Thread by @GREENESJ333

Roger Froikin @rlefraim wrote:
שבת. שלום

Shabbat Shalom

PARSHAT SHEMINI Leviticus 9:1–11:47

On the eighth day, following the seven days of their inauguration, Aaron and his sons begin to officiate as kohanim (priests);
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a fire issues forth from G‑d to consume the offerings on the altar,

Moses and Aaron subsequently disagree as to a point of law regarding the offerings, but Moses concedes to Aaron that Aaron was right. This is very important.
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G‑d commands the kosher laws, identifying the animal species permissible and forbidden for consumption. Land animals may be eaten only if they have split hooves and also chew their cud; fish must have fins and scales; a list of non-kosher birds is given.
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Also in Shemini are some of the laws of ritual purity, Thus the people of Israel are enjoined to “differentiate between the impure and the pure.”
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There are a lot of concepts in this short Parsha that deserve some serious thought because they have to do with everything from how law is to be applied to sociological issues, that differentiate a future-oriented and moral nation from one that is not.
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First, Moshe and Aharon disagreed on a point of law, and it was settled between them that Aharon was correct.
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Not even Moshe Rabbeinu could impose his will on a matter of law. Law, and the logic and consistency of law is, as commanded by Torah, is to be without respect for position or power or wealth. It is to be applied equally to all.
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At the time, and in many places today, this was and is unique. Still in most of the world today, some apply the law one way for those with power and status and position, and another way for everyone else.
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Moshe and Aharon, made it clear through what they did that this was not to happen among the Jewish people, that law should be the law, not a tool for lawyers or the powerful. Ask yourselves. Is the law applied equally to all where you live today?
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Second, The Kosher Laws. If you look closely at the Kosher laws, you will find some interesting facts. Kosher animals are those that need human care once they are domesticated, creating a basis for a settled civilization.
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Kosher fish are those that multiply the fastest, a formula for ecological handling of food sources. Kosher laws regulating slaughter, put the health and safety of the animals first, the process that must be painless,
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to inculcate humaneness in the culture, even when it is about having to slaughter for food.
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And then Laws of Purity, on how to differentiate the pure from the impure. Other ancient peoples did this as well, but often it was restricted to their priesthood. For the Am Yisrael, it applied to the entire people. Why is this important?
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A civilization that moves forward, that progresses, is one that culturally understands the idea of delayed gratification. So, we make choices in everything we do, Choice is what makes us human and in the image of Hashem.
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Self-discipline is what makes us civilized and able to build a moral civilization.
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What people generally seem to miss when reading about these laws and regulations is that each one operates on several levels,
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just as the Hebrew Language operates on several levels because of its structure which makes it almost impossible to translate to other languages and preserve all the meaning.
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The Laws of Kashrut are about food, but they are also about civilized behavior, deferred gratification, and putting meaning into every human act to enhance the sensitivity of the civilized person to other people and to nature.

The Laws of Purity extend those concepts.
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So, while this is not a long parsha, it is perhaps one of the most important.
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