The Todah-Offering

The Todah-Offering

A Todah-Offering is an offering to HASHEM of praise, and is usually a sacrifice. I am unable to find any prohibitions against an offering of wine or water or bread as a Todah-Offering, although it was not done. A Todah-Offering was always a sacrifice, a Olah-Offering.

Yechezk’el 40:44-46
⁴⁴Outside the inner gate were chambers for the choirters, in the inner courtyard along the flank of the northern gate, facing towards the south, and there was also one [chamber] along the flank of the eastern gate, facing towards the north.⁴⁵He said to me, “This chamber, which faces south is for the Kohen'im, the guardians of the charge of the House;⁴⁶and the chamber that faces north is for the Kohen'im, the guardians of the charge of the Altar. They, who are the descendants of Zadok, are the ones from among the sons of Levi who approach HASHEM , to serve him.”

This scenario, as a lot of people know, is in the third Temple, the Millennium Beit Ha'Miqdash. Notice that there is an Altar! This Altar is smaller then the other altars in the past, meaning that there will still be animal sacrifice, but not as much. As the bulk of the animal sacrifice was for sin, we know therefore (plus the book of Hebrews) that the need for that offering is lessened (Please see last Sefer Torah, about the Chatah Zevachim חטאה זבחים, the Chatat-Offering). In the Olam Haba (the world to come, the Messianic age), there will be no Chatat-Offering — simply because the Yetzer Hara (the evil inclination) will be destroyed, and ha'Satan will be in the lake of fire. All believers will be keeping Torah again — or they'll simply not be there.

During the Millennial Temple, there still will be (see Yechezk’el 40-43 for details — this is a description all scholars agree is the millennial Temple, as it is a Temple not yet built). But — the others are not!

Vayikra 22:29-33
²⁹When you slaughter a Todah-Offering to HASHEM , you shall slaughter it to gain favor for yourselves.³⁰It must be eaten on that same day, you shall not leave any of it until morning; I am HASHEM .³¹You shall observe My commandments and perform them; I am HASHEM .³²You shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Children of Israel; I am HASHEM Who sanctifies you,³³Who took you out of the land of Egypt to be an God unto you; I am HASHEM .

What is the Todah-Offering sacrifice? A lot of people (I'm picking on everybody here) don't know that there are sacrifices for things other than sin! The Todah-Offering sacrifice is a sacrifice of Praise (how often we hear about that when singing Integrity praise and worship songs!). It is offered when you wish to offer a sacrifice to HASHEM , one of thanks, or praise, or gratitude (read the Tehillim for a play-by-play description of that thought!).

The Todah-Offering sacrifice is to be freely given, not coerced or forced to be given. It is mentioned — for those who count — 23 times in the TaNaKh. Why should one give it? Because one wants to! What purpose does it show? Just that one wishes to praise God! You have to offer it without leaven (in other words, without sin — this is not a Chatat-Offering!), mixed with oil (the anointing of God, a symbol of Messiah). Quite literally, the Todah-Offering is a representation of every offering combined except the Chatat-Offering. You offer it as a gift offering to God.

Why should one offer the killing of an animal as a free sacrifice? Because, HASHEM set that up as a way of worship. How do I know there'll still be sacrifice in the Millennium? There's a sacrificial altar in the Millennium Temple.

Yechezk’el 40:42
⁴²There were also four tables for the Olah-Offering, of hewn stone, on cubit and a half in length, one cubit and a half in width, and on cubit in height; upon them they would lay the implements with which they would slaughter the Olah-Offering and [any other] sacrifice.
Yechezk’el 44:11
¹¹They may be attendants in My Sanctuary responsible for the gates of the Temple, serving the Temple; they may slaughter the Olah-Offering an feast-offering of the people, and they may stand before them to serve them.

Yechezk’el 46:24
²⁴He said to me, “These are the cooking places where the Temple ministers shall cook the sacrifice of the people.”

These are in the Millennial Temple! So I think this wraps that question up!

Top