Glaphyrs, or explanations of selected passages from the Book of Leviticus

The treatise “Glafira, or explanations of selected passages” contains a typological commentary on selected passages of the Pentateuch. The essay was written by St. Cyril of Alexandria in 412-418. and addressed to Palladius. The work consists of 13 books, of which seven are dedicated to the Book of Genesis, three to the Book of Exodus, and one each to the Books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. According to the saint himself, “Glafira” is an organic continuation of the treatise “On Worship and Service in Spirit and Truth”: if there were selected passages of the Pentateuch, the spiritual meaning of which better served the purposes of “moral instruction,” then here his task is to show how the “mystery of Christ” is manifested in the “shadows” of the Old Testament. St. Cyril finds in Old Testament events, institutions and persons prototypes of Christ, New Testament events, the Church and its Sacraments. For example, the copper serpent points to Christ (Num. 21:9), or His prototype is the Passover lamb (Ex. 12:1-13). According to the saint, the birth of Moses (Ex. 2:1-10) corresponds to the coming of Christ, who humbled Himself and took on “the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:6-7). The essay addresses various topics, for example: - knowledge of God. The incomprehensibility of the Divine essence and the impossibility of expressing it through human language: “No one can see the Divine nature as it is. For it is completely invisible, above any mind and surpasses the power of words, and it alone is cognizable only by itself”; - triadology. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the revelation of the incarnate Word: “The Son revealed to us the Father in Himself, and through Him we were convinced of the truth of the doctrine of the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity”; - anthropology. Man is the image of God, the crown and ultimate goal of creation. Everything was created for his sake. His exceptional dignity is indicated by the very method of creation: if God created everything else immediately by His command, then He honored only the creation of man with “preliminary advice” and “personal participation.” *The title of the work in Greek is Γλαφυρά. *The title of the work in Latin is Glaphyra in Pentateuchum. Glaphyrs of the Book of Genesis • Glaphyrs of the Book of Exodus • Glaphyrs of the Book of Leviticus • Glaphyrs of the Book of Numbers • Glaphyrs of the Book of Deuteronomy That the suffering of Christ is saving 1. God of all kinds “did not create death and does not rejoice in the destruction of the living, for He created everything for existence, and everything in the world is salvific, and there is no harmful poison, there is no kingdom of hell on earth” (Wis. 1, 13-14), as it is written: “through the envy of the devil, death entered the world” (Wis. 2, 24). These words already contain a very clear truth; for so glorious and admirable (as man) could not be placed by the Creator in a row with those who were created to be easily destroyed; but death crept in through anger, because the forefather Adam, having neglected the Divine commandment, deviated into disobedience and unbridledness. Now in Christ, for the sake of the obedience of one man, the guilt (of the forefather) is destroyed and blotted out. For in Him we have received justification, as evidenced by the inspired Paul, who writes: “Just as through one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). For in that (first Adam) we were condemned to death, but for the sake of Christ we were pardoned and renewed to life, since He was obedient to the Father until death and laid down (his) life for us and “by His stripes we were healed” (Isa. 53:5), as the Scripture says. Therefore, it must be said that we, having suffered in Adam from sin for the world, in Christ became a spiritual and fragrant sacrifice to God and the Father, (a sacrifice) good, favorable and incomparably better than the sacrifices of the canopy of the law. But Christ is our firstfruits and He has renewed our way; for this is what David says in the book of Psalms to the Heavenly Father and God: “You did not desire sacrifices and offerings; You have opened my ears; You did not require burnt offerings or sin sacrifices. Then I said: here I come; ... I desire to do Your will, my God” (Ps. 39:7-9). And the same thing can also be seen from what is written in the book of Leviticus, in which the following is read: “If you bring a grain offering to the Lord of the first fruits, offer the crushed grains of your first fruits, dried in the fire, and pour oil on them, and put frankincense on them: this is a grain offering; And the priest will burn part of the grain and oil with all the Lebanon in remembrance: this is a sacrifice to the Lord” (Lev. 2:14-16). 2. So, the literal meaning is very clear and, as I think, does not require special effort to completely, I say, understand it. I will only say that “your fruits from the ears of corn” (Lev. 2:14) mean flour from vegetables, and the sacraments of Christ are meant as a type. It is He who is the sacrifice for us, the spiritual firstborn, that is, the firstfruits of humanity, the firstborn from the dead, the first into incorruption, as if the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, just as a grain of wheat that fell to the ground and died is reborn with many fruits in the form of an ear. He Himself explained this to us, saying: “If a grain of wheat falls into the ground and does not die, then it will remain alone; and if he dies, he will bear much fruit” (John 12:24). But He died not for Himself, but for our sake. And this was perfectly indicated to us by the writings of the law, for it says: if anyone wants to bring “to the Lord a grain offering of the first fruits, you shall offer it as a gift of your first fruits from the ears of corn” (Lev. 2:14). See how Moses or the writings of the law encourage us to offer a sacrifice of new fruits. For, as I said, Christ is the firstfruits of nature and in Him “he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). But what is needed for the sacrifice is brought not from wheat alone, but also from crushed vegetables; for just as (the law) prescribed that wheat flour should be offered as a burnt offering, and not the grain itself in its natural form, so here (he) commanded that what was offered from vegetables should be crushed, that is, ground, so that what was sacrificed would be, as it were, edible, for we usually make food not from whole grain, but from ground grain. So, Christ is the first birth and a sacrifice to God that is pleasant and most fragrant (Phil. 4:18) and very nourishing for ourselves. For He Himself “is the bread that came down from heaven... and gives life to the world” (John 6:41, 33) and in some way offers us Himself as food, like wheat flour or vegetable flour. But the law says that oil must be poured on the sacrifice and commands that incense be placed on it, because oil symbolically signifies abundance and joy, and frankincense perfectly symbolizes the sacred and fragrant, for, as I said, Christ became a sacrifice for us and as it were the firstfruits of the fields, the firstfruits of spiritual fruits. And that his death was not in tears and weeping, but rather served to destroy tears and weeping and to arouse joyful hope, how or why can anyone doubt this? For He was not held back by the gates of hell, nor remained among the dead. But if death, having prevailed, swallowed Him up, according to the word of the prophet (Hos. 13, 14), then God again took away every tear from every face and removed the reproach of the people from all the earth. How or in what way? For Christ rose again, having straightened death, in order to free us from corruption and so that, having completely destroyed mourning, he would, as it were, induce us to exclaim in joy: “And You turned my mourning into rejoicing, You took off my sackcloth and girded me with joy” (Ps. 29:12). So, the image of the sacrifice truly has joyful hope. But if someone wanted, it could be understood in another way. For we have received mercy in Christ and this, I think, means: “he anointed my head with oil” (Ps. 22:5). And that the death of Christ was not the result of any blessed causes or misdeeds (on His part), but the most blessed and completely blameless sacrifice for us (for He was sacrificed to free us from sin and the death that comes from it and through it), you will understand this from the incense (placed on the sacrifice). For the forefather Adam, for the crimes committed at the beginning, suffered a completely just punishment, and since he fell into the disease of a truly fetid sin, therefore he was justly condemned. But the Savior of all and the Lord was not convicted of anything unplaceable (for He did not create sin) and became a good and fragrant sacrifice for us and as if the firstfruits of new fruits and as if in every form - both in the form, I say, of wheat and in the form of vegetables. He died for everyone, small and great, for pagans and Jews, and through Him and in Him we have become a remembrance of God and the Father. Therefore, he says what is prescribed by the law: “and the priest will burn in memory some of the grain and oil with all the Lebanon: this is a sacrifice to the Lord” (Lev. 2:16). For, having angered the Father with many sins, we were almost deprived of seeing Him. But since Christ became a sacrifice for us, He remembered us and blessed us: “he blesses those who fear the Lord, small and great” (Ps. 113:21). Therefore, we are taught to sing and say: “Blessed are you by the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 113:23). And in another way the law explains to us the sacrifice of Christ: “If his offering is a peace offering, and if he offers of herd, male or female, he shall offer it to the Lord, without blemish, and shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; The sons of Aaron, the priests, will sprinkle the blood on the altar on all sides; And he will offer from the peace offering to the Lord the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails, and both kidneys, and the fat that is on them, that is on the hips, and the seal that is on the liver; with the kidneys he will separate it; and the sons of Aaron shall burn it upon the altar, together with the burnt offering which is upon the wood, upon the fire: it is an offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. And if he brings a peace offering to the Lord from small livestock” (Lev. 3:1-6). The offering of a burnt offering not only from oxen, but, if anyone wanted, from sheep, and likewise the offering of a salvation sacrifice from goats was performed in the same way and in all cases the image of the sacred rite was the same. Whether the sacrificial animal was male or female, the law required that the victim be completely free from any vice. What was said about the sacrifice should be applied to Emmanuel himself: He is a well-fed calf, an immaculate sacrifice, taking upon Himself the sin of the world and, as it were, being slain for us in the guise of a goat; For according to the law we slaughter a goat for sin. However, look again with careful attention to the image of the victim. The writings of the law do not give particularly precise instructions regarding the sacrifice of males and females. And it must be understood in such a way that Christ is represented by both sexes: by the male sex He is represented as a leader and chief (for the male sex is more capable of leadership than the female), and by the female sex He is represented as being under the law and governed (for the female sex is always subordinate and takes second place compared to the male sex, as truly possessing less and inferior dignity). But in any case, the sacrificial animal is blameless. And such is Christ. That is why He said: “The prince of this world comes and has nothing in Me” (John 14:30); and to the Jews, pointing to his perfect integrity, he proved the Divinity of His nature, saying: “Which of you will convict Me of unrighteousness? If I speak the truth, why don’t you believe Me?” (John 8:46.) So, the sacred sacrifice had to be blameless; she sacrificed herself before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle, when he laid the hands on her. Then, when her blood was shed at the foundation of the altar, her entrails, it is said, had to be burned. Thus, the death of the Son, who laid down His soul for the life of the world, took place as if in the eyes of God the Father. For if the word of him who said is true: “The death of His saints is precious in the sight of the Lord!” (Ps. 115:6), then could God and the Father not honor the very death of His Son? No, He completely values ​​it and deserves His admiration, but on the contrary, He turns away from the vile and despicable. And that His death was not inglorious, He would have immediately shown this by taking as a witness the Father Himself who was a self-witness. The sacrificial animal was slain before the most sacred doors, because Emmanuel died as if opening for us the entrance to the Holy of Holies and opening the doors of the highest and heavenly church to those who believe in Him. So, through the death of Christ we receive entrance into the most holy tabernacle, which the Lord, and not man, raised up into the heavenly Jerusalem, the most adorned city on high, the mother of saints and nourisher of angels. And that the death of Christ is holy and sacred, this is indicated by the command of the law, that the blood should be shed at the altar itself. But it also signifies in another way that He laid down his soul for the Church. For the altar was the image of the Church, and the blood was the image of the soul. And the offering or dedication of the entrails - fat, liver and kidneys again indicates that in Christ everything is holy, sacred and fragrant, for wise people say that in the liver is the seat of all desires and aspirations; and the kidney is an organ of the body that has the power of discrimination, distinguishing the useless from the useful, which action is carried out in us by the mind, for if it has wisdom, it sees what can cause harm and diligently strives for what is beneficial. And blessed David, as if on behalf of Christ, sings in one place: “All my desire is before You” (Ps. 37:10) and again: “For You have formed my inward parts,” O Lord (Ps. 138:13). And that Emmanuel is filled with godlike perfection is again shown in the image of fat; for just as there is fat in animals that are best fed, so, I think, the mind that feeds on heavenly food has perfection. So, Christ is holy and blameless and full of virtue, sacred and fragrant, a mental burnt offering, as if offered in every form, in the form of a bull, and a ram, and a goat. He became a saving sacrifice for us and alone gave himself for everyone, being equal to everyone. Through Him and with Him, glory to God and the Father with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. That, having become participants in the mysterious blessing, we will become completely holy and pleasing to God The divine disciples became stewards of the sacraments of our Savior, and this was not by extolling the honor to themselves and not self-proclaimedly rushing to this, on the contrary, they were elected to the apostolic ministry and were called to spread the saving teaching, that is, the Gospel of Christ, throughout all the heavenly places. For Christ appointed glorious builders of the mysteries, saying this: “Go, teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). And so, obeying the commands of the Lord with the greatest readiness, they enlighten the universe. Having themselves the Heavenly Father and God as their mentor, they make others partakers of grace, for, as befits, they firmly remembered the commandment of Christ who sent them to this, who clearly says: “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). And the divine Paul writes and explains the depth of the mystery of the incarnation, thus saying: “Because the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sacrifice for sin and condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4). For Christ became sin for our sake, as it is written, although He was completely innocent of sin. We are not accustomed to saying this (that is, that he was involved in sin), since He did not know sin at all, being by nature God and having shone forth from God the Father, but because he became a sacrifice for sin: “for our Passover, Christ, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7), and that is why we say that he became sin. As I said, He offered Himself as a sacrifice in order to acquire for Himself with His Blood something in heaven: “for you were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20), according to Scripture, and we no longer belong to ourselves, but to Him who became sin for us, in order to free us from our former sins and through the Communion of His Holy Flesh, and it is clear that His Blood, to reveal us as saints. This the Divine law was also announced to us. For in the book of Leviticus it is written like this: “And the Lord spake to Moses, saying, Tell Aaron and his sons, This is the law of the sin offering: The sin offering shall be slain before the Lord in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; this is a great shrine; the priest who makes the sin offering must eat it; it must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tabernacle of meeting; everything that touches its meat will be sanctified; and if her blood is spattered on clothing, then wash it in a holy place; the clay vessel in which it was boiled must be broken; if it was boiled in a copper vessel, then it should be cleaned and washed with water; the whole male sex of the priestly family can eat it: it is a great shrine” (Lev. 6:24–29). So, understand how sin commands to be sacrificed, that is, a sacrifice for sin. The goat was the image of Christ, who, as I said, became sin for our sake. For He was “counted with the lawless” (Mk. 15:28) and crucified along with the thieves, was disgraced and cursed, “for it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal. 3:13). But although He descended to this in an economic way for our sake, He was and is holy, and not as a result of borrowing, as it were, from another, like us, but on the contrary by nature, since He Himself is God. And we believe that through Him every creation is sanctified, so whether you name me Angels, or other beings surpassing them in glory, or even higher beings - Thrones and Principalities, or point me to the Seraphim themselves - they are all sanctified only by the Father through the Son in the Spirit. So, although He became sin, He remained what He was, that is, holy by nature, like God, and “gives beyond measure... the Spirit,” according to the word of John (John 3:34). And that the death of His Flesh, raised for the mortification of the flesh, was holy and sacred and the most pleasing incense to God and the Father, the law clearly indicates this, saying: “the sacrifice for sin must be slaughtered before the Lord in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered” (Lev. 6:25). Christ is a burnt offering, that is, the whole of all (whole of the whole), and not partly, offered in the aroma of fragrance to God and the Father, therefore He is truly the Holy of Holies. For in Him we are sanctified and He is our entire justification and even the sanctification of the highest spirits, as I have already said. “The priest,” it is said, “who makes a sacrifice for sin, must eat it” (Lev. 6:26). See again how the Church is governed by sacred and Divine decrees in everything that must be done. For when the (priest) makes a sacrifice, this (the above) happens from it. Anyone who has been brought up in the laws of the Church knows what I am talking about. And that the Church of God is the most fitting place for the Divine sacred rites and that the sacrament of Christ must be performed in them, this will clearly be proven (to oneself) by those who were attentive to what I said: “It must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tabernacle of the congregation” (Lev. 6:26). The sacred scriptures say: “If anyone is from the house of Israel... he slaughters a bull or a sheep or a goat in the camp, or if anyone slaughters it outside the camp and does not bring it to the entrance of the tabernacle of the congregation... to present it as a sacrifice to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, then the blood will be imputed to that person: he has shed blood, and that man will be cut off from among his people” (Lev. 17:3-4). Therefore, the inclination to consort with wicked heretics and maintain fellowship with them is illegal and filthy and worthy of the death penalty: for they offer a sacrifice for sin outside the holy tabernacle and perform a sacred sacrifice not in holy places. There is one church, just as in ancient times there was one church, and just as there was one tabernacle, which showed in images the beauty of the church. Let us offer a sacrifice for sin, as if in a holy court, and let us eat from holy meats, that is, by becoming participants in the mysterious blessing, we will receive sanctification. And the law testifies to this, saying: “Whoever touches meat... will be sanctified” (Lev. 6:27). And this and the sprinkling of the blood of a sacrifice is tantamount to a mysterious blessing. For again the law says: “And if her blood is sprinkled on her robe, even if she is sprinkled on her naked, let it be sprinkled in the holy place” (Lev. 6:27). And what is surprising if a rational animal, that is, a person, is sanctified, when the very vessels chosen for sacred rites were sanctified in a manner completely characteristic of them? Therefore, they are not taken for ordinary use, but some of them are washed, and others are broken, for what was used for Divine service, how can it be taken for human use. And that eating from the meat of the sacrifice is appropriate for saints and is not appropriate for anyone else except those who have learned to win the fight against sin and solemnly strived for virtue - this is indicated by the following words: “Let every male sex be sacrificed: the Holy of Holies is unto the Lord” (Lev. 6:29). But tell me, did the law really command that the female sex should be excluded from blessing? We do not say this, for he is sanctified with us. But this was in types and shadows: through the masculine and sacred gender it well pointed to those who are spiritually courageous and holy in Christ. So, we are called to participate in the most fragrant sacrifice, as a sacred and “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Pet. 2:9), young men and virgins, old people together with young: for in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, but we are all one, “for we all partake of one bread,” according to what is written (1 Cor. 10:17). So, with open lips and unceasing voices, let us glorify the King of all and the Redeemer Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to God and the Father with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. 1. Sin reigned over us and possessed those who exist on earth, due to the fact that “man’s mind is diligent about evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21), and that he uncontrollably strives for the worse, turning into nothing the glory of a proper life. “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him, and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-6). For in Christ we have been enriched with superior meekness and washed from inglorious and lamentable sin, having been called through faith to sanctification. And besides this, having become partakers of eternal life, we will be acceptable to God and the Father and will be offered to Him in the stench of fragrance. And Blessed Paul says the truth that we are the “stench” of Christ to God, because although sin cruelly ruled over us for some time, we have overthrown the shame, washed ourselves from uncleanness and in Christ were freed from previous illnesses, as the Holy Scripture will convince us of this. For in the book of Leviticus the following is written: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, This is the law concerning the leper, when it is necessary to cleanse him: They shall bring him unto the priest; the priest will go out of the camp, and if the priest sees that the leper has been healed of the disease of leprosy, then the priest will order to take for the person being cleansed two clean living birds, cedar wood, scarlet thread and hyssop, and the priest will order one bird to be slaughtered over an earthen vessel, over living water; and he himself will take a living bird, cedar wood, scarlet thread and hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of a bird killed over living water, and sprinkle it on the one who is being cleansed from leprosy seven times, and declare him clean, and let the living bird go into the field. The one who is being cleansed will wash his clothes, cut off all his hair, wash himself with water, and be clean; then he will enter the camp and remain seven days outside his tent; on the seventh day he will shave off all his hair, his head, his beard, the eyebrows of his eyes, all his hair, and he will wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he will be clean” (Lev. 14:1-9). The meaning of this story is clear, even if no one has explained it; but it does not contain anything tending toward benefit unless it is understood spiritually. Let us begin to explain it, skillfully transforming the weak letter of Scripture into the sacrament of Christ. But first let us say a few words necessary to clarify the matter. Leprosy is a disease that affects the bodies of some people without any cause on their part; it is very destructive and always penetrates more deeply before it grasps any part of the body of those in which it is located. It is a disease that is completely inaccessible to treatment and is not amenable to the knowledge of doctors and the efforts of people experienced in this matter. She barely yields (only) to nature, as if rebelling against her, freeing herself from disaster with the help of God. However, the law commands that a leper, as unclean, be expelled from the camp. For the lawgiver Moses was told by God: “Command the children of Israel to send out of the camp all lepers, and all who have a discharge, and all who are defiled by the dead” (Num. 5:2). We do not at all say that the law punishes bodily illnesses. It is completely inappropriate to punish those who are struck down by illness against their will: such people are rather worthy of pity. But what happened through the wise Moses, carrying the truth, represented prototypes. For leprosy kills the body, but on the contrary, sin that happens to souls, if it enters a person’s mind through dead deeds, immediately makes him weak and dead. By the dead works of the flesh we mean the unclean and nasty passions of the flesh and the attraction to thinking about earthly things. That’s why we said at the beginning that “even though we are dead in our sins, God and Father, make us alive through Christ” (Eph. 2:5). So, through visual action, the law leads us to subtle thoughts. He expels those infected with leprosy from the camp, covertly pointing out that those killed by sin and having a mind infected with various passions, and suffering from many, as it were, internal ugliness, must be removed from the society of saints and excluded from the sacred scrolls. For the wicked will never associate with the righteous and the unclean with the pure, and likewise, the one who has the indelible filth of sin will never associate with the sanctified, since it is said: “What fellowship has light with darkness?... Or what fellowship does the faithful have with the unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14–15). And that for those who want to live godly, for their benefit it is necessary to try to distance themselves from the wicked, God-inspired Scripture will again convince us of this. For God says this to his friends: “Come out from among him, purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord!” (Isa. 52:11). By the vessels of the Lord one can understand various virtues; Therefore, the inspired Paul says: “Put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11). So, as if in the form of lepers, God removes those infected and defiled by sin from the host of saints. But it was very natural that some of those who fell ill with this disease were freed from it. For we cease to sin when we direct our minds to the determination to do and think what is best and proper. So what's the law? Doesn’t he really show the way to those who want to repent? Doesn't he really open the doors of salvation? Do not think this, for the Lord is good and loving to mankind. Hear clearly speaking (through the mouth of Jeremiah): “Return, you rebellious children: I will heal your disobedience” (Jer. 3:22), and also through the mouth of Ezekiel: “Turn, turn from your evil ways; Why should you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11). What is this way of salvation? Who delivers those who have sinned from due punishment? Who easily redeems and saves them? Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a deliverance for all and sanctifies us with His Blood. 2. But in what is written in the law, again see, as if still in the shadows, the sacrament (of Christ). The leper was brought to the priest according to the law, who was outside the gate; and when the disease took a better turn and it became clear that it would finally stop and disappear, then that which related to cleansing was done in accordance with the definition of the legislator: they took “two clean birds and a cedar tree and a scarlet cut” (Lev. 14:4), as if in the form of a cord, and also “hyssop” (Lev. 14:4), which is a kind of herb. Then “one bird” (Lev. 14:5) was slaughtered over the water, while the other, in accordance with what we recently said, immersed in water and the blood of the killed one, was released completely unharmed. Then the priest, having sprinkled water seven times on the leprosy patient, made him free from legal charges. The leper cut off his hair and finally entered the camp and his own house without hindrance after a seven-day stay outside it. For we, having in ancient times carried the deadness of sin and having been defiled by the manifold coarseness of passions and, as it were, suffering from mental leprosy, since we were lost while serving the creation, are brought to God, the great, holy and blameless High Priest, according to the word of blessed Paul: we are brought by God and the Father. And Christ spoke to the Jews, saying: “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father draws him” (John 6:43–44). For God the Father brought the weak to the Son as if by his own strength; for He came to heal the brokenhearted and to open the eyes of the blind. So, if we, rejecting weakness and powerlessness in order to do what is pleasing to God, will have the most diligent heart and, firmly clinging to works of mercy, will lead a glorious and amazing way of life; then, confessing the true and nature of the Lord, we will say together with the Psalmist: “Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your iniquities, He heals all your illnesses; delivers your life from the grave, crowns you with mercy and bounties” (Ps. 102:2-4). Notice how someone infected with leprosy is brought to the priest, who is outside the gate and very far from the camp. So to us, as if cast out and staying outside the holy and sacred city, that is, the Church of God, Christ came, bearing our likeness, and, having visited us, made us pure through holy Baptism and through His Body. He was sacrificed for us and became a saving medicine for us through the fact that He deigned to endure death on the tree for us. And this is typified for us in the sacred writings. “Two pure birds” are taken (Lev. 14:4), which were a prototype of Christ who came down from above and from heaven: for a bird is a creature that flies through the air. Immanuel came down to us from above and from heaven; for this is what He says: “No one has ascended into heaven except the Son of Man who came down from heaven” (John 3:13) and the wise John writes: “He who comes from above is above all” (John 3:31). The birdhouses (required) were clean; for the Lord is truly pure and blameless as one who knew no sin. And we are not saying at all that we mean, as it were, two Christs, although we are talking about two birds; but this word brings us wise and necessary contemplation. The Only Begotten, being God by nature, took flesh from the Most Holy Virgin and is inexpressibly and incomprehensibly composed as if from two, that is, the highest and human nature; however, the Lord Jesus Christ is one. So, this word contemplates the union of two together. Therefore, the law, signifying the mystery of Christ in a variety of ways with two birds, says that the “cedar tree” also had to be taken (Lev. 14:4), for this was also an image of His holy flesh, which did not suffer corruption since this tree is not subject to rotting. Hyssop was an image of the power of the Holy Spirit, through which we, ignited in spirit, seem to melt the inner impurity: for hyssop is a herb that has the property of heating and destroying the hot and cold impurity that is in our insides; Christ, as I said, by the power of the Spirit frees us from the passions that are hidden inside our mind. And most often this kind of herb is obtained from flowing water. For, as it is written, we are “baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). This grass, as I said, is hot and indicates the power of the Spirit. And “the scarlet was sucked” (Lev. 14:4) in turn signifies the image of the Incarnation of the Only Begotten. The Word, being God, is, as it were, intertwined with flesh and blood, which the scarlet represents, for this is what it appears to the eye and is what it actually is. So, the bird is slaughtered “over living water” (Lev. 14:6), in which the survivor is immersed along with the rest and, finally, as I have already said, completely unharmed, it is released into freedom. Christ was slain for us, but He was both in death and above death, for He, as it is written, “having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, by which He went and preached to the spirits in prison” (1 Pet. 3:18-19). Since He is conceived and was a man, He raised up death, and since He is true life and from life, He appeared above death. The living bird house plunged into the death of the deceased: by this the law secretly makes it clear that the Word, being by nature life and from life, assimilates to itself the death of its flesh. For the flesh that He took on was not alien to Him, but His own. The leper, having been sprinkled with water seven times, was finally freed from charges for leprosy. And Christ, as I said, sanctifying us through holy Baptism, makes us clean. I think this is indicated by the sevenfold sprinkling. Understanding this, Blessed Paul says: “But when sin increased, grace began to abound all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Consequently, the septenary number indicates the abundance of grace and that which has, as it were, a completely cleansing power. After sprinkling, the leper cut off his hair. And we, having been cleansed through holy Baptism, put aside from ourselves, as it were, carnal growths, that is, the innate desires for pleasure in us, understood in the image of hair, along with other shortcomings; and this is accomplished in us by the power of Christ. For He is the living Word, active and sharpest, cutting off sins and freeing the mind from the impurity of passions. Having been shorn, the leper finally entered the camp, but had not yet entered his home. And we, having purified ourselves, as I said, enter into communion with the saints and finally become united with the blessed and sacred race. Thus we enter the house of God, but do not yet enter the higher mansions; for this gift is reserved for the saints in the age to come. Therefore, he who was cleansed was brought into the camp, and after spending seven days in it, finally entered his own house. And we, after this present age, having been purified through Christ, will finally live in the highest monasteries, and each of the sanctified will dwell in the lot assigned to him, as if in his own home. For those who believe will not immediately be given rewards, but only a title and a pledge of the spirit in good hope. Grace and the fulfillment of hope will shine in due time in Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to God and the Father with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. About the Jewish synagogue - how it happened that it fell due to disobedience 1. God clearly depicted the extreme coarseness, insubordination and stubbornness of the Jewish synagogue back in ancient times through the mouth of Ezekiel, saying this: “the whole house of Israel has a strong forehead and a hard heart” (Ezek. 3:7). Therefore, the Savior Himself reproached her for her opposition to salvation and her inherent rudeness, saying: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to you! how many times have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to! Behold, your house is left to you empty” (Matthew 23:37-38) The God of all used countless means to save her; but many, having fallen into complete uncontrollability and neglecting the highest mercy for them as a result of terrible and unexpected upheavals, were involved in disaster and destruction. Through Moses, God gave the law, through which they could be correctly educated to the knowledge of virtue and conveniently acquire the knowledge of the truth - from time to time he used for their benefit the instructions of the holy prophets, so that they would have other best leaders capable of leading them to a glorious and completely legal way of life and to everything worthy of wonder. But instead of bringing thanks to the God of all, willingly accepting their mentors, honoring them with every honor, with great readiness to change for the better and heed this very good call, they turned out to be rude and stubborn and fell into an even more serious illness. As a result of this, they completely perished, as the prophet Jeremiah says about them: “The house of Israel has fallen, and no one can rise again” (Am. 5:1). But look again how this is secretly announced in the writings of Moses; for the book of Leviticus says this: “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, When ye enter into the land of Canaan, which I give unto you to possess, and I bring the plague of leprosy upon the houses of the land of your possession, then he whose house is shall go and say to the priest, A kind of plague has appeared on my house. The priest will order the house to be emptied before the priest comes in to examine the plague, so that everything in the house does not become unclean; after this the priest will come to inspect the house. If he, having examined the ulcer, sees that the ulcer on the walls of the house consists of greenish or reddish pits, which turn out to be deepened in the wall, then the priest will leave the house to the door of the house and ban the house for seven days. On the seventh day the priest will come again, and if he sees that the plague has spread along the walls of the house, then the priest will order to break out the stones on which the plague is and throw them outside the city to an unclean place; and let them scrape the whole inside of the house, and let the plaster that they scrape off be poured outside the city into an unclean place; and they will take other stones and put them in place of those stones, and they will take other plaster and plaster the house. If the ulcer appears again and blooms on the house after they have broken out the stones and scraped the house and smeared it, then the priest will come and examine it, and if the ulcer on the house has spread, then this is a caustic leprosy on the house, it is unclean; This house must be torn down, and its stones and its wood and all the plaster of the house must be carried outside the city to an unclean place” (Lev. 14:33-45). Then, having declared those who sleep and eat in it, and in general everyone who enters it, unclean, he brings in a priest to inspect him; for it is said: “If the priest comes and sees that the plague on the house has not spread after the house has been smeared, then the priest will declare the house clean, because the plague has passed. And to cleanse the house, he will take two birds of cedar wood, scarlet thread and hyssop, and kill one bird over an earthen vessel over living water; And he will take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet thread and a living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in living water, and sprinkle the house seven times. and he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the living water, and with the living bird, and with cedar wood, and with hyssop, and with scarlet thread; and he will let the living bird go outside the city into the field, and he will cleanse the house, and it will be clean” (Lev. 14:48–53). These words clearly depict to us the entire mystery of the Jewish synagogue, and what has already happened to it from beginning to end and what is about to be accomplished through Christ. So, carefully delving into all the details and revealing the richness of the writings, we will try to discover the beauty of the contemplation contained in it. 2. Leprosy is a disease that affects the human body, which cannot be destroyed by the art of doctors, but, together with other diseases, yields only to the great and almighty right hand, being overcome by the all-effective power of God. Once affected by it, the body appears in a different form than it was in the beginning. A certain change in skin color that occurs in this case affects the (spiritual) nature itself, distorting it, as much as one can assume a similar distortion from the appearance of the body, and a change in the will in us and its direction from better to worse. For often many, changing good intentions for bad ones and leaving what is proper to nature, darken their souls with many different impurities, as if preserving for themselves the appearance of both, since they do not completely lose goodness and do not fall into complete wickedness and corruption. So, such a state that sometimes occurs in us and what usually happens with human nature and will, Holy Scripture often depicts under the image of a leper: in his person alone it represents, as if in a picture, the morals of all. And when it wants to depict such a state or a people or a city or a country, then it uses the image of a house, which, containing those living in it, also points to many. Therefore, when listening to the words (of the Holy Scripture) about a house infected with leprosy, understand the entire Jewish synagogue, which was obviously affected by its own vices and paid little attention to what was announced to it from above, which was rather inclined to do what gave them pleasure rather than what could show it to be praiseworthy. The law commands that the priest be informed that the plague of leprosy is seen in the house; but we do not say that the legislator commands the one who announces this about his house to go to the priest, much less ask him, as if from a doctor, for medicine against the infection that has occurred. And since we recognized that the Jewish synagogue was stricken with leprosy, we will try to consider as best as possible who is proclaiming leprosy and who is the priest. So, let the face of the one proclaiming be before us - the face of the holy prophets who proclaimed to the High Priest of all and the representative of our souls, that is, Christ, both about the passions of the madness of the Jews before His incarnation and about the depravity and corruption of their morals, prompted not by enmity and hatred towards them, but by reverence for the Benefactor, and who, not without tears, denounced their vices, but at the same time They also cried out for mercy on them. So, pay attention to how the blessed prophet Jeremiah mourns the leprosy of the Jews, and how he greatly laments about it, as a result of which, beseeching the Lord, he cries out: “Although our iniquities testify against us, yet do You, Lord, deal with us for the sake of Your name; Our apostasy is great; we have sinned before You. The Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of trouble! Why are you like a stranger in this land, like a passerby who came to spend the night? Why are You as an astonished man, as a strong man, not having the power to save? And yet You, Lord, are among us, and Your name is called upon us; do not forsake us” (Jer. 14:7–9). And again: “There are no more merciful people on earth, there are no truthful people among people; everyone builds forges to shed blood; everyone sets a net for his brother. Their hands are turned to know how to do evil” (Mic. 7:2-3). From these lamentations of the prophets we learn that Israel was stricken with leprosy. The priest orders the house to be emptied. For the visitation of God for our transgressions is very terrible; and since those guilty of any sins must be punished, therefore, being a lover of mankind, God commands to take care of cleansing, to try to eliminate the disease that has struck and thus avoid a righteous visit (to Him), as can be seen from the words: “Wash away the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you can be saved: how long will evil thoughts nest in you?” (Jer. 4:14.) Here, in fairness, one can understand no other thoughts about troubles than those through which we are exposed to disasters and punishments for crimes. So, see in this that the priest orders the elimination of guilt for which someone could justly be punished. 3. Then the law says: “The priest will come to inspect the house. If he, having examined the plague, sees that the plague is on the walls of the house” (Lev. 14:36-37). And again: “the priest will go out of the house to the door of the house and ban the house for seven days” (Lev. 14:38). For after the expiration of the period appointed by mercy, and after the seven days appointed for purification, evil again appearing in the form of leprosy led to the just indignation of the priest, representing in this case the face of the Divine. Therefore, having again noticed the ulcer, that is, the signs and signs of the disease, he left the house for seven whole days. So God, although He loves mankind, was very rightly angry at the crimes of the Israelites against the law, and sent them all into captivity, delivering them into the hands of the Babylonians for a whole seventy years, putting down ten years in one day: seven days, says the law, are appointed for excommunication at home, and one day is counted as ten years, according to what the prophet Ezekiel said: “a day for one year I will lay down for you” (Ezek. 4, 6). This word is confirmed by the Angel praying for the synagogue at Zechariah, saying: “Lord Almighty! How long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You have been angry for these seventy years?” (Zech. 1, 12.) Further, the law again commands: “On the seventh day the priest will come again” (Lev. 14:39). By the return of the priest you must understand here nothing other than the appeal of God’s love for mankind to the people, as for this reason the Lord says to him the following: “I turn to Jerusalem with mercy; My house will be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and a measuring line will stretch across Jerusalem” (Zech. 1:16); or as it is said in this place: “What will I do with you, Ephraim? How can I betray you, Israel? Will I do to you as I did to Adam, will I do to you what I did to him? My heart turned in Me, all My pity was kindled! According to the fury of My wrath I will not destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man; the Holy One is in your midst” (Hos. 11:8–9). So, the law prescribes: “On the seventh day the priest will come again, and if he sees that the plague has spread along the walls of the house, then the priest will order to break out the stones on which the plague is and throw them outside the city to an unclean place” (Lev. 14:39-40), and after a few: “and they will take other stones and put them in place of those stones” (Lev. 14:42). For after the previous crimes were forgiven, God, who tests everything in us, again carefully examined the Jewish synagogue and finding it, in all likelihood, not all already infected with leprosy, but also not completely free from ancient uncleanness, was not angry with everyone, but only with those who were the culprits of her suffering and the cause of her illness: it is these that the law calls stones, thereby pointing to some parts of the whole house, that is, people. And such were, on the one hand, some kings who seduced the people into idolatry, on the other hand, some false prophets who, as it is written, spoke what came from their own hearts and who weakened the piety of their listeners: it is these who (the law) orders to be removed from the house, thereby hinting at their excommunication or extermination. This is what God said to Jeconiah: “Oh, land, land, land! listen to the word of the Lord... Write down this man without children” (Jer. 22:29-30); and about the false prophets (it is written): “Therefore I struck through the prophets and smote them with the words of My mouth” (Hos. 6:5) and again: “You drive out the wives of My people from their pleasant houses; You take away My adornment from their children forever” (Mic. 2:9); and also: “for uncleanness she will be ruined” (Mic. 2:10). And that instead of those taken away, other stones, clean and sharpened, were put in, this indicates that the Providence of God from time to time appeared such people who served as a support for the house of Israel and kept them in a clean place, that is, either kings, or prophets, or saints, as (this can be seen) from what God said to blessed Isaiah: “Thus said the Lord, the Lord of hosts: go, go to this courtier, to Sevna, the ruler of the palace [and tell him]: what do you have here, and who do you have here, that you are hewing out a tomb for yourself here? “He carves a tomb for himself on a hill, he carves a dwelling for himself in the rock. Behold, the Lord will throw you over as a strong man throws you, and will crush you into someone; having rolled you up into a bundle, he will throw you like a sword into the vast earth; there you will die, and there your splendid chariots will be a reproach to your lord’s house. And I will push you out of your place, and I will overthrow you from your degree. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and will clothe him with thy garment, and gird him with thy belt, and will put thy power into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Isa. 22:15-21). But “they will take other stones...,” says the law, “and they will plaster the house” (Lev. 14:42). The expression “they will smear you” is used instead of “they will smear you all over.” And this also points to the admonition to Israel that came through the holy prophets, who, anointing sinners with their beautiful and saving speeches, urged them to readily follow the will of God, and to cleanse themselves from the filth of passions and try to do what the legislator sees as beneficial for those who serve God, as He said through one of the saints: “Seek good and not evil, so that you may live, and then the Lord God Hosts will be with you” (Am. 5:14). The law further says: “If the plague appears again and blooms on the house after the stones have been broken out and the house has been scraped and smeared, then the priest will come and examine it, and if the plague on the house has spread, then this is a caustic leprosy on the house, it is unclean; This house must be torn down, and its stones and its wood and all the plaster of the house must be carried outside the city to an unclean place” (Lev. 14:43-45). When all means have been used to heal the Israelites, when the removal of the infected stones did not bring any benefit, when, finally, anointing them through the prophets, that is, exhortation, turned out to be useless, the priest again enters with the aim of inspecting the leprous-infected (house). Having become a man, the Only Begotten (Son) came into this world in the flesh with the purpose of carefully considering whether the synagogue reveals any conversion from ancient wickedness to a good life? And since He found her possessed by her former passions and suffering from ineradicable uncleanness, he finally commands her to be destroyed and thrown into an unclean place; for the entire union of the Jews, based on the law, was destroyed and the people were scattered into every unclean place, in accordance with the words of the prophets: “And I will scatter them to all the winds” (Jer. 49:32) or: “And I will scatter the house of Israel among all nations” (Am. 9:9). This is perfectly indicated by what the Savior said about their church: “Do you see all this? Truly I say to you, not one stone will be left upon another here; everything will be destroyed” (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2; Luke 19:44). To this (Scripture) adds that (everyone) “who enters a house while it is locked, he is unclean until the evening; and whoever sleeps in that house must wash his clothes...; and whoever eats in the house” (Lev. 14:46-47) - in the same way, clearly indicating that anyone who in any way cleaves to the Jews through the same wisdom with them will be fully involved in their uncleanness. Then, for a new inspection of the house infected with leprosy, the priest is once again brought in, for the law says: “If the priest comes and sees that the plague on the house has not spread after the house has been smeared, then the priest will declare the house clean, because the plague has passed” (Lev. 14:48). So, the Jewish synagogue, for its enmity against Christ, was destroyed as unclean, and was deprived of the favor of God. But after a long stay in this state, “until the fulfillment of tongues comes,” according to the words of the Apostle Paul (Rom. 11:25), she will be pardoned by Christ. And when God looks at her again, after forgetting about her, and in the last times again brings her to justification, justification entirely through faith and love for Him, then the great High Priest will come to examine her once again and, finding her corrected, will immediately cleanse her and take her to Himself, as the holy prophets said: “On that day, says the Lord, I will gather together what is lame and will gather together what was scattered and those upon whom I have brought disaster. And I will make that which is lame a remnant” (Mic. 4:6-7). And in another place: “For for a long time the children of Israel will remain without a king and without a prince and without a sacrifice, without an altar, without an ephod and without a teraphim. After this the children of Israel will turn and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they will revere the Lord and His goodness in the last days” (Hosea 3:4-5). So, after the priest has examined a house infected with leprosy and cleansed it, “they will be indignant,” says the law, “And to cleanse the house, he will take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet thread and hyssop” (Lev. 14:48–49) and again: “and the living bird, and he will dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and in living water, and sprinkle the house seven times; and he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the living water, and with the living bird, and with cedar wood, and with hyssop, and with scarlet thread; and he will let the living bird go outside the city into the field, and he will cleanse the house, and it will be clean” (Lev. 14:51-53). 4. In these words again clearly see the whole mystery of our Savior and the cleansing through holy Baptism: for the law commands you to take two living and clean birds, so that in the form of birds you understand the heavenly man and together God, divided into two natures, as appropriate to each (of them). For He was the Word, risen from the Father, in the flesh (born) of a woman, yet not divided: in both there is one Christ. And therefore, two birds are taken and both are thought of as one, but living and pure, for the Word itself is the Giver of life and all purity and the church of the Virgin, who has in herself the living Word. His body was His own, and not (as) an external vestment. Therefore there is one Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to birds, the law commands to take “cedar wood” (Lev. 14:4), so that you understand that the Body of Christ is incorruptible; it did not see decay, just as cedar does not rot. And since it must be accepted that the Holy Body of Christ did not see incorruption, the thought of His Resurrection becomes very convincing. And “the scarlet is scraped off” (Lev. 14:4) indicates our confession of the death of the Savior, which is why it is said about the Church in the book of Song of Songs: “your lips are like a scarlet ribbon..., my sister, bride” (Song. 4:3, 10). Since the mouth of the Church always preaches salvation through the Blood of Christ and commands that those who enter (into it) make a confession of faith in Him, therefore its lips are very well compared to the “scarlet thread” (Lev. 14:4), and participation in the Mystical Supper itself announces the death and Resurrection of Christ Himself. And having convinced those who have believed to confess this first of all, we then bring them to holy Baptism and make them perfect in the blood of the everlasting covenant, as it is written. For the scarlet signifies the confession of faith in the Blood of Christ, and the hyssop signifies the burning of the Holy Spirit, for it (hyssop) is a hot herb and capable of cleansing from the insensibility of passions; and this is where the action and power of the Holy Spirit in us is revealed. And “he who cleanses one infected with leprosy,” says the law, “shall take up cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet thread and a living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in living water, and sprinkle the house seven times; and he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and living water, and the living bird and cedar wood, and hyssop and scarlet thread” ( Lev. 14:51-52) The law again shows us that it is only possible to cleanse the Jewish synagogue from the defilement of disobedience and erase the stain of various crimes, but only by the blessing given from Christ, by His confession and faith in Him, which receives completion and sanctification through holy Baptism. See how the above fully depicts Christ to us and points to faith in Him and confession of Him, for by a living bird you must always understand the living, life-giving and heavenly Word, and by a slain bird - the pure blood of the suffering Church, since we say that He (Christ) suffered in the flesh, but as in His own body; under the rotting tree - incorruptible flesh (His), under the hyssop - the Holy Spirit, under the scarlet - confession of the Covenant in blood; under living water - the life-giving grace of baptism, which was clearly indicated during (His) suffering by the holy rib of our Savior, which shed blood with water; Therefore, the law says that a house must be sprinkled so that it can be cleansed, according to the word of the prophet Ezekiel: “And I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all countries... And I will sprinkle you with clean water, and you will be clean” (Ezek. 36:24-25). The law commands the house to be sprinkled not once, but seven times: “when sin increased, grace began to abound” (Rom. 5:20). To this the legislator then adds that the priest will release the living bird “outside the city into the field and cleanse the house, and it will be clean” (Lev. 14:53). We took the house we just mentioned as an image of the Jewish synagogue or the entire people. Let us assume that the city contains many houses. This is how you should imagine the universe we inhabit, since it contains numerous kinds of people and is surrounded by a solid, as if some kind of round wall; and, finally, by the wide and clear field we mean the upper world. Thus, by the fact that the bird is released outside the city onto the field, the legislator indicates the removal from the world and the ascension of Christ to heaven. For He, having appeared before the Father and God, will intercede for us all and for the Jewish synagogue, and we will be cleansed, as His wisest disciple John says: “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). Christ Himself spoke beautifully to the Jews: “For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed Me, because he wrote about Me” (John 5:46). Through Him and with Him be glory and power to God and the Father with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. That Aaron should not always enter the Holy of Holies 1. The Only Begotten, being by nature God and (born) of God the Father, made Himself of no reputation before us and appeared on earth, according to what is written, and spoke among men, and this, as the inspired Paul says, “to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17). The law, given through Moses to the ancients through the mediation of the Angels, appoints as priests people who suffer from common natural weakness and, because of it, must make sacrifices both for human and for their own sins: “and the word of the oath, after the law, established the Son, perfect forever” (Heb. 7:28); “Therefore He can always save those who come to God through Him, being always alive to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). Christ does not intercede for Himself at all, for the word is true that He “do not commit sin” (1 Pet. 2:22) - but opposite us, and this is fully explained to us by the divine Paul, who wrote about Him: “whom God offered as a sacrifice of propitiation in His blood through faith” (Rom. 3:25). Therefore, He says that He entered the Holy of Holies once, found eternal redemption, and “by one offering perfected forever those who were sanctified” (Heb. 10:14). And we are saved: He lifts up our sins and is pained for us; for He willingly laid down His life for us. But He rose again, for by nature He was God, and sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, always “always living to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25), as I just said. And this again, as it were, was announced to me by the shadow of the law, about which I will clearly explain how it has itself. So, in the book of Leviticus it is written: “And the Lord said to Moses: Tell Aaron your brother not to enter into the sanctuary at all times behind the veil before the mercy seat that is on the ark... lest he die... for above the mercy seat I will appear in a cloud” (Lev. 16:2). For Aaron had to, truly had to represent the established image and form of the priesthood of Christ, entering the Holy of Holies not at every hour or at every time, and (through this) as if imprinting the beauty of the sacrament; since, I said, Christ once entered, “having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). Thus, it would be a sin against the very truth contained in the images if Aaron entered the Holy of Holies not once a year, but every hour and, as it were, at all times. Therefore, God ordered (him) to strictly observe (this decree) so as not to die (him). If the death sentence was imposed on those who violate only the canopy and insult the prototype of the truth, then what punishment will be given to those who sin against the truth itself, that is, Christ? This is what the Jews did, who did not want to believe in Him and reviled Him in every possible way, although He said clearly: “I am... the Truth” (John 14:6), that is, the fulfillment of the types contained in the law, for Christ is the end of the law and the prophets. The most sacred Paul, well versed in the law, writes to us about this. So, Aaron is forbidden to enter the Holy of Holies at all times, so that the beauty of the sacrament shines whole and undamaged in the vestibule itself. His entry took place once a year and at one specific time. And how it should have been done, and without violating the proper order, this was determined by the legislator, saying: “This is what Aaron must enter into the sanctuary with: with the bull for a sin offering and with the ram for a burnt offering; He must put on a sacred linen tunic, let him wear a linen undergarment on his body, and let him gird himself with a linen belt, and put on a linen turban: these are sacred garments; and let him wash his body with water and put them on; and from the congregation of the children of Israel he shall take two goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer the bullock as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and his house. And he will take two goats and set them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; And Aaron will cast lots for both goats: one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat; and Aaron will bring the goat on which the lot was drawn for the Lord, and offer it as a sin offering, and the goat on which the lot was drawn for scapegoating, he will present alive before the Lord, to make atonement for it and to send it into the wilderness for scapegoating” (Lev. 16:3-10). In these words the legislator explains to us the method of sacrifice. “Then Aaron brought the calf of sin for his sake and his house. After the slaughter of the bull and the selection of the ram for a burnt offering on the basis of the law that applied here, “let him take” (Aaron), it says, “and take a censer full of burning coals from the altar, which is before the Lord, and full handfuls of fragrant finely ground incense, and bring it behind the veil; And he will put incense on the fire before the Lord, and a cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, so that it will not die. And he will take the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat in front and before the mercy seat, sprinkle the blood seven times with his finger” (Lev. 16:12-14). To this he adds: “And he will kill a goat as a sin offering for the people, and will bring its blood within the veil, and will do with its blood the same thing as he did with the blood of the bull” (Lev. 16:15). And all this, now indicated, the law established in order to cleanse the children of Israel from uncleanness and all their sins. The blood of the bull and also the goat was sprinkled not only on the atonement and the inner tabernacle, that is, the Holy of Holies, but also on the very altar of offerings in the first tabernacle; for again he says: “And he will go out to the altar that is before the Lord, and will cleanse it, and take the blood of the bull and the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides, and sprinkle the blood on it with his finger seven times, and will cleanse it, and sanctify it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel” (Lev. 16:18-19). To this he adds: “And having made the cleansing of the sanctuary, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar..., he will bring a live goat, and Aaron will lay both his hands on the head of the living goat, and will confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions and all their sins, and will place them on the head of the goat, and will send them with a special man into the wilderness: and the goat will bear on itself all their iniquities into the land. impassable, and he will let the goat go into the wilderness” (Lev. 16:20-22). 2. As this was foretold in images at one time, so it came true, and so it was fulfilled. And since the shadow has passed and the time of fulfillment has come, we now, using subtle and skillful considerations, will indicate how the purpose of the law was the sacrament of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ “and not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood” (Heb. 9:12), but in the blood of the eternal covenant and not with the blood of goats and heifers, but with His own Blood, blotting out the sin of the world, for He was sacrificed not for the sake of His salvation (how is this possible?), but for the sake of our salvation. So we will unswervingly follow the very shadows of the law. It was very natural and even necessary for the divinely inspired Aaron to offer a sacrifice for his own sins; for it is impossible to think that he, being even the best man, was not involved in sin; This is not at all befitting of Christ and is far from Him, for He, as God, by His nature was abundant in sinlessness; but in Himself and through Himself He is the purification of even the most sanctified, I mean, priests and peoples. See how Aaron, in the sacrifices he made for himself, depicts the mental sacrifice in Christ of spiritual incense. For the bull and the ram were designated for burnt offerings. By the calf again we mean Christ, for the offerings to God for the saints are very abundant and their images are very different. The Taurus is a sacred animal and the best of all others appointed for sacrifice; therefore he must depict to us the perfection of the sacrifice. The ram is (offered) as a burnt offering, for our Lord Jesus Christ became a fragrant aroma to God and the Father, destroying, as it were, in Himself the abomination and ugliness of the sin of the world. Observe how Aaron was commanded to enter the Holy of Holies from time to time and not fail to make sacrifices for his sins. At that time, he does not appear in the form of a high priest, but, as the Holy Scripture says, “he shall put on a sacred linen tunic, and let him wear a linen undergarment on his body, and let him gird himself with a linen belt, and put on a linen turban: these are sacred garments; and let him wash his body with water” (Lev. 16:4). But such attire was, by law, common to all clergy: what, in our opinion, was the probable or better true meaning of all this? It was not fitting for Aaron, who offered a sacrifice for his sins, to appear in the form of Christ, who knew no sin; for the vestments most becoming to him and the most high-priestly image signified the royal and at the same time the high-priestly dignity of our Savior. And that it is impossible for anyone, except those who have been purified by water at birth, to enter the Holy of Holies and the true tabernacle, “which the Lord set up, and not man” (Heb. 8:2), this was clearly indicated by the law commanding Aaron to wash himself with water before he was to enter the Holy of Holies. The law commanded that the hot coals be taken from the altar itself and carried inside, that is, inside the veil, and then put a full handful of fine incense on them. After laying it on, “the smoke of incense will cover the purifying place,” says the law, “(Lev. 16:13). And in this Christ was depicted, slain as a calf and offered as a burnt offering as a ram and the whole holy tabernacle, that is, the Church, filling with spiritual fragrance, so that we must say: “From the fragrance of your ointments, your name is like spilled ointment; therefore the maidens love you. Draw me, we will run after you; the king brought me into his chambers" (Song. 1:2-3). But let us return our speech to the beginning, and then the presentation of our thoughts will lead us directly to what we need. So, a bull and a ram were sacrificed for Aaron, and two goats for the people and also a ram for a burnt offering, for it is written: “And let Aaron offer both the goats.” lots: one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for redemption” (Lev. 16:8). Some think that one of the goats was given to some disgusting and unclean spirit, which is why we were released into the desert; but we believe that such an opinion is filled with absurd superstition and is not free from the reproach of Hellenic error; This is not enough, without hesitation I will say even more: we will allow the wicked thought that the law is the culprit of sin against God, while it in every possible way distracts from the error of polytheism and testifies to the one and true Lord of the universe and always leads to the knowledge of the truth. Who among those who are accustomed to thinking correctly would dare to say that for this reason the law established that what was brought was released and given as a sacrifice to an evil force opposing God, I mean the goat. And in this case, what good would Aaron have done when he laid his hands on the goat and confessed the sins of the children of Israel? And wouldn’t it be necessary to look at this action as a revelation of the greatest stupidity and not alien to Hellenic wickedness and depravity of thoughts? For whom or in what way can something that is so undoubtedly subject to condemnation still seem controversial? 3. So, what was done? Two good and identical in size goats were brought, both of the same age, the same color and not having any defect; finally, two lots were written, which, according to the lawgiver, very well signified the names of the goats, for one (of) them was called the Lord, the other - the released one. The goats were so called, one - the Lord, the other - the freed one; the latter was called so precisely because he was released, from this the name was given to him, and we should not think that the demon, but the animal itself, was called released. The Lord (for, as I said, that was the name of one of the goats) sacrificed the altar in compliance with the established rites and (with his) blood consecrated (Aaron) the inner tabernacle and then the outermost altar of fruit bearing, on which, according to the law, sacrifices were made. And the other of the goats, that is, the scapegoat, was driven out into the wilderness after Aaron confessed the sins of the children of Israel over him. Both signify Christ, who died as a man and was sacrificed for us as if in the form of a goat, for the goat was slain for the remission of sins, consecrating the church, meant by the image of the inner tabernacle, and also therefore those who were under the law, for, as I said, the very altar under the law was consecrated. But without any contradiction, the lesser is blessed by the greater. Consequently, there is no perfection in the law, and worship performed according to the law cannot sanctify anyone. Therefore, Christ was absolutely necessary, as he could be a perfecter and sanctify with his own blood those who perform lawful service. Therefore, the inspired Paul says this about himself and those called from the circumcision: “Nevertheless, having learned that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ, we also believed in Christ Jesus, so that we could be justified by faith in Christ” (Gal. 2:16), so that we might truly have justification through Him. So, He was slain for our sins, according to Scripture, but He resurrected and moved into a country inaccessible to people, that is, into heaven, as if taking our sins with Him; for He, as the Scripture says, “bears our sins and is pained over us” (Is. 53:4). In my opinion, the scapegoat symbolizes this, since He was, as it were, sent out from our midst to the highest city, so that He could now appear before the face of God for us. Blessed John confirms this to us, saying: “My children! I write this to you so that you will not sin; and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). So, it was determined by God that we should be cleansed in Christ and receive healing through His wounds, and He is the Intercessor for us and moved to a country inaccessible to people, the image of which was the desert; for as a forerunner for us He entered into (that) world and He Himself made a way for us, new and reliable and leading into the inner veil. Therefore, “he who was forgiven” is Christ, as if in the form of a goat, bearing our sins, for, as I said, the goat was slain for sins. The perfect similarity and equality in everything of the goats mysteriously pointed to Him as remaining (always) the same; for it was impossible to revive again a goat that had already been slain; such a thing would seem nothing less than a miracle: but God never works miracles for vain glory, although he can do everything miraculously. That is why two goats were chosen economically and had complete similarities with each other, just as during the cleansing of the leper the Lawgiver decreed that two birds should be offered, one of which was slaughtered, and the other was released into the desert. Thus, with the help of countless very clear images, the law taught us the mystery of Christ. Through Him and with Him, to God and the Father be glory and power with the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: