Exodus: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13a 13b 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30a 30b 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38a 38b 39 40
29:1 VE ZEH HA DAVAR ASHER TA'ASEH LAHEM LEKADESH OTAM LECHAHEN LI LEKACH PAR ECHAD BEN BAKAR VE EYLIM SHENAYIM TEMIYMIM
וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם לְכַהֵן לִי לְקַח פַּר אֶחָד בֶּן בָּקָר וְאֵילִם שְׁנַיִם תְּמִימִם
KJ: And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
BN: And this is what you shall do to set them apart, so that they may minister to me in the office of Kohen: take one young bullock and two unblemished rams ...
The details of sacrifice now begin.
29:2 VE LECHEM MATSOT VE CHALOT MATSOT BE LULOT BA SHEMEN U REKIYKEY MATSOT MESHUCHIM BA SHAMEN SOLET CHITIM TA'ASEH OTAM
וְלֶחֶם מַצּוֹת וְחַלֹּת מַצֹּת בְּלוּלֹת בַּשֶּׁמֶן וּרְקִיקֵי מַצּוֹת מְשֻׁחִים בַּשָּׁמֶן סֹלֶת חִטִּים תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם
KJ: And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
BN: And unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil - make them using the finest wheat-flour.
The making of unleavened bread is here directly linked to the anointment of the Kohanim! This is very interesting if one now goes back and looks at the Exodus, where we commented that it appeared to be a religious cycle whose end-goal was the institution of god/law/priesthood.
The ingredients here are MATSAH; CHALAH - but not the plaited bread we use today on the Shabbat; SHEMEN, which is probably animal lard because olive oil is usually specifically denoted as SHEMEN ZAYIT; REKIKEY MATSAH, for which we need to refer back to the wafers eaten with the CHAROSET earlier; and SOLET CHITIM, which is not entirely clear, but usually defined as "fine wheaten flour". See also Ezekiel 16:13 and 19, and 1 Chronicles 9:29. In Chaldean SULTA is grated barley; in Yehudit the root SALET (םלת) yields the verb "to sift".
29:3 VE NATATA OTAM AL SAL ECHAD VE CHIKRAVTA OTAM BA SAL VE ET HA PAR VE ET SHENEY HA EYLIM
וְנָתַתָּ אוֹתָם עַל סַל אֶחָד וְהִקְרַבְתָּ אֹתָם בַּסָּל וְאֶת הַפָּר וְאֵת שְׁנֵי הָאֵילִם
KJ: And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
BN: And you shall put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
29:4 VE ET AHARON VE ET BANAV TAKRIV EL PETACH OHEL MO'ED VE RACHATSTA OTAM BA MAYIM
וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו תַּקְרִיב אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְרָחַצְתָּ אֹתָם בַּמָּיִם
KJ: And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.
BN: And you shall bring Aharon and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water.
An act of purification; still performed by all worshippers in Islam (there are both Ghusl and Wudu, and many Moslems are unable to tell you what the difference between them is), but now only practiced by Jews before the Shabbat meal, and by the Kohanim before duchening.
29:5 VE LAKACHTA ET HA BEGADIM VE HILBASHTA ET AHARON ET HA KUTONET VE ET ME'IL HA EPHOD VE ET HA EPHOD VE ET HA CHOSHEN VE APHADETA LO BE CHESHEV HA EPHOD
וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת הַבְּגָדִים וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ אֶת אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַכֻּתֹּנֶת וְאֵת מְעִיל הָאֵפֹד וְאֶת הָאֵפֹד וְאֶת הַחֹשֶׁן וְאָפַדְתָּ לוֹ בְּחֵשֶׁב הָאֵפֹד
KJ: And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
BN: And you shall take the garments, and dress Aharon in the tunic, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the plaited band of the ephod.
KUTONET: KETONET PASIM was the coat of many colours worn by Yoseph (Genesis 37:3). Priestly attire. For the details, see Exodus 28, especially verses 4 and 39.
APHADETA: the verb connected to ephod, and helpful in explaining what it was.
29:6 VE SAMTA HA MITSNEPHET AL ROSHO VE NATATA ET NEZER HA KODESH AL HA MITSNAPHET
וְשַׂמְתָּ הַמִּצְנֶפֶת עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וְנָתַתָּ אֶת נֵזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ עַל הַמִּצְנָפֶת
KJ: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
BN: And you shall set the mitre on his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
29:7 VE LAKACHTA ET SHEMEN HA MISHCHAH VE YATSAKTA AL ROSHO U MASHACHTA OTO
וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת שֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְיָצַקְתָּ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֹתוֹ
KJ: Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
BN: Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him.
Thereby rendering him Mashiyach, the Messiah - as every priest will be, and every king. It is not, as in the Christian world, some future "redeemer", the progeny of the deity sent to "save the world".
Thereby rendering him Mashiyach, the Messiah - as every priest will be, and every king. It is not, as in the Christian world, some future "redeemer", the progeny of the deity sent to "save the world".
29:8 VE ET BANAV TAKRIV VE HILBASHTAM KUTANOT
וְאֶת בָּנָיו תַּקְרִיב וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּם כֻּתֳּנֹת
KJ: And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
BN: And you shall bring his sons, and dress them in priestly garb.
29:9 VE CHAGARTA OTAM AVNET AHARON U VANAV VE CHAVASHTA LAHEM MI GEBA'OT VE HAYETA LAHEM KEHUNAH LE CHUKAT OLAM U MIL'E'TA YAD AHARON VE YAD BANAV
וְחָגַרְתָּ אֹתָם אַבְנֵט אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו וְחָבַשְׁתָּ לָהֶם מִגְבָּעֹת וְהָיְתָה לָהֶם כְּהֻנָּה לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם וּמִלֵּאתָ יַד אַהֲרֹן וְיַד בָּנָיו
KJ: And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
BN: And you shall gird them with girdles, Aharon and his sons, and bind head-attire on them; and they shall have the priesthood for a perpetual statute; and you shall consecrate Aharon and his sons.
MIL'E'TA: What is the difference between MIL'E'TA and KIDASHTA? The root of the former means "fill", where the latter means "set apart", neither of which really translates as "consecrate", except in the most general sense of "making sacred". I think the distinction is that they are already "set apart" (verse 1) by the mere fact of their being selected for the priesthood, though this still needs the sacrifice of the following verse to "complete" it, but now they are in "full" ("complete") regalia, so they are visibly set apart - wearing ordinary clothes as they walked along the desert trail, who would know their status?
29:10 VE HIKRAVTA ET HA PAR LIPHNEY OHEL MO'ED VE SAMACH AHARON U VANAV ET YADEYHEM AL ROSH HA-PAR
וְהִקְרַבְתָּ אֶת הַפָּר לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְסָמַךְ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת יְדֵיהֶם עַל רֹאשׁ הַפָּר
KJ: And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
BN: And you shall bring the bullock before the Tent of Meeting; and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock.
Because all life was given by the god(s), it is simply unacceptable to take any life, even for the purpose of sacrifice, even for the necessity of eating. So the god(s) must give permission, and this is the act of sanctification that denotes such permission. The animal is literally "made sacred" through the act of sacrifice (sacre ficere).
The key word here being SHACHATETA. This is SHECHITAH, the proper way of killing according to Kashrut, and not mere abattoir slaughter. Later the Temple courtyard would replace the door of the OHEL MO'ED as the place of sacrifice.
Amongst the many "miracles" described in the Exodus story, why is no mention ever made of the Miracle of the Tame Bulls? 1.3 million people spend forty years crossing a desert, always on the move, with sheep and goats and cattle, and always sufficient first-year bullocks for lots and lots of sacrifices (every day of the week, according to verse 36), which requires lots and lots of bulls to grow into adult bulls, and do the fathering. Have you ever been in an enclosed field with an adult bull, when it is in season - and we are talking about literally scores of adult male bulls? He requires fencing, or stabling - you could try castrating him to keep him under control, but then you won't get any first-year bullocks.
At least three different forms, or levels, of sacrifice, have been described in these verses. "Day of Atonement" gives more detail.
But if there are this many bulls, and this many sheep and goats, why did they need the quail/manna anyway?
Why do they keep saying Ohel Mo'ed without a definite article? Surely it should be Ohel ha-Mo'ed?
29:11 VE SHACHATETA ET HA PAR LIPHNEY YHVH PETACH OHEL MO'ED
וְשָׁחַטְתָּ אֶת הַפָּר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
KJ: And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
BN: And you shall kill the bullock before YHVH, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
The key word here being SHACHATETA. This is SHECHITAH, the proper way of killing according to Kashrut, and not mere abattoir slaughter. Later the Temple courtyard would replace the door of the OHEL MO'ED as the place of sacrifice.
Amongst the many "miracles" described in the Exodus story, why is no mention ever made of the Miracle of the Tame Bulls? 1.3 million people spend forty years crossing a desert, always on the move, with sheep and goats and cattle, and always sufficient first-year bullocks for lots and lots of sacrifices (every day of the week, according to verse 36), which requires lots and lots of bulls to grow into adult bulls, and do the fathering. Have you ever been in an enclosed field with an adult bull, when it is in season - and we are talking about literally scores of adult male bulls? He requires fencing, or stabling - you could try castrating him to keep him under control, but then you won't get any first-year bullocks.
29:12 VE LAKACHTA MI DAM HA PAR VE NATATAH AL KARNOT HA MIZBE'ACH BE ETSBA'ECHA VE ET KOL HA DAM TISHPOCH EL YESOD HA MIZBE'ACH
וְלָקַחְתָּ מִדַּם הַפָּר וְנָתַתָּה עַל קַרְנֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּאֶצְבָּעֶךָ וְאֶת כָּל הַדָּם תִּשְׁפֹּךְ אֶל יְסוֹד הַמִּזְבֵּחַ
KJ: And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
BN: And you shall take some of the bullock's blood, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the remaining blood at the base of the altar.
NATATAH: need to go back and check the previous occurrences, but it appears that NATATA becomes NATATAH when the pronoun is suffixed. Another of the many unusual grammatical variations in the last chapters of Exodus. Do they hint at a different period of history in which they were written, in the way that Chaucerian and Shakespearian and Dickensian English reflect their respective stages of the language? Or geographical dialects, as American to British, or Lancashire to Somerset?
KARNOT HA MIZBEYACH: Those horns again. See "Day of Atonement" for the full details of this ritual, and also my note to Exodus 27:2.
BE ETSBA'ECHA: It is not clearly stated who should do this. Most of the "you shall" instructions are given to Mosheh, so logically Mosheh should do this; but the context infers the priest, and Mosheh was not the Kohanic priest, only the Levitical one. On the other hand, it is the Levites who wash the Kohens' hands before duchening...
29:13 VE LAKACHTA ET KOL HA CHELEV HA MECHASEH ET HA KEREV VE ET HA YOTERET AL HA KAVED VE ET SHETEY HA KELAYOT VE ET HA CHELEV ASHER ALEYHEN VE HIKTARTA HA MIZBECHAH
וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת כָּל הַחֵלֶב הַמְכַסֶּה אֶת הַקֶּרֶב וְאֵת הַיֹּתֶרֶת עַל הַכָּבֵד וְאֵת שְׁתֵּי הַכְּלָיֹת וְאֶת הַחֵלֶב אֲשֶׁר עֲלֵיהֶן וְהִקְטַרְתָּ הַמִּזְבֵּחָה
KJ: And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that isupon them, and burn them upon the altar.
BN: And you shall take all the fat that covers the innards, and the lobe above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and smoke them on the altar.
Ah yes, the greatest delicacy of them all! Smoked liver-lobe with kidneys!
One of the most famous scenes in Greek mythology has Prometheus offering the gods two sacks of meat: the one steak, but the offal on top concealed it; the other offal, but the steak on top concealed it. The gods, inevitably, chose the steak - but thereby got the offal. Here, the gods are actually asking for the offal. (And when Prometheus finally got into trouble, for stealing the secret of fire and giving it to men, how did the gods punish him? With the sack of offal trick very much in mind. They chained him to a rock in the Caucasus, and sent eagles to feed on his liver, which was perpetually renewed. The eagles, apparently, were happy to eat it raw.)
How do you smoke meat anyway? Not in a reefer or with a roach - but we tend to think that way when we talk of smoking today. Use indirect heat, by putting the meat on the part of the grill that is beside, rather than on top of, whatever is producing the cooking-flame. At your b-b-q you will probably want to keep a supply of charcoal handy; in the Temple, the horns of the altar provided troughs to catch the blood, and fat, so a spoon for basting was probably sufficient, and the beast can cook in its own fat without needing charcoal. Now we begin to understand why all those tongs and bowls were made requisite in chapters 25 and 27.
29:14 VE ET BASAR HA PAR VE ET ORO VE ET PIRSHO TISROPH BA ESH MI CHUTS LA MACHANEH CHAT'AT HU
וְאֶת בְּשַׂר הַפָּר וְאֶת עֹרוֹ וְאֶת פִּרְשׁוֹ תִּשְׂרֹף בָּאֵשׁ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה חַטָּאת הוּא
KJ: But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
BN: But the flesh of the bullock, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin-offering.
So clever, the way they worked out these little details. Animals have bowels as well as shoulders, and the latter may be good to eat, but the former is also part of divine creation, and must therefore have a purpose. So Judaism has the Asher Yatzar prayer, for reciting after making our ablutions. So those parts of the sacrificed beast that might otherwise leave the altar unhygienic, and which have to be removed, are not only taken outside the camp, which is logical, but turn out to be the physical evidence of sin as well, and so their removal becomes yet another act of Azaz-El atonement.
29:15 VE ET HA AYIL HA ECHAD TIKACH U SAMCHU AHARON U VANAV ET YEDEYHEM AL ROSH HA AYIL
וְאֶת הָאַיִל הָאֶחָד תִּקָּח וְסָמְכוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת יְדֵיהֶם עַל רֹאשׁ הָאָיִל
KJ: Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
BN: Then you shall take the first ram; and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands upon its head.
29:16 VE SHACHATETA ET HA AYIL VE LAKACHTA ET DAMO VE ZARAKTA AL HA MIZBE'ACH SAVIV
וְשָׁחַטְתָּ אֶת הָאָיִל וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת דָּמוֹ וְזָרַקְתָּ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב
KJ: And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.
BN: And you shall slay the ram, and take its blood, and dash it all around the altar.
Once again sprinkling the blood, as we saw earlier.
29:17 VE ET HA AYIL TENATE'ACH LINTACHAV VE RACHATSTA KIRBO U CHERA'AV VE NATATA AL NETACHAV VE AL ROSHO
וְאֶת הָאַיִל תְּנַתֵּחַ לִנְתָחָיו וְרָחַצְתָּ קִרְבּוֹ וּכְרָעָיו וְנָתַתָּ עַל נְתָחָיו וְעַל רֹאשׁוֹ
KJ: And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.
BN: And you shall cut the ram in pieces, and wash its innards, and its legs, and put them with the pieces, and with its head.
The Temple itself functioning as the abbatoir, not just slaughtering the animals but butchering them as well - the purpose of sacrifice being, as stated previously, to "make sacred" the animals, which is to say: to obtain permission from the Creator god to kill and eat his creatures.
29:18 VE HIKTARTA ET KOL HA AYIL HA MIZBECHAH OLAH HU LA YHVH REYACH NIYCHO'ACH ISHEH LA YHVH HU
וְהִקְטַרְתָּ אֶת כָּל הָאַיִל הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עֹלָה הוּא לַיהוָה רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה הוּא
KJ: And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
BN: And you shall make the whole ram smoke on the altar; it is a burnt-offering to YHVH; it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire to YHVH.
The sweet smell of the incense is what YHVH really likes best; jolly convenient that, since it goes up to the heavens like it or no, leaving the meat on the barbecue (for what else is a sacrificial altar but a primitive barbecue).
end of 4th fragment
29:19 VE LAKACHTA ET HA AYIL HA SHENI VE SAMACH AHARON U VANAV ET YEDEYHEM AL ROSH HA AYIL
וְלָקַחְתָּ אֵת הָאַיִל הַשֵּׁנִי וְסָמַךְ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת יְדֵיהֶם עַל רֹאשׁ הָאָיִל
KJ: And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
BN: And you shall take the other ram; and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands upon its head.
29:20 VE SHACHATETA ET HA AYIL VE LAKACHTA MI DAMO VE NATATA AL TENUCH OZEN AHARON VE AL TENUCH OZEN BANAV HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN YADAM HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN RAGLAM HA YEMANIT VE ZARAKTA ET HA DAM AL HA MIZBE'ACH SAVIV
וְשָׁחַטְתָּ אֶת הָאַיִל וְלָקַחְתָּ מִדָּמוֹ וְנָתַתָּה עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן אַהֲרֹן וְעַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן בָּנָיו הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדָם הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלָם הַיְמָנִית וְזָרַקְתָּ אֶת הַדָּם עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב
KJ: Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
BN: Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aharon's right ear, and on the tip of the right ears of each of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet, and dash the remainder of the blood all around the altar.
TENUCH OZEN: This is really a very strange ritual! We have to try to imagine the man or god who first thought this up, and wondering what he was trying to symbolise by it. It is not easy. The best I can do is to connect this with the tsits, which as we have said are "feathers" or "fringes", which are the bits that hang off or jut out or straggle down the sides, and the ear-lobes and toes and fingers do the same for our bodies. Otherwise we would have to use the word "superstition", and that cannot be, because all forms of superstition are prohibited in Judaism!
29:21 VE LAKACHTA MIN HA DAM ASHER AL HA MIZBE'ACH U MI SHEMEN HA MISHCHAH VE HIZEYTA AL AHARON VE AL BEGADAV VE AL BANAV VE AL BIGDEY VANAV ITO VE KADASH HU U VEGADAV U VANAV U VIGDEY VANAV ITO
וְלָקַחְתָּ מִן הַדָּם אֲשֶׁר עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּמִשֶּׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְהִזֵּיתָ עַל אַהֲרֹן וְעַל בְּגָדָיו וְעַל בָּנָיו וְעַל בִּגְדֵי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ וְקָדַשׁ הוּא וּבְגָדָיו וּבָנָיו וּבִגְדֵי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ
KJ: And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
BN: And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aharon, and on his clothes, and on his sons with him, and on their clothes; and he and his clothing shall thus be rendered holy, and his sons, and his sons' clothing with him.
As pointed out many times previously, blood, being the source of life, is the sacred substance of god, and belongs to god; so the sprinkling of sacrificial blood makes anything it touches holy. Are there examples of this in other cults? There must be. I assume Halal for one includes this.
It is worth observing that, if anyone suggested such a custom to us today, we would a) laugh at their lunacy and b) ask them to explain the meaning of it. Neither is the case here, yet these are supposed to be entirely new rites that are being introduced. The only feasible explanation is that either they were not new at all, but a continuation or revival of former practices, or similar enough to those of other people that the Beney Yisra-El were familiar with them. What is certain is that they were not entirely new-original.
29:22 VE LAKACHTA MIN HA AYIL HA CHELEV VE HA ALYAH VE ET HA CHELEV HA MECHASEH ET HA KEREV VE ET YOTERET HA KAVED VE ET SHETEY HA KELAYOT VE ET HA CHELEV ASHER ALEYHEN VE ET SHOK HA YAMIN KI EYL MILU'IM HU
וְלָקַחְתָּ מִן הָאַיִל הַחֵלֶב וְהָאַלְיָה וְאֶת הַחֵלֶב הַמְכַסֶּה אֶת הַקֶּרֶב וְאֵת יֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד וְאֵת שְׁתֵּי הַכְּלָיֹת וְאֶת הַחֵלֶב אֲשֶׁר עֲלֵיהֶן וְאֵת שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין כִּי אֵיל מִלֻּאִים הוּא
KJ: Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
BN: Also you shall take the fat of the ram, and the fatty part of the tail, and the fat that covers the innards, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and the right thigh; for it is a ram of consecration...
MILU'IM: When modern Israelis are summoned to the military for reserve duty, it is also known as MILU'IM, and yes, it is exactly the same word: the idea behind it in each case being dedication to a duty.
29:23 VE CHIKAR LECHEM ACHAT VE CHALAT LECHEM SHEMEN ACHAT VE RAKIK ECHAD MI SAL HA MATSOT ASHER LIPHNEY YHVH
וְכִכַּר לֶחֶם אַחַת וְחַלַּת לֶחֶם שֶׁמֶן אַחַת וְרָקִיק אֶחָד מִסַּל הַמַּצּוֹת אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
BN: And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before YHVH.
Here they are yet again, those MATSOT that were supposedly made by accident of haste one night of flight; turning up again as a regular and central item of religious ceremony. A distinction is made here between four types of bread: regular LECHEM, LECHEM SHEMEN, RAKIK and MATSAH, which in modern terms is the distinction between plain white bread (LECHEM), pitta bread dipped in olive oil (LECHEM SHEMEN), that very thin pastry that gets used in certain types of pizza (RAKIK), or maybe a really good Crêpe Bretonne (not the Galette, which is much thicker, like an English pancake, though not as thick as an American waffle), and wafers (MATSOT).
29:24 VE SAMTA HA KOL AL KAPEY AHARON VE AL KAPEY VANAV VE HENAPHTA OTAM TENUPHAH LIPHNEY YHVH
וְשַׂמְתָּ הַכֹּל עַל כַּפֵּי אַהֲרֹן וְעַל כַּפֵּי בָנָיו וְהֵנַפְתָּ אֹתָם תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.
BN: And you shall put them all into Aharon's hands, and into the hands of his sons; and he shall wave them for a wave-offering before YHVH.
What was the manner of the waving? Was it the same as we wave the LULAV today at Sukot? (click here to watch a video that demonstrates it). It does seem somewhat absurd, even comical, to have the priests with baskets full of bread and offal, flapping their arms about like deranged birds, symbolically showing the gods the nature of the offerings; and then cooking them and eating them.
29:25 VE LAKACHTA OTAM MI YADAM VE HIKTARTA HA MIZBECHAH AL HA OLAH LE REYACH NIYCHO'ACH LIPHNEY YHVH ISHEH HU LA YHVH
וְלָקַחְתָּ אֹתָם מִיָּדָם וְהִקְטַרְתָּ הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עַל הָעֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אִשֶּׁה הוּא לַיהוָה
KJ: And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it isan offering made by fire unto the LORD.
BN: And you shall take them from their hands, and make them smoke on the altar, on top of the burnt-offering, for a sweet savour before YHVH; it is an offering made by fire to YHVH.
At least three different forms, or levels, of sacrifice, have been described in these verses. "Day of Atonement" gives more detail.
29:26 VE LAKACHTA ET HE CHAZEH ME EYIL HA MILU'IM ASHER LE AHARON VE HENAPHTA OTO TENUPHAH LIPHNEY YHVH VE HAYAH LECHA LE MANAH
וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת הֶחָזֶה מֵאֵיל הַמִּלֻּאִים אֲשֶׁר לְאַהֲרֹן וְהֵנַפְתָּ אֹתוֹ תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וְהָיָה לְךָ לְמָנָה
KJ: And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.
BN: And you shall take the breast of Aharon's ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave-offering before YHVH; and it shall be your portion.
MANAH: What the Beney Yisra-El collected for food in the wilderness before reaching Sinai was also called Manah (Exodus 16:13 ff), and there were very specific sacred elements about it when related to the Sabbath; now here is the word again, in a different but again in a sacred context. Was that original MANAH different from what we were led to believe: some kind of ritual se'udah, a ritual meal, and not merely a daily portion? All that stuff about quails and the double-portion on Fridays, suggested that it was.
And in what way is it "a portion"? Does this mean that this is the part they get to eat? And if yes, who eats it: the priests only, or everyone. See "Day of Atonement" for details.
HENAPHTA: What does waving actually achieve? The priestly censer in Catholicism does the same, and the making of the Cross with the hand likewise. Something shamanistically residual in evolving religion?
29:27 VE KIDASHTA ET CHAZEH HA TENUPHAH VE ET SHOK HA TERUMAH ASHER HUNAPH VA ASHER HURAM ME EYL HA MILU'IM ME ASHER LE AHARON U ME ASHER LEVANAV
וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֵת חֲזֵה הַתְּנוּפָה וְאֵת שׁוֹק הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר הוּנַף וַאֲשֶׁר הוּרָם מֵאֵיל הַמִּלֻּאִים מֵאֲשֶׁר לְאַהֲרֹן וּמֵאֲשֶׁר לְבָנָיו
KJ: And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
BN: And you shall sanctify the breast of the wave-offering, which is waved, and the thigh of the heave-offering, which is heaved, of the ram of consecration, both that which is Aharon's, and that which is his sons'.
TENUPHAH...TERUMAH: The tenuphah is the "wave offering" that we have commented on above. The terumah is rendered in many English translations as a "heave offering", which conjures up the image of a group priests trying to forcer the entire bull through a hole in the heavens in order to provide him for the gods: "altogether now, heave!!!" Clearly not what is intended. But actually, in a very real sense, it is: the difference between the tenuphah and the terumah lies in the way in which it is shown to YHVH, sideways motions in the former, up and down motions in the latter.
I think that the King James translators have failed to pick up the lack of syntax and lucidity in the Yehudit text here; I have slightly rearranged the word-order, because I think this is what it is trying to say: a distinction between two parts of the animal, each having its own ritual action, and simultaneously more than one animal because more than one bringer-and-sacrificer.
29:28 VE HAYAH LE AHARON U LE VANAV LECHAK OLAM ME ET BENEY YISRA-EL KI TERUMAH HU U TERUMAH YIHEYEH ME ET BENEY YISRA-EL MI ZIVCHEY SHALMEYHEM TERUMATAM LA YHVH
וְהָיָה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו לְחָק-עוֹלָם מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי תְרוּמָה הוּא וּתְרוּמָה יִהְיֶה מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִזִּבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיהֶם תְּרוּמָתָם לַיהוָה
KJ: And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.
BN: And this shall be given by the Beney Yisra-El to Aharon and his sons for ever as their rightful due. For it is a heave-offering; and it shall be a heave-offering from the Beney Yisra-El, part of their peace-offering sacrifices, including their heave-offering to YHVH.
As with the previous verse, I have rearranged the order, in my translation, of the words, which are somewhat convolutedly incoherent in the Yehudit, and hopefully, thereby, shall have clarified the meaning.
CHAK: Normally the word is CHOK, and it is not obvious why the pronunciation is different on this occasion (except to note that there are many occasions when the qamats is pronounced "o" rather than "a", and that this became the norm in Ashkenazi Judaism throughout the Middle Ages, so it may be an entirely legitimate scribal "error"). Its significance here is not the pronunciation anyway, but the fact that it enables us to distinguish a CHOK from a MITSVAH: a CHOK being a kind of by-law, an obligation or duty, but not actually a full commandment, which would be a MITSVAH; those "laws" deduced by the Rabbis but not stated in the text are generally regarded as CHOKIM; but here, and previously, they appear to have the same level of requirement as MITSVOT, with a mere linguistic distinction.
29:29 U VIGDEY HA KODESH ASHER LE AHARON YIHEYU LE VANAV ACHARAV LE MASHCHA VA HEM U LE MALE VAM ET YADAM
וּבִגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר לְאַהֲרֹן יִהְיוּ לְבָנָיו אַחֲרָיו לְמָשְׁחָה בָהֶם וּלְמַלֵּא בָם אֶת יָדָם
KJ: And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.
BN: And Aharon's holy garments shall be retained for his sons after him, for them to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
Fortunately, unlike most other laws, this one is not given LE DOROTEYHEM or LE OLAM, which would leave the fifth or sixth generation wearing rags and tatters. But at the same time no instruction is given for the replacement of these when they do become work out, nor what should be done with the rags when they are no longer wearable - do they go with the damaged prayer-books to the genizah, or are they burned outside the camp?
29:30 SHIV'AT YAMIM YILBASHAM HA KOHEN TACHTAV MI BANAV ASHER YAVO EL OHEL MO'ED LESHARET BA KODESH
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים יִלְבָּשָׁם הַכֹּהֵן תַּחְתָּיו מִבָּנָיו אֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְשָׁרֵת בַּקֹּדֶשׁ
KJ: And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
BN: For seven days the son who is priest in his place shall put them on, including the one who comes to the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place.
All these details about Aharon's clothing etc; is it not odd that there is nothing of the same for Mosheh?
SHIVAT YAMIM: This appears to be the same practice as that of the substitute KOHEN GADOL of Yom Kippur; the need to have an understudy fully costumed and made-up, lines learned and cues practiced, just in case.
29:31 VE ET EYL HA MILU'IM TIKACH U VISHALTA ET BESARO BE MAKOM KADOSH
וְאֵת אֵיל הַמִּלֻּאִים תִּקָּח וּבִשַּׁלְתָּ אֶת־בְּשָׂרוֹ בְּמָקֹם קָדֹשׁ
KJ: And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
BN: And you shall take the ram of consecration, and seethe its flesh in a holy place.
VISHALTA: The second reference to what the scholars are unable to decide, is it "boiling" or is it "broiling"? Cooking in heated water the former, grilling on a very high flame the latter. The answer, it seems to me, lies perfectly clear and disconfusing in Ezekiel 24:5/6 , where he not only states "cooked with fire", but actually gives us the full Jamie Oliver: "take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath it for the bones; bring it to the boil and cook the bones in it... Take the meat out piece by piece in whatever order it comes..." except that, in verse 10, he then tells us "So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred."
VISHALTA then is both boiling and broiling, at least in Yechezke-El's kitchen. But the term is also used frequently for "ripening in the sun" (I am going for Joel 4:13 because, let's be honest, no one ever reads Yo-El unless you drive them to the page): שִׁלְחוּ מַגָּל כִּי בָשַׁל קָצִיר - SHILCHU MAGAL KI VASHAL KATSIR - bring out your sickle for the harvest is ripe.
VISHALTA then is both boiling and broiling, at least in Yechezke-El's kitchen. But the term is also used frequently for "ripening in the sun" (I am going for Joel 4:13 because, let's be honest, no one ever reads Yo-El unless you drive them to the page): שִׁלְחוּ מַגָּל כִּי בָשַׁל קָצִיר - SHILCHU MAGAL KI VASHAL KATSIR - bring out your sickle for the harvest is ripe.
There is (there always is!) another layer of difficulty, however. To broil requires specific implements, and none have been specified for this purpose, except the fire itself, which could as easily roast, grill, bake or barbecue. What is being described is closest of all to the making of a stew, of the kind that Ya'akov made (twice, once when he stole the birthright, Genesis 25, again when he stole the blessing, Genesis 27), whereas broiling requires either milk or water, and there is a very specific law relating to that too (Exodus 23:19). Can we go back and look at some of these kitchen tools specified earlier, and identify a stew-pot or a boiling saucepan among them?
29:32 VE ACHAL AHARON U VANAV ET BESAR HA AYIL VE ET HA LECHEM ASHER BA SAL PETACH OHEL MO'ED
וְאָכַל אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֶת בְּשַׂר הָאַיִל וְאֶת הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר בַּסָּל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
KJ: And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
BN: And Aharon and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Again see "Day of Atonement" for the detail of what can be eaten where and when and by whom. It may seem odd (and may also explain my facetiousness throughout these chapters, but food is food in the Jewish world), but the deity makes a very clear distinction between eat-in and take-out (though there is no additional VAT for eating in, and grace after meals is a prayer not a tip, even though both concepts are rooted in the same Latin word: gratis).
29:33 VE ACHLU OTAM ASHER KUPAR BA HEM LEMAL'E ET YADAM LEKADESH OTAM VE ZAR LO YOCHAL KI KODESH HEM
וְאָכְלוּ אֹתָם אֲשֶׁר כֻּפַּר בָּהֶם לְמַלֵּא אֶת יָדָם לְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתָם וְזָר לֹא יֹאכַל כִּי קֹדֶשׁ הֵם
KJ: And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
BN: And they shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but a stranger shall not eat of them, because they are holy.
ZAR: Does this stranger mean no Beney Yisra-Eli, or only no non-Yisra-Eli? The Yehudit here is ZAR, not GER or NACHRI or GOY.
29:34 VE IM YIVATER MI BESAR HA MILU'IM U MIN HA LECHEM AD HA BOKER VE SARAPHTA ET HA NOTAR BA ESH LO YE'ACHEL KI KODESH HU
וְאִם יִוָּתֵר מִבְּשַׂר הַמִּלֻּאִים וּמִן הַלֶּחֶם עַד הַבֹּקֶר וְשָׂרַפְתָּ אֶת הַנּוֹתָר בָּאֵשׁ לֹא יֵאָכֵל כִּי קֹדֶשׁ הוּא
KJ: And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
BN: And if any of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread, is still left in the morning, then you shall burn that remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
Because it is holy, and therefore subject to laws of time and place, rather than any hygienic issue, such as going mouldy or getting flies on it. I mention this only because many modern Jews, seeking an explanation for the Kashrut laws, make the error of attributing them to hygiene - which one or two indeed are, but it is always specified. See also my note to Exodus 12:10.
29:35 VE ASIYTA LE AHARON U LE VANAV KACHAH KE CHOL ASHER TSIVIYTI OT'CHAH SHIV'AT YAMIM TEMAL'E YADAM
וְעָשִׂיתָ לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו כָּכָה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אֹתכָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תְּמַלֵּא יָדָם
KJ: And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
BN: And this is what you shall do to Aharon, and to his sons, in accordance with all the instructions that I have given you; over a period of seven days you shall consecrate them.
In other words, on the Sabbath too. Sacrifices should take place on the Sabbath as well as other days. This appears to conflict with the 39 Melachot, but in fact, as we shall see when we get to the full details of Shabbat, and of the festivals as well, sacrifices were integral to all of these, and indeed, even to Yom Kippur, the great fast day, itself.
29:36 U PHAR CHAT'AT TA'ASEH LA YOM AL HA KIPURIM VE CHIT'ETA AL HA MIZBE'ACH BE CHAPERCHA ALAV U MASHACHTA OTO LEKADSHO
וּפַר חַטָּאת תַּעֲשֶׂה לַיּוֹם עַל הַכִּפֻּרִים וְחִטֵּאתָ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּכַפֶּרְךָ עָלָיו וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֹתוֹ לְקַדְּשׁוֹ
KJ: And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
BN: And you shall offer the bullock of sin-offering each day, in addition to the other atonement offerings. And you shall perform the act of purification on the altar when you make atonement for it. And you shall anoint it, in order to sanctify it.
LA YOM: Every day! 365 sacrificed first-year bullocks every year, in the middle of the Sinai desert, with only sand to graze on. A miracle far greater than the parting of the Red Sea!
PHAR CHATAT: A bull-calf, and all that gold that has been ordered for the Mishkan. In what way could the Beney Yisra-El possibly have conceived their god, if not in the form of a golden calf? The issue was not the calf itself, nor even the fact that they made it, but that they made it as a graven image.
PHAR CHATAT: A bull-calf, and all that gold that has been ordered for the Mishkan. In what way could the Beney Yisra-El possibly have conceived their god, if not in the form of a golden calf? The issue was not the calf itself, nor even the fact that they made it, but that they made it as a graven image.
LA YOM: And if every day is a day of atonement, then what need for a special Day of Atonement, ten days after Rosh ha Shanah?
29:37 SHIV'AT YAMIM TECHAPER AL HA MIZBE'ACH VE KIDASHTA OTO VE HAYAH HA MIZBE'ACH KODESH KADASHIM KOL HA NOG'E'A BA MIZBE'ACH YIKDASH
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תְּכַפֵּר עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֹתוֹ וְהָיָה הַמִּזְבֵּחַ קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים כָּל הַנֹּגֵעַ בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ יִקְדָּשׁ
KJ: Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
BN: For seven days you shall make atonement on the altar, and sanctify it; thus shall the altar be most holy; whatsoever touches the altar shall be holy.
AL HA MIZBE'ACH: I have translated it as "on the altar", but actually many translations prefer "for the altar", reading this as suggesting that the altar itself has somehow sinned, and requires atonement; probably the intention is that the altar may have become dirty, simply from the air and the insects and the bad breath of humans and the generality of Nature, and that it therefore needs purgation; but the Yehudit language does not seem to have been sufficiently broad in its lexicon to make these intricate distinctions.
KOL HA NOG'E'A: Provided that they are meant to touch it. Cf the story of David bringing the Ark up to Yeru-Shala'im (2 Samuel 6).
end of fifth fragment; samech break
29:38 VE ZEH ASHER TA'ASEH AL HA MIZBE'ACH KEVASIM BENEY SHANAH SHENAYIM LA YOM TAMID
וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה שְׁנַיִם לַיּוֹם תָּמִיד
KJ: Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.
BN: Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two first-year lambs, every day, for ever.
29:39 ET HA KEVES HA ECHAD TA'ASEH VA BOKER VE ET HA KEVES HA SHENI TA'ASEH BEYN HA ARBA'IM
אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם
KJ: The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
BN: The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb at dusk.
We have encountered this problem several times already: namely, what exactly does BEYN HA ARBA'IM mean, and should it read BEYN HA ARAVIM, which would be written identically? This time an additional problem is added. Today we have three prayer services, each day, at dawn (SHACHARIT), during the day (MINCHAH), which could be the true meaning of BEYN HA ARBA'IM, and at dusk (MA'ARIV), which name includes the word EREV = "evening", as in BEYN HA ARAVIM. The reason for the three is that, in Temple times, these were the three occasions when the Temple was in use; but we also know that sacrifices were only made at SHACHARIT and MINCHAH, with the MA'ARIV service simply a ceremony of cleaning the altar and preparing it for the following day. Yet here it appears that the sacrifices are being ordained for SHACHARIT and MA'ARIV, and no mention of MINCHAH, unless MINCHAH was at that time in the evening. See my note at verse 41, below.
At the same time, if we do read it as BEYN HA ARBA'IM, as is traditional, it really means "between the forties", which means nothing at all, except an obscure allusion to a significant number. Given that the Jewish begins when the moon rises, might we understand BEYN HA ARAVIM as "between the evenings", in other words "daily"?
29:40 VE ISARON SOLET BA LUL BE SHEMEN KATIT REVA HA HIN VE NESECH REVIYIT HA HIN YAYIN LA KEVES HA ECHAD
וְעִשָּׂרֹן סֹלֶת בָּלוּל בְּשֶׁמֶן כָּתִית רֶבַע הַהִין וְנֵסֶךְ רְבִיעִת הַהִין יָיִן לַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד
KJ: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine fora drink offering.
BN: And with the first lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink-offering.
Details of the measures can be found here.
29:41 VE ET HA KEVES HA SHENI TA'ASEH BEYN HA ARBA'IM KE MINCHAT HA BOKER U CHE NISKAH TA'ASEH LAH LE REYACH NIYCHO'ACH ISHEH LA YHVH
וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם כְּמִנְחַת הַבֹּקֶר וּכְנִסְכָּהּ תַּעֲשֶׂה לָּהּ לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה
KJ: And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
BN: And the second lamb you shall offer at dusk, and shall do with it according to the meal-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto YHVH.
MINCHAT: The word MINCHAH appearing here should not mislead us. We now think of MINCHAH as though it were the name of the specific service of worship; but this is erroneous. A MINCHAH is simply an offering, made at any time of day - a statement which appears to add weight to my speculative re-reading of BEYN ARBA'IM, above as "daily".
29:42 OLAT TAMID LE DOROTEYCHEM PETACH OHEL MO'ED LIPHNEY YHVH ASHER IVA'ED LACHEM SHAMAH LEDABER ELEYCHA SHAM
עֹלַת תָּמִיד לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לָכֶם שָׁמָּה לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ שָׁם
KJ: This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
BN: It shall be a perpetual burnt-offering, throughout your generations, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, before YHVH, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.
ELEYCHA: "To you", not "with you".
29:43 VE NO'ADETI SHAMAH LIVNEY YISRA-EL VE NIKDASH BICHVODI
וְנֹעַדְתִּי שָׁמָּה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִקְדַּשׁ בִּכְבֹדִי
KJ: And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.
BN: And there I will meet with the Beney Yisra-El; and [the Tent] shall be sanctified by my glory.
29:44 VE KIDASHTI ET OHEL MO'ED VE ET HA MIZBE'ACH VE ET AHARON VE ET BANAV AKADESH LECHAHEN LI
וְקִדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְאֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו אֲקַדֵּשׁ לְכַהֵן לִי
KJ: And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office.
BN: And I will sanctify the tent of meeting, and the altar; and Aharon also I will sanctify, and his sons, so they can serve as my ministers in the office of Kohen.
29:45 VE SHACHANTI BETOCH BENEY YISRA-EL VE HAYITI LAHEM LE ELOHIM
וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים
KJ: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
BN: And I will live among the Beney Yisra-El, and be their god.
The phrasing of all the verses in the last several chapters has been in the form of a set of "whereas" statements, conditions for a contract; we have already heard Mosheh and the Beney Yisra-El state their acceptance of the covenant (Exodus 24:3 and 24:8); now YHVH is signing off on his side of the deal.
Mosheh actually went up the mountain for the first time in chapter 19, so we have now had ten straight chapters in which nothing else happens but the giving of some laws, the architectural plan for various ritual objects, a portable throne for the deity, the clothing for the priests, and rules about sacrifices. The Haggadah version of this story is about the flight of the "Hebrew" slaves from Egypt, and their journey towards the Promised Land. Yet clearly these ten chapters are not. Either they are Ezra and Nechem-Yah establishing the Second Temple and the Table of Values of their day, or this is a Covenant Renewal ceremony, being described in full (though there is no reason why it can't be both of these latter).
And in the meaning, returning to the Haggadah version, 1.3 million Beney Yisra-El are camped in mid-desert, living on manna and short of water, with no idea where they are going next, and Mosheh has been gone a full month already.
Mosheh actually went up the mountain for the first time in chapter 19, so we have now had ten straight chapters in which nothing else happens but the giving of some laws, the architectural plan for various ritual objects, a portable throne for the deity, the clothing for the priests, and rules about sacrifices. The Haggadah version of this story is about the flight of the "Hebrew" slaves from Egypt, and their journey towards the Promised Land. Yet clearly these ten chapters are not. Either they are Ezra and Nechem-Yah establishing the Second Temple and the Table of Values of their day, or this is a Covenant Renewal ceremony, being described in full (though there is no reason why it can't be both of these latter).
And in the meaning, returning to the Haggadah version, 1.3 million Beney Yisra-El are camped in mid-desert, living on manna and short of water, with no idea where they are going next, and Mosheh has been gone a full month already.
29:46 VE YADU KI ANI YHVH ELOHEYHEM ASHER HOTSE'TI OTAM ME ERETS MITSRAYIM LESHACHNI BETOCHAM ANI YHVH ELOHEYHEM
וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְשָׁכְנִי בְתוֹכָם אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם
KJ: And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
BN: And they shall know that I am YHVH their god, who brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim, so that I could live among them. I am YHVH their god.
The domestication of the deity is now complete: I brought you out of Mitsrayim so that I could live among you. I am not convinced that this statement has ever been fully discussed by either the Rabbinic or the Christian or indeed the secular scholars, and yet this is what the last ten chapters, what the Covenant Renewal, have finally all been about: the terms by which YHVH may come down from his mountain and live (like a king) among his people.
And from the human perspective, these last two verses confirm once more that the whole purpose of this voyage to Sinai has been an act of covenant affirmation, or re-affirmation. YHVH brought them out of Mitsrayim - or they made pilgrimage out of Mitsrayim, which is tantamount to the same thing - in order that the laws be given as the Yisra-Eli side of the covenant, and the god's presence confirmed, as his part of the covenant. The deity has found his home, by treaty with the nation who have now adopted him. Passport and visa; permanent residency.
ANI YHVH ELOHEYCHEM: almost as if he has placed his signature at the end of the document. I wonder if he used a sapphire to do it.
pey break; end of sixth fragment; end of chapter 29
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