s pirit
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44
April 12 • 2018
jn
Parshat Shemini:
Leviticus 9:1-11:47;
I Samuel 20:18-42.
(Shabbat Machar
Chodesh)
y great-grandfather Avrum
Nachman, of blessed mem-
ory, was accustomed to
starting seder in a unique manner.
Picture a table set with spotlessly
clean white linens and the fine china
that only appears for seder: a table
that is clearly ready for the perfect
order of the Pesach meal.
After the order of the seder is sung
and Kiddush chanted, my
great-grandfather would
Quoting Sifra, a work of
immediately spill his wine
Midrash, Rashi offers us
— deliberately upsetting
an interesting explanation
the perfect order of the
for this. The reason Moshe
evening from the outset.
and Aharon enter the Ohel
Before anyone could have
Moed together and offer an
made any kind of potential
additional blessing is that
error, he had already set the
Aharon knew that some-
Rabbi Jeremy
tone that this would not
thing was wrong. He had
Yoskowitz
and could not be a “perfect”
offered all of the proscribed
evening. Now no one could
sacrifices as commanded,
be embarrassed by his own
and yet God’s presence had
spills, literal or figurative,
not appeared. Despite the
as the host had already made clear
perfection of his actions, he was
the imperfections were not only per- acutely aware of the perfection of
missible, but also anticipated and
the moment. He said to his brother,
welcome.
“You know that I have done as I have
This lesson that my great-grandfa- been commanded according to your
ther taught generations ago informs
words, and yet I am ashamed (at my
my thoughts on Parshat Shemini
perceived lack of worthiness); please
this year. After an intense week of
do this with me (so that I may fulfill
my obligation).” Then Moshe and
preparation, Aharon and his sons
Aharon entered together, offered
are finally ready to serve God and
our people in their appointed duties prayer together and only then did
God’s presence appear to all of us.
by offering the sin offering, the
What then was Aharon’s imper-
burnt offering and the offering of
fection? In that moment he was
well-being. A duty that is performed
ritually pure and as well prepared as
perfectly, precisely as commanded
he could have been. Yet somehow
by God. Almost immediately there-
he knew that was insufficient to
after, God’s presence appears before
that time and place. Only when he
all of our people (Leviticus 9:23) and
accepted that “perfect” service may
fire comes forth from God and con-
not be what God needed or wanted
sumes the offerings on the altar.
from him in that moment; when
Yet there is something curious
he embraced his imperfection and
that takes place immediately before
sought his brother’s aid was his ser-
God’s presence appears. After
vice perfected and fulfilled.
Aharon has made the commanded
When we accept that it is within
offerings and blessed the people,
our own imperfections that we can
he and Moshe enter the Ohel Moed,
sometimes offer the best parts of
the Tent of Meeting, together. When
they come out, they bless the people ourselves, those are the moments
in which we can achieve greatness.
together, and it is only then that
May we all be blessed to recognize
God’s presence appears. Until this
those imperfect moments for the
point, Aharon has been the primary
gift that they can be. •
actor, fulfilling God’s will as con-
veyed to him through Moshe, includ-
ing blessing the people. Why is there Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz is an educator at
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in
suddenly a need for Moshe to offer
Farmington Hills.
an additional blessing with him?