Parashat Acharei Mot, Focus on God’s Character

816

In Parashat Acharei Mot, (Vayikra / Leviticus 16:1-18:30) God requires the Kohen Hagadol (High Priest) to cast lots on two goats, one will be for making atonement, and the other will be used for what the NASB calls the “scapegoat.”  In Vaykira / Leviticus 16:8, it says “goral echad lashem ve’goral echad la’azazel” meaning “one is for God and one is for azazel.”  The word “azazel” appears to be the juxtaposition of two Hebrew words “??” and “???” where “az” means a “female-goat” and “azel” means “to go, to go away, or to go about.”  This “going away goat” was a part of the ritual of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and symbolized the entire removal of sin and guilt from both the people and the sacred things.  The goat was to be driven into a desert place carrying the sin on its back.  The purpose was to symbolically remove sin to a land that is not inhabited in the wilderness and there the goat would die (Vayikra / Leviticus 16:20-22). Read More here.

Previous articleParashat Metzora, Tsaraat (skin disease) and our need for a Savior.
Next articleParashat Pesach: What does the pagan festival Easter have to do with the Saving Power of His Blood?
Duane D. Miller received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron Ohio. He is currently a Chemical Engineering Researcher. Duane’s research expertise has focused upon functional materials development for the control, conversion, and release of process gases in Energy production technologies. His R&D interests include computational chemistry, developing novel technologies for converting biomass to fuels and studying their fundamental interactions during the chemical conversion process. His past experience includes sorbent development for pre- and post-combustion CO2 and SO2 capture, selective absorption of H2S from methane streams, O2 capture for oxy-fuel combustion, photocatalytic reduction of alcohols, NOx reduction catalysis, the development of oxygen carriers to combust fossil fuels (CH4 and coal) for the chemical looping combustion processes, and the extraction of rare earth elements using patent pending sorbents. His research expertise has focused on operando-characterization using Infrared, Raman, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to observe the nature of the catalytic active sites and reaction intermediates under realistic reaction conditions, allowing direct correlation of molecular/electronic structures with catalyst performance during Gas-Solid / Liquid-Solid Adsorption and Photocatalytic Processes with real time online analysis of reaction products using ICP-MS and mass spectrometry. His current work involves a multi-disciplinary approach to developing, understanding, and improving the catalytic gasification of coal and methane, high temperature chemical looping combustion, and the catalytic decomposition and gasification of biomass and coal using novel microwave reactor.​ He has been studying the Hebrew Scriptures and the Torah for 20+ years and sharing what he has learned. The studies developed for MATSATI.COM are freely to be used by everyone, to God be the Glory!