PARSHAT SHEMINI, LEVITICUS 9:1–11:47

PARSHAT SHEMINI, LEVITICUS 9:1–11:47

Devorah the first woman Judge rendering judgment

At 10:8-9 

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר

יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל-תֵּשְׁתְּ אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ, בְּבֹאֲכֶם אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד--וְלֹא תָמֻתוּ:  חֻקַּת עוֹלָם, לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם

“And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine that will lead to intoxication, neither you nor your sons with you, when you go into the Tent of Meeting, so that you shall not die. [This is] an eternal statute for your generations”

The prohibition against drinking wine is directed at the priests officiating in the Sanctuary. However this prohibition is true and good for any person who is required to discern and distinguish between things. A Judge is such a person.  A Judge is also forbidden to give a ruling or render a verdict when intoxicated.

However get this from the 13 century Sefer HaChinuch 152:

“…And the prohibition of coming to the Temple in drunkenness is practiced at the time of the (Temple) by males and females. And the prevention of giving a ruling is in every place and at all times by males and so by a sage woman that is fitting to give a ruling.”

Does this mean that it is O.K. for a qualified woman  such as Deborah to interpret the Law and give Halachic rulings? Oy Vey… What are things coming to?

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At 11:6 we are commanded not to eat rabbits:

וְאֶת-הָאַרְנֶבֶת, כִּי-מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה הִוא, וּפַרְסָה, לֹא הִפְרִיסָה; טְמֵאָה הִוא, לָכֶם

“And the hare, because it brings up its cud, but does not have a cloven hoof; it is unclean for you”

An animal that chews its cud is called a ruminant. The hare or rabbit or אַרְנֶבֶת is not a ruminant although the scientist Carl Linnaeus, who formalized modern biologic nomenclature, at one time included the hare with other ruminants.  What’s going on here? How can the Torah say that the rabbit chews its cud when science knows that it does not?

In terms of eating and digesting of its food, the hare does something close to ruminant behavior, but not exactly so. Rabbits eat a large amount of greens each morning. These are only partially digested and the remnants are excreted.  After some time the hare returns to have another go, this time on its half digested droppings…ugh.  It has the appearance of animal chewing its cud. Thus the Torah has come up with a warning not to eat hares because they do not have split hooves.

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THE KILLING OF NADAV AND ABIHU

In Parshat Shemini, Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Abihu, die at the hand of heaven when they bring “strange fire” before HaShem (Leviticus 10:1-2).  The Sages and commentators offer many reasons for their death.  For example: their behavior was inappropriate because they were drunk or they did not seek permission from Moses or that they were in the Holy of Holies, and only the Kohen Gadol was authorized to enter the Holy of Holies.

I think however that the responsibility for their death lies in part with their father or perhaps with their uncle Moses, himself.  It all begins in the previous year, eight months before, in the month of Tammuz with the Sin of the Golden Calf:  Moses is away on Mt. Sinai, learning Torah from HaShem, and Aaron is in charge.  The Israelites become restive; Aaron calms them down; he makes a golden calf and proclaims the next day as a festival day (Exodus 32:1-6). 

Then early the next day, a festival day, the people bring Olah and Shlamim offerings to an altar that Aaron has erected. The Olah is the standard voluntary offering where the entire animal, except for its skin goes up to HaShem. It is a form of a gift, a thank you and by doing so, the offeror comes closer to HaShem.  The Shlamim is also voluntary, and also has a thank you connotation, but in this instance it is shared between HaShem, the priesthood and the offeror.  In both of these offerings there is a prescribed ritual  which Aaron’s sons are required to carry out which means that although Aaron may have made the golden calf, his sons assisted the populace in giving thanks to it.

HaShem becomes incensed; he vows to annihilate the entire population except for Moses, but Moses pleads on behalf of the people and calms HaShem down.  However, in the aftermath, the Sons of Levi by name, and not Aaron and his sons by name, slay three thousand of the evil-doers.  Additionally as a punishment, HaShem brings a plague against the Israelites. But in no instance does it appear that Aaron and his sons are held accountable, at least not at this juncture.

Fast forward one year later to the 1^st of Nissan, the Mishkan has been completed and ready to be activated as a resting place for HaShem.  Aaron and his sons, including Nadav and Abihu the eldest of them, have been personally trained by Moses as to how to carry out their duties.  Nadav and Abihu are consumed by a heavenly fire. And the question is…Who is responsible for their deaths?

The Sages and commentators place the responsibility on the two brothers themselves.  Support for this position can be found in the narrative of the death of Uzzah found in this week's Haftarah portion (2Samuel 6:3-7).  At King David’s direction, Uzzah was helping to transport the Ark by wagon from his father AviNadav’s (interesting name) house to Jerusalem, and inadvertently grasped the Ark when it became dislodged.  Although Uzzah intended no disrespect, HaShem struck him and he died.  If this could happen to Uzzah because of an accident, then how much more so Nadav and Abihu because of their deliberate actions.  Although King David, very much like Moses, was ultimately responsible for the care of the Ark, he like Moses was not punished.  However, King David was frightened enough not to move the Ark again for another three months.

Notwithstanding that the Torah does not explicitly hold Aaron, Nadav and Abihu or any of Aaron’s children responsible for the sin of the golden calf; a case may be made for doing so.  Again, returning by example to King David in 2 Samuel 12:13-18: David sinned with Batsheva.  HaShem through the prophet Nathan called him to account.  David admitted his guilt; HaShem did not kill him, but the son born to David died seven days after having been born.  It could be that Aaron paid a similar price.

I think one of the lessons here is that leadership is an awful responsibility, one not to be taken lightly, not only for purposes of potential culpability, but because of possible dire consequences from inadvertent or deliberate errors in judgment.

I’ll leave it you as to who should take responsibility for the death of Nadav and Abihu. I myself like happy endings.  It could be as some say: their physical bodies were not up to being in such close proximity to the Divine Presence, and their spiritual souls just exited their physical bodies, only to be united with HaShem.

I realize that calling this essay “THE KILLING OF NADAV AND ABIHU” and not “THE DEATH OF NADAV AND ABIHU” I am making a statement that their death was a deliberate act and not an accidental occurrence.

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QUESTIONS FOR THE SHABBOS TABLE PARSHAS VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI, EXODUS 35:1–40:38

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHABBOS TABLE

PARSHAS VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI, EXODUS 35:1–40:38

This week we have a double Parsha: Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20) and Pekudei (Exodus  38:21-40:38).

Parsha Vayakhel begins:

וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה, אֶת-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

 “And Moshe assembled all of the congregation, the Children of Israel…”

You can see in the word וַיַּקְהֵל the root of קהלה or assembly or community.

That is why Olim in my home town of Nahariya are the קהילת עולים נהריה , the Nahariya Olim Community.

In this week’s Parshat the Mishkan is finally constructed.

There are commentators who are of the opinion that the construction of the Mishkan parallels the construction of the universe.  And oddly enough there are commentators who find parallels between the Mishkan and the Jewish home.  What do you think and why?

In Parsha Vayakhel at 35:1 :

אֵלֶּה, הַדְּבָרִים, אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יְהוָה, לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם

"… These are the things that the Lord commanded to make".

Moses assembles the people of Israel and reiterates to them the commandment to observe the Shabbat. He then conveys Hashem’s instructions regarding the making of the Mishkan. The people donate the required materials in abundance, bringing gold, silver and copper; blue-, purple- and red-dyed wool; goat hair, spun linen, animal skins, wood, olive oil, herbs and precious stones.  

Would you believe, Moses has to tell us to stop giving!

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Because this Shabbat falls before the end of the month Adar and before the beginning of the month of Nisan it is called Shabbat HaChodesh, the Sabbath of the Month.  

A special Maftir portion is read from the Book of Exodus 12:1-20, which reminds us that the Festival of Passover will shortly be upon us.

In that regard, I would like to present some of the many Laws of Passover to help you get ready for the big event, the Festival of Our Freedom.  It is not meant to be an exhaustive presentation or for that matter an authoritative presentation, but something for you to talk about at your table and put you on the right track.

PROHIBITION OF CHOMETZ

On Passover, which begins on Wednesday evening the 8th of April to the 16^th of April, not only are forbidden to eat Chometz, but we must have removed any and all Chometz from our possession by the morning preceding the Festival.

The prohibition of Chometz on Pesach is an absolute one.  Not only are we forbidden from eating Chometz, we are even forbidden to feed Chometz to our pets.

What is the basis for the prohibition? Because it says so (Exodus 12:15):

“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; moreover on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel”.

First things first: What is Chometz?

When either wheat, barley, rye, spelt or oats have come in contact with or even slightly combines with water, you get Chometz.  We are ordered to remove and/or destroy all traces of Chometz from our possession.

How do we get rid of Chometz?

There is a three step procedure:

1. Sell your Chometz to a non-Jew.

2. Search and destroy: Search on the evening before and destroy by burning on the following morning.

3. On the morning before Passover, declare any possible remaining Chometz to be nullified.

All prohibitions regarding Chometz apply to all the days of Pesach. The Torah prohibits any use of Chometz on Pesach, whether it is eaten, sold or even given away.  Chometz may only be destroyed.

After Passover You have to be careful.  It is forbidden to partake of or purchase Chometz from a Jew who did not sell his Chometz before Passover.  It is a fair question to ask someone if they had sold their Chometz.

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On this Shabbat we conclude the reading of Sefer Shmot with the concluding Parsha, Pekudei. 

There is a 19^th century saying attributed to Lord Acton that goes as follows: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men..."

It would seem what is very much true now, was also true in the time of Moshe Rabeinu.   Moshe, our greatest leader, gives an accounting before the people of the gifts and donations brought by B’nei Yisrael in conjunction with the construction of the Mishkan.  For Moshe there is complete transparency.

Psalm 24:3-4: “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the LORD? and who shall stand in His holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; {N} who hath not taken My name in vain, and hath not sworn deceitfully.”

This week’s double parsha concludes with the Mishkan being completed. All its

components are brought to Moses, who erects it and anoints it with the holy anointing oil.  Moses initiates Aaron and his four sons into the priesthood. A cloud appears over the Mishkan, signifying the Divine Presence, the Shekinah, has come to dwell within it.  

May it continue to do.

We conclude our reading of the Book of Exodus with:חזק חזק ונתחזק.

QUESTIONS FOR THE SHABBOS TABLE PARSHAS TERUMAH, EXODUS 25:1–27:19

Questions for the Shabbos Table contains snippets from the weekly Torah portion. The goal of Questions for the Shabbos Table is to bring more Torah to English speakers living in Israel and abroad.

For some who have recently immigrated to Israel, there may be the nagging sentiment of being in a foreign country. Questions for the Shabbos Table is intended to do away with that sentiment, for you not to be a stranger in a strange land.

And for those living abroad, it is a means to come closer to the Divine. If however you are living in the Land, you are already a step closer.

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QUESTIONS FOR THE SHABBOS TABLE

PARSHAS TERUMAH, EXODUS 25:1–27:19

In Parshas Terumah, 25:8, Hashem says to Moshe:

וְעָשׂוּ לִי, מִקְדָּשׁ; וְשָׁכַנְתִּי, בְּתוֹכָם

 “Let them make Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.”

I think that the Land of Israel is the sanctuary that Hashem commanded us to build.  Israel is a sanctuary, a safe haven for us Jews as well as a private place for the presence of God.

This week we receive detailed instructions regarding the construction of the משכן, the portable sanctuary, a dwelling place for Hashem’s presence.  Two of the major components of the משכן are the Ark and the Menorah:

The Ark is protected by two Cherubs.  These are winged-liked unearthly creatures that have the faces of children.  It is thought just as the Cherubs protect the Ark, it is our children who protect our Torah and our Jewish traditions.

The Menorah in its abstract resembles a tree, perhaps the Tree of Life.  And when it branches are lit by Aaron the Kohen Gadol, the Menorah resembles Hashem’s Torah that gives light to us Jews and to the world at large.

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The Haftorah portion of Parshas Terumah is from KINGS 1 5:26 - 6:13. It begins:

“And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him, “

 וַיהוָה, נָתַן חָכְמָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה, כַּאֲשֶׁר, דִּבֶּר-לוֹ

God gives Solomon wisdom, and in the Book of Kings 1 from Chapter 3 through 10 we learn of the glory of Solomon’s rule.  But then we come to Chapter 11 and a different picture of Solomon emerges.  He is no longer wise, and it is not just Solomon’s excesses in terms of horses, wives and gold.  Nor is it the negative influence of his Egyptian Queen, in terms of her idolatry.

At 11:1 – “King Solomon loved many foreign women and the daughter of Pharaoh; Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.

At 11:3 - And he had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned away his heart.

At 11;5 - And Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

At 11:7 - Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab on the mountain that is before Jerusalem and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

At 11:9 - And the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had digressed from the Lord, God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice.

At 11:11 - And the Lord said to Solomon, "For as this has been with you, and you have not observed My covenant and My statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and I shall give it to your servant.

And that is exactly what happened: The Kingdom of Judah had been comprised of all 12 Tribes. Ten of these revolted and they became known as the Kingdom of Israel or the Northern Kingdom.   Judah was left with only two Tribes that of Benjamin and Judah.

Solomon’s servant was none other than Jeroboam (11:26). He had an opportunity to succeed to all the blessings that were to be given to Solomon and Judah, but he too followed the path of idolatry.

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Rosh Chodesh (1 Adar) has a connection to the Parsha in regard to the construction of the Mishkan.  According to the Talmud (Tractate Megillah 22b), women are forbidden to engage in work on Rosh Chodesh.   Rashi comments: Women must refrain: spinning, weaving, and sewing—the skills that women contributed to the building of the Mishkan.

There is a Midrash, (Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 45), as paraphrased explores this further: Aaron argued with himself, saying: "If I say to Israel, 'Give me gold and silver,' the men will bring it immediately; but behold if I will say to them, 'Give me the earrings of your wives and your sons,' the matter will immediately fail,"

 "And Aaron said to them, 'Break off the golden rings.'" The women heard this, but they were unwilling to give their earrings to their husbands. The women said to them: "You want to make a graven image, a molten image (the Golden Calf) without any power in it to deliver.

"The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the women their reward in this world and the world to come. What reward did He give them in this world? That they should observe the new moons more stringently (not work) than the men. What reward will He give them in the world to come? They are destined to be renewed like the new moons, as it is said: "Who satisfies the years with good things; their youth is renewed like the eagle."

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