Parashat Shemini (Leviticus 9-11)
Leviticus 9
9:1 And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
Comment: “the eighth day”: Although this is the eight day since the start of the week-long sanctification process of the tent of meeting, this is also the first day when the tent of meeting will function. Man and Gd will meet here. This is in the year 2449 since creation, on the 1st day of the first month (on the 1st New Moon in the spring).
http://www.mesora.org/FateofMishkan.html
This is partially proved in what Gd told Moses in Exodus 40:2: “On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.”
Mathematically, the eighth day is also the first day after a 7-day week. Why does the Bible use such an uncommon phrase “the eighth day”, to refer to the first day after the week of sanctification? I think this is to symbolize a continuation. Whatever is done in the preparation during the previous week is not wasted. A Jewish tradition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_6000, says that this world will last for a “week” of seven thousand years, with the 7th millennium being a “sabbath”, probably corresponding to Christian’s millennium kingdom in Revelation 20. What will happen after that? According to Revelation 21-22, there will be a new world: the new Jerusalem with a new heaven and a new earth. This new world is perhaps more like “the eighth day” than “the first day”: whatever we do during “the week before” in this world, is not wasted, since this world is an opportunity to prepare for the new world to come, an eternal world.
Leviticus 10
10:1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
Comment: “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron”: They are priests, sons of the high priest. One of them would inherit the position of the high priest, were it not for this error that they now make.
10:2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Comment: “fire”: Gd is like fire. Being very close to the fire, a flying insect gets light and warmth, but there is also the danger of getting burned by mistake.
10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
Comment: Why does the Torah teach this commandment against serving Gd after alcohol consumption, in the context of the deaths of two sons of Aaron? Weren’t their deaths caused by a different reason, i.e., offering strange fire (v.1)?
It is possible that they drunk wine beforehand also, and that in a completely sober state they would not make the fatal mistake offering strange fire. See, e.g.,
http://jewishdrinking.com/nadavavihu/
https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/414/JBQ_414_2_wolakalcohol.pdf
Leviticus 11
11:13 And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,
2026 Comment: Why did the Torah not state the characteristics of nonkosher fowls, but named the nonkosher species one by one?
There are much less nonkosher species of birds than the kosher ones – a total of 24 kinds are nonkosher, including the ones listed here and the ones listed in Deuteronomy 14). See
https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh%2C_Yoreh_De’ah.82.2?lang=en
However we have to be careful not to eat every kind of bird not mentioned in the translated bible, since we now are not totally sure what those Hebrew bird names correspond to. So practically, only birds with a known tradition to be kosher may be eaten by Jews, such as chicken, duck, goose, turkey. However, at least theoretically, if one knows the meanings of the Hebrew bird names for sure regarding what birds they are, one can have a much bigger variety of fowl meat to eat from. In the opposite scenario, if people forgot the tradition that turkey is kosher, then in the future Jews could no longer eat turkey on Thanksgiving. This is an example where knowledge and keeping of tradition can lead to a practical advantage. I believe Torah is deliberate to leave nonkosher birds named this way to promote knowledge and encourage keeping of tradition.
11:35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.
2026 Comment: Why is the Torah seemingly redundant, and says “shall be unclean unto you” here, if it has already mentioned before, that “they are unclean”?
Jewish biblical interpretation often emphasizes that Torah is not really redundant, each seemingly redundancy teaches something new. Here, for the seemingly redundant “and shall be unclean unto you”, Rashi records that this verse allows the pot to be kept unclean and used for mundane purposes, without being broken down to remove ritual impurity for holy purposes. Practically this is very lenient nowadays: since the Temple and sacrificial food and priestly food are unavailable now, there is no need to to break down earthenware ovens, ranges, or pots to keep ritual cleanliness. https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Leviticus.11.35?lang=bi
(Otherwise, in holy matters such as related to the Temple, uncleanliness may lead to severe penalties. Ritual cleanliness is a very complicated subject and my understanding may not be totally correct. Some related links are here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumah_and_taharah
)
11:47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.
Comment: By making a difference between unclean and clean food, a Jew will be reminded that they are different from people of the nations, since they are holy to Gd.
The prohibition of eating unclean food also makes it difficult for them to dine together and socialize with the other peoples, so that they will not be influenced by pagan religions. It’s also possible that clean food is better for health and intelligence.
This may be why in New Testament Acts 10, a Jewish Christian, Peter, initially seemed to be reluctant to eat unclean food (Acts 10:13-34): “And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.”
However, now Jesus died and was resurrected. This is good news to all the nations. In order to spread the good news, the Jewish Christians may need to eat together with the gentiles. It is then very logical that the prohibition against eating unclean food was suspended in that Acts chapter.