Shemini, The Eighth (day)
Leviticus 9:1 to 11:47
Haftarah: 2 Samuel 6:1 to 19; Psalm 118
Apostolic Writings/Newer Testament/B’rit HaChadashah: Luke 24:1 - 10
This passage is titled “the 8th” as it comes after the 7 days of inaugurating the Mishkan (Tabernacle). There are some differing yet specific instances of the sacred / profane divide in this Parsha. One example is the “strange fire”. We are told that Nadav (pronounced Nawdav) and Avihu went in to the Most Holy Place and offered “strange fire”. Nadav means “servant”; Avihu means “father of him”. What was this “strange fire”? Aharon (Aaron) had been given very clear instructions for how to make offerings, and he followed those instructions. As a result of his faithfulness (see Habakkuk 2 and Romans 1) , the very Presence of The Almighty came and dwelt. This presence is sometimes called “shekinah”, which means presence. Inspired by this manifestation, Nadav and Avihu wanted to get in on the act, and went to the Most Holy Place. They offered the same kind of incense, offered the same “incantation” and waited. The “shekinah” duly “arrived”. What they didn’t do was repent of their sins. This is very similar to the account in the book of “Acts”, where “Simon Magus” wanted to purchase the ability to call upon the Presence of The Almighty. It reminds me of something I heard Vic Jacopson say many years ago in Glastonbury - It is true that “all paths lead to G-d”; some lead to His Judgement Seat, and only one way leads to His Mercy; that way is through Yeshua. (I have paraphrased Vic). In the letter written by Saul / Paul to the Believers in Philippi, he wrote that “at the Name of Yeshua every knee shall bow”.
Also in this Parsha we have the list of “kosher” animals. The list is quite comprehensive; there is much debate over why certain animals are on the list. The fact remains that we are given a list of animals which are acceptable as “food”; any animal not on the list is simply not food for Jewish people. It needn’t be any more complicated than that. Yeshua kept Kosher; Peter kept Kosher; Saul / Paul kept Kosher. For more on this, there is a terrific little book called “They Loved the Torah” written by David Friedman and published by Lederer Books. Does CMJ insist that all Believers in Yeshua (or even all Jewish Believers in Yeshua) should keep Kosher? Absolutely NOT. There is, however, a separation between “clean” and “unclean” going back a long time before the giving of the Torah on Har Sinai (Mount Sinai); even Noah was told about the difference between animals in Genesis.
We also see the inauguration of what is termed “mikveh,” or ritual washing.
When The Almighty says, “I am holy, so should you be” we need to be aware that the word “holy” is from the Hebrew root K-D-SH, which means to set apart. From this root we have such familiar words and terms as “Kiddush”, “Kadosh” and “Kodesh”. We are to be different from the world around us.
Our Haftarah tells of Uzzah, who was struck dead by The Almighty because he touched the Holy Ark. His sin was quite simply that his familiarity with the holy bred contempt. The Ark had been at his brother’s house for a long time; he (Uzzah) had seen it as a piece of furniture, and not as something intrinsically holy. His “sin” may seem slight; it may even be viewed as a good act. However he was told not to touch it, and he did touch it.
As we are in the middle of Pesach (Passover), it is a good time to remember differences.
The very Exodus / Aliyah (literally “going up”; this is the term used when a Jewish person makes Israel their home; it is used of any person going up to Jerusalem; it is also used when a person is called to the Bima in Synagogue to make a blessing or a reading) of the people was necessary for the redemption of the whole world.
The Almighty and His Word are eternal; the giving of the Torah at Sinai was vital for His Word to go to all nations. Yosef Deutsch puts it like this “The story of the exodus of the Jewish people from Egyptian bondage is one of the most spectacular in the history of the world, and also one of the most important. In many ways, it fulfilled the very purpose of Creation. In the beginning, The Almighty created the world as a setting in which His holy Torah could be studied and fulfilled. The first 2,000 years of the history of the world were all a prelude to the climactic Giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. If the Jewish people had not accepted the Torah, the world would have returned to a state of emptiness and void, since there would have been no justification for its continued existence” in his book “Let My Nation Go” published by Feldheim.
As we are in the period of Pesach and the Passion of Yeshua, it is our duty to be different.
Chag Pesach Sameach (Happy Passover) to you all!