Bridging Heaven and Earth

"On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel." —Leviticus 9:1

The Torah portion for this week, Shemini, is from Leviticus 9:1–11:47 and the Haftorah from 2 Samuel 6:1–19.

At first glance, it seems that the beginning of this week's Torah reading should have been included in the previous portion,Tzav. In that portion, we read about the first seven days of the inauguration of the Tabernacle. But just as we are about to get to the eighth day, that portion abruptly stops, and this week's portion begins with the eighth day. This is the source of the portion's name – Shemini, meaning "eighth."

The Sages wonder why the eighth day wasn't connected to the first seven, and they conclude that there is something unique about the eighth day of the inauguration. The rabbis wanted to stress the qualitative difference between the seven days and the eighth one, so they completely separated the readings.

For seven days, the representatives of Israel served in the Tabernacle, but on the eighth day, the priests began their service. This is the practical difference between the days, but there is a spiritual differentiation as well.