Ba’yom hashemini (on the eighth day), Aaron officially begins his holy task of serving as high priest (Leviticus 9:1). Is there any significance to it occurring on the eighth day? Considering that ...

In parshat Shemini: Following the seven days of their inauguration, Aaron and his sons begin to officiate as kohanim (priests). Aaron’s two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu, offer a “strange fire before ...

What does it mean to live a life of holiness in a sacred community? Parshat Shemini, the third parsha in the book of Leviticus, which is surrounded by what is commonly known as The Holiness Code of ...

Parshat Shemini: Leviticus 9:1-11:47; II Samuel 6:1-7:17. Parshat Shemini, the Torah portion following Passover, marks a pivotal moment: Moses and Aaron offer the first communal sacrifice on behalf of ...

More than 1500 people died on the Titanic. As a result of the tragedy, out of date conventions and procedures were changed, navigational mistakes were identified and corrected, and the threat of ice ...

Claire Bergen is a 3rd year student at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism. We discuss parshat Shemini in which, following the seven days of their inauguration, Aaron and his ...