Parshat Shemini – talks about 3 major concepts:
1- Dedication of the Sanctuary – when the Mishkan became operative.
2- About Kosher food – which animals, birds and fish are permissible to eat.
3- the laws of purity and impurity.
The Parsha starts with the words “And it was on the Eighth Day”, and next week’s Parsha (Tazria) also discusses the eighth day – i.e. circumcising the new born child on the eighth day.
Both connote sanctity – the Mishkan being the Sanctuary, and the reproductive male organ being the key for personal purity and sanctification.
They are of course connected. You cannot have any form of sanctity unless there is sexual purity.
This week’s parsha ends with laws and details of purity and impurity, while next week’s parsha goes right into the purity and impurity of birth. Both are related.
The bottom line message of these Parasha’s is that we have to learn how to sanctify ourselves.
Aaron the Priest goes into the Mishkan, does things right, whereas his two sons – Nadav and Avihu – enter the MIshkan, do the wrong thing and are killed.
Even though they were outstanding tzaddikim, still, because they did something uncalled for, they died.
This is the idea of sanctity – it is something between you and Hashem, where you set the parameters of it’s extremities.
Although Hashem is the One who sets these parameters, still, because of our human makeup, there is room for error and shifting which gives us the room to set our personal parameters.
And if this happens by the greatest tzaddikim (i.e. Nadav and Avihu) it can happen to us too.
The key point here though is that a person should not be too overzealous in setting his parameters, as he can then fall very very low.
And right after this incident the Torah talks about the Kosher and non-Kosher items – this is meant as a reminder that there are things that are “okay” in life and things that are not.
Don’t try to wiggle your way around (even in holiness).
Do things simply without extremities – as long as you are within the boundaries.
Learn how to do things right and choose wisely.
