SEDRA : Shemini Shabbat Parah Hertz Chumash p. 443 Leviticus Ch. 9

This week's Sedra is generously sponsored by Michael Casper.

SYNOPSIS:

"Shemini" literally means the "eighth" day following the seven days of the consecration of Aaron and his sons, the Kohanim, into their sacred role. Aaron and his sons are called upon to prepare and sacrifice the sin offering, burnt offering and peace offering as an atonement for themselves and the nation "that the glory of the Lord may appear unto you". These are carried out. The people are blessed by Aaron and Moses and "the glory of G-d appeared to all the people" who rejoiced and prostrated themselves. At this consummation of all the preceding events, Nadav and Avihu, Aaron's eldest sons brought a "strange fire" which was not commanded. Immediately "a fire from before the Lord" devoured them. Moses explained to a stunned Aaron that G-d's standards may not be deviated from, even by those in the highest office. Aaron remained poignantly silent. The bodies of Nadav and Avihu were removed by Mishael and Elzaphan, cousins of Aaron, but the Kohanim were instructed to preserve their sanctity and not to mourn - this their brethren, the whole nation of Israel would do on their behalf.

The next paragraph forbids the Kohanim to drink wine before entering upon their duties. The proximity of this rule to the tragic incident has led to the interpretation (among many others) that Nadav and Avihu were intoxicated on duty. Moses then rebuked Aaron for not eating of the offering. Aaron referred to his personal tragedy as rendering him ineligible to have done so which meets with Moses' approval.

The laws of Kashrut as part of the System of Spiritual purity are then enumerated. Animals which have parted hoofs and chew the cud are permitted, all others - some specifically enumerated - are forbidden. Fish with scales and fins are permitted, all other varieties are forbidden. Birds of prey are forbidden, and again some of the forbidden varieties are enumerated. Basically, the domestic varieties and those permitted in the Torah may be eaten. Reference is made to the "TUM'AH", spiritual defilement, engendered by various animals and insects. These laws were particularly significant in times when the Temple was in existence as defilement rendered one ineligible to enter its precincts.

The reasons for Kashrut are clearly defined as being of a spiritual nature "...neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of swarming things.... For I am the Lord your G-d who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your G-d; you shall be Holy, for I am Holy".

SPECIAL MAPHTIR - (The red heifer) HERTZ CHUMASH P. 652 Numbers Chap. 19 This is the third of the four special Shabbatot leading up to Pesach. It refers to the purification of those who had come into contact with death. Such contact rendered a person TAMEH (ritually `impure') and precluded their entry into the Sanctuary or Temple.
The purification ritual climaxed with the sprinkling of water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer over the candidate for purification. Once TAHOR (ritually pure) again, entry to the Temple was permissible. The "Pesach connection" - since the entire nation was expected to partake of the Paschal Lamb, which was a Temple ritual, it was necessary for all who had become TAMEH to be purified before Pesach.

THE HAPHTORAH HERTZ CHUMASH P. 999 Ezeckiel Ch. 36, verses 16 - 38 The theme of the haphtorah relates to the special maphtir in that they both deal with the subject of purification. "How Israel is to emerge from the grave of Exile, to undefiled service of G-d".(Hertz)

TELL ME RABBI ... THE MEANING OF "TORAH"

Defying every natural law which determines the fate of nations, the Jew continues to proclaim: "I will not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord" (Psalms).
This miracle of `eternal life' is made possible by the possession of and adherence to the Torah. "... a tree of life to them that uphold on it" (Proverbs 3,16).
In the narrow sense "Torah" refers to the Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch. "Torah" in the broad sense denotes the whole body of Jewish religious teaching from the time of Moses at Sinai, to the present.
Judaism regards all subsequent expressions of Jewish religious thought, including "everything which a talented scholar is destined in the future to reveal" as merely an elaboration or elucidation of the text of the "restricted" Torah.

THE BIBLE:

The Torah of Moses is only a part of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew for Bible, Tanach is a mnemonic made up of the initial letters "Torah" (The Pentateuch), "Nevi'im" (the Prophets), and "Ketuvim" (the Holy Writings, the Hagiographa).

(a) Pentateuch: (Chumash). Historically the Pentateuch covers the period from the Creation to the Death of Moses when the Israelites were poised to enter and conquer the Promised Land. Its importance is not as a mere historical record, but especially as the Revelation G-d's Will to the Jewish people and all mankind. It is primarily the book of Commandments, guiding us in the conduct our of lives in accordance with G-d's Will.

(b) Prophets: Historically the Prophets cover the period from the entry into the Promised Land under Joshua, after the death of Moses, until the Destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians and to some extent, the post exilic period to the close of the biblical period, about 450 BCE. The first part are the Earlier Prophets. Essentially they are the books, Joshua, Judges, Samuel I and II, and Kings I and II ending with the destruction of the Temple.
The second portion consists of those spiritual geniuses who were vouchsafed direct communications from G-d. A purely technical division depending upon the length of the prophecies, but unrelated to their chronological order or importance is customary, One portion consists of the lengthy prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

The others are called the 12 minor prophets; "minor" only as regards the length of their writings. The last ones, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi prophesied after the Return to Zion in 538 BCE, extending the historical period of the Prophets to close off the biblical period.

The other nine are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk and Zephaniah.

(c) Ketuvim: Hagiographa, the Greek for "Sacred Writings" consists of 12 books which can be divided into three groups:
( i) Though not in order, make up the apt word "Emet" (Truth). They are Tehillim (Psalms), Mishle (Proverbs), Iyov (Job) constituting what is called "Wisdom Literature" speaking of universal ethics, without necessarily a Jewish focus. Job was not even a Jew.
(ii) The second portion consists of the Five Megillot (including Ecclesiastes mentioned above).
(iii) The third consists of the historical books Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah. This continues the historical record from the Proclamation of Cyrus, the King of Persia, who in 538 BCE allowed the exiles to return to Zion, to the close of the biblical period, about 450 BCE.

Chronicles I and II are an historical account parallel to the historical record of the Books of Kings, but presented from a more religious point of view.