A short Torah thought and Chassidic insight on the name of the Parsha - - with a practical lesson for our day to day life with Rabbi Moishe Kievman
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Behind the Name of the Parsha: The Fusion Paradox
Shemini means 8 and is referring to the 8th day of inaugurating the Mishkan - the traveling Temple we used in the desert.
At first glance, the beginning of our Parsha seems to better belong to the end of last weeks Parsha, which discusses the first 7 days of inauguration.
Says The Rebbe, by breaking to begin a new Parsha mid-story, the Torah is telling us that while superficially a mere continuation of the days that proceeded it, it's actually totally different. Thus Shemini opens a completely new chapter - a new Parsha.
You see, 7 represents nature. That's why the week is made up of 7 days, because Hashem created the world in a set of 7 days and all life cycle events are connected to the number 7. We go around 7 times under the Chupah, Sheva Brachot, G-d forbid a Shiva etc.
By contrast 8 represents above nature - the infinite - which has no meaningful connection to nature or anything finite.
7 & 8 are fundamentally incompatible. Which is why Shemini begins a new Parsha..
Because G-dly and worldly can not mix.
Or at least they can't be mixed by us alone. Of course Hashem can mix them or command us to.. And that's exactly what a Mitzvah is. G-d gave us 613 Mitzvahs or 613 bridges to be able to connect 7 & 8.
When we follow G-d's commandments we enable a physical object, whose very nature conceals G-dliness, to now become an expression of G-d's will. We are fusing together 7 & 8 in the most beautiful paradox of matter and spirit.
This is also what's so special about the 8th day of Pesach - which represents the time when the entire world will be infused with G-dliness, when even swords will turn into plowshares.. and all negative will be used for positive..
May that time of Geula come very soon for the entire world and for each individual. In the best of health, filled with happiness, nachas, prosperity and an abundance of all good things!
22 сен 2024
