Bible references

Key NT Scriptures

• Luke 2:22-32
  Click to retrieve Luke 2:22-32

Key OT Scriptures

• Deuteronomy 14:22-23
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 13:1-2
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 13:10-15
  Click to retrieve Exodus 13:10-15
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 22:28-29
  Jewish Commentary
• Exodus 34:19-20
  Jewish Commentary
• Numbers 3:40-51
  Click to retrieve Numbers 3:40-51
  Jewish Commentary
• Numbers 18:15-17
  Jewish Commentary

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Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

This Mitzvah is formulated by joining together two commandments (directed to the Israelites) that were priesthood-related - the second reversing the first. Subsequent to God having saved the firstborn sons of the Israelites when He slew the firstborn males (both sons and cattle) of the Egyptians ( Exodus 11:4-6 ), He declared also, that all firstborn of the womb belonged to Him ( Exodus 13:1-2 , 34:19 ; Numbers 3:13 ). We understand that to mean that each Israelite family was to sanctify its firstborn son (i.e., dedicate him to service in the Tabernacle and later the Temple). After Moses rebuked the Israelites for worshiping the Golden Calf and only the Levites stepped forward to repent ( Exodus 32:25-29 ), God took the priesthood away from the Israelites as a whole, and gave it to the Levites ( Numbers 1:49-53 , 3:12 ), appointing the sons of Aaron to serve as cohanimi in place of the firstborn sons of the Israelites ( Numbers 3:10 ). He did this, not by revoking His previous commandment to sanctify each Israelite firstborn son, but by commanding that each Israelite family redeem their firstborn son from priestly service by paying a Levitical cohen five shekalim of money ( Numbers 3:40-51 , 18:15-16 ). Because underlying this Mitzvah are commandments with which Levites can no longer comply, I could have easily omitted it as being obsolete. I chose not to do so, however, because (1) the ceremony of Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the firstborn son) is performed among many Jewish people today, and (2) Yeshua's consecration (and possibly His simultaneous Pidyon HaBen ) is recorded in Luke 2:22-32 . There is no biblically specified ceremony for sanctifying the firstborn son today, although circumcision may be thought of as a sanctification ceremony for all male Jewish children, with the firstborn of them assumed to be specially sanctified. Today, when the firstborn son of a Jewish family (not a cohen or a Levite) is 30 days old, he is taken to a Levitical cohen who receives the monetary equivalent of five shekalim from the father, and then proceeds to bless the child with the Birkat Cohanim (the Aaronic Benediction). Since Temple shekalim are no longer in use, their equivalent value in silver is substituted - either special coins made for the purpose or, in the U.S., five pre-1936 silver dollars (26.73 grams of 90% silver). It is obvious that this Mitzvah is based upon the assumption of a functioning Temple priesthood that does not exist today. Nevertheless, I believe it is important for Messianic Jews to comply ceremonially in the universal Jewish way for three reasons: (1) without it, there is no closure regarding the priestly status of firstborn male Israelites beyond their general priestly identity as Jews; (2) without it, there is ambiguity regarding the continuing priestly status of today's descendants of Aaron (i.e. Levitical cohanim ); and (3) there is value in our being in solidarity with the rest of the Jewish world on this. I do not, however, believe that failing to comply with this Mitzvah in this New Covenant age is sinful. The ceremony of Pidyon HaBen only has meaning when performed within non-Levitical Jewish families since historically, the Levites were not redeemed and did, therefore, serve in the Temple. Although the ceremony is traditionally the responsibility of a firstborn son's Jewish father, in Messianic Judaism it may also be performed by his Jewish mother or by himself when he comes of age. The Pidyon HaBen ceremony has no historic or spiritual meaning at all for Gentiles.

Classical commentators

Meir states that the Pidyon HaBen is to be performed after thirty days by Jewish families who are neither cohanim nor Levites and, if a firstborn son has no father, he must redeem himself after he comes of age; HaChinuch says this also of a son who has a father, but the father does not redeem him. Maimonides and HaChinuch agree with Meir on all matters, and specifically state that the Pidyon HaBen is to be performed by the father - not by the mother. Meir quotes Scripture that speaks of our need to sanctify the firstborn of kosher animals as well, of which we are to say: "This is hereby holy." He says that if we do not consecrate a firstborn kosher animal it is, nevertheless, holy. He also says that because there is no Temple, the firstborn animals must be left to graze until they develop a defect, and must then be given to a cohen . Both Maimonides and HaChinuch state that the consecration of cattle is to occur only in the Land of Israel, whereas Meir is silent on the matter.

Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

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Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

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Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2