Tetzaveh – Torah with Joseph

Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Joseph Shulam.

Shalom. My name is Joseph Shulam and together with Brad TV, we’re going this year through the whole reading of the Torah as it is read in the synagogues every Shabbat. This next Shabbat, Saturday, we’re going to be reading from a portion of that is called Tetzaveh, which means, “and you shall command.”

And it starts in chapter 27 of the book of Exodus verse 20, and it ends in chapter 30, verse 10. Three chapters, about three chapters of reading from the Torah that will be read in every synagogue. The portion from the prophet that is being read in this portion that is called Tetzaveh, or “you shall command” in English, is from the prophet Ezekiel chapter 43 verse 10-27. And from the New Testament, we’re going to read from the letter of Titus. Paul to Titus, from verse 5 to verse 2 of chapter 15. Chapter one, verse five to chapter two, verse 15 of the letter of Titus.

Okay. What does God want Moses to command the children of Israel? This is what he says:

So we have in the last portions of the Torah that we’ve been studying on Shabbat, have been the building of the tabernacle. The collection of the money and the goods and the silver and the gold and the wood and the skins and the purple cloth and everything for the tabernacle.

Now, we are dealing with the lamp. The tabernacle had no windows, so they had to have a lamp that will be lit as it says, perpetually, continually, burn continually in verse 20 of chapter 27. But of course, what do they need? They need oil. They need olive oil. Pure olive oil that is pressed in order to fire that lamp 24 hours a day. Pure olive oil pressed. In other words, we are talking about the kind of olive oil that if you go into the supermarket in America today, you have to buy it. A bottle would cost you around $25. 700 grams. Two quarts would be around $25.

Israelites Had to Find Olive Oil

Today, it’s expensive. But when you are in the wilderness of Sinai, dear brothers and sisters, and you are not staying in one place, it wouldn’t be easy to find that kind of oil in the wilderness of Sinai. I’ve been in the wilderness, to and fro, many times, at least 17, 18 times. And they’ve been throughout the wilderness of Sinai. Not many olive trees. A lot of palm trees. Date palms, yes. But olive trees, not so much. Which means what? Which means that they had to find oil for the tabernacle from traders, from travelers, fellow travelers that were going from Asia to Africa, from Africa to Asia to Europe.

It was the only land line by which you could cross through these three continents. But in spite of that, they had to have enough oil to burn in the candelabra, in the tent of meeting in the tabernacle that Moses and Aaron and the children of Israel and the Levites built in the wilderness. Now the candelabra, is also commanded in great details of what it should be like.

The Seven-Branched Candelabra

And it’s made out of pure gold, hammered gold, and it had seven candles and an eighth candle that was actually the deacon, the servant of the other eight. You had to have another candle to light the other seven candles. Why seven candles? Seven days. Why seven days? Because God created the heavens and the earth in seven days. In fact, what a curiosity is that if you look at the Hebrew text of the first verse of the Bible, the first verse of Genesis 1:1, it has seven words. Everything is in order in the word of God. Everything is directed and a concert is played according to the will of God and there are a lot of very, very subliminal things that people don’t pay attention to when you read the translation.

But the first verse of Genesis in Hebrew is with seven words. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. I didn’t count the words in English, but in Hebrew I have. There’s seven. And the candelabra has seven branches. Why? Because seven is the number of creation of the physical world. 770 is the number of the physical world. The heavenly perfection is 10. But also, there are seven heavens mentioned in the Bible. So, they’re told to have oil that will be lighting the candelabra perpetually.

And it says, “Burn continually.” And where was it going to be placed? Outside the veil. The door, the veil between the holy and the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies, it was in the holy place, outside the veil of the Holy of Holies. And it was the job of Aaron, the high priest and his sons from every morning and every evening to check the candles to make sure that they are staying lit, perpetually. And the phrase that appears in chapter 28, verse one is this:

Now here comes another very important lesson that we all need to learn.

Serving God Is Not a Casual Thing

Serving God is not a casual thing in the Bible. Not in the Torah, in the Law of Moses, not in the prophets and nor is it in the New Testament. Serving God is a very holy, very special, very privileged position. I’m repeating this truth, biblical truth. Learning it here from our Torah portion that serving God is not a casual thing. What does it mean it is not a casual thing? You can’t do what you want. We have here mentioned the sons of Aaron. And his oldest sons were Nadab and Abihu. In the book of Leviticus we find out that these boys died. Fire from heaven came and devoured them.

Why? Apparently for cause, if you read the text carefully in Leviticus, you find out that immediately after they die, God issues an order to Moses and says, “The priest should not drink wine.” Priest should not drink wine. Why? Apparently Nadab and Abihu, who were the sons of Aaron, trained in the priesthood, born into the priesthood, didn’t pay attention and brought strange fire, fire that is not taken from the right location, taken from another location, to light the alter for the sacrifice. You say fire is fire, what’s the difference from this location, from that location? What’s the problem with it? Fire is fire, right? Burns. You can light the candles, you can light the alter, you can light whatever you want with that fire, the same fire.

Things Must Be Done the Way God Commands

No. When God says you do it this way, you’re obligated to do it the way God told you to do it. And that’s a simple truth in any structure that has a boss. And even if the boss says, “You do it this way,” you do it this way. If you don’t do it this way, he’ll fire you. And when we’re dealing with the holiness of God, we’re dealing with the mighty creator of the heavens and the Earth. And he has appointed Aaron and his sons to serve him in the tabernacle. And this service is something that was dictated from A to Z. When they were anointed, when Aaron and his sons were anointed, how were they anointed? They were anointed twice, once with oil, once with blood. The blood of a sacrifice. They were anointed, their right ear lobe was anointed, their right thumb was anointed, and their right toe was anointed. Why was it this anointing done this way?

Because they had to hear from God, and they had to do God’s will with their hands, and they had to walk in God’s path with their feet. And that’s why the anointing was not only on their head like it’s done today in some Christian circles, it was done on the ear, on the thumb, and on the toe on their foot, on the right side. To demonstrate to them and to the public that observed this anointing, that these people are consecrated to do the will of God as God has prescribed it.

Not according to what they feel. Not according to what they want. But according to the prescription that God prescribed them. And therefore, even their clothing was dictated by God. And God tells Aaron, go find artisans, artists that will make, not only artists, gifted artists, that will make with the spirit of wisdom, the garments to consecrate Aaron and his sons for the priesthood, for the job.

Pastoring Has Become a Profession

What’s the situation today, folks? Today a person decides he wants to be a pastor. Or a teacher. He goes to a seminary. He goes to university. He studies Bible. He graduates after four years and now he’s a pastor. Cause pastoring has become like a profession. Like a psychologist, like a lawyer, like a chemist, like a mathematician. It’s a profession. In the old days, it wasn’t that way. When I became a believer in Israel in 1962, and I went to the states, then there was a big difference between the white folks and the Afro-American black brothers and sisters. And I, as a Jew, didn’t feel so comfortable in the Protestant, white Evangelical church. It was a bit dry for me.

So I would walk, or hitch a ride with a friend, to the black church. And in the black church, they didn’t talk about going to college to become a pastor. Not even to go to a seminary. They talked about having been called by God to minister. Called by God. Not professionally that you went to college, you studied Bible, you studied religion, you studied the church doctrine, the church history and you became a pastor. No. You had to have a call from God to become a servant of God. In this case, the sons of Aaron were chosen by God because Aaron was chosen by God.

But even the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, when they brought strange fire, fire from heaven came and devoured them because they were supposed to be sanctified. Consecrated is the word that is used here. Their clothing and their income and their housing and everything had to be done according to God’s instructions and God’s will.

It’s not that way today, much to my regret. But everything had to be, I’m reading verse four of chapter 28 of the book of Exodus.

If you visit Jerusalem, especially the old city, you will see different priests. You see Catholic priests, Greek Orthodox priests, Armenian priests.

You’ll see Jewish rabbis, you’ll see Muslim clerics. And by their clothes, you should know them. You will immediately see the difference between a Muslim cleric and an Armenian priest. And immediately see the difference between an Armenian priest and a Greek Orthodox priest. They wear different clothes, different hats. And it’s clear who is serving whom.

Protestant Preacher Fashion

Not today in the West, in the Protestant evangelical world. Yes, there is a preacher’s fashion. I remember the first time that I went to, was invited to some of the big Pentecostal churches in America to teach and sit with the pastors and their staff. Often times to dinner and lunch and sometimes for breakfast. And I was very, very surprised. And the conversation that these pastor’s had. Oftentimes they talked about their clothing, where they shopped, what brand ties they were wearing, mostly Italian. And each one said, “Well, I bought, I went up to Chicago, I went to the store and I got these Pancaldi ties. They were like half price. I only paid $90 for a tie.”

Conversation like that. It was important but the truth was that everybody wore the same, more or less the same clothing. And I want to concentrate on this issue a little bit because it’s an important issue for us to take into account. The pastor of one of the biggest churches in the United States, Evangelical Pentecostal charismatic church, visited our congregation in Jerusalem and he enjoyed my teaching and he taught our congregation and our congregation enjoyed his teaching. And he said, “I want you to come to my city. And when you come, I want you to preach in my church.”

He said, “I don’t allow everybody, anybody to preach in my church. You have to be special to be able to teach in my church. But you are special and I want you to come and teach in my town and my church. But when you come, you’re not dressed right. I have to dress you. I have to take you shopping and buy you clothing so that you dress right to be able to preach in my church.”

Joe Shops for a Suit

All right. Some months later, I went to the States and I went to his city and I was received royally and treated royally. And then before Sunday, we went downtown to one of the famous shops, men’s shop, where he shopped regularly and some of the other big time pastors in that city shopped there. And the suits were, most of them were $3,000 and up. And I tried one suit, didn’t fit me right, didn’t feel right. It was tight in my shoulders. Tried another suit.

And after about two hours of trying different suits and not liking any one of them or not fitting well in any one of them, I said, “I’m going to buy something and just get it over with.” So I found a suit, Italian suit, which was one of the cheapest that I saw, was $1,500. And the pastor was happy that I found one that fits me and didn’t have to have much alterations. And so he got me the suit and three shirts and a pair of shoes and socks and ties and the whole thing. Dressed me from head to toe.

And we go to the cashier, and next to the cashier stood the owner of the shop. And I immediately noticed that he’s Arab. Egyptian. And so I said something in Arabic to him, and he started talking to me in Arabic and he told me in Arabic, “Do you know who comes to my shop and buys everything and pays cash? Never check or credit card. Always cash.” I said, “Who?” He said, “Only pimps and pastors.” Was not a great compliment, folks. But what the pastor that bought me that suit didn’t know is that my suits were made from some of the best cloth in the world that I purchased in London.

And I had an old Palestinian Arab tailor who was educated and taught tailoring when he was an orphan in a German orphanage in Jerusalem and he learned how to sew classical European, German style. And every suit that he made for me fit me perfectly. And I could move my arms and up and down on the shoulders and not be tight and have freedom to move around. He didn’t know that these suits that I paid less than $200 for the tailoring, and less than $200 for the cloth. Because I bought it from Iraqi Jews on Regent Street in London, where most of the cloth for my suits was made. My tailor died 20 years ago and I still enjoy wearing his suits.

Yes. The clothing doesn’t make a man, but the man makes the clothing. And what we learned from this portion of the Torah about the priests, is that every detail of their job and every detail of their clothing and every detail of their life was under the control of God and the Holy Spirit. And that aspect is an important aspect, folks. It’s not going to college and learning Bible that makes you a pastor. First, you have to be called by God.

Pastors Need to Be Called

And then you go and train in college or in cemetery, not cemetery, seminary, sorry. Yes. First you got to be called by God. And if you’re not called by God, you could be a very good teacher and you could be very famous. But a pastor anointed by God, you’re not going to be, unless he called you. And when he called you, you will have to behave according to his instructions. Not according to the fashion of the day. Not to what Christian television dictates to you.

You’re not going to dance to the music of the fashionable Christian Church. You’re going to do the service of God. Sanctified by God, anointed by the Holy Spirit, and yes, you will probably have to pay a price for it. Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu paid the price for it. They brought strange fire. Not a big deal, fire is fire. But because it was strange fire, whatever it is, fire came from heaven and burned them and then Aaron was forbidden to mourn for his two sons.

Wow. That’s difficult. Very difficult. Aaron was forbidden to fray his hair. To put ashes on his head. To tear his clothing. He had to stay composed and not cry and not mourn for his own sons. It’s a big deal. That’s a big deal, folks. The next thing that we have here. Yes, I said that every detail of the garments of the priest had to be done. Even the kind of cloth they were to wear. They shall take gold, blue, purple scarlet thread, fine linen. “They shall make an ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet thread, fine woven linen, artistically worked.”

So again, this issue of the clothing in the modern world is less important. But it was very important in the Torah that it spends many verses dealing with this issue. The stones that were on the breast plates. The order of the 12 stones of the 12 tribes. And you say, “Well, we’re Christian, we don’t deal with this.” You’re Christian, you have to deal with it.

Because in the new Jerusalem that is at the end of the book of Revelation, the new Jerusalem will have 12 gates. And each gate will have a name of a tribe. And each gate will be made from the same stones that the breast plate of Aaron had representing each tribe. It wasn’t do as you wish, folks. This idea that we are free moral agents, that we can do whatever we want and the pastor decides everything.

New Testament Instructions

No. We have instructions, even in the New Testament, who can be an elder. What are the qualifications for an elder? That’s why the reading on this Shabbat is going to read from Titus chapter one. From verse five on. Dealing with the qualifications of elders. Not everybody can be an elder. There are qualifications given, both in the letter to Timothy and in the letter of Titus, who can be an elder.

It’s not the pastor that anoints the elder and appoints this guy an elder because he’s his friend or because he likes him or because he’s talented or because he’s rich or because he’s a good businessman. No. Those are not the qualifications of elders. The qualifications of elders as Titus gives it to us, is first of all, he has to want the office. Second of all, he has to be a husband of one wife.

That opens the question, can it be a divorced person that has now one wife and he had a previous wife to it? Maybe, maybe not. It’s something that needs to be discussed. Then he has to have faithful children. If it has no children, he can’t be an elder. And if his children are not faithful, believers. That’s the Greek, says faithful children. If they’re not faithful, if they left the Lord, if they went off and did whatever, he cannot be a pastor, he cannot be a bishop, he cannot be an elder.

The word bishop and elder are interchangeable. Bishop means shepherd and elder means elder in the legal sense of the word. He can’t be a teenager, but he can be an elder who can arbitrate in the community and judge between brothers that have troubles. So Titus gives us qualifications. He has to be hospitable. He has to be not guilty of filthy lucre, which means he cannot be a tax evader. That’s exactly what the term filthy lucre means in the context of first century land of Israel terminology. Tax evader.

Yes. There’s qualifications. And the elders and the priests in the Bible have actual detailed information, detailed qualifications, all the way to the kind of clothing they’re going to wear. And then beside the clothing, all the instruments of the high priest. The breastplate of gold with the 12 stones of the tribes. All these things are hidden in our reading of this week. Yes. I urge you, dear brothers, read the text. This week’s portion starts in chapter 27, verse 20 of the book of Exodus ends in chapter 30, verse 10 in the book of Exodus. And then the reading in Ezekiel compliments it from chapter 43, verse 10 to verse 27 of Ezekiel. And then in Titus chapter one from verse five to chapter two, verse 15. The qualifications of elders.

Yes. God wants us to be orderly. He wants us to be presentable. He wants us to be dressed in such a way that everybody will recognize these are the servants of the Lord. And today, we don’t have that kind of uniform, we don’t have that kind of clothing, but we have to be dressed honorably. Not only we, but our wives and our children as well. Because we are representatives of God and God’s leaders. And all of our portion this week deals with the priests.

We Are All Priests

What they will do, how they will be dressed, how they’re going to be anointed, how they’re going to serve in the tabernacle, all of this. In a way, in the New Testament, all of us are priests. We’re not all elders or shepherds, but we’re all priests. Priesthood of all believers. And that’s why we need to take care to be obedient to God and his commands. And yes, we are saved by grace. Yes, we’re saved by faith. Our deeds don’t save us, but the grace of God saves us. But by the grace of God, we ought to have the strength, the wisdom and the anointing of the Holy Spirit to be able to be obedient and do His will. May God bless all of you. And Shabbat Shalom.