Torah Portion Summary

Our Torah portion this week (Beha'alotekha) begins with God giving instructions about how Aaron was to service the lamps of the Menorah within the Holy Place of the Tabernacle (Num. 8:1-4). Each day Aaron was to clean each of the seven lamps and to refill them with the very purest olive oil. The wicks were then to be bent so that the six outer lamps shined toward the seventh (and central) shaft. The lamps were to be lit daily, "from evening until morning," in a specific sequence - starting from the central lamp (the shamash) and then moving right to left (Exod. 27:21).

The portion next describes how the Levites were to be set apart for service at the Mishakan, or "Tabernacle" (Num. 8:5-12). In a ceremony that signified a sort of "rebirth," they were first sprinkled with mei hachatat (מֵי חַטָּאת), literally, "the waters of sin" (Num. 8:7), that is, the ritually sanctified water that was mixed with the ashes of the red heifer to be purified from contamination with death (Num. 19:13). Next they shaved off all their hair and were completely immersed in a mikveh (a bath containing flowing water).

Haftarh Portion Summary

The prophet Zechariah (זְכַרְיָה) delivered his prophetic message to Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak, the Kohen Gadol, and to Zerubavel, the Jewish Governor (who was appointed by the Persians) during the return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Yehoshua (Joshua) seemed to be on trial in a Heavenly courtroom with Satan accusing him. In defense of Yehoshua, the LORD said, "Hear now, Yehoshua, High Priest, behold I am bringing my servant, Tzemach" (Zech. 3:8). Tzemach (צֶמַח, Branch) is a metaphorical name for the Mashiach, the offshoot of King David (Jer. 33:15). Of him the prophet says, "Behold, a man called the Branch (tzemach) shall branch out (יִצְמָח) from the earth, and he shall build the Temple of the LORD (בָּנָה אֶת־הֵיכַל יְהוָה)" [Zech. 6:12]. Zechariah regards the high priest Yehoshua (the same name as "Jesus/Yeshua") as a picture or foreshadowing of God's future fulfillment in Yeshua, the coming greater High Priest after the order of Malki-Tzedek. Yeshua is the One who will ultimately restore the Temple of the God of Israel in the truth.

The haftarah concludes with a connection with the menorah in the parashah. Like Moses who foresaw the menorah in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), Zechariah is shown a vision of a Menorah. Two olive trees stand next to the Menorah, one on the right, and one on the left (Zech. 4:2-3). The two olive trees may picture the priesthood and the kingship united in the Person of the Mashiach, Yeshua, or they may refer to Israel and the Church, respectively. Note that the portion ends with, "he shall bring forth the top stone (הָאֶבֶן הָראשָׁה) with shoutings of 'Grace, grace, unto it' (Zech. 4:7).

B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary

The Brit Chadashah reading (from 1 Corinthians) reminds us that the judgment of the Israelite's various rebellions in the wilderness serve as examples for us so that "we might not desire evil as they did." Remember kivrot-hata'avah ("the graves of those who craved"). The reading from the book of Revelation links the two olive trees and two menorahs with "two witnesses of the Lord Jesus" who, for 42 months during the coming Tribulation period, will perform signs and wonders just before the wrath of the LORD is unleashed from heaven upon the earth.

All Portions this week (LINK)
Torah	Haftarah	B'rit Chadashah
Numbers 8:1-12:16	Zechariah 3.1-4.7	Revelation 11:1-19
		Matthew 14.14-21
		1 Corinthians 10.6-13
COMMENTARY
Fruits of Torah	Torah Resource	Hebrews for Christians
Ardelle -ver1	Tim Hegg -part1	Torah Table Talk
Ardelle -ver2	Tim Hegg -part2	Menorah and the Tree of Life
	Tim Hegg -part3	The Mercy Seat (Kapporet)
	Tim Hegg -part4	Being Made Whole
AUDIO COMMENTARY (Nehemia's Wall)
Portion	Torah Pearls	Prophet Pearls
Beha'alotekha