Parashat Shemini
Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47

Topics (click on any link)
Synopsis of the Torah portion
Spiritual insights into Parashat Shemini
Key verses
Creative Midrash for Parashat Shemini

Chapter 9
In order for the people to behold the Lords presence, they were commanded to bring three offerings: a sin offering, a burnt offering, and an offering of well being. These were to be brought to the Tent of Meeting together with a meal offering with oil mixed in. Each offering was slaughtered in the proper succession and according to the prescribed ritual. Once these sacrifices were completed, Aaron blessed the people. then Moses and Aaron went inside the Tent and when they emerged, the presence of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came forth from before the Lord consuming the burnt offering, and the people bowed low in awe.

Chapter 10
Nadab and Abihu decided to offer unacceptable incense before the Lord, and fire came forth from the Lord and killed them. Moses consoled his brother by explaining that only those who are near to the Lord will he show Himself. Aaron's remaining sons are instructed to remain inside the Tent of Meeting while the rest of the community shall mourn your loss.
The Lord spoke to Aaron telling him and his sons to drink no wine when you enter the Tent of Meeting. You must distinguish between sacred and profane, and between the unclean and the clean.
God commanded Aaron and his remaining sons what and where to eat the sacred offerings by fire, but the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering may be eaten by your children in any clean place. Then Moses became angry with Aaron’s remaining sons because they did not eat the sin offering in the sacred place.

Chapter 11
For the first time, God outlines for the Israelites the foods that are clean and those that are unclean. We may eat from any land animal that has cloven hoofs and chews its cud. Of all the fish in the seas or in the streams, we can eat only those that have fins and scales. Certain birds are not allowable: eagles, vultures, falcons, ostrich, sea gulls, owls, pelicans and storks are among those that may not be eaten. All winged swarming things are abhorred. Whoever touches one of these creatures when they are dead shall be unclean. If one of these dead creatures should touch an object like a vessel and all its contents are unclean. If a clean animal has died, anything that touches it shall be unclean.  These are the instructions concerning living creatures to determine whether they are clean or unclean.

Spiritual insights into Parashat Shemini                        return to top of page
Shemini means the "eighth" day. That was the day that Moses told Aaron and his sons to make sacrifices for themselves and for the people for on that day God will appear to you. Then the priests went into the Tent of Meeting and when they came out, they blessed the people and God appeared to everyone. They saw Him and they fell on their faces when the Almighty appeared before them in a burst of fire. It's no coincidence that the circumcision rite take place on the "eighth" day when God appears to the newborn child as well.

Two of Aaron's sons offered incense to the Lord without His express permission and God's flames immediately consumed them. Perhaps the harsh punishment is a way of impressing us with the absolute importance of following God's rules on matters of holiness because he then states, "You must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the clean and the unclean" (Lev. 10:10). The Book of Leviticus is primarily about achieving holiness through cleanness and how to purify uncleanness. 
The Torah makes clear that certain parts of the people's sacrifice of well-being is to be eaten by the remaining sons of Aaron and their families, as the holy food proscribed to the priests. The Parasha concludes with Chapter 11 that describes in detail the foods that are clean and those that are unclean which may not be eaten. In short, these are the laws of Kashrut.

Key Verses                         return to top of page
This page is not a commentary on the text, but a chance for you to express your own comments and feelings in order to gain deeper insight into your own life.

Leviticus 9:6
Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded that you do, that the presence of the Lord may appear to you".
Food for thought:
1. The commands were to offer sacrifices in a prescribed ritual. Can you imagine that God would appear if the commands were obeyed?
2. What is it about a sacrifice that may cause God to appear?
3. How would you feel if God were about to appear to you?

Leviticus 9:9
Aaron’s sons brought the blood [of the sacrifice] to him; he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; and he poured the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
Food for thought:
1. What comes to mind at the thought of smearing blood on the horns of the altar?
2. Why do you think God wanted horns built onto the altar?
3. What happened to the blood when it was poured at the base of the altar?

Leviticus 9:23
Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the presence of the Lord appeared to all the people.
Food for thought:
1. In what form do you think God appeared to the Israelites?
2. What was this presence like which appeared? Was it the same for everyone?
3. What do you think happened in the Tent?

Leviticus 10:3
Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord meant when He said ‘To those near to me I show Myself holy, And assert My authority before all the people.’" and Aaron was silent.
Food for thought:
1. In what way did these words comfort Aaron after the death of his sons?
2. What did He mean by "those near to me I show Myself holy"?
3. Could Aaron's silence have anything to do with the golden calf?

Leviticus 10:10
For you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean.
Food for thought:
1. How would you distinguish between sacred and profane?
2. Is sacred and profane the same as unclean and clean?
3. What do you think unclean and clean really mean?

Leviticus 11:2-3
Speak to the Israelite people thus: These are the creatures that you may eat from among the land animal: any animal that has true hoofs with clefts through the hoofs, and that chews the cud--such may you eat.
Food for thought:
1. Which domesticated animals can you list that doesn't fall into this category?
2. Can you think of any reasons why animals with cloven hoofs who chew their cud was selected as permissible to eat?
3. What do these animals have to do with unclean and clean?

Leviticus 11:33
And if any of those falls into an earthen vessel, everything inside it shall be unclean and [the vessel itself] you shall break.
Food for thought:
1. Why do you think the earthen vessel itself is to be destroyed, if unclean material falls in it?
2. Does something transfer from the contents of the vessel to the vessel itself?
3. How can we connect this verse to rabbinic laws that we follow today?

Leviticus 11:39
If an animal that you may eat has died, anyone who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening.
Food for thought:
1. What happened to the animal that died so that anyone who touches it becomes unclean?
2. What is being transferred from the dead animal that causes uncleanness?
3. Why is the living animal clean and the dead animal unclean?
4. What does uncleanness have to do with death?

Additional questions to ponder:
1. What is it about the story, a verse, a word that seems to resonate with some aspect of your life?
2. Is there something about the story that rings a bell?
3. Can you recall experiences in your life when you have experienced something similar to this story?
4. How would you describe the characters in the story? Who do you know who's like them?
5. Can you personally identify with any one of the characters in the story? Which one?
6. Can you find a similarity between yourself and all the characters in the story?
 

Reflections:
The Rabbis of old would meditate on such questions, sometimes for weeks at a time, to help find deeper meaning in the verses. You may wish to contemplate just one or a few of these questions at a time, rather than tackling them all.
In what ways we any of your responses to the questions personally meaningful?

Suggestion:
Some of the questions here are of a personal nature which in some cases could be emotionally upsetting. If so, try relaxing your body as much as possible and takes long slow breaths of air. That usually helps to relieve anxiety.

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Creative Midrash on Parashat Shemini                         return to top of page
 
Leviticus 10:10-11
10For you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean; 11and you must teach the Israelites all the laws, which the Lord has imparted to them through Moses.

The Rabbis of old would create parables, stories and narrative connections around such selected verses. What do you see between the lines, the sentences and the letters. The following questions can provide a launch pad upon which to create your own meanings of the Torah.

What does the Torah suggest to you by the words sacred, profane, unclean, and clean? How does this affect your sense of the spiritual? What in your life would you consider as unclean? As clean? Which aspects of your life do you think of as sacred? Which are profane? Is there a difference, in your mind between unclean and clean? Do you think all the laws that the Lord has imparted address your spirituality? If not, which ones do and which ones do not?