Annointed Be

[Shimon]

“Now AD’NAI called to Moses and spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting.”

• Leviticus 1:1, Tree of Life Version

THe L’RD gives Moses the instructions concerning the korbanot (offerings). The Hebrew word, korban is derived from the shoresh (root), meaning “to draw near.” This implies that offerings are meant to draw the penitent closer to G’d. Five main types of offerings are mentioned, including, the unique offering made by the anointed priest; in Hebrew, the kohein hamashiach.

“If the anointed kohen sins so as to bring guilt on the people—then let him offer for his sin which he has committed” (Leviticus 4:3, TLV). This is the first place in the Torah where the Hebrew word for Messiah is found, specifically, in regard to the Kohein Gadol, the High Priest of Israel. He is to bring a sin offering for himself, in the case of inadvertent sin – a young bull without blemish.

Although he is considered as a moral exemplary of the highest degree, he may still be subject to transgression, in like manner as the people he represents. Therefore, especially before the Yom Kippur service, the Kohein Gadol brought a bull as a sin offering to atone for himself, before he could serve on behalf of the people to make atonement for their sins.

Inasmuch that he himself was subject to the need for atonement, this is an acknowledgement of his common link with the people; being susceptible to human frailties, he was not sinless; rather, because he was held accountable on a higher level than the people, the slightest infraction could draw judgment from G’d.

“This is the kind of cohen gadol that meets our need – holy, without evil, without stain, set apart from sinners and raised higher than the heavens; one who does not have the daily necessity, like the other cohanim g’dolim, of offering up sacrifices first for their own sins and only then for those of the people; because he offered one sacrifice, once and for all, by offering up himself.”

• Hebrews 7:26-27, Complete Jewish Bible

The figure of the annointed kohein points towards Moshiach (Messiah), inasmuch that the role of Kohein Gadol is given to Moshiach in tandem with his Kingship. This dual role is prefigured by Yehoshuah, the Kohein Gadol who served as King of Israel, after the seventy year exile in Babylon: “Behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch [Hebrew, Zemach]” (Zechariah 3:8). This refers to Moshiach, who is the long-awaited branch of the Davidic line.

The Kohein Gadol, who served in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), was cleansed of sin through offerings that he brought for himself, so that he could also effect the atonement of the people by way of offerings brought on their behalf.  Yet, the nature of the suffering servant, who made himself an asham (guilt offering) for the sake of many, whose iniquities he bore upon himself: “G’d made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in G’d’s righteousness” (2 Corinthians 5:21, CJB).

Edited March 15, 2021 by Shimon
punctuation correction