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The Lamb’s Supper

Week 5 The Todah Consecration Part 1

In addition to the Passover, which was the feast of all feasts, there were many other sacrifices initiated in the Mosaic Covenant. The Passover feast is unique and stands by itself, but all the other sacrifices can be sorted into three major categories. At this point we can draw our information from St. Thomas Aquinas, who provided a masterful description and categorizing of all the Old Covenant Temple and Tabernacle sacrifices. The first category we can recognize is the olah sacrifice, the Hebrew word olah meaning ascending. Olah sacrifices were primarily holocausts or whole burnt offering with the smoke and aroma ascending to God. This is how Aquinas describes an olah sacrifice.

Reply Obj. 8. There were three kinds of sacrifices. There was one in which the victim was entirely consumed by fire: this was called a holocaust, i.e., all burnt. For this kind of sacrifice was offered to God specially to show reverence to His majesty, and love of His goodness: and typified the state of perfection as regards the fulfilment of the counsels. Wherefore the whole was burnt up: so that as the whole animal by being dissolved into vapor soared aloft, so it might denote that the whole man, and whatever belongs to him, are subject to the authority of God, and should be offered to Him. Thomas Aquinas. (n.d.). Summa theologica. (Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Trans.). London: Burns Oates & Washbourne. Page 1. Exported from Verbum, 4:01 PM August 16, 2018.

The following is information I found on a Jewish website.

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/qorbanot.htm

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Olah: Burnt OfferingPerhaps the best-known class of offerings is the burnt offering. It was the oldest and commonest sacrifice and represented submission to God's will. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah, from the root Ayin-Lamed-Heh, meaning ascension. It is the same root as the word aliyah, which is used to describe moving to Israel or ascending to the podium to read from a Torah scroll. An olah is completely burnt on the outer altar; no part of it is eaten by anyone. Because the offering represents complete submission to God's will, the entire offering is given to God (i.e., it cannot be used after it is burnt). It expresses a desire to commune with God. An olah could be brought from cattle, sheep, goats, or even doves. Gentiles were allowed to bring an olah in our Temple, unlike the rest of the kinds of qorbanot, which were reserved for Jews alone within the Temple itself; it should be remembered, however, that Gentiles are permitted to build their own place for qorbanot, and offer them to God themselves, and are promised reward for this meritorious behavior (it is disappointing that Gentiles have so far neglected this opportunity, by the way).

A second category of sacrifice is called the chatat (the “c” is silent), and here is St. Thomas’ description of that category.

Another sacrifice was the sin-offering, which was offered to God on account of man’s need for the forgiveness of sin: and this typifies the state of penitents in satisfying for sins. It was divided into two parts: for one part was burnt; while the other was granted to the use of the priests to signify that remission of sins is granted by God through the ministry of His priests.

When, however, this sacrifice was offered for the sins of the whole people, or specially for the sin of the priest, the whole victim was burnt up. Thomas Aquinas. (n.d.). Summa theologica. (Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Trans.). London: Burns Oates & Washbourne. Page 1. Exported from Verbum, 4:01 PM August 16, 2018.

The last category of sacrifices was called sh'lamim (from shalom) or peace offering and within this category is one called the todah offering, or thanksgiving

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and praise offered up voluntarily. Here is what Thomas has to say about the offerings of thanksgiving.

The third kind of sacrifice was called the peace-offering, which was offered to God, either in thanksgiving, or for the welfare and prosperity of the offerers, in acknowledgment of benefits already received or yet to be received: and this typifies the state of those who are proficient in the observance of the commandments. These sacrifices were divided into three parts: for one part was burnt in honor of God; another part was allotted to the use of the priests; and the third part to the use of the offerers; in order to signify that man’s salvation is from God, by the direction of God’s ministers, and through the co-operation of those who are saved. Thomas Aquinas. (n.d.). Summa theologica. (Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Trans.). London: Burns Oates & Washbourne. Page 1. Exported from Verbum, 4:01 PM August 16, 2018.

Again, here is some additional information from that Jewish website.

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/qorbanot.htm

Zebach Sh'lamim: Peace OfferingA peace offering is an offering expressing thanks or gratitude to God for His bounties and mercies. The Hebrew term for this type of offering is zebach sh'lamim (or sometimes just sh'lamim), which is related to the word shalom, meaning peace or wholeness. A representative portion of the offering is burnt on the altar, a portion is given to the kohanim, and the rest is eaten by the offerer and his family; thus, everyone gets a part of this offering. This category of offerings includes thanksgiving-offerings, free will-offerings, and offerings made after fulfillment of a vow. Note that this class of offerings has nothing to do with sin and could properly be brought by the most righteous of the righteous.

The Jewish website talks about one particular sacrifice in this last category of offerings in the sh ‘lamim or peace offering category, it’s called todah in Hebrew. It describes this sacrifice as being offered as the fulfillment of a

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vow made to God. Scott explains the whole process having three distinct parts. First being in a place in your life where you are crying out to God for deliverance from whatever may be attacking you. In the midst of that crisis a vow is made to God that when God delivers you from your enemy, physical or spiritual, you vow to go to the Temple and offer a todah sh ‘lamim of your own free will.

I love the way the Jewish website describes this, it is worth repeating, “A representative portion of the offering is burnt on the altar, a portion is given to the kohanim, and the rest is eaten by the offerer and his family; thus, everyone gets a part of this offering. This category of offerings includes thanksgiving-offerings, free will-offerings, and offerings made after fulfillment of a vow. Note that this class of offerings has nothing to do with sin and could properly be brought by the most righteous of the righteous.”

Scott emphasizes that the todah included bread and wine and involved friends and family as a picture of communion between God, the priest serving in the Temple, and the one offering with his loved ones. Not to cover sin necessarily, but instead to celebrate the deliverance God had provided and to offer up praise and thanksgiving.

The todah sacrifice of thanksgiving was not common when it was first introduced as part of the Holy Law given at Mt. Sinai, documented in Leviticus chapter 7. That was the time when Israel became a nation, and the Tabernacle of tents was barely large enough to take care of the needs of the twelve tribes of Israel. But as we move from Mt. Sinai to Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, the todah sacrifices increase dramatically in number during the reign of King David and his son Solomon. No longer a Tabernacle of tents, but now a magnificent Temple built large enough to take care of the sacrificial needs of the entire world as they made their way to Jerusalem to worship the one true God.

One of the first todah sacrifices we see during King David’s reign is found in the book of 1 Chronicles on the occasion of his conquering of Jerusalem and bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the Holy City.

1 Chronicles 16:37–41 (RSV2CE) 37 So David left Asaph and his brethren there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister continually before the ark as each day required, 38 and also Obed-edom and his sixty-eight brethren; while

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Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. 39 And he left Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon, 40 to offer burnt offerings to the LORD upon the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of the LORD which he commanded Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the LORD, for his mercy endures forever.

That word “continually” is the same understanding we Catholics have of perpetual adoration. Now listen to

what King David ordered to be sung as he began to offer his todah sacrifice, 1 Chronicles 16:7–36 (RSV2CE) 7 Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the LORD by Asaph and his brethren. 8 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples! 9 Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works! 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually! 12 Remember the wonderful works that he has done, the wonders he wrought, the judgments he uttered, 13 O offspring of Abraham his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 15 He is mindful of his covenant for ever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 16 the covenant which he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, 17 which he confirmed as a statute to Jacob, as an everlasting covenant to Israel, 18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, as your portion for an inheritance.” 19 When they were few in number,

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and of little account, and sojourners in it, 20 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, 21 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, 22 saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm.” 23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. 28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! 29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come before him! 30 Worship the LORD in holy attire; tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world stands firm, never to be moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” 32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, let the field exult, and everything in it! 33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. 34 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever! 35 Say also: “Deliver us, O God of our salvation, and gather and save us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise. 36 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Then all the people said “Amen!” and praised the LORD. It gets better yet, the Greek word for the Hebrew word todah is eucharista. Now the direct correlation of the perpetual todah adoration of the Ark of the Covenant during King David’s reign and our understanding of perpetual adoration and the todah thanksgiving we offer up at Mass becomes crystal clear. During the ancient todah bread and wine were offered up, and in the new todah, the Eucharist, bread and wine are offered up and transformed into the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus.

Listen to this todah in Revelation chapter 11, Revelation 11:15–17 (RSV2CE) 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and

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he shall reign for ever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give thanks (todah in Hebrew and eucharista in Greek) to you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who were, that you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”

Once again it is important to remember the progression of todah sacrifices over the span of our salvation history. Todah was not the predominant sacrifice in the time of Moses, the sin offering, chatat was the one most often offered in the Tabernacle during that time. Eventually todah eclipsed chatat sacrifices during King David’s time and accelerated right into the New Covenant. It is very interesting that this is exactly what was predicted by the ancient rabbis, they proclaimed when Messiah comes the holocaust sacrifices would end, and the only remaining sacrifices would be the todah sacrifices. That has become a reality, all the sacrifices have stopped in Jerusalem, and the Temple is no more. But there are continual todah sacrifices around the clock all over the world, in every Catholic church as we celebrate the Mass.

Many of us have heard the praise word hallelujah so often that we may miss the depth of its meaning and where it originated. Hallelujah is a composite of two Hebrew words, hallell and jah…hallell being the Hebrew word for praise and jah being a shortened form of Yaweh…put together they literally mean praise Yaweh or praise God. Two hallel Psalms were sung during the Passover, the little hallell, Psalm 113 was the first one. Later in the Passover our Lord would have sung the great hallell after the 3rd cup of wine and just before the 4th, which included Psalms 114 through 118.

Listen to just a part of what Jesus and disciples sang as the went out into the Garden of Gethsemane, Psalm 116:12–17 (RSV2CE) 12 What

shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to me? 13 I will lift up the chalice of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, 14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the

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presence of all his people. 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid. You have loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving (todah, eucharista) and call on the name of the LORD.

Todah includes both thanks for what God has done, and praise for who God is…both are intimately linked together in a todah sacrifice. Here is two more examples of todah Psalms, and one them will be surprising to many of us.

Psalm 69:30–31 (RSV2CE) 30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.

Here is a hallell Psalm, a todah sacrifice, that most of us might not put in that category because it begins with such distress, Psalm 22:1-4, 7-11, 14-17, 22-23, 28-31 (RSV2CE) 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.This is the great prophetic Psalm describing the death that Jesus would die on a Roman cross. 7 All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; 8 “He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him.” 9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you kept me safe upon my mother’s breasts. 10 Upon you was I cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Yes, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; 18 they

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divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you, O Lord, be not far off! O my help, hasten to my aid!

Now listen to how this todah ends with such victory. 22 I will tell of your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel!

28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29 Yes, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the LORD to the coming generation, 31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, that he has wrought it.

I love these verses in Hebrews proclaiming the todah of the cross, Jesus the Lamb of God crying out in His Holy sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise, Hebrews 12:1–2 (RSV2CE) 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

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