The Price of A Soul

30 Exodus The Price of a Soul The Altar – V.1-10 The Ransom – V.11-16 The Laver – V.17-21 The Holy Oil – V.22-33 The Perfume – V.34-37 The Altar – V.1-10 · Burning incense upon represents our prayers · Made of shittim wood, overlayed with gold · Blood of the sin offering would be applied once a year The Ransom – V.11-16 · Atonement, a payment, or recompense; best described as an expiation. · Expiation – the act of making satisfaction for an offense, by which the guilt is done away, and the obligation of the offended person to punish the crime is canceled; atonement; satisfaction. · Atonement is what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Salvation is what God accomplished when He raised Jesus from the dead. (Sin payment; freed from bondage of sin and death). · The price of a ransomed soul, ½ a shekel, (a shekel being 20 gerah, a unit of weight). o Why not a complete coin? To teach us that no man is a complete entity unto himself. Only by joining with another can a person become a “whole thing.” (The Chassidic Masters). o Moses could not understand: How could a mere coin serve a person as “a ransom for his soul to G‑d”? G‑d answered him by showing him a “coin of fire.” G‑d was saying: When a person performs even a modest act of charity with the fire of passion and enthusiasm, he is indeed giving a piece of his soul. (The Rebbe of Kotzk). o The half-shekel was an expression of Jewish unity – rich and poor alike gave the same amount. Everyone gave only half a shekel in order to teach us that we can only achieve unity when we all recognize that we are just halves. To be a complete shekel, we must unite with our fellow. o Similarly, we are also only “half” in our relationship with G‑d. The ten powers of the soul –our intellect and emotions – parallel the ten powers that G‑d used in creating the world and continues to use in order to constantly re-create it. When we channel all ten powers of our soul – every nuance of our being – toward uniting with G‑d and fulfilling our Divine mission, we align our soul-powers with G‑d’s attributes. Our ten becomes twenty – a holy shekel. o Ten Powers of the Soul are: (Also ten attributes God used in creating the world). Part of Jewish mysticism. (Not sure I want to cove these). § Chochma – Wisdom, the creative and generally unpredictable power of the soul which is manifested in spontaneous insights or inspiration. § Bina – Understanding, cognitive faculty § Da’at – Knowledge, 3rd faculty of the intellect § Chesed – Love and kindness § Gevura – fortitude, restrictive power § Tiferet – Compassion / beauty § Netzach – Perseverance, different aspects of the soul; persistence in overcoming § Hod – Splendor; our surrender, acknowledgment § Yesod – Foundation, combines all into a single creative act… § Malchut – Royalty, receiving upon oneself the yoke of God’s sovereignty; slave to the Master - lowliness · Something ‘evil’ seems to be tied to the counting of the people – “that there be no plague among them.” The priests were not to count the men (Remember when David did this?), they were to count the shekels. o Rashi – “for the evil eye has power over numbered things, and pestilence comes upon them, as we find in David’s time (II Sam. 24).” · The age of accountability was to 20 years of age. · The money would be used for the upkeep of the tabernacle. The Laver – V.17-21 · We’re back to washing. This is the basin for washing their hands and feet. · Failure to do so would lead to death – V.20 The Holy Oil – V.22-33 · Originally it only measured twelve log (a hin is the equivalent of 12 log, or about 4 liters). Now, consider how much the cauldron absorbed, how much the herbs absorbed and how much the fire burned, and yet it sufficed for the anointing of the Tabernacle and its vessels, and Aaron and his sons, on each of the seven days of consecration; the high priests and kings [throughout the generations] also were anointed with it. . . . And that very oil remains in reserve for the [rebuilding of the Sanctuary] in the messianic era to come, as it is written: “This shall be a holy anointing oil unto Me throughout your generations.” (Talmud, Horiot 11b). · Calamus, V.23 (only used 3 times in the Bible) o In the United States, calamus is expressly prohibited for food use per the Code of Federal Regulations, but in other countries, it is allowed as long as the beta asarone is kept beneath a certain level. o Calamus is also used as a calming medicine (sedative), to induce sweating, and to treat rheumatoid arthritis and stroke. Some people chew calamus to remove the smell of tobacco, as a stimulant, to increase their sense of well-being, and as a hallucinogen. The Perfume – V.34-37 (Ketoret, Hebrew word for perfume) · It is debated over whether or not the intended purpose of the perfume is to be used to rid the temple of the stench of slaughtered animals. · Burnt on the altar twice a day as with the lambs (Exodus 29:42). Here’s where we end up at the end of the day. Because of the work of Christ on Calvary, we no longer need the Altar, the Laver, the Holy Oil, or the Perfume, and the Ransom has been paid once for all. READ Hebrews 10:7-18 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Links:

https://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/dailywisdom_cdo/aid/2961084/jewish/Sunday-No-One-is-More-than-Half.htm

https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/380342/jewish/Ten-Powers-of-the-Soul.htm