This coming shabbat is called Shabbat Gadol (big or great shabbat), and I am hearing a lot about why this shabbat is called Shabbat Gadol. I am also hearing a lot about Pesach (Passover) which is less than 2 weeks away. I am hearing so much that I feel our poor little parsha (weekly Torah portion) is being left out in the cold. After all, it is kind of boring compared to Pesach. Pesach has lots of nooks and crannies that good ideas reside in (along with chometz which is the Hebrew word for crumbs of leavened grains), while this parsha just seems to be a repetition of last week’s boring talk on the details of sacrifices, with a few new details added in, and the general outline of the inauguration of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. So, I am going to stand up for this little parsha and hopefully share some of the beauty hidden in the seeming mundaneness of this parsha.
Let’s start with the first part of the parsha. The previous parsha went into great detail about the sacrifices. This week we see a repetition of it along with some extra details that relate to the priests – things like what they can eat of which sacrifices and when and where they can eat it. Why do we need this? Why wasn’t this extra stuff included in last week’s parsha?
One reason I see is that we have two things going on in regards to sacrifices: we have the person bringing the sacrifice (karbon in Hebrew) , and we have the priest who has to do something with the karbon because he is the only one allowed to be in and around the holy mishcan (tabernacle) and altars. Last week’s parsha dealt with the karbon from the point of view of the person bringing it: What was his obligations and what he was to do with it. This week’s parsha is from the point of view of the priest: what he is to do in regards to a karbon somebody brings. One of the things I like about the Torah is that it subtly teaches that there is more then one view to things. Here we have the view of the person bringing it and the person who has to deal with it. Way back in the very first parsha of Genesis (Breisheit), which happened before I started this blog, we saw two creation stories that seem to contradict each other. One way to resolve this contradiction is to see one story from the view of haShem making the creation, and the other story from the view within creation – our view so to speak. I will leave it for you to go back and figure out which is which. 😉
Ok, now let’s look at the inauguration ceremony. There are two things I would like to point out in regards to it. The first is when Moshe (Moses) puts the blood on the right ear, thumb, and big toe of Aaron and his sons. I was told that the reason for this is because their job is to listen (ear) , and go (big toe) and do (thumb) with compassion (right side which in kaballa is chesed or loving kindness). Why the blood is involved, I don’t know. However, I would love to hear other people’s thoughts as to why.
The last thing I wish to mention is related to the fact that Aaron and his sons had to sit at the entrance of the tent of meeting for 7 complete days. Why? Well, we know that seven is a very important number; we have seen it before. The first time I think is the most important in terms of explaining what the number seven represents here: haShem determined that in order to create reality (not just the physical world, but all the worlds), it would take 7 days. So, what I think is happening here is that the creation of the mishcan and the separation (which is the meaning of the Hebrew word for holy: kodesh) of Aaron and his sons from the rest of the tribes as the only ones allowed into the mishcan, is in effect, recreating reality. For now reality includes a place for haShem within the creation. Pretty amazing thing we are doing here, for haShem had to remove himself in order to allow a place for creation to exist, and we are able to change the rules of creation in order for haShem to exist within it. Are we good are what!
As Pesach approaches, I bless all of you that you have success in changing your realities to allow the creator to exist within you and that you can hear, see, and feel the divine always within you.
About the Author
Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.