Parshat Shemini: Taking on a new role

(1) On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel.

(2) He said to Aaron: “Take a calf of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and bring them before the LORD. (3) And speak to the Israelites, saying: Take a he-goat for a sin offering; a calf and a lamb, yearlings without blemish, for a burnt offering; (4) and an ox and a ram for an offering of well-being to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meal offering with oil mixed in. For today the LORD will appear to you.”

(5) They brought to the front of the Tent of Meeting the things that Moses had commanded, and the whole community came forward and stood before the LORD. (6) Moses said: “This is what the LORD has commanded that you do, that the Presence of the LORD may appear to you.”

(7) Then Moses said to Aaron: “Come forward to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering, making expiation for yourself and for the people; and sacrifice the people’s offering and make expiation for them, as the LORD has commanded.”

(8) Aaron came forward to the altar and slaughtered his calf of sin offering. (9) Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him; he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; and he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. (10) The fat, the kidneys, and the protuberance of the liver from the sin offering he turned into smoke on the altar—as the LORD had commanded Moses; (11) and the flesh and the skin were consumed in fire outside the camp. (12) Then he slaughtered the burnt offering. Aaron’s sons passed the blood to him, and he dashed it against all sides of the altar. (13) They passed the burnt offering to him in sections, as well as the head, and he turned it into smoke on the altar. (14) He washed the entrails and the legs, and turned them into smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. (15) Next he brought forward the people’s offering. He took the goat for the people’s sin offering, and slaughtered it, and presented it as a sin offering like the previous one. (16) He brought forward the burnt offering and sacrificed it according to regulation. (17) He then brought forward the meal offering and, taking a handful of it, he turned it into smoke on the altar—in addition to the burnt offering of the morning. (18) He slaughtered the ox and the ram, the people’s sacrifice of well-being. Aaron’s sons passed the blood to him—which he dashed against every side of the altar— (19) and the fat parts of the ox and the ram: the broad tail, the covering [fat], the kidneys, and the protuberances of the livers. (20) They laid these fat parts over the breasts; and Aaron turned the fat parts into smoke on the altar, (21) and elevated the breasts and the right thighs as an elevation offering before the LORD—as Moses had commanded.

(22) Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being.

(23) Moses and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the Presence of the LORD appeared to all the people.

(24) Fire came forth from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces.

(2) ולזקני ישראל AND TO THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL, to let them know them that it was by God's command that Aaron was entering the Sanctuary and serving in the high-priesthood, so that they might not say: “He is entering by himself, unasked.”

(1) קח לך עגל TAKE THEE A CALF — This animal was selected as a sin offering to announce to him that the Holy Bountiful One granted him atonement by means of this calf for the incident of the golden calf which he had made (Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 4)

(1) כי היום ה' נראה אליכם FOR TODAY THE LORD WILL APPEAR UNTO YOU to make God's Shechinah rest upon your handiwork; on this account these sacrifices come (are to be brought) as an obligation for this day (cf. Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 4).

(1) קרב אל המזבח [AND MOSES SAID TO AARON] GO TO THE ALTAR, for Aaron was embarrassed and afraid to go there. Moses therefore said to him “Why are afraid? For this purpose hast thou been selected!” (cf. Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 8).

(1) ויברכם AND HE BLESSED THEM with the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24—26): “May the Eternal bless you … May the Eternal cause God's face to shine … May the Eternal lift up …” (cf. Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 17; Sotah 38a)

(1) ויבא משה ואהרן AND MOSES AND AARON CAME, etc. — Why did they now enter the Tabernacle? I have found the following in the “Mechilta d’Miluim,” in the baraita that is appended to our Torat Cohanim (Sifra): Why did Moses enter with Aaron? To teach him how to do the incense ceremony. Or it may be that he entered for some other reason?! See, I draw a conclusion: the descent from the altar and going into the tent of meeting both required to be accompanied by a blessing, as stated in vv. 22 and 23 (and consequently both were, in a measure, of similar character). Now what was the descent from the altar? It took place in connection with a sacrificial act! So, also, the entry into the tent took place in connection with a sacrificial act! Thus you may learn: Why did Moses enter with Aaron? To teach him to do the incense ceremony which was the only rite performed on that day within the tent! (Cf. Talmud Yerushalmi Taanit 4).

Another explanation is: When Aaron saw that all the sacrifices had been offered and all the rites performed, and yet the Shechinah had not come down for Israel, since the heavenly fire had not fallen to consume the sacrifice, he was worried and said: I feel certain that the Holy Bountiful One is angry with me and that it is on my account that the Shechinah has not descended for Israel. He therefore said to Moses: “My brother Moses! Do you treat me this way: you know that I have entered into this matter at your bidding and yet I have been put to shame! Moses at once entered the tent with him and they offered prayer and the Shechinah descended for Israel (Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 18).

(2) ויצאו ויברכו את העם AND THEY CAME OUT AND BLESSED THE PEOPLE — They said the words that conclude “The Prayer of Moses” (Psalms 90:17): “May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us” — i. e. May it be God’s will that the Shechinah may rest upon the work of your hands (see Rashi on Exodus 39:43).

They invoked this blessing and not another formula because during the whole seven days of the installation when Moses was setting up the Tabernacle and officiating and dismantling it daily, the Shechinah had not rested upon it and the Israelites felt ashamed, saying to Moses: “O, our Teacher Moses! All the trouble which we have taken was only that the Shechinah may dwell amongst us, so that we may know that the sin of the golden calf has been atoned for on our behalf!”

He therefore had said to them (v. 6): “This is the thing which the Eternal commanded that you should do so that the glory of the Eternal may appear unto you” (i. e. only after these offerings will have been brought by Aaron will God’s glory appear unto you).

My brother Aaron is more worthy and excellent than I am, so that through his sacrifices and service the Shechinah will rest upon you, and you will know that the Omnipresent God has chosen him to bring God's Shechinah upon you.