Torah Portion

If your bones ache,
it could be arthritis.

Shabbat And The Tabernacle
Symbolize All Commandments

are the model and symbol for all of
the commandments in the Torah —
whose proper fulfillment produces a
life (and community) of sanctity.
The "eighth day" of the investi-
ture is, then, the realization of this
potential through the functioning of
his week's Torah portion,
the Tabernacle and, seen in this
Shemini, begins with the
light, the Midrash quoted in the
special sacrifices and cere- Talmud (Megilah 106) takes on
monies for the eighth and added significance; "it is written
last day of the miluim (investiture)
`and it was the eighth day' (Leviticus
sacrifices of the priests. It is
9:1) and it was taught;
with the culmination of
that day was as joyous
these ceremonies that the
before the Lord as the day
Tabernacle begins its nor-
in which the heavens and
mal functioning as the
the earth were created; it is
point of nexus of the
written here 'and it was
Divine with humankind.
the eighth day' and it is
In the chronology of the
written there (Genesis 1:5)
Torah in Exodus, we are
`and it was evening and it
presented with Moses
was morning — the first
ascending Mt. Sinai at the
day.'"
end of Parshat Mishpatim
RABBI
The Midrash tells us
(Exodus 24:18) and his
ELTE7ER
that the "eighth day" can
return to the people 40
COHEN
be seen in the context of
days later in the middle of
Special to the
the creation of the uni-
Parshat Kee Tissa (Exodus
verse described in Genesis
Jewish News
32:15).
as lasting "seven days."
During this period, the
Thus the "eighth day" is
only commandments explicitly stat-
seen as the continuity and fulfill-
ed in the Torah are the instructions
ment of the "first" seven days of cre-
to Moses for the Tabernacle and the
ation. It is God who created the
priestly garments and investiture
world in the "seven days" and it is
(Exodus 25:1-31:11) as well as rules
man who takes up his stewardship
for the observance of Shabbat
on "the eighth day."
(Exodus 31:12-17). Thus, Shabbat
God's world is no longer exclu-
and the Tabernacle are the paradigm sively "His" — but "ours." It
for God's Torah — those Divine
becomes our responsibility to live
commandments incumbent upon
our lives in this world in accord
the Jewish people.
with God's will and to bring the
It is significant that, as the verses
potential to sanctity to fruition by
indicate, it is through precise adher-
keeping God's charge as dictated by
ence to the instructions for the
the Torah "to know that the Lord
Tabernacle that "the glory of God
has sanctified" us and to enable "the
filled the Tabernacle" (Exodus
Glory of God to fill" the world. 0
40:35) "and that through the careful
observance of Shabbat they come ...
to know that I, the Lord, sanctify
you" (Exodus 32:14).
Shabbat demonstrates the poten-
Why provide all of the details
tial for the sanctity of time and the
and repetition. in the descrip-
Tabernacle demonstrates the poten-
tion of the construction of the
tial for the sanctity of place. Time
Tabernacle
in the last half of
and place, the very dimensions of
Exodus?
How
is the observance
the human reality (especially in
of
Shabbat
on
the "seventh
Einsteinian physics), have the ,
day"
an
acknowledgement
and
potential for sanctity, for Godliness,
an
imitation
of
God,
Himself?
and for God to be present in our
What is the purpose of the
human lives.
Torah? In what ways (in Jewish
Thus, the Tabernacle and Shabbat
law and tradition) are the
Tabernacle and Shabbat relat-
ed?
Eliezer Cohen is the rabbi at
Congregation Or Chadash.

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Shabbat Shemini:
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II Samuel 6:1-7:17

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