D’Var Torah By: Rabbi Andy Gordon

If Parashat Sh’mini was an episode of a TV show, it would begin with dramatic music followed by a big, booming voice announcing: “Previously in the Torah, our ancestors navigated the meaning of purity and sacrifice. The kohanim prepared for their ordination as the spiritual leaders of the Israelite community. “Over seven days, the priests have gathered alone in the Tent of Meeting, preparing to take on this role by offering sacrifices to the Eternal One and purifying themselves with water and anointing oil. Now, as the sun rises and a new day arrives, it is the eighth day, the moment of ordination.” Take a moment and let that truly sink in… the eighth day?! If we were going to pick an important day of the week, our assumption would be to choose Shabbat, the seventh day! Seven is one of the most important biblical numbers. Jewish tradition teaches that there are seven days of the week, seven days of creation, and seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot. Joseph dreamed of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Every seventh year, the community and the land in ancient Israel lay fallow during the sabbatical year for a year of complete rest. In biblical times, seven was a time of reflection, renewal, and conclusion. This continues today. As a community, we often gather for seven days to support, celebrate, and comfort one another. When a couple is wed, tradition teaches that there are seven days of celebration when we chant the Sheva B’rachot, the Seven Blessings. When a loved one dies, we gather with them in their home over seven days for shiva, to console the mourner and to remember those who passed away. Seven truly is a number of reflection and completion. This week, our Torah portion, Sh’mini, begins with the eighth day. Why would our tradition pick eight as the day of ordination? Eight is also an important Jewish number! We celebrate eight nights of Hanukkah and we traditionally welcome a baby boy into the covenant of Judaism with the ceremony of b’rit milah (circumcision) the eighth day after he is born. The eighth day marks the start of a new journey. The Beatles got it right when they sang “Eight Days a Week.” Paul McCartney once shared that he worked so hard that it felt like he was working eight days a week! Sometimes, we are so focused on the work week, we too need an eighth day for a new start! In Judaism, the number eight marks the beginning of something new. Eight is the rest of the story. It is on the eighth day that we return to everyday life. For newlyweds, after a week of celebration comes the hard part: establishing their life together as a married couple. For the mourner, after seven days of shiva comes the challenge of picking up the pieces and living life without their loved one by their side. For all of us, after Shabbat, that moment of rest, the eighth day is when we return to the grind of daily life. In this week’s parashah, Sh’mini, the kohanim were able to take a full week to prepare for their big day. They remained secluded from the rest of the community, taking time to be only with each other. Then, on the eighth day, they reentered society as religious leaders. The eighth day was the start of a new adventure, a new beginning. Like the kohanim, we each have many moments in our lives where we have seven days, whether to celebrate, mourn, rest, or take comfort. Yet, we always know that the eighth day will not be far behind. The next day of the rest of our lives is just around the corner.