Overview of the Weekly Reading: Shmini,
Blessing of the New Month
To be read on 26
Nissan 5764 (April 17
)
Shmini
is the 3rd Reading out of 10 in Leviticus and
26th overall, and 42nd out of 54 in overall
length.
Leviticus 9:1-11:47;; Haftorah:
Samuel II 6:1-7:17 (Death
of Uza, comparable to Aharon's sons)
Pirkei
Avot:
Chapter One
Shmini
begins with a discussion of the service in the Tabernacle on the
eighth day, the first day following the seven days of installation.
Aharon's eldest sons, Nadav and Avihu, brought an unauthorized fire
offering and were consumed by flame from the Holy of Holies. Aharon
is instructed that the priests should never come to the Sanctuary
in a state of drunkenness. Then the completion of the service is
discussed. The balance of the portion is a discussion of the dietary
laws, specifically which mammals, fish, birds and insects are spiritually
pure or not, and which are appropriate to eat and which not.
FROM THE MASTERS
OF KABBALA (K:26-64/Shmini
)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:26-64/Shmini
)
The
secret of meditative prayer on the holy names as they appear in the
different stages of the Standing Prayer is to "sweeten" the harsh
reality of the physical world by combining mercy, the aspect of the
name Havayah, with judgment, related to the name Ado-nai.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy
Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:26-64/Shmini
)
While
water is a mystical referent to the sefira of chesed, earth refers
to the sefira of malchut, the lowest of the ten sefirot and the allegorical
"floor" of the world it belongs to.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shelah,
Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(S:26-64/Shmini
)
"I
remain their G-d while dwelling amongst them in their impurity" (See
Rashi on this verse).
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V26-64/Shmini)
"They brought near before the L-rd a strange fire, which
He had not commanded them." (10:1)
In truth, a Jew should perform every one of the Torah's mitzvot
with such enthusiasm and self-sacrifice that it utilizes all of
his energy and life-force. The mitzva, as a commandment of G-d,
will then in turn infuse him with renewed vitality and life, as
it states, "And you shall live by them." Nadav and Avihu,
however, were not "reanimated" after bringing their "strange
fire," for despite having the proper intentions, what they
did was not a mitzva.
(Siftei Tzadik)
"You shall sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy, because
I am holy." (11:44)
The rich man's son doesn't worry about livelihood because his father
is always there to help him financially. So too is it with the Jewish
people: Because our Father is holy, it doesn't take very much effort
to be holy ourselves. All we need do is take a step in the right
direction, and our Father helps us along.
(Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
(W:26-64/Shmini)
While preparing this essay, something interesting happened: I discovered
a Jewish concept which has no secular parallel. The concept is that
of "accepting the yoke of Heaven" (in Hebrew, "kabalat
ol malchut shamayim"); it is a way of acting that derives from
our obligation to G-d, rather than out of love or fear of Him.
The name of the parasha, Shmini - translated as "eighth",
refers to the eighth day of erecting the Tabernacle (which turned
out to be the first day of the actual service), when the Jewish people
prostrated themselves upon seeing the Heavenly fire descend and consume
offerings to G-d. This was a truly lofty moment as the Jews witnessed
a tremendous G-dly revelation.
This event was shortly followed by the deaths of two of Aaron's sons,
priests who were so drawn to G-d that they caused their souls to depart.
Their passing was a further demonstration of the elevated spiritual
state of the Jewish people at that time, to such a degree that the
rest of the people had to prevent their souls from escaping their
bodies in their great spiritual thirst.
After these events the Torah continues with Jewish dietary laws,
including the one not to eat "creepy-crawlies". Only a Jew
at an extremely lowly spiritual level might be capable of even eating
these impure (and usually un-desirous) creatures. Therefore, it appears
that this section includes two spiritual extremes: from extraordinary
G-dly revelations and spiritual sensitivity to the basest culinary
choices.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe discusses how the Torah's combining of these
two extremes comes to teach us a key concept - one that I would like
to again emphasize is foreign to the secular world.
Serving G-d is based on accepting the Heavenly yoke. This concept
far outdoes common obedience or allegiance. Accepting the Heavenly
yoke is our ability to perform mitzvot from a level that exceeds our
understanding of G-dliness. It might be supposed that accepting the
Heavenly yoke is the way to serve G-d when one is not so spiritually
aware: A "do as I say whether you like/understand it or not"
approach to performing mitzvot. This is far from the truth!
This is applicable even to a Jew who has attained spiritual heights,
who has much G-dly understanding, and whose emotions are pure. Elevated
emotions and intellect are not enough. Do I perform G-d's commandments
only because I understand that they bring about great cosmic effects,
bring reparation of my soul, unite opposing spiritual extremes, etc.?
These reasons are good ones; nevertheless, above and beyond these
motivating factors, a Jew must perform mitzvot because G-d commanded
them.
When a person relies on his or her finite, fallible intellect and
emotions for doing something, there is a certain danger of toppling
from his or her spiritual heights to impure depths. On the other hand,
when we make the acceptance of the yoke of Heaven our ultimate motivator
for doing mitzvot, we connect ourselves to G-d's infinite Will. In
a way, this is our spiritual insurance policy that prevents us from
straying spiritually. Parashat Shmini comes to teach us that accepting
the yoke of Heaven is mandatory for every Jew. Start today!
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul Leiter
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
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