Sedra 3, Shemini
Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47
9:1 VA YEHI BA YOM HA SHEMIYNI KARA MOSHEH LE AHARON U LE VANAV U LE ZIKNEY YISRA-EL
וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי קָרָא מֹשֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וּלְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
KJ (King James translation): And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
BN (BibleNet translation): And so it was that, on the eighth day, Mosheh called Aharon and his sons, and the elders of Yisra-El;
At the end of the previous chapter (Leviticus 8:35), Aharon and his sons, having completed their initiation rites, were required to remain in the Tent of Meeting, on watch, for seven days.
9:2 VA YOMER EL AHARON KACH LECHA EGEL BEN BAKAR LE CHATA'T VE AYIL LE OLAH TEMIYMIM VE HAKREV LIPHNEY YHVH
וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח לְךָ עֵגֶל בֶּן בָּקָר לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל לְעֹלָה תְּמִימִם וְהַקְרֵב לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.
BN: And he said to Aharon: "Take a bull-calf for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish, and offer them before YHVH.
From our modern understanding of these matters ("understanding" is both a complex and a limited term!), it would be more logical to translate this as "offer them to YHVH", because that, surely, was the purpose - our "understanding" wants this to be a ceremony of propitiation, of worship, with sacrifice an act of "giving something up". But the text does not say "to", it says "before" - the wave-offering. This is being performed so that YHVH may see that it has been performed, a mere show. As stated previously, the significance is not in the expiation of sin nor in the propitiation of the deity; the significance lies in granting ourselves permission to eat.
9:3 VE EL BENEY YISRA-EL TEDABER LEMOR KECHU SE'IR IZIM LE CHATA'T VE EGEL VE CHEVES BENEY SHANAH TEMIYMIM LE OLAH
וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר קְחוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְעֵגֶל וָכֶבֶשׂ בְּנֵי שָׁנָה תְּמִימִם לְעֹלָה
KJ: And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering;
BN: "And to the Beney Yisra-El you shall speak, saying: 'Take a he-goat for a sin-offering, and a calf and a lamb, both yearlings without blemish, for a burnt-offering...
CHEVES: Please note, CHEVES, not CHESEV.
9:4 VE SHOR VA AYIL LISH'LAMIM LIZBO'ACH LIPHNEY YHVH U MINCHAT BE LULAH VA SHEMEN KI HA YOM YHVH NIR'AH ALEYCHEM
וְשׁוֹר וָאַיִל לִשְׁלָמִים לִזְבֹּחַ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וּמִנְחָה בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן כִּי הַיּוֹם יְהוָה נִרְאָה אֲלֵיכֶם
KJ: Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for to day the LORD will appear unto you.
BN: "'And an ox and a ram for peace-offerings, to sacrifice before YHVH; and a meal-offering mingled with oil; for to-day YHVH will appear above you.'"
I have translated ALEYCHEM as "above you", rather than the traditional "before you", because the text does not say LIPHNEYCHEM, which would mean "before you". It says, quite explicitly, "ALEYCHEM". A courtier appears "before" a king, but a king always stands "above" the courtier, usually on a throne or dais, in some cultures on tip-toes. The covenantal relationship between the Beney Yisra-El and YHVH is not one of social equality. Additionally, "above" is a geographical location, both physically and metaphysically, though this is more likely the crater of a volcano than the balcony of the celestial palace.
9:5 VA YIKCHU ET ASHER TSIVAH MOSHEH EL PENEY OHEL MO'ED VA YIKREVU KOL HA EDAH VA YA'AMDU LIPHNEY YHVH
וַיִּקְחוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה אֶל פְּנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיִּקְרְבוּ כָּל הָעֵדָה וַיַּעַמְדוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.
BN: And they brought that which Mosheh had instructed them to the front of the Tent of Meeting; and all the congregation drew near and stood before YHVH.
The Beney Yisra-El stand LIPHNEY YHVH. I note this because the verse also has the congregation bringing its sacrificial items EL PENEY OHEL MO'ED, and EL PENEY is subtly different from LIPHNEY, in the way that "among" and "amongst" or "amid" and "amidst" are subtly different in English. Yet both are translated as "before" in most English translations. Here EL PENEY literally indicates "the front of", rather than the back or the sides, while LIPHNEY is rather more metaphorical.
9:6 VA YOMER MOSHEH ZEH HA DAVAR ASHER TSIVAH YHVH TA'ASU VE YERA ALEYCHEM KEVOD YHVH
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה תַּעֲשׂוּ וְיֵרָא אֲלֵיכֶם כְּבוֹד יְהוָה
KJ: And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you.
BN: And Mosheh said: "This is the thing which YHVH instructed that you should do; that the glory of YHVH may appear to you."
In verse four we were told that YHVH would make an appearance on this day, but not in what form. Given that the god of the Beney Yisra-El could not be represented in wood or stone, and had no physical form, being simply a compound of all the Elim, the kinetic impulses and creative dynamisms of the universe, it left us cliffhangered to learn what that form might be - and now we know. What will appear will not be YHVH, but the KAVOD YHVH. Kavod means "honour" or "glory". Which sadly leaves us hanging on the same crater-edge.
In his commentary on verse 4, Rashi inferred the same inability to explain KAVOD in this context. On the statement that YHVH will "appear" he writes: "להשרות שכינתו במעשה ידיכם לכך קרבנות הללו באין חובה ליום זה - to make His Shechinah rest in the work of your hands [i.e., the work of the Mishkan], and for this reason, these sacrifices are obligatory for this day." This allows YHVH to appear in the form of the Shechinah, but does not explain the Shechinah - which is simply the divine radiance, and therefore not an explanation but a synonym. The square brackets are not Rashi's, but an interpolation by the editor of the Chabad website from which I have taken the Rashi; it chooses to interpret the Shechinah, not as the divine radiance at all, but in terms of its ideological understanding that to pray is to bring YHVH into the world; Rashi might well have accepted this as a concept, but not as an explanation of this verse. As this link will show, KAVOD is used many times in the Tanach, and not always with the same meaning. It is my contention that the divine appearance on this occasion - see the many notes throughout the Book of Exodus that provide evidence for this - was simply one more minor eruption of the volcano.
9:7 VA YOMER MOSHEH EL AHARON KERAV EL HA MIZBE'ACH VA ASEH ET CHATA'T'CHA VE ET OLATECHA VE CHAPER BA'ADCHA U VE'AD HA AM VA ASEH ET KARBAN HA AM VE CHAPER BA'ADAM KA ASHER TSIVAH YHVH
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן קְרַב אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַעֲשֵׂה אֶת חַטָּאתְךָ וְאֶת עֹלָתֶךָ וְכַפֵּר בַּעַדְךָ וּבְעַד הָעָם וַעֲשֵׂה אֶת קָרְבַּן הָעָם וְכַפֵּר בַּעֲדָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה
KJ: And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.
BN: Then Mosheh said to Aharon: "Approach the altar, and offer your sin-offering, and your burnt-offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and present the offering of the people, and make atonement for them; as YHVH has instructed."
KARBAN: comes from the same root as KERAV (KAROV = near), so we have Mosheh telling Aharon to KERAV EL HA MIZBE'ACH, to "approach the altar", but also to make several sacrifices, one of which, the KURBAN, might better be translated as, "that which is offered when the altar is approached".
9:8 VA YIKRAV AHARON EL HA MIZBE'ACH VA YISHCHAT ET EGEL HA CHATA'T ASHER LO
וַיִּקְרַב אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וַיִּשְׁחַט אֶת עֵגֶל הַחַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ
KJ: Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
BN: So Aharon approached the altar, and slaughtered the calf of the sin-offering, which was for himself.
9:9 VA YAKRIVU BENEY AHARON ET HA DAM ELAV VA YITBOL ETSBA'O BA DAM VA YITEN AL KARNOT HA MIZBE'ACH VE ET HA DAM YATSAK EL YESOD HA MIZBE'ACH
וַיַּקְרִבוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַדָּם אֵלָיו וַיִּטְבֹּל אֶצְבָּעוֹ בַּדָּם וַיִּתֵּן עַל קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְאֶת הַדָּם יָצַק אֶל יְסוֹד הַמִּזְבֵּחַ
KJ: And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar:
BN: And Aharon's sons presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar.
9:10 VE ET HA CHELEV VE ET HA KELAYOT VE ET HA YOTERET MIN HA KAVED MIN HA CHATA'T HIKTIR HA MIZBECHAH KA ASHER TSIVAH YHVH ET MOSHEH
וְאֶת הַחֵלֶב וְאֶת הַכְּלָיֹת וְאֶת הַיֹּתֶרֶת מִן הַכָּבֵד מִן הַחַטָּאת הִקְטִיר הַמִּזְבֵּחָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת מֹשֶׁה
KJ: But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses.
BN: But the fat, and the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver of the sin-offering, he made smoke on the altar, as YHVH had instructed Mosheh.
I am translating HIKTIR as "made smoke", here and previously (3:5, 4:10 et al), rather than "burned", even though it clearly needs the fire of burning to make the cloud of smoking (and I am making that pun precisely because this is how YHVH appears in his KAVOD, his glory, a pillar of cloudy smoke by day and a rather more burning fire by night); the KJ, like most translators, insists on "burnt". But the Yehudit makes a distinction between HIKTIR and SARAPH, and HIKTIR is about the smoke, while SARAPH is about the flame (including the angelic Seraphim, which we know from Yesha-Yahu were really just the flickering flames on the altar of sacrifice), the meat being barbecued sufficiently for eating. There is also the concept of a KARBAN (see verse 7), which is a burned offering (as opposed to a burnt offering), a steak grilled beyond edibility; while the end result is the same for the meat, regardless of whether it is here or outside the camp, one is a holy act, the other mere landfill (see the very next verse).
9:11 VE ET HA BASAR VE ET HA OR SARAPH BA ESH MI CHUTS LA MACHANEH
וְאֶת הַבָּשָׂר וְאֶת הָעוֹר שָׂרַף בָּאֵשׁ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה
KJ: And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.
BN: And the meat and the skin he put on a bonfire outside the camp.
9:12 VA YISHCHAT ET HA OLAH VA YAMTSI'U BENEY AHARON ELAV ET HA DAM VA YIZREK'EHU AL HA MIZBE'ACH SAVIV
וַיִּשְׁחַט אֶת הָעֹלָה וַיַּמְצִאוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֵלָיו אֶת הַדָּם וַיִּזְרְקֵהוּ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב
KJ: And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.
BN: And he slaughtered the burnt-offering; and Aharon's sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it all around the altar.
9:13 VE ET HA OLAH HIMTSIY'U ELAV LINTACHEYHA VE ET HA ROSH VA YAKTER AL HA MIZBE'ACH
וְאֶת הָעֹלָה הִמְצִיאוּ אֵלָיו לִנְתָחֶיהָ וְאֶת הָרֹאשׁ וַיַּקְטֵר עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ
KJ: And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.
BN: And they brought the burnt-offering to him, piece by piece, and the head; and he made them smoke on the altar.
This now appears to confirm what I suggested a verse or two ago, that the methodology of sacrifice was consciously intended to bring a mirror-image of the volcano down to the people. So they made the original sacrifice smoke and flame on the holy altar, until it was burnt; then they took it outside and smoked and burned it to the equivalent of volcanic ash on the bonfire; but "pieces" still remained, and the head had been separated, so they could now be brought back, and there is the "glory of YHVH" in miniature, burnt and burned, making one more pillar of cloud, one more pillar of fire, right there on the Mizbe'ach, in the midst of the congregation.
And keep bringing more sacrifices, morning and afternoon, and even when you move on from Sinai, YHVH will be palpably travelling with you.
This now appears to confirm what I suggested a verse or two ago, that the methodology of sacrifice was consciously intended to bring a mirror-image of the volcano down to the people. So they made the original sacrifice smoke and flame on the holy altar, until it was burnt; then they took it outside and smoked and burned it to the equivalent of volcanic ash on the bonfire; but "pieces" still remained, and the head had been separated, so they could now be brought back, and there is the "glory of YHVH" in miniature, burnt and burned, making one more pillar of cloud, one more pillar of fire, right there on the Mizbe'ach, in the midst of the congregation.
And keep bringing more sacrifices, morning and afternoon, and even when you move on from Sinai, YHVH will be palpably travelling with you.
9:14 VA YIRCHATS ET HA KEREV VE ET HA KERA'AYIM VA YAKTER AL HA OLAH HA MIZBECHAH
וַיִּרְחַץ אֶת הַקֶּרֶב וְאֶת הַכְּרָעָיִם וַיַּקְטֵר עַל הָעֹלָה הַמִּזְבֵּחָה
KJ: And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar.
BN: And he washed the innards and the legs, and made them smoke on the burnt-offering on the altar.
Presumably in this instance the heat and flame of the burnt offering provides the means itself, whence the use of AL HA OLAH, literally "upon" it.
9:15 VA YAKREV ET KARBAN HA AM VA YIKACH ET SE'IR HA CHATA'T ASHER LA AM VA YISHCHAT'EHU VA YECHAT'EYHU KA RISHON
וַיַּקְרֵב אֵת קָרְבַּן הָעָם וַיִּקַּח אֶת שְׂעִיר הַחַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר לָעָם וַיִּשְׁחָטֵהוּ וַיְחַטְּאֵהוּ כָּרִאשׁוֹן
KJ: And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which wasthe sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.
BN: And the people's offering was presented; and he took the goat of the sin-offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it, and offered it as a sin-offering, as with the first offering.
9:16 VA YAKREV ET HA OLAH VA YA'ASEH KA MISHPAT
וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת הָעֹלָה וַיַּעֲשֶׂהָ כַּמִּשְׁפָּט
KJ: And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the manner.
BN: And the burnt-offering was presented; and he offered it according to the ordinance.
OLAH: Translators render this as being the burnt-offering, but it probably was not. As noted at verse 7, the word for the burnt offering (KARBAN), and the word for bringing a sacrifice to the altar (here YAKREV) come from the same root; but an OLAH is not a KARBAN, it is a sin-offering, and the previous verse was very clear that it was a sin-offering that was being brought. A sin-offering could of course be a burnt-offering, though generally it was a smoke offering or even a mere wave; which is why I have said "probably was not".
KA MISHPAT: So many times, reading this, we hear the same phrases repeated and repeated, and we hear that voice in the back of our heads saying, does this really need to be said so often? And then we come to a verse such as this one, which simply tells us that it was done "according to the ordinance", and we have absolutely no idea what that means: which ordinance, there are so many, and almost all with minor variations. So we wish that the full phrase had been given, even if it were yet another repetition. So we understand better the fastidious methodology of the editor (at least, in this regard!).
Note that the noun here is MISHPAT, where generally it is presented as a verb "KE TSIVA MOSHE" or "KE TSIVA YHVH". A TSAV is an instruction, a MISHPAT is a judicial ordinance; the difference between (to create an analogy) your boss - who happens to be a judge, and this is taking place in court - asking you to do something, and the law requiring it.
9:17 VA YAKREV ET HA MINCHAH VA YEMAL'E CHAPO MIMENAH VA YAKTER AL HA MIZBE'ACH MILVAD OLAT HA BOKER
וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת הַמִּנְחָה וַיְמַלֵּא כַפּוֹ מִמֶּנָּה וַיַּקְטֵר עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַבֹּקֶר
KJ: And he brought the meat offering, and took an handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning.
BN: And the meal-offering was presented; and he filled his hand from it, and made it smoke upon the altar, in addition to that morning's burnt-offering.
MILVAD, as opposed to the AL of verse 14; yes, the text really is as subtly nuanced as this. AL was a physical location, on top of the burnt offering. MILVAD is translated as "besides", which is not the same as "beside"; this is not a physical location, but an additional item.
9:18 VA YISHCHAT ET HA SHOR VE ET HA AYIL ZEVACH HA SHELAMIM ASHER LA AM VA YAMTSI'U BENEY AHARON ET HA DAM ELAV VA YIZREK'EHU AL HA MIZBE'ACH SAVIV
וַיִּשְׁחַט אֶת הַשּׁוֹר וְאֶת הָאַיִל זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים אֲשֶׁר לָעָם וַיַּמְצִאוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַדָּם אֵלָיו וַיִּזְרְקֵהוּ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב
KJ: He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about,
BN: He also slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which was for the people; and Aharon's sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it all around the altar.
9:19 VE ET HA CHALAVIM MIN HA SHOR U MIN HA AYIL HA ALYAH VE HA MECHASEH VE HA KELAYOT VE YOTERET HA KAVED
וְאֶת הַחֲלָבִים מִן הַשּׁוֹר וּמִן הָאַיִל הָאַלְיָה וְהַמְכַסֶּה וְהַכְּלָיֹת וְיֹתֶרֶת הַכָּבֵד
KJ: And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver:
BN: And the fat of the ox, and of the ram, the fatty part of the tail, and that which covers the innards, and the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver.
Traditional Ashkenazi chicken soup, from the stetls of eastern Europe, invariably uses the innards to provide both flavour and strength to the soup, thereby adding medicinal value to the vast quantities of vegetable also boiled. The fight over the kidney, the egg, the neck, the liver, is as much a core element of the Friday night se'udah as are the blessings over the candles and the argument over the continued employment of a shobbas goy. And yet, surely, based on this endlessly repeated instruction in Leviticus, the kidney, the egg, the neck, the liver are all "KELAYOT" and therefore prohibited?
9:20 VA YASIYMU ET HA CHALAVIM AL HE CHAZOT VA YAKTER HA CHALAVIM HA MIZBECHAH
וַיָּשִׂימוּ אֶת הַחֲלָבִים עַל הֶחָזוֹת וַיַּקְטֵר הַחֲלָבִים הַמִּזְבֵּחָה
KJ: And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
BN: And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he made the fat smoke on the altar.
9:21 VE ET HE CHAZOT VE ET SHOK HA YAMIN HENIPH AHARON TENUPHAH LIPHNEY YHVH KA ASHER TSIVAH MOSHEH
וְאֵת הֶחָזוֹת וְאֵת שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין הֵנִיף אַהֲרֹן תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מֹשֶׁה
KJ: And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.
BN: And Aharon waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave-offering before YHVH, as Mosheh instructed.
SHOK: Once again, and see several previous notes on this, the SHOK is the thigh, not the shoulder; SHECHEM is the shoulder.
SHOK: Once again, and see several previous notes on this, the SHOK is the thigh, not the shoulder; SHECHEM is the shoulder.
9:22 VA YISA AHARON ET YADAV EL HA AM VA YEVARCHEM VA YERED ME ASOT HA CHATA'T VE HA OLAH VE HA SHELAMIM
וַיִּשָּׂא אַהֲרֹן אֶת יָדָו אֶל הָעָם וַיְבָרְכֵם וַיֵּרֶד מֵעֲשֹׂת הַחַטָּאת וְהָעֹלָה וְהַשְּׁלָמִים
KJ: And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
BN: Then Aharon lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings.
See my note in "A Myrtle Among Reeds", page 56, for this as the source of the customs associated with Yevarechecha, the Priestly Blessing (and also see the note below to verse 24).
9:23 VA YAVO MOSHEH VE AHARON EL OHEL MO'ED VA YETS'U VA YEVARCHU ET HA AM VA YERA CHEVOD YHVH EL KOL HA AM
וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיֵּצְאוּ וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת הָעָם וַיֵּרָא כְבוֹד יְהוָה אֶל כָּל הָעָם
KJ: And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
BN: Then Mosheh and Aharon went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and the glory of YHVH appeared to all the people.
Note that all the ceremonies above took place outside the tent; the tent only exists as a Mishkan, a resting place, for YHVH, the equivalent of the Holy of Holies behind the Devir in the Temple; and from the word Mishkan comes the word Shechinah.
What exactly did they see? Something specific to the appearance of Aharon and his sons as a consequence of spending seven days cooped up in the Ohel Mo'ed and then performing all these bloody sacrifices (think of Sha'ul after Gil-Gal)? Or another eruption from the volcano? Or something induced by the KETORET (incense) used in the sacrifices? No, according to the very next verse, it turns out to be the simple amazement of fire, the very first time it was lit on the great altar outside the tent - which makes it rather more Loge than Wotan! And the glory of YHVH turns out to be nothing more than a lot of smiling faces, glowing because they are about to get meat for lunch in a hungry desert (which is itself is odd, because we have been told they lived on manna for forty years, having no other source of food and no means of farming or raising herds and flocks).
9:24 VA TETS'E ESH MI LIPHNEY YHVH VA TO'CHAL AL HA MIZBE'ACH ET HA OLAH VE ET HA CHALAVIM VA YAR KOL HA AM VA YARONU VA YIPLU AL PENEYHEM
וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה וַתֹּאכַל עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת הָעֹלָה וְאֶת הַחֲלָבִים וַיַּרְא כָּל הָעָם וַיָּרֹנּוּ וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל פְּנֵיהֶם
KJ: And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
BN: And fire came out from before YHVH, and it consumed on the altar the burnt-offering and the fat; and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
It really does seem that the glory of YHVH is simply the magical appearance of fire beneath the altar, consuming the offerings, and smoke above it, erupting from the crater of the stew-pot. God in a gas-stove really isn’t that impressive; I can do the same thing in my kitchen.
PENEYHEM: That same word, but now in a third variation of usage: LIPHNEY, EL PENEY AND PENEYHEM. There is also, elsewhere, PENU-EL, and of course it is the PANECHA, the face, that YHVH turns to face his people in the great Yevarechecha, the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26), the face that "no man may see and live" (Exodus 33:20).
Copyright © 2020 David Prashker
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