shemini

This week’s Torah reading is not only the source for the Torah’s dietary laws, but it also records the very first service of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. It was a time unprecedented in human history when the very presence of the LORD rested upon a physical structure created by the labor of man. But unfortunately, there was a horrible tragedy that took place immediately after this event. Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, enjoyed the presence of the LORD so much that they wanted to recreate it.

Parashat Shemini contains the primary passages in the Torah that spell out the laws of kashrut, laws pertaining to clean and unclean foods. It is entirely in regard to animals. It defines which animals may be eaten by the Children of Israel and which animals may not be eaten. Many modern-day readers quickly dismiss these laws as antiquated, irrelevant, and having been repealed in the New Testament. However, these attitudes do not reflect those of Yeshua or the Apostles. Let’s briefly review what the Torah says about food and then look at one implication for us today.

Parashat Shemini covers the inauguration procedures for the service of the Tabernacle, as well as the dietary laws that spell out which animals are fit for consumption. Sandwiched between these topics we learn about a tragic event that results in the death of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu. They attempt to approach Hashem on their own terms by bringing “unauthorized fire” into the presence of the Holy One of Israel. The event that follows is horrific. The Torah tells us, “Fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:2).