Parsha Shemini (Leviticus 9:1-11:46)
By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin
PIKESVILLE, Maryland — Despite Leviticus dealing with the no longer existing tabernacle and the priests who functioned in it, the book contains important lessons for us today. The following are three such lessons in the portion Shemini (9:1-11:46) as seen by the rational thinker Shadal.
Verse 9:4 commands the offering of a sacrifice and concludes with the words “for today the Lord will show Himself to you.”
The last words present a problem. The same problem exists in Exodus 24:19 and elsewhere, where some people are said to have seen God. What does the Torah mean by saying people saw God? We know people cannot do so.
Shadal explains that, at times, humans only think they see God when they see what God has produced. In 9:4, they saw an act of God, fire consuming the sacrifice.
This reminds us of Exodus 33:18-23, which states we cannot see God but can see what God has provided.
It also reminds us that we should recognize today that God provided everything to us.
This is why our ancestors instructed us to say a blessing of thanks to God when we eat and do certain other things. We recognize that God provided these.
Two sons of Moses’s brother Aaron brought fire shovels to the tabernacle and placed incense in them in verse 10:1. In verse 10:2, a fire came from God and killed them.
What happened?
Shadal notes that one shovel was all that was required. He explains that the two sons who served as priests under their father, the High Priest, wanted to show by bringing an additional sacrifice that they could be especially pious.
Many people are like these sons. They think it is admirable to go to extremes, such as spending an entire day and part of the night reading holy books and praying while not working and ignoring fellow humans. Aristotle and Maimonides stressed that we must act according to the middle path, “The Golden Mean.”
A courageous soldier does not rush unthinking against an enemy force without any fear. He or she is fearful and cautious and thinks before attacking.
Here, in 10:1 and 2, God makes the same point.
The portion Shemini contains many dietary laws, which foods Jews are allowed to eat and what is prohibited. The Torah does not explain why; many reasons were given in post-biblical times.
Shadal suggests that the purpose is to separate Jews from non-Jews by elevating them by removing them from disgusting foods and causing Jews to show that non-Jews should also elevate themselves.
We need to understand that eating affects us. Most people recognize the statement, “We are what we eat.” Humans must avoid all loathsome things and acts and seek good relationships with all God created and formed. And the best way to worship God is to treat others as you want to be treated, not spend time with what is undesirable.
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Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin is a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. He is the author of more than 50 books.