his young daughters that for
every language they could prove they had learned successfully (he was quite the linguist
himself), he would take them on an extended trip to the place that spoke it. Eventually,
the daughters, wanting to visit the Middle East, learned Aramaic and earned their trip to
Israel, Egypt and the wider Middle East. It was a journey that would forever alter the
course of their lives.
Eventually, the Smith sisters found their way to St. Catherinesno small feat given that
women were not allowed in the monastery and there were no easy trails across the desert
to get them thereand they had found two very important manuscripts that we call today
Old Syriac Siniaticus and Old Syriac Cureton. Eventually, and with the help of several
other scholars, the Smith sisters published these manuscripts and offered an English
translation of the first one, Siniaticus, which is still used today. One of their scholarly
partners, William Cureton, translated the second manuscript which is known as Old
Syriac Curetonian.
Along the way, as the program properly pointed out, the Smith sisters became leaders in
innovations for preserving manuscripts. They came up with a chemical solution that
helped bring out the faded text of Old Syriac Siniaticus which had been written over, and
also figured out how to unstick pages that had been cemented together through centuries
of neglect of the manuscript. As I said, all true, no harm no foul from the program at this
point.
But, as I think is clear by now, that winning streak could not last. The writers of this
program, who seemed to care more about sensationalism than scholarship, made several
glaring errors that I simply could not get past.
11 | P a g e

First, they waxed poetically about how the discovery of these and other manuscripts in
the 19th century caused a massive shockwave of controversy in the Christian churches in
America and Europe. First this was due to Codex Siniaticusthe Greek bible
Tischendorf foundhaving certain additions and omissions that King James did not
have.
Now thats true enough to be sure. Many Christian leaders were upset at what these
new manuscripts brought to the table and believed their traditional faith was under
attack. Except, the programs producers should have told the rest of the story.
The fact was, the problem was King James itself, not the new manuscripts with their
different readings because these so-called new manuscripts were instead far older and
more reliable than anything the KJV scholars had in 1604-11 to work with. King James,
as it turned out, was based on the manuscripts of a guy named Erasmus, and it was those
manuscripts that were late-comers1200s or latercompared to 4th-5th century. And
the fact also was that none of new readings had any true impact on our theology or
beliefs about Biblical figures, including Messiah.
But the producers of Bible Hunters had little patience for inconvenient facts that would
have put this controversy back into its proper historical perspective. I also found that
two manuscriptsone found by the Smith sisters and the other by Tischendorfhad the
phrase Siniaticus in their titles and it was really easy to lump the two into the same
category and get them confused, if one was not careful. They had the same name because
they were both found at the traditional Mount Sinai. But one was in Aramaic and the
other was in Greek. One was fragmentary and the other was astonishingly very nearly
complete and in amazing condition. And one was called a codexmeaning a full book
and the other had Old Syriac attached to its title. They could not have been more
different and yet I found I had to rewind at certain places to make sure I understood
which Siniaticus they were talking about!
Another controversy that was overblown by the Bible Hunters people would hardly
have mattered but for bad assumptions about the Old Syriac manuscripts (both Siniaticus
and Cureton), which is to say they were the oldest complete copy of the Aramaic
Gospels ever found. I will debunk that hyperbole in a momentfor now let me stay
focused on the controversy that is fueled by assuming these ideas are factual.
In the Old Syriac-Siniaticus manuscript, the last 12 lines of Marks 16th chapter are
missing, which is not to say they are gone because of a hole in the manuscript (these
are fragmentary, as we will see later) but rather, the original writer of Old Syriac
Siniaticus ended the Gospel at 16:8 with the words and the women were afraid, and
followed it up with an Aramaic line that basically translates to THE END, the Gospel of
Mark is now over.
Now because of the great alleged antiquity of this manuscript, the short ending in Mark
16 did fuel massive speculation that perhaps the original draft of Mark did not believe
12 | P a g e

in the resurrection. Certainly the producers of Bible Hunters implied such was the case,
but they could not have been more wrong.
For one thing, Mark 16:6, which is not missing from any manuscript that covers this part
of Mark, has the young man in white say, He is not herehe is risen, so the idea that
this truncated ending at 16:8 was an attempt to deny the resurrection was simply not true
as it was admitted to already. There were also in western manuscripts of Mark 16 several
different endings of varying lengths and each one of these configurations went further
than Old Syriac Mark 16 in proclaiming not just the resurrection, but the Great
Commission as well.
The better question, and the one Bible Hunters did not think to even raise, was why deny,
not the resurrection, but Yshuas return visits to his disciples to proclaim the Great
Commission?
In order to answer that question, we need to go a bit deeper back into ancient history,
starting with these references from the NT:
And they profess that they know Elohim, but in their works they deny him; and
they are odious and disobedient and to every good work reprobates. (Titus 1:162:1 AENT)
My beloved, do not believe all spirits; but discriminate among spirits whether
they are of Elohim: for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this
the Spirit of Elohim is known; every spirit that confesses that Y'shua the
Mashiyach has come in the flesh is of Elohim. And every spirit which does not
confess that Y'shua the Mashiyach has come in the flesh is not of Elohim; but he
is of the false Messiah of whom you have heard that he comes and now is he
already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3 AENT)
Both of these references are dealing with the same early onset heresy. Broadly known as
Gnosticism, this sect valued mystical knowledge over faith and believed that Messiah
was never truly human and therefore was never really born or died which in effect
denies the resurrection because its all an illusion in their eyes. The verse in Titus comes
very close to calling it out by name as gnostic comes from gnosis, the Greek word for
knowing, and so they profess to KNOW (gnosis) Elohim but in their WORKS (bad
theology, perversion) they deny Him. Then, 1 John 4:1-3 gets even more specific by
saying that to deny Messiahs incarnation and resurrection is to be a false prophet.
As time passed, many flavors and schools of Gnosticism cropped up, and by about 80
CE, the western version of this heresy proved so popular that now Catholics were
refuting it, like St. Ignatius here:
For [the heretics] speak of Christ, not that they may preach Christ, but that they
may reject Christ; and they speak of the law, not that they may establish the law,
but that they may proclaim things contrary to it. For they alienate Christ from the
13 | P a g e

Father, and the law from Christ. They also calumniate His being born of the
Virgin; they are ashamed of His cross; they deny His passion; and they do
not believe His resurrection.
They introduce God as a Being unknown; they suppose Christ to be
unbegotten; and as to the Spirit, they do not admit that He exists. Some of them
say that the Son is a mere man, and that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are but
the same person, and that the creation is the work of God, not by Christ, but by
some other strange power.-Phillip Schaaf, Early Church Fathers, p. 68.-Ignatius
[ca. 35 CE-107 CE], Epistle to the Trallians, as excerpted by Phillip Schaaf, Early
Church Fathers, p. 68.
So what does all this have to do with Old Syriac? The answer has to do with the place we
know Old Syriac was first written down, Edessa Turkey. Without getting into too many
details, Edessa was an early assembly under the Church of the East, and the very first
patriarchs (Thaddeus, Aggai and Mar Maris) of that assembly relocated there from
Babylon, which Peter established (1 Peter 5:13).
Then sometime in the 80s CE, the same time the heresy was growing rampant, the
patriarch of the Church of the East, a man named Mar Maris, moved the HQ from Edessa
to another place called Seleucia-Ctesiphon, near Baghdad. This left Edessa left almost
completely to her own devices and in control of their bishops who, in due time, were
infected by this same heresy of denying that Messiah had any truly human aspects at all.
As the heresy took root in Edessa, most of the rest of the Aramaic assemblies pushed
back against it, and slowly a group of NT readings began to circulate out of Edessa which
either downplayed Messiahs humanity outright (Acts 20:28, Hebrews 2:9) or were at
least vague enough against the original readings which made interpreting them in favor
of the heresy easier.
So this is where the short ending in Old Syriac Mark 16 comes into play. It wasnt the
resurrection statement that the bishops in Edessa found troubling. Rather, they wanted to
leave out most of the details of the post-resurrection appearances to foster the idea that
Yshua, as a fully divine non-human being simply wanted his disciples to remember him
but not become evangelists per se, risking life and limb for the truth. That may be also
why the parallel lines in Matthew for this same material, 28:9-20, are also missing in Old
Syriac.
And even though Old Syriac does have post-resurrection appearances in Luke and John,
those versions do not directly deal with the Great Commission as Matthew and Mark
does. There is no specific command in either Luke or John to preach the Gospel to every
creature on earth, though granted there are one or two places that sort of suggest it in a
low key manner.
Now I understand well that not everyone may agree with all the details of my
interpretation here, but I do maintain that the overall history I have related is accurate and
14 | P a g e

cannot be denied, and that being the case the producers of Bible Hunters I believe had an
affirmative duty to at least discuss this history, even if they came to a different
conclusion. Instead they just focused on the titillating stuff, even if the gaps between it
and the real history led to a different conclusion than the one they were selling. In other
words, this was bad process. No historian should just leave out facts simply because they
dont fit the theory they are promoting.
And finally, the whole point of this passionate speculation on their part rested on Old
Syriac manuscripts Siniaticus and Cureton being the oldest complete Aramaic Gospels
ever found, leading to Dan Brown Davinci Code style speculation that the original true
version denied the resurrection (not true) and that it was covered up by the powers that be
who promoted later readings (also not true).
The reason for these bad ideas was due to a discredited theory the Bible Hunters did not
even mention, which is that in about 411 CE an Edessan bishop named Rabulla did a
translation from Greek and called it the Separated Gospels.
While its true that some 19th and early 20th century scholars thought Rabulla wrote what
we now call the Peshitta, this view has been almost completely discredited today, and the
fact is the only manuscript that was ever called the Separated GospelsRabullas own
title for his translationwas the Old Syriac Siniaticus manuscript written in 411 CE.
That early fifth century date, in turn, proves Old Syriac was NOT the earliest version of
the Aramaic GospelsI have Aramaic saints quoting large sections of the Peshitta text
40-80 years before Rabullas time (from 337-373 CE). All the Bible Hunters people had
to do was a little extra research and they would have found proof against their own
theories.
And last but certainly not least, that the Old Syriac was a COMPLETE record of the
Gospelsnothing could be further from the truth! This one really floored me, because it
was even easier to check.
First of all, the Bible Hunters people acted like Siniaticus and Cureton were one and the
same manuscript found at the same time, when in reality they were found on two
completely different occasions and Cureton is dated to be at least a century later than
Siniaticus.
Second, both Siniaticus and Cureton are highly fragmentary, and even when we use one
to fill in the other (which is a bit disingenuous again because they are not from the same
time period) more than 30% of the Gospels is still unaccounted for, including by the way
the entire Gospel of Mark on the Cureton side. Complete Gospels? Really? I think not.
Therefore, once the true facts are put together, it seems clear to my mind that all the
hoopla and hyperbole given on this program proves to be uninformed and ahistorical.
Without Old Syriac, either manuscript, being very old at all, there was no basis to
extrapolating an original anti-resurrection belief.

15 | P a g e

So next time Bible Hunters people, please check your facts better. I may not be a big fan
of Old Syriac but I do admire the Smith sisters who found it, and I believe if they knew
how you twisted their story, they would literally be turning over in their graves. Truth is
always more compelling than your fictions.
Torah Question of the Week:
What may be one of the biggest surprises in the design of the Tabernacle that is
hinted at but not directly stated?
END PART 1

16 | P a g e

PART 2: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
What may be one of the biggest surprises in the design of the Tabernacle that is
hinted at but not directly stated?
The Hebrew phrase MAASEH ROKEM (the work of a fine weaver) suggests an
intricate pattern was woven as opposed to just the threads being knotted together. This is
what Josephus says about how he interprets the phrase:
214

This curtain had also embroidered upon it all that was mystical in the
heavens, excepting for the [twelve] signs, representing living creatures. 215
When any persons entered into the temple, its floor received them. This part
of the temple, therefore, was in height sixty cubits, and its length the same;
whereas its breadth was but twenty cubits: 216 but still that sixty cubits in length
was divided again, and the first part of it was cut off at forty cubits, and had in it
three things that were very wonderful and famous among all mankind, the
lampstand, the table [of showbread], and the altar of incense. (The Jewish War
5:214-216 JOE)
186

And for the twelve stones, whether we understand by them the months,
or whether we understand the like number of the signs of that circle which
the Greeks call the Zodiac, we shall not be mistaken in their meaning. And
for the mitre, which was of a blue color, it seems to me to mean heaven; 187 for
how otherwise could the name of God be inscribed upon it? That it was also
illustrated with a crown, and that of gold also, is because of that splendor with
which God is pleased. Let this explanation suffice at present, since the course of
my narration will often, and on many occasions, afford me the opportunity of
enlarging upon the virtue of our legislator.
(Antiquities 3:186-187)
While Josephus suggests that overt zodiac signs, at least in terms of worship, were
absent from the curtain design, the phrase all that was mystical in the heavens leaves
much open to the imagination as to how the star patterns would have otherwise been
depicted in a kosher context. It is certainly true that Josephus is linking the Zodiac
directly with the designs of the high priest clothes and various sacred objects in the
Temple and Tabernacle, and these were definitely passed on throughout the generations
as a memory after Josephus time.
Ancient synagogues have been found with zodiac patterns on their floor, but Josephus
here tells us something utterly unique to his writings, that a Kosher Zodiac might have
been in the Temple as well, the difference being of course that no one worshipped stars
and planets but used the heavens to give YHWH glory. No HORROR-scopes allowed!
And yet the Rabbis dont like talking about this in their tradition hardly at all.
The other thing about Josephus is that he was descended from the first family of priests,
Yehoiarib, so he not only knew what the main part of the Temple looked like but had
17 | P a g e

much greater access than the average Israelite.

3) Haftorah portions (English), and discuss common themes with Torah portion.
(1 Kings 5:12 (5:26 in Hebrew Bibles)-6:13)

Va'Yahweh natan chochmah li-Shlomoh ka'asher diber-lo vayehi

shalom beyn Chiram uveyn Shlomoh vayichretu verit shneyhem.
Vaya'al hamelech Shlomoh mas mikol-Yisra'el vayehi hamas shloshim
elef ish.
Vayishlachem levanonah aseret alafim bachodesh chalifot chodesh
yihyu vaLevanon shnayim chodashim beveyto va'Adoniram al-hamas.
VAYAHWEH NATA CHOCHMAH LI-SHLOMOH (5:26) = And Yahweh gave
Solomon wisdom. There are several Hebrew words for wisdom. The kind that
Solomon gets is called CHOCHMAH which is a very special and powerful form
of wisdom:
3036 [ 3037] (Hebrew) (page 315) (Strong 2451,2454)
n.f. wisdom, Ex 28:3 + 106 t.; cstr. Ex 35:35 + 15 t.; sf. Ec 2:9,
etc. + 25 t. sf.; pl. abst. emph. Psalm 49:4, Pr 1:20, 9:1, 24:7; Pr 14:1 (in
correctly pointed as adj. cstr. f.; rd. De);skill in war Is 10:13; in technical work
Ex 28:3, 31:3, 31:6, 35:26, 35:31, 35:35, 36:1, 36:2 (P), cf. 1 K 7:14, 1 Ch 28:21;; the
Messiah is to have
Is 11:2. shrewdness, wisdom, 2 S 20:22, 1 K 5:10,
5:10, Je 9:22; withheld by God from the ostrich Jb 39:17; of magicians and prophets Is
47:10, Dn 1:4, 1:17, 1:20. wisdom, prudence in religious affairs Dt 4:6 , Psalm 37:30,
51:8, 90:12, Pr 10:31, Is 33:6, Je 8:9 5. wisdom, ethical and religious: a. of God, as a
divine attribute or energy.
DEBIR (6:5) = Another name for the Holy of Holiesthe inner sanctum. It literally
means though speaking place, perhaps because YHWH speaks to the high priest there.
SHAKAN (6:13) = To dwell, as in MISKHAN, tabernacle.
4) Renewed Covenant Portion (English) Hebrews 8:1-13 (read footnotes in AENT
5th Edition).
Hebrews 8:3
44) Again the references relate to Torah (instruction) about the priestly services, not the
Torah (Revelation at Sinai), even though both are referenced by the same word in both
18 | P a g e

Hebrew and in Aramaic.

Hebrews 8:4
45) Present tense, clearly indicating the Temple in Jerusalem was standing when this
Epistle was written.
Hebrews 8:7
46) Most Christians seem to forget that without the first covenant, the second one is
impossible! In very short order Rav Shaul will quote Jer_31:31-34, indicating that the
Renewed Covenant is a contingency triggered by, and deriving authority from, the first
covenant. YHWH declared that the Ancient Covenant He made with Israel was good; it
was to bring life, but the people of Israel chose to willfully break this Covenant and treat
it as a vain thing. See Deu_32:46-47.
Hebrews 8:8
47) Paul makes reference to the Renewed Covenant (Jer_31:31-34) nine times in this
letter.
Hebrews 8:10
48) See Judaizers and Legalism in Appendix. (This week, we will do just that!)
Hebrews 8:11
49) The phrase in Aramaic is bar medintheh, which literally means "son of his city" but
idiomatically carries the meaning of "fellow citizen, neighbor" and most definitely a
metaphor Greek does not have. This fact puts Peshitta well before the end of the
Second Century when the mistranslated Greek texts were done. It is also important to
note that this is the last book of the Eastern canon. As a result, the entire collection must
have circulated prior to this very early date.
Hebrews 8:13
50) The context is Jer_31:31-34, what is "near to disappearing" is the sinful
predisposition of man that breaks Torah, not the standard of Torah. Remember that we
broke Torah, not YHWH. YHWH did not drop the standard of Torah because Israel
chose disobedience; rather, He installed a Renewed Covenant to write Torah upon the
heart through the work of the Ruach haKodesh, according to Mashiyach. The fact of the
matter is that in Mashiyach, YHWH raised the bar; He magnified Torah; see Isa_42:21.
Because mankind broke Covenant, YHWH requires complete renovation on our part,
not YHWH's part of the Covenant. This verse in its twisted form, became one of the
"crown jewels" of Torahless Christianity which teaches that Torah is decaying and is
near to disappearing, but nothing could be farther from the truth. See 2Pe_3:16 and
Epistle to the Hebrews in Appendix. Also, the underlying foundation of Calvinism is
19 | P a g e

that we all "have" a "sinful nature" however no such concept is found in Scripture, only
a nature of man or "human nature." In Gal_3:27, Eph_4:24, and Col_3:10 Rav Shaul
exhorts followers of Mashiyach to "put on the new man" and "put on Mashiyach." We
are called to reject all false religion and doctrine that makes void YHWH's Torah
(instruction in righteousness) according to the old man (sinful predisposition) and live in
the new man who has a "righteous predisposition" and delights in Torah and Mashiyach.
5) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith.
(We need to recognize that the contributions of the Tabernacle were not just from the
craftsmen who designed them or the priests that received them. Rather, these were made
possible from the generous raw materials that ALL OF ISRAEL had to give at the
beginning of this portion. Therefore, when you provide the raw materials to support
your assembly, never underestimate the beauty that may spring from that contribution
later.)
6) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion from AENT (Read:
Judaizers 887-892)
STUDY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK
1) In addition to symbolizing the light of Yshua and each of the seven days of the
week, what is another way to look at what the menorah represents according to
authorities in the first century CE?
2) From these same authorities, another clue in this answer may relate to a lost
detail in Moshes time growing up in Egypt. What is it?
3) 2 Chronicles 5:1-3, Psalm 74:1-7 and other passages seem to put the Temple
directly on Mount Zion. However our Haftorah section in 1 Kings 5-6 (and its
parallel account in 2 Chronicles 3), put the Temple on Mount Moriah. Is this a
contradiction, and if not, how do we resolve this matter more precisely?
4) The Temple Mount and Antonia Fortress area are only encompassed by the two
mountains of Zion and Moriah. TRUE or FALSE? Please note that technically
this does NOT include the Mount of Olives
70

These legions had orders to encamp at the distance of three quarters of a mile
from Jerusalem, at the mount called the Mount of Olives, which lies opposite
the city on the east side, and is parted from it by a deep valley, interposed
between them, which is named Kidron. (The Jewish War, 5:70)
5) What clue do we get in the Epistle to the Hebrews that gives us a pretty good
idea when it was most likely written by Paul?

20 | P a g e

Torah Thought for the Week:

The Ultimate Terumah
This week we went over the contributions Abba YHWH requires for the Tabernacle and
for Himself in terms of elevated offerings. As we saw, terumah is derived from a verb
that means to heave or lift up for special significance.
It begins with the special materials needed for the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant
and even the Tent of Meeting where Abba YHWH will meet with Moshe and a select
others. All of these are terumah, lifted up offerings for the most Set-Apart and rarified
objects ever to be on the earth.
As we will see in later studies, the beginning of the blue, purple, crimson and white
patterneach color telling a special part of Yshuas intimate storystarts with Abba
YHWH asking Israel to also part with most precious objects that they brought out of
Egypt. Just imagine thatafter generations of oppression with no reward for their toil
in bondage, Israel is asked to give much of the gold and jewels they thought they had
earned from the Egyptians right back to Abba YHWH, so they could build a house for
Him! Not only do they submit to this request, they show such amazing enthusiasm that
they actually ended up giving too much!
And yet that same eagerness can be perverted later on, when more finery is offered up to
worship a Golden Calf, but thats a matter for another time.
For now, lets look at what makes the terumah so special. Its not the materials it is
derived from per se but I believe it has more to do with the eagerness of sprit and
absolute joy that one shows not just in letting an object go, but lifting it up for Yah! This
is also why the very definition of the terumah is to get it from everyone whose heart is
moved.
I think this is the key to understanding the whole picture. Some offerings or sacrifices
are given to remedy a problem or moral deficiency. Others are given to affirm a
restoration of health after getting a leprous disease or getting a plague mark on your
house. Still others are required because the occasion is special, Pesach, Sukkot and so
on, and while some of these are times of joy it is the terumah that is the most joyous of
them all.
But terumah offerings also share and speak to deeper needs in the human condition. In
Exodus 30:13-16 another terumah is used to ransom peoples lives so they might
survive Yom Kippur. Again, like those of the Tabernacle, it is the attitude behind the
contribution that determines who is inscribed in the Book of Life.
Next, in Leviticus 7, we again turn to the idea of optional and enthusiastic offerings. The
peace or completeness offeringgiving that extra bit not because you have to but
because you love Abba YHWHthat is also considered terumah in Leviticus 7:14.
Then, as more instructions are given, it is once again clear how critical the right attitude
for these optional offerings is. In Leviticus 7:17-18 the regulation is given that no one
21 | P a g e

should eat this offering on the third day, because then it is less about saying thanks and
more about filling your stomach. Still more details come in this chapter, making it clear
that it is better not to do a terumah at all than to attempt one with a disingenuous heart.
On the other hand, if it is done properly the breast and thigh offerings will become for
the kohenim the most Set-Apart food they will ever eat (Leviticus 7:34-38), because of
all the things they will eat during their career, this terumah was what was used to
inaugurate their service careers in the first place! Imagine the power then of that
terumah, where your gift given with an open heart will always be among the very first
the priests consume to begin their office. Numbers 5:9 confirms this high status on the
terumah offering.
Then in Deuteronomy 12:6-18, we see how critical the terumah is again, not for priests
this time but for Israel, as her people will rejoice with a full and open heart and lift up
their offerings as a sign of appreciation when they start dwelling in the Land. Nothing
else will do, and yet, it must still be voluntary. That is the curious dual nature of the
terumah, something which is necessary but must be offered voluntarily.
And when Israel needed to yet again renew her commitment to Abba YHWH, both
Nehemiah10:29 and Ezekiel 44:30 explained the path of the terumah as the only way to
please Elohim.
But the greatest examples of terumah are still to come, as voluntary again becomes
required, when Mashiyach Yshua decides he must terumah himself
(Joh 10:16) And I also have other sheep, those who were not137 from this
sheepfold. And also them, it is necessary for me to bring them and they will
hear my voice and all the flocks will become one. And there will be One
Shepherd.138 (Joh 10:17) Because of this, my Father loves me that I lay down
my life that I might take it up again. (Joh 10:18) No man takes it from me but I
lay it down by my own will. For I have authority to lay it down and I have
authority to take it up again, for this Commandment I have received from
my Father." (AENT)
Yshua had to voluntarily lay down his life, by allowing himself to be elevated on to the
most excruciatingly painful murder technique known to the Roman Empire. And this is
not the only time he makes it clear he doesnt have to do it
(Mat 26:52) Then Y'shua said to him, "Return the sword to its place, for all who
take up swords will die by swords. (Mat 26:53) Or don't you think that I am
able to ask my Father to raise up twelve legions of Messengers? (Mat 26:54)
How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled? Thus say that it must be." (AENT)
But what was voluntary for Messiah was absolutely required as our terumah offering,
first so that he might rise from the dead
(Luk 24:44) And he said to them, "These are the words that I spoke with you
22 | P a g e

while I was with you, that it was necessary that all things that were written
in the Torah of Moshe and in the prophets and in the Psalms168 concerning
me be fulfilled." (Luk 24:45) Then he opened their mind to understand the
Scriptures. (Luk 24:46) And he said to them that, "Thus it is written and
thus it was right that the Mashiyach suffer and rise from the dead on the
third day. (AENT)
And so we see all the beautiful elements of terumah come together in Mashiyach. It was
necessary for the Tabernacle and that he might tabernacle among us; it was required for
the atonement tax of Yom Kippur that became the atonement he gave us for our sins; he
ransomed his life for ours and became the most precious offering that could be given to
the priests; and it was the ordination of him as our eternal high priest.
Finally, he was gathered from the earth as the firstfruits of the resurrection on Abib 16,
the day of Firstfruits, as the priests and Pharisees placed a seal on his tomb and certified
he was dead, only so his Heavenly Father could terumah, lift him up, as our contribution
that leads to our share of eternal life!
Im Andrew Gabriel Roth and thats your Torah Thought for the Week! Next week we
will be exploring Tetzaveh (you will charge/instruct), or Exodus 27:20-30:10. Our
Haftorah portion will be Ezekiel 43:10-27 and our Renewed Covenant reading will be
from Philippians 4:10-20. Stay tuned!

23 | P a g e