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The third parashah in the book of Leviticus, Sh'mini, picks up where the previous one, Tzav, left off: with the dedication of the Tabernacle (the Mishkan) and the installation of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. In Tzav we read about the various sacrifices the priests have to bring by way of dedicating themselves to serve. In addition, the priests had to sequester themselves within the boundaries of the Tent of Meeting for a full seven days. So it is that our parashah begins with the culmination of all this preparation which falls on the eighth day. At this point the Presence of the Lord will appear before the people. One way everyone realized this was that "Fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar." (Lev. 9 :23-24)
In the midst of this exalted celebration we read of a personal tragedy that befalls Aaron, the High Priest. Two of his sons, Nadab and Abihu, are struck down by a fire that issues from God. The Midrash (Tanchuma) suggests that this act of martyrdom was suggested back in the book of Exodus (29:43), when Moses was receiving the instructions concerning the Dedication. "... and there I will meet with the Israelites, and it shall be sanctified by my Presence" (ונקדש בכבודי - venikdash bich'vodi).
To this day we refer to martyrdom as al kiddush haShem - literally: "for the sanctity of God's Name." So Moses had a suspicion that human life might be at stake in the process of dedicating the Tabernacle. The Tanchuma has Moses telling Aaron following the death of Nadab and Abihu, "Aaron, my brother, I thought that you or I would be the ones to have to offer up our lives, but now I see that Nadab and Abihu were worthier than either of us."
This whole incident raises all kinds of questions about the nature of life and how far does a person go when it comes to religious devotion.
The second major section of Torah portion deals with laws of Kashrut. We are told specifically what animals, birds, fish and insects we are permitted to eat, and which ones we are forbidden to consume. We might ask why the Torah juxtaposes these two themes which appear so distinct from each other.
I'd like to suggest that this connection supports the thought that the design of the Tabernacle parallels that of the human body, and that the significance of this is to teach us that each one of us is a "temple": a place which the Divine Spirit can reside, provided we follow the "guidelines" appropriate to such a dwelling place. The exterior altar represented the human digestive system: just as offerings are consumed on the altar, so our food is consumed through our digestive tract. Just as there are only certain animals that are permitted as "food" on the altar, so there are only certain animals that we are permitted to eat! |
Mazel Tov to Linda Biggs on the celebration of her Bat Mitzvah this Shabbat. Linda will chant the Haftarah and share the morning with her BSKI family and her wide circle of friends. It was her express intention to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah on the Shabbat preceding Yom HaShoah since her decision to become a daughter of the House of Israel had to do with her deep feelings for what happened to the Jewish People under German Nazi oppression. Linda has worked for a number of years now with her friend Marilyn Kincaid on studying Hebrew and learning about the siddur.
This year BSKI is honored to host the St. Louis Jewish Community Holocaust Memorial Service. The commemoration will take place this Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. in our Allen Sanctuary. The theme this year is "Resistance. Defiance. Courage." Survivors will share personal stories describing the various ways they attempted to resist the cruel domination of their Nazi oppressors. We are so pleased to welcome the various members of our St. Louis Jewish community to share this occasion.
I'm very happy to share with you that the choir that is in formation for the A Cappella service, slated for Friday evening, April 30th at 7 pm had a successful rehearsal this past Thursday evening. About sixteen people came together representing an entire spectrum of ages and voices. I do hope you'll be able to take full advantage of the offerings we have for you this weekend
Our condolences to Betty and Al Rosenberg on the recent loss of her brother, Saul Becker. The funeral will take place this coming Sunday, April 11th, at 10 am at the Beth HaMedrosh HaGadol cemetery on Ladue Road. May God send comfort to all who have suffered loss.
... and on this Shabbat, may you find rest and relaxation for your soul!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mordecai Miller
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