B’midbar 29:17 – 34
Verses 26 – 34
According to Chabad.org the there
are set readings for the five intermediate days (days 2 – 7) for the Festival
of HaShem known as Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles. For those mathematicians among us, I believe
that the mention of the five intermediate days is actually a “scribal error” in
that days 2 – 7 actually constitute six days.
“On the five intermediate days of Sukkot we read Numbers 29:17 - 34, a portion which
describes the communal offerings brought on each day of the holiday. Thirteen
bullocks are brought on the first day, twelve on the second, eleven on the
third, and so on in descending order until the seventh day, when seven bullocks
are offered, bringing the total of bullocks over the seven days of the festival
to seventy. Two rams and fourteen goats were also offered each day.
“Additional offerings of the prescribed meal, wine and
oil supplements were brought as well: three tenths of an efah of fine flour, and half a hin each of wine and oil, per bullock; two
tenths of flour and a third of a hin of each of the liquids for each ram;
and one tenth and one quarter respectively for each lamb.”1
The divisions of the Aliyot during this feast are also
prescribed at the same site. The divisions
are stated as follows:
On
the third day of Chol Hamoed (the fifth day of the holiday) we read:
- First Aliyah—"The Fourth
Day" section.
- Second Aliyah—"The Fifth
Day" section.
- Third Aliyah—"The Sixth
Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat)
"The Fourth Day" and "The Fifth Day" section.
On
the fourth day of Chol Hamoed (the sixth day of the holiday) we read:
- First Aliyah—"The Fifth
Day" section.
- Second Aliyah—"The Sixth
Day" section.
- Third Aliyah—"The Seventh
Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat)
"The Fifth Day" and "The Sixth Day" section.
On
the fifth day of Chol Hamoed (Hoshana Rabbah) we read:
- First Aliyah—"The Fifth
Day" section.
- Second Aliyah—"The Sixth
Day" section.
- Third Aliyah—"The Seventh
Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat)
"The Sixth Day" and "The Seventh Day" section. 2
Perhaps
the reader’s interest has been piqued as to why I have only included the Aliyot
for days 5 through 7. As this teaching
is to be presented on 19 Tishrei in the year 5777, (October 20, 2016), this day
is the fifth day of the feast.
The
specific portion that pertains strictly to today comes from verses 26 – 28 of the 29th chapter
of Numbers (B’midbar), and these are shown here and are derived from the NASB.
26
Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;
27 and their grain offering and
their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their
number according to the ordinance;
28 and one male goat for a sin offering,
besides the continual burnt offering
and its grain offering and its drink
offering.
So
the offering which would be presented today, were there The House of HaShem in
Jerusalem, would be added to the forty-six bulls, 8 rams, fifty-six lambs and 4
goats already presented during the previous four days. Likewise, the following two days will bring
15 bulls, 4 rams, twenty-eight lambs, and 2 goats as an offering, which then
gives us a grand total of seventy bulls, 14 rams, ninety-eight lambs, and 7
goats. Additionally, each of the seven
days is to include with the above-mentioned burnt offerings grain and drink
offerings.
The
eighth day’s offering is somewhat different in number, but then again, the
eighth day is not part of the Feast of Sukkot, though the people are told to
celebrate an extra day. There is a
statement regarding the eighth day’s offering that has jumped out at me. It is to be found nowhere in the guidelines
for the previous seven days. The phrase
is found in verse 36: “as a soothing aroma to the Lord.” As a counter-point to that phrase we must
also inspect Isaiah 1:11c where it is written, “…and I take no pleasure in the
blood of bulls, lambs, or goats.”
Jeremiah
7:22 – 23 recorded the following quote from The Ancient of days, “For I did not
speak to your fathers, or command them in the day I brought them out of the
land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying,
‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will
walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’”
Therefore,
I would like to posit to the readers my opinion as to why the eighth day’s
offering was “as a soothing aroma to the Lord.”
As has been quoted above from Jeremiah, Proverbs 21:3 states, “To do
righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.” The savor that is pleasing to the Lord, that
comes from the obedience of His people, and as the Temple of the Holy Spirit,
obedience to His Word is the best offering that any person could possibly make.
Hag
sameach, and may He richly bless His holy Word.
2
ibid.
My apologies to all for the formatting of the Scripture text for Numbers 29:26 - 28 as well as the font difference in the 2nd - 4th paragraphs. I was inept at getting it to format in the manner that it should have. -Tom
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