Exodus-Chapter-30
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Remember the following truth from our
beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Exodus Chapter 30 serves as a vital instructional manual for the final elements
of the Tabernacle’s interior service and the maintenance of the community’s
spiritual standing. It moves from the aromatic service of the Golden Altar to
the practical necessity of the census and the physical purification required
for the priests to approach אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD
Elohim, בָּרוּךְ
שֵׁם - Buruch Shem -
“Blessed be His Name”.
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Let us read Exodus
Chapter 30, verses 1 to 38: Below the verses are the Explanation’s. (The Chapter is from JPS-1917 version of the
Torah).
Verses 1-10: “‘And thou shalt make an
altar to burn incense upon; of acacia-wood shalt thou make it. A
cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare
shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof; the horns thereof
shall be of one piece with it. And thou shalt overlay it
with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the
horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. And two golden rings shalt thou make for it under the crown thereof,
upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make them; and
they shall be for places for staves wherewith to bear it. And
thou shalt make the staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the
testimony, before the ark-cover that is over the testimony, where I will meet
with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of sweet
spices; every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he
shall burn it. And when Aaron lighteth
the lamps at dusk, he shall burn it, a perpetual
incense before יְהוָה - the LORD throughout your
generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor
burnt-offering, nor meal-offering; and ye shall pour no drink-offering
thereon. And Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of
it once in the year; with the blood of the sin-offering of atonement once in the
year shall he make atonement for it throughout your generations; it is most
holy unto יְהוָה - the LORD’.
Explanation Verses 1-10: These verses
detail the construction of the Altar of Incense, also known as the Golden
Altar. Unlike the bronze altar outside for sacrifices, this smaller altar sits
inside the
Verses 11-16: And יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: ‘When thou takest the sum of the
children of Israel, according to their number, then shall they give every man a
ransom for his soul unto יְהוָה - the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when
thou numberest them. This they
shall give, every one that passeth among them that are
numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary the shekel is twenty gerahs half a shekel for an offering to יְהוָה - the LORD. Every
one that passeth among them that
are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering
of יְהוָה - the LORD. The
rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half
shekel, when they give the offering of יְהוָה - the LORD, to make atonement for
your souls. And thou shalt take the atonement money from
the children of
Explanation Verses 11-16: This section
introduces the “Ransom of the Soul” through the half-shekel contribution. It
establishes a principle of absolute equality in the eyes of the Creator the
rich do not give more, and the poor do not give less. This contribution served
both as a census and as a means to fund the service of the Tent of Meeting,
ensuring every individual had a literal stake in the communal sanctuary.
Verses 17-21: And יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: ‘Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and the base thereof
of brass, whereat to wash; and thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting
and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. And Aaron
and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat; when
they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die
not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to cause an offering made
by fire to smoke unto יְהוָה - the LORD; so
they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not; and it shall be
a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their
generations’.
Explanation Verses 17-21: The Bronze
Laver is described here as a station for physical preparation. It was
positioned between the Tent of Meeting and the outer altar. The requirement for
the priests to wash their hands and feet emphasizes that the transition from
the mundane world to the sacred service requires a conscious act of
purification and transition.
Verses 22-33: Moreover יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: ‘Take thou also unto thee the chief spices, of
flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even
two hundred and fifty, and of sweet calamus two
hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, after the
shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. And thou shalt make it a holy anointing
oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer; it shall be a holy
anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of
meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the table and
all the vessels thereof, and the candlestick and the vessels thereof, and the
altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering with all
the vessels thereof, and the laver and the base thereof. And
thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy; whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. And thou
shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto
Me in the priest's office. And
thou shalt speak unto the children of
Explanation Verses 22-33: This provides
the “recipe” for the Holy Anointing Oil. It uses specific measures of liquid
myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, and cassia
mixed with olive oil. This oil was used to consecrate the Tabernacle and its
vessels, effectively setting them apart from common use and designating them as
holy. The strict prohibition against duplicating this formula for personal use
reinforces the boundary between the sacred and the ordinary.
Verses 34-38: And יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Take
unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense;
of each shall there be a like weight. And thou shalt make
of it incense, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt,
pure and holy. And thou shalt beat some of it very small,
and put of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet
with thee; it shall be unto you most holy. And the incense
which thou shalt make, according to the composition thereof ye shall not make
for yourselves; it shall be unto thee holy for יְהוָה - the LORD. Whosoever
shall make like unto that, to smell thereof, he shall be cut off from his
people.'
Explanation Verses 34-38: The chapter
concludes with the composition of the Incense (Ketoret).
Like the anointing oil, this blend of stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense was uniquely
reserved for the sanctuary. The smoke of this incense created a sensory cloud
within the
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My Closing Message:
This chapter reminds us that a sacred community is built on both the
"sweetness" of prayer and the practical, equal participation of every
member. By following these specific instructions, the people ensured that their
physical space and their collective actions were aligned with a higher purpose,
maintaining a standard of holiness that sustained the entire nation.
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