Parashat Shmini

The word Shmini, the title of this week’s parashah, means eighth, specifically, the eighth day. This was my Bat Mitzvah parashah, and back then my father challenged me to find connections to other numbers in the Torah. Like many children, since my father suggested it, my Dvar Torah went in a completely different direction. But follow along with me now, and let’s try it together.

 

In Parashat Shmini, many things occur on this eighth day. Aharon and his sons officially begin their work after being inducted into the job 8 days prior. God’s divine presence dwells in the Mishkan. Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, offer a “strange fire” before God and die right there on the spot. Aharon remains silent. Elazar and Itamar eat the Kohen’s food in the wrong place. Aharon lifts his hands and blesses Bnai Yisrael. The first laws of kashrut are given. No numbers here to connect to the number eight.

But let’s jump to another number for a moment. The number seven is usually what gets people’s attention in the Torah.

7 days to create the world.

7th day is Shabbat.

7 pairs of clean animals that Noah must bring on the ark.

7 years that Yaakov had to work in order to marry Leah and then 7 more years in order to marry Rahel.

7 years of famine and then 7 years of plenty that Yosef managed in Mitzrayim.

7 daughters that Yitro has.

7 days to celebrate many festivals in Israel.

7 days in each of the 7 weeks as we count the Omer.

7 brachot (blessings) when a couple gets married.

7 days of shiva when mourning someone who passed away.

7 branches on the Menorah in the Beit HaMikdash.

7 years for Shmitah (agricultural cycle). 

7 major Jewish holidays.

 

Okay. But this week’s parashah is named Shmini, not Shvi’i. So let’s talk about things in the Torah that come in eights.

8 days for a male child to have their Brit Milah.

8th day of Sukkot is called Shmini Atzeret, its own holiday.

8 days to celebrate Chanukah.

8 days to celebrate Pesach if you are outside the land of Israel.

8th day when all firstborn animals are to be dedicated to Gd.

 

And from this week’s parashah: The eighth day marks the moment of the formal beginning of the priesthood, the functioning of the Mishkan, and the establishment of an ongoing system of sacrificial worship. But why does this all begin specifically on the eighth day? Many commentators believe that the eighth day is the first day after a week of preparation for this moment, the first day of newness. We have had seven days of getting ready for this event. Samson Raphael Hirsch suggests that eight is a number indicating that “the condition of the previous period is entirely closed, and with the eight, a new beginning is made.”

We start counting the Omer on the second night of Passover. After seven weeks of counting seven, what happens? On the 50th day is when we celebrate Shavuot. The first day of the next week. Therefore, it is the eighth day that really marks the start of our life as a free people—the day we take on the Torah and make it our own.