Transfer of Holiness, Do common or unconsecrated things ever become holy?
Haggai 2:12 NIV: “If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated? The priests answered, No.”
Parsha Tzav, Leviticus 6-8, is about the way the sacrifices were prepared, who should partake and who should not partake, which part was for YHVH alone, the proper separation of the fat of the sacrifice, the purging of blood, washing, etc.
Does a sanctified flesh or grain offering cause holiness to pass to anything that touches it?
What I have noticed that seems to be a misunderstanding in translation is that in chapter 6 under the
The Law of the Grain Offering:
Lev. 6:14-18 “These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron’s sons are to bring it before YHVH, in front of the altar. The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial a portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to YHVH. Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in the sanctuary area; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the food offerings presented to me. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy. Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. For all generations to come it is his perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the YHVH. Whatever touches them will become holy.” (Notice the words “will become holy”).
The Law of the Sin Offering:
Lev. 6:24-27: “YHVH said to Moses, Say to Aaron and his sons: These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the YHVH in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy. The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in the sanctuary area, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy.”
What happens to Holy flesh that touches something Unclean?
Lev. 7:19-20: “And the flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire. And as for the flesh, every one that is clean shall eat thereof: but the soul that eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain unto YHVH, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.”
Separation of the Common and the Holy:
Eze: 44:23: (Speaking of the work of the Cohanim) “They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.”
Lev. 10:8-10: “Then YHVH said to Aaron, You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean”
It seems there is an apparent discrepancy in the verses about the Grain offering and the Sin Offering showing that items that touch this sanctified flesh or grain “become” holy. My question is this… Would it be more consistent with the message of the entire Torah about separation between the holy and the common, to say that the word “become” should be translated as “be”. For example it could say: Whatever touches any of the flesh should be holy” (a consecrated person or vessel, etc.)?
