Well, by the time the Shabbat begins; Passover will have passed. At Passover\s conclusion, we return our kitchen back to normal, back to Chametz. Pesach dishes, pots, pans, and utensils are wrapped, boxed, and stored away for another year. Hopefully, everything will return to normal by the time Shabbat begins. As my wife and I get just a little bit older, and our home is now filled with three teen-agers who quite capable young people, we expect them to help us prepare for Pesach and to clean up after Pesach. I am willing to bet that our son will disappear into his room, claiming he is tired. What’s so amazing about that idea is that he hasn’t had school all week. He sleeps until 11 every morning. How can he be tired? He could have stayed up but he opted for bed. Ironically, he always asks to stay up. However, if cleaning up, and schlepping boxes are involved, he will discover the idea of fatigue. As for our teenage daughters, well for about 15 minutes the 19-year-old helped and then she will get sidetracked with speaking to her friend. The 17-year-old will be unable to find the motivation to help unless she eats Chametz…a sandwich, a bowl of cereal, anything really. She will probably complain for an hour about the lack of anything to eat. Eventually, she will eat. When she was finally ready to help, she provided a whopping ten minutes before she lost interest and grew tired. I will get very frustrated with my three helpful teenagers.. So, my poor wife and I will wrap, pack, and clean, and they will do next to nothing. I am sure I will say something expressing my anger and frustration then step outside before anything worse came out of my mouth, When I go back inside, I will have a calmer conversation with our kids and everyone will apologize. Hopefully, everyone will understand the importance of offering of humility. Without it, it can be very difficult to apologize.
This Shabbat, we resume the weekly Torah Readings with Parsha Shemini. Divided into three chapters, Parsha Shemini begins the narrative aspects of the book of Leviticus. Until now, we have read God’s speaking to Moshe about all the various Korbonot (offerings) and Moshe speaking to B’nai Yisroel and the Kohanim about all the Korbonot (offerings). Now, Aaron, the Kohen Gadol, begins his preparations for and then engages in the actual slaughtering of the Ram as part of his own Sin Offering. First, the Kohen Gadol must be without blemish, without sin, and ritually pure before he begins serving as the conduit between the individual/community and God. When the Kohen is ritually impure and attempts to approach God inappropriately we learn the results, as does Aaron (Lev. 10:1-2). Finally, we learn how the individual/the community can aspire to be holy without Kohen Gadol’s involvement. We learn this by the Torah’s enumeration of all the animals that are prohibited for consumption.
The Parsha begins with the word VaYehi: It was on the eighth day; Moses summoned Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel (Lev. 9:1). In the Talmudic tractate of Megillah (10b) we are taught that the word VaYehi often serves as foreshadow for troubling events. The Midrash teaches that this Parsha occurred on the first of Nissan, an incredibly happy time since it serves as an indicator of Zman Cheiruteinu – the Time of our Freedom and the Pesach holiday. However, this is a bittersweet moment. The sweetness is the fact that the community is gathering together for the dedication of the Mishkan. The bitterness lay in the fact that a Mishkan is even necessary. Prior to the sin of the Eigel Zahav (Golden Calf), there was no need for a place for Bnai Yisroel to gather and engage in communal and individual Tshuva. Following the sin of the Eigel Zahav, we as individuals and as a community required a central gathering place to atone for our sins, and engage in Tshuvah. Next, we read Vayomer El Aharon Kach Lecha Eigel ben Bakar L’Chatat – [Moshe] said to Aaron: Take for yourself a young bull for a sin offering…(Lev. 9:3).What sin offering? What did Aaron do wrong that a Sin-offering was required? Precisely because of Aaron’s involvement in the Golden Calf debacle, he needs to atone. So Aaron must bring a Chatat offering, a sin offering. Aaron must admit his sin, atone for it, and seek a spiritual return to God (Tshuvah) prior to serving on the behalf of the people. Even more powerful than Aaron’s fulfilling this obligation is the fact that Aaron’s two remaining sons, the Elders, and the entire assembly will bear witness to Aaron’s humbling of himself. Not only will Aaron know that he is worthy to serve on behalf of the people, but the people will know as well.
Our sages hold Aaron in very high esteem. While the Rabbinic Sages are troubled with the way he handled himself during the incident of the Golden Calf; it is here in Parsha Shemini, when Aaron publicly humbles himself, we understand Aaron’s meritorious conduct. Aaron’s behavior provides a powerful lesson for any individual in a position of authority or leadership. Our ability to engage in heartfelt Tshuva does not diminish our authority but rather enhances it. Ironically, we will be so quick to return to Chametz, to our kitchen and too our lives. We will forget all about Matzah, the Lechem Oni, We will forget that Chametz is symbolic of arrogance and Matzah is symbolic of humility. So even though Passover will have passed over, we will have one more lesson about Chametz and Matzah, about the Lechem Oni and humility as we return our kitchen back to normal.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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