Ezekiel 45

[Ezekiel 45:1] MOREOVER, WHEN YE SHALL DIVIDE BY LOT THE LAND FOR INHERITANCE, YE SHALL OFFER AN OBLATION UNTO THE LORD, AN HOLY PORTION OF THE LAND: THE LENGTH SHALL BE THE LENGTH OF FIVE AND TWENTY THOUSAND REEDS, AND THE BREADTH SHALL BE TEN THOUSAND. THIS SHALL BE HOLY IN ALL THE BORDERS THEREOF ROUND ABOUT.

Rabbi Moshe Eiseman (Art Scroll Tanach Series, Yechezkiel) explains that in the future the Land (from far in the north) will be divided into 13 sections, from North to South:

Dan

Asher

Naphtali

Manasseh

Ephraim

Reuben

Yehudah

MIDDLE SECTION

Benjamin

Simeon

Issachar

Zebulon

Gad

The MIDDLE SECTION will be divided into five parts. A strip along the east
and a strip along the west will go to the ruler, i.e. The two outer parts
will belong to the Messianic Prince (Nasi= Prince, in Hebrew) who will
rule all Israel. Between the two outer strips on the east and west the
remainder will be divided (from north to south) into three: The middle part
(of the MIDDLE SECTION) will be divided into three:

a. The Temple Mount area which includes the Temple area and housing for the
priests (Cohens);

b. The Levite area

c. The city plus communal land for all the tribes together.

All these divisions are referring only to a division along the coast from
Egypt to Turkey which is divided equally between all the tribes. Another
division takes place to the east based on other criteria.
The present chapter discusses the Middle Section.
We are explaining it mainly in the light of the Commentaries of Rabbi
Eiseman and Y.Z. Moshkovitz (Daat Mikra, Sefer Yechezkiel, Hebrew).

[Ezekiel 45:2] OF THIS THERE SHALL BE FOR THE SANCTUARY FIVE HUNDRED IN LENGTH, WITH FIVE HUNDRED IN BREADTH, SQUARE ROUND ABOUT; AND FIFTY CUBITS ROUND ABOUT FOR THE SUBURBS THEREOF.


  <<THE SUBURBS>>: In Hebrew migrashdenoting open space.

[Ezekiel 45:3] AND OF THIS MEASURE SHALT THOU MEASURE THE LENGTH OF FIVE AND TWENTY THOUSAND, AND THE BREADTH OF TEN THOUSAND: AND IN IT SHALL BE THE SANCTUARY AND THE MOST HOLY PLACE.


Describing the place of the Temple. The Temple consisted of two courtyards
beside each other. They were surrounded by a wall. There was an outer
courtyard and an inner courtyard slightly higher than the outer one and
divided from it by steps and a wall. In the inner courtyard there was a two
story altar outside in the open. A ramp from the ground reached to the top
of the altar. After the altar there was a building (The Sanctuary) which
was divided inside into two by a curtain.  Behind the curtain was the Holy
of Holies (THE MOST HOLY PLACE) which was the most sacred area of the Temple.

[Ezekiel 45:4] THE HOLY PORTION OF THE LAND SHALL BE FOR THE PRIESTS THE MINISTERS OF THE  SANCTUARY, WHICH SHALL COME NEAR TO MINISTER UNTO THE LORD: AND IT SHALL BE A PLACE FOR THEIR HOUSES, AND AN HOLY PLACE FOR THE
SANCTUARY.


The priests have to maintain a higher level of ritual purity than other
Israelites so it is better that they dwell together close to the Temple area.

[Ezekiel 45:5] AND THE FIVE AND TWENTY THOUSAND OF LENGTH, AND THE TEN THOUSAND OF BREADTH SHALL ALSO THE LEVITES, THE MINISTERS OF THE HOUSE, HAVE FOR THEMSELVES, FOR A POSSESSION FOR TWENTY CHAMBERS.

<<TWENTY CHAMBERS>>: The Malbim says this means the equivalent of twenty cities.

[Ezekiel 45:6] AND YE SHALL APPOINT THE POSSESSION OF THE CITY FIVE THOUSAND BROAD, AND FIVE AND TWENTY THOUSAND LONG, OVER AGAINST THE OBLATION OF THE HOLY PORTION: IT SHALL BE FOR THE  WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.

[Ezekiel 45:7] AND A PORTION SHALL BE FOR THE PRINCE ON THE ONE SIDE AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OBLATION OF THE HOLY PORTION, AND OF THE POSSESSION OF THE CITY, BEFORE THE OBLATION OF THE HOLY PORTION, AND BEFORE THE
POSSESSION OF THE CITY, FROM THE WEST SIDE WESTWARD, AND FROM THE EAST SIDE EASTWARD: AND THE LENGTH SHALL BE OVER AGAINST ONE OF THE PORTIONS, FROM THE WEST BORDER UNTO THE EAST BORDER.

[Ezekiel 45:8] IN THE LAND SHALL BE HIS POSSESSION IN ISRAEL: AND MY PRINCES SHALL NO MORE OPPRESS MY PEOPLE; AND THE REST OF THE LAND SHALL THEY GIVE TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL ACCORDING TO THEIR TRIBES.


The leaders of Israel will no longer oppress them. They will no longer take unfair taxes and not be unjust.

[Ezekiel 45:9] THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; LET IT SUFFICE YOU, O PRINCES OF ISRAEL: REMOVE VIOLENCE AND SPOIL, AND EXECUTE JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE, TAKE AWAY YOUR EXACTIONS FROM MY PEOPLE, SAITH THE LORD GOD.

<<YOUR EXACTIONS>>: in Hebrew Gerushotaychemfrom the root Gerushto
divorce, drive away. Unfair government drives a person out of his
inheritance. This is a principle of Biblical Law that every person should
have an inherited right to maintain himself and his family. In an
agricultural society this meant a portion of land that was substantially
inalienable. It would always by right belong to the person who inherited it
and every Israelite was born with the right to such an inheritance. Unjust
social policies and oppressive government were the cause of this right
being unfairly taken away from a person.

[Ezekiel 45:10] YE SHALL HAVE JUST BALANCES, AND A JUST EPHAH, AND A JUST BATH.

[Ezekiel 45:11] THE EPHAH AND THE BATH SHALL BE OF ONE MEASURE, THAT THE BATH MAY CONTAIN THE TENTH PART OF AN HOMER, AND THE EPHAH THE TENTH PART OF AN HOMER: THE MEASURE THEREOF SHALL BE AFTER THE HOMER.

[Ezekiel 45:12] AND THE SHEKEL SHALL BE TWENTY GERAHS: TWENTY SHEKELS, FIVE AND TWENTY SHEKELS, FIFTEEN SHEKELS, SHALL BE YOUR MANEH.


These were measurements. The measurements had to be fair. They needed to be
checked. Some of the measurements used in Biblical times by the Israelites
are the same as traditional Anglo-Saxon ones.

[Ezekiel 45:13] THIS IS THE OBLATION THAT YE SHALL OFFER; THE SIXTH PART OF AN EPHAH OF AN HOMER OF WHEAT, AND YE SHALL GIVE THE SIXTH PART OF AN EPHAH OF AN HOMER OF BARLEY:

[Ezekiel 45:14] CONCERNING THE ORDINANCE OF OIL, THE BATH OF OIL, YE SHALL OFFER THE TENTH PART OF A BATH OUT OF THE COR, WHICH IS AN HOMER OF TEN BATHS; FOR TEN BATHS ARE AN HOMER:

[Ezekiel 45:15] AND ONE LAMB OUT OF THE FLOCK, OUT OF TWO HUNDRED, OUT OF THE FAT PASTURES OF ISRAEL; FOR A MEAT OFFERING, AND FOR A BURNT OFFERING, AND FOR PEACE OFFERINGS, TO MAKE RECONCILIATION FOR THEM, SAITH THE LORD
GOD.

[Ezekiel 45:16] ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND SHALL GIVE THIS OBLATION FOR THE PRINCE IN ISRAEL.


The Prince receives the offerings and offers them up for the people who eat and drink portions of them at Festival time.

[Ezekiel 45:17] AND IT SHALL BE THE PRINCE'S PART TO GIVE BURNT OFFERINGS, AND MEAT OFFERINGS, AND DRINK OFFERINGS, IN THE FEASTS, AND IN THE NEW MOONS, AND IN THE SABBATHS, IN ALL SOLEMNITIES OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL: HE SHALL PREPARE THE SIN OFFERING, AND THE MEAT OFFERING, AND THE BURNT OFFERING, AND THE PEACE OFFERINGS, TO MAKE RECONCILIATION FOR THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.

We dedicate ourselves to God and (even though we and our families benefit
from this, and enjoy it)  it is still considered a sacrifice by means of
which God brings us back to Himself.

[Ezekiel 45:18] THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; IN THE FIRST MONTH, IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH, THOU SHALT TAKE A YOUNG BULLOCK WITHOUT BLEMISH, AND CLEANSE THE SANCTUARY:

[Ezekiel 45:19] AND THE PRIEST SHALL TAKE OF THE BLOOD OF THE SIN OFFERING, AND PUT IT UPON THE POSTS OF THE HOUSE, AND UPON THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE SETTLE OF THE ALTAR, AND UPON THE POSTS OF THE GATE OF THE INNER COURT.

[Ezekiel 45:20] AND SO THOU SHALT DO THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE MONTH FOR EVERY ONE THAT ERRETH, AND FOR HIM THAT IS SIMPLE: SO SHALL YE RECONCILE THE HOUSE.


<<THAT IS SIMPLE>>: In Hebrew Shogeh= in error, mistaken. It is quite
likely that with so many people involved somebody is liable to make a
mistake and accidentally defile areas of the Temple so these will be annually purified.

[Ezekiel 45:21] IN THE FIRST MONTH, IN THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH, YE SHALL HAVE THE PASSOVER, A FEAST OF SEVEN DAYS; UNLEAVENED BREAD SHALL BE EATEN.

You shall keep the Passover and eat meat and matzot (UNLEAVENED BREAD)
which can be quite tasty but initially need a certain culinary dedication.

[Ezekiel 45:22] AND UPON THAT DAY SHALL THE PRINCE PREPARE FOR HIMSELF AND FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND A BULLOCK FOR A SIN OFFERING.

[Ezekiel 45:23] AND SEVEN DAYS OF THE FEAST HE SHALL PREPARE A BURNT OFFERING TO THE LORD, SEVEN BULLOCKS AND SEVEN RAMS WITHOUT BLEMISH DAILY THE SEVEN DAYS; AND A KID OF THE GOATS DAILY FOR A SIN OFFERING.

[Ezekiel 45:24] AND HE SHALL PREPARE A MEAT OFFERING OF AN EPHAH FOR A BULLOCK, AND AN EPHAH FOR A RAM, AND AN HIN OF OIL FOR AN EPHAH.

[Ezekiel 45:25] IN THE SEVENTH MONTH, IN THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH, SHALL HE DO THE LIKE IN THE FEAST OF THE SEVEN DAYS, ACCORDING TO THE SIN OFFERING, ACCORDING TO THE BURNT OFFERING, AND ACCORDING TO THE MEAT OFFERING, AND ACCORDING TO THE OIL.


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