Leviticus [Pertaining to the Levites]
Vayikra [And he called]
Context: Leviticus details the duties of Priests descended from Aaron and the tribe of Levi in relation to God's tabernacle and the sacrificial system. It also establishes the judicial rulings and guidelines that the Levites are to make justice court rulings by. For example, the phrase “eye for an eye” found in (Ex 21:22-27) pertains to consequences and penalties to be determined, not a literal justification of anyone to enact justice outside the court system God establishes.
Parashah 24: Vayikra ·And he called· 1:1-6:7
1
1 Adonai called to Moses [Drawn out], and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel [God prevails], and tell them, ‘When anyone of you offers an offering to Adonai, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock.
3 *
“ ‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Adonai. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 He shall kill the bull before Adonai. Aaron [Light-bringer]’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 6 He shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into pieces. 7 The sons of Aaron [Light-bringer] the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay wood in order on the fire; 8 and Aaron [Light-bringer]’s sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar; 9 but its innards and its legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Adonai.
10 “ ‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep, or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect. 11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before Adonai. Aaron [Light-bringer]’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12 He shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. The priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar, 13 but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Adonai.
(2) 14 “ ‘If his offering to Adonai is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall offer his offering of turtledoves or of young pigeons. 15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar; 16 and he shall take away its crop with its filth, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes. 17 He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Adonai.
* 1:3 . Lev 1:3 (Lev 1:1-9, 17:11) (#2b.108): The procedure for the burnt offerings of animals that are from the herd, flock, or birds Consider: (v4) Directs the person bring the offering to place their hand on the head of the animal (and vocally confess their sins to God), then the animal is slaughtered and atonement is made on their behalf / Directive: (v2-3) Describe the sin offering as male and without defect / Directive: (v2-9) Person’s responsibility of actions in sacrifice are: (v2-3) bring the animal to the tent of meeting, (v4) lay hands on the animal’s head as a substitutionary sacrifice, (v5) slaughter the animal before God and the Cohenim ·Priests·, (v6) skin the animal, (v6) cut the animal in pieces, (v9) to wash the entrails and the lower legs of the animal with water / Directive: (v2-9) The Cohenim ·Priests· are responsible for the actions of sacrifice are: (v5) to present the blood of the sacrifice, (v5) splash the blood of all sides of the altar, (v7) attend to the fire on the altar, (v8) to arrange the pieces, head, and fat of the animal on the wood of the fire altar, (v9) to make the entrails and lower legs to go up in smoke as a burnt offering / Consider: In making a sacrifice, the one who sinned will get the blood of the sacrifice on his body while he prepares the meat for burning. The consequences of sin is death (Gen 9:4-6; Rom 6:23) and this person knows this consequence well