Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Shemini and this Shabbos is also Shabbos Parashas Parah , so we read Parashas Shemini from the first Torah scroll and then Parashas Parah from the second Torah Scroll of Numbers 19 : 1 - 22 and the Haftorah for Parashas Parah , which makes reference to purity from sins as does the Parah Adumah purify those its ashes are sprinkled upon , is in Ezekiel 36 : 16 -36 . Parashas Parah deals with the Parah Adumah and issues of Ritual Purity which we read as we approach Pesach , to remind us to be ritually pure at this time as Pesach approaches . Parshas Shemini starts out on the Eighth day after the Seven days of the Inauguration period , for the Mishkan , and it was on this day , the First of Nissan that Aharon would now take over permanently as Kohein Gadol after Moshe officiated the past seven days . Aharon was reluctant to take up the position of Kohein Gadol as he still felt unworthy , not just because of his humility , but he also felt very bad about the whole incident of the golden calf , but Moshe assured him that this Is What HaShem Wants , for him to be Kohein Gadol . Aharon's position of Kohein Gadol was Chosen By HaShem long before when HaShem Was Speaking To Moshe At The Burning Bush and Moshe kept humbly refusing and so it was then That HaShem Chose To make Aharon the Kohein Gadol . Aharon also felt uncomfortable because as he approached the Mizbayach - The Altar , he saw a vision of a calf , thus reminding him of the Chait Ha Eigel . Some of our Sages teach us that this vision , though having another positive reason , could actually have been perceived by Aharon negatively because of a negative force that was trying to keep him from serving HaShem , while other Sages feel that it was a vision of what Korban would be needed to be brought to start his service . No doubt , he was to bring a young bull for a Chatas - Sin Offering and a ram for an Elevation Offering unblemished , so he was thus to atone first for his part in the Chait Ha Eigel . A man who is to bring Korbanos - Offerings ( where the word ' Karov ' - Closeness ' is within the word " Korbanos " ) and help atone for others , must first cleanse himself . A man who is set to bring Closeness between HaShem and the People , must first take that step of rectifying to bring his own closeness to HaShem , himself . Also on that first day for the Children of Israel , was to be brought a he-goat for a Chatas Sin Offering and a calf and sheep for a Peace Offering , so that Atonement could be brought for what the brothers did to Yosef long ago when they dipped his tunic into goat's blood . The Temple Altar was to bring closeness between HaShem and the Children of Israel and so that begins with peace among our people and thus the sin of what was done between brothers , in our people , had to be atoned for , so Peace could be between HaShem and us . This Sedra continues with the Offerings and after all had been done for this Inauguration , Moshe and Aharon still waited For HaShem's Fire To Descend , but it did not . Aharon Blessed the people . Aharon humbly felt that it was because of him That HaShem's Fire Did Not Yet Descend and Aharon asked Moshe why he was put in the position of Kohein Gadol if he and his work was not accepted . Moshe and Aharon both fell on their faces to HaShem . Only when both brothers Moshe and Aharon entreated HaShem , Did HaShem's Fire Descend From Before HaShem And Consume the Elevation Offerings and the fats on the Mizbayach Altar . Thus showing us that we are to work equally with our fellow Jews in Serving HaShem Within Creation . The people had much rejoicing , feeling that now HaShem Had Forgiven them for the Chait Ha Eigel - the golden calf And That Now HaShem Would Again Be In our midst . On this day of such great joy , tragedy occurred . The Parsha starts out with the words " Vayehi Bayom , " which our Rabbonim teach us , often in Torah starts out a sad happening . We see this in Bereishis 14 : 1 , where Avraham is about to go to war against the kings . We see these words also at the beginning of the Book of Ruth , just before the famine . We see these words also in the Book of Esther when introducing Achashveiros and we see it here in this Parsha , which describes the tragic event of the death of Aharon's two sons Nadav and Avihu . Aharon's two sons were very holy , as were all of Aharon's sons very holy . Nadav and Avihu were of great stature seen even within their names for within Nadav's name is the word ' Nedivus ' - which refers to his honorable rank and within Avihu's name is the name ' Av ' like a father of his people . The only thing these two sons of Aharon lacked a bit was the necessary humility . They both boldly decided on their own at the same time , each on their own thoughts , to take their fire-pans , without an order from HaShem , or checking with their Rebbe Moshe or their Father Aharon first and they put their own fire in them , thus discounting HaShem's Fire on the Mizbayach and they placed Ketores Incense upon them and thus brought an alien fire , discounting HaShem's Fire , on the Mizbayach . They also never wore the Me'il , which had bells at the bottom , put there for when entering the Holy Place , so the Angels within , would know to leave and thus not affect the one entering by their spiritual holiness , thus they entered unprotected , into a Place Frequented by holy beings . A Fire Came Forth From HaShem and Consumed them and they died before HaShem . Thus it wasn't as though HaShem Killed them as such , but rather that by their own choice they entered The Holy Place and did not announce their entering with the bells on the Me'il before the holy Malachim within , could leave and so by their own action of doing that which was not their place to do , they caused their own demise . Only the one that HaShem Allows into this Holy Place is permitted within . I already mentioned a few of the wrongs that Nadav and Avihu did , but these were not the only wrongs that they did . At an earlier time at Har Sinai when the Elders stood up higher on the Mountain , When HaShem Came Down , both Nadav and Avihu , yearning for closeness with HaShem , stood higher too on the Mountain and did not display the necessary humility . HaShem Already then , Had Set them to die , but held out as at that time , it was not the time to bring tragedy to such a joyous and holy event as HaShem Meeting His people . So their punishment was held out till now , at the time that started the Temple service , the time where Atoning would take place . So it also shows How Merciful HaShem Is , For Waiting Till now , till they again displayed a lack of humility . Also , at the time of the Chait Ha Eigel , HaShem Was Angry with Aharon , even though he did not fashion the calf with his own hands and even though he said to the people , " A festival for HaShem Tomorrow , " thus faithfully believing in HaShem and that Moshe would return , HaShem Still Felt Upset With Aharon And Told Moshe that He Would remove all his sons , Sending Out Destructive Angels to do this . Moshe Pleaded for his brother and his brother's sons And So HaShem Relented And Agreed To Keep two of Aharon's sons alive . Moshe continued to pray and hoped HaShem Might Relent . But when Nadav and Avihu again did not display the needed and correct humility and brought their own fire , even though HaShem's fire was already a fact on the Mizbayach , HaShem Punished them By Fire Consuming them . Aharon was silent . Our Sages debated how this was so , that Aharon could remain silent at such a sad event , at the death of two of his sons . Aharon being the Kohein Gadol and his two remaining sons Elazar and Ithamar , had to live by certain Laws even though they were in mourning . But within , Aharon felt the turmoil and self - blame for he blamed himself and his actions at the Chait Ha Eigel , for his two sons having to die . Even Though HaShem Had Not Said it was for that reason , Aharon himself felt guilty and blamed himself . Aharon within , questioned the reason for this happening and HaShem Answered Him In Love And HaShem Compassionately Let Aharon Know , that Nadav and Avihu were now in a position that they so desired to be , close to HaShem , for Torah States , " I Will Be Sanctified Through those who are nearest Me . " Thus Aharon was silent , seeing From HaShem that his beloved sons Nadav and Avihu were very holy and were now ' near HaShem . " Moshe , summoned Aharon's cousins Mishael and Elzaphan and had them remove the bodies of Nadav and Avihu with metal rods , for they could not enter The Place of Holiness . Because Aharon kept silent and accepted HaShem's Judgement , HaShem Rewarded Aharon And Spoke to Aharon Directly that no intoxicating wine was to be drunk when he or his sons come into the Ohel Mo'ed - The Tent of Meeting , lest they die , for Nadav and Avihu , had drunk more than the permitted Revi'is of Wine , before they had entered , another Aveirah that they had done . We read the portion in Acharei Mos , on Yom Kippur , which refers to the death of Aharon's two sons , for the death of the Righteous in that generation , can atone for the People , in that generation . The Torah Continues with instructions of more Offerings . A dispute occurred between Moshe and Aharon , where Moshe questioned why his sons had totally burnt the Rosh Chodesh Offering instead of partaking of part of it , for Moshe assumed that they did not partake of the offering , because they were onnanim - mourners . Aharon told Moshe that seeing as this was an Inauguration day , it was to be totally burnt and Moshe , showing his humility , agreed with him . The Parsha then focuses on one of our Holy Laws , That Of Kashrus . Kashrus keeps us separate from others and also guards us from intermixing and marrying out of our Jewish Faith and thus losing our Jewishness , Chas Ve Shalom . HaShem Commands that only animals that have a totally split hoof right through and that chew the cud , are Kosher . We note that domestic animals and not wild animals are Kosher , For HaShem Wants To Instill In us , a quietude and not a wildness , within our characters . HaShem Mentions that there are only four animals that either display one or the other trait and these four animals are the camel , the hyrax , the hare and the pig ( the pig being like Amalek Edom , that holds up its outer show , its feet - hands to show it might look Kosher , but inside , not chewing the cud , it is totally un Kosher - totally Treifah ) . Scientists once did a check World-wide to try and find if there were any other animals besides these , that displayed one or the other trait and came to the conclusion that in the whole World , only these four had one or the other trait . Only HaShem Who Knows What the trait of any animal is , Could Have Known such a fact , To Only Write these four animals and no other . HaShem's Torah Is Straight From HaShem Only . HaShem Then Tells us which Fish are Kosher . Those that have Fins and Scales in the water , in the seas and in the streams . HaShem Then Instructs on which Birds are Kosher and Gives us a list of the wild birds that kill and so , such traits are not Kosher . Torah Mentions the wild birds that are not Kosher , for the list that are Kosher , would be more . HaShem Then Instructs On the Insects that are and are not And Continues To Teach About other creatures too and contamination , on things touching their carcasses . For we are to be a holy people unto The L-RD our G-D , Sanctifying ourselves and becoming holy , For HaShem Is Holy . For It Is HaShem Who Elevates us from the land of Egypt , That HaShem Is G-D Unto us And As HaShem Says , " you shall be holy , For I Am Holy . " So ends the Parsha . This Parsha is called " Shemini , " which means " Eighth . " This was the final Eighth day after the preparations of setting up and dismantling the Mishkan every day for the seven preparation days before-hand when on the Eighth day , on the First of Nissan , the Mishkan was finally set up to and for Aharon the Kohein Gadol to do his Avodas HaShem . The Number Eight in Judaism has always referred to Holiness . We are , right now , at this time of the Jewish Calendar and Year , coming up to Pesach and between Pesach and Shavuos , every evening we count the Omer . We count 49 days , which is Seven weeks and then the day after , is that Fiftieth day ( like the Seven years of Shemittah Sabbatical Years and Seven of them counted , makes the next year , that Fiftieth Year , a Yovel Jubilee Year ) like that supposed - Eighth Day ( that day or year after the Sevens ) , is Shavuot , which was The Holy Day On Which HaShem Came Down On Har Sinai And Gave us His Beautiful Torah , thus it was and so is , the number Eight , a day of Revelation . Between Pesach , after we left Mitzrayim Egypt , a place lowest in Spiritual Purity , a place highest in Spiritual degradation , we needed these Seven Weeks and 49 days ( like the 49 Levels or Gates of Holiness that exist that Moshe climbed ) , to spiritually better ourselves and purify ourselves , as we headed toward the Holy Day of Shavuos , on which we would receive HaShem's Revelation , on that Fiftieth day ( the day after the sevens - which is , the Eighth Day ) and so , we would have , by then , purified ourselves and climbed Spiritually , to meet HaShem . It is also on the Eighth day , that a Jewish boy is to be given a Bris - Circumcision , to come into the Covenant Of HaShem . This is such a Holy Mitzvah , that it is even done on Shabbos , if that turns out to be the Eighth day . Adam Ha Rishon ( as was Moshe ) , Was Created circumcised , As HaShem Wants it and thus this Eighth Day is a Sweet Continuation of how it was to be at the beginning of Creation , for had Adam Ve Chava not sinned , then after that first Shabbos , life and all things would have been Eternal and Close to and In the Arms Of HaShem . That day after the Shabbos Day , would have been the Eighth Day from Creation's Beginning . The Eternal Shabbos . Moshiach , as I have mentioned many times in other writings , has a Gematriah of Seven and is to come , if we haven't become worthy yet , at the end of the 6000 years ( 6093 to be exact ) , which matches being at the ' Day in Creation ' of that ' Sixth Day of Creation , ' where each Day Of HaShem's Beginning Creation is as a thousand years in human period And after that , like in the period after ' 6 ' , which is ' 7 , ' Mashiach is to come . Thus the period of Moshiach , is as the period of Sevens . The Spiritual Time that will come after that , is as the Spiritual Time , of the " Eights . " Thus the Spiritual Time of this ' Eight - Period , ' is to be A Time Of Revelation Of HaShem , That Is To Come After the coming of Mashiach . The Day of the Final Inauguration , at the End of Days , Which HaShem Longs For , To Be Close To us His Creation , is thus related to this Inauguration in our Parsha , which also took place on the " Shemini " - " Eighth " Day . The Day of HaShem's Revelation . Within the word " Shemini , " are the words ' Shemi Ni , ' which , In Reference To HaShem , would mean ' My Name ( HaShem ) Is My Thanks . ' Thus within this Final Eighth Day , will be HaShem's Revelation and our true and proper Appreciation and Thanks For What HaShem Did , Does And Has Always Done And Continues To Do Which , at the End of Days , we will truly understand . We will really see in all HaShem's Beauty , all That HaShem Has Done And Why He Did The Things He Did and We will then truly appreciate All That HaShem Did , for then we will understand the meaning of what had to be . It will be then , that we will truly appreciate HaShem And His Total Goodness and realize how appreciative and thankful , we should have always been . We cannot now fully understand existence . But at the End of Days , we will understand better and realize how much we should have been thankful to HaShem . It is so important to thank and bless HaShem . We do not realize how important it is . If we would all Acknowledge and Thank HaShem Only , that action alone , of our appreciation , could bring on the End of Days . It is so important to say our Brochas and Thanks to HaShem every day , every moment and all the time . That ' Thanking - ' Todah , ' of HaShem , ' is within that number " Shemini " - " Eighth , " and the Bringing On Of The End Of Days , where the Hebrew Word ' Todah , ' is 400 + 6 + 4 + 5 = 415 and 4 + 1 + 5 = 10 and 1+0 = 1 , The Oneness Of HaShem and also the number of completion where we join HaShem's Oneness and bring Creation , Which Was Created With HaShem's Ten Pronouncements , to It's Final End , at the End Of Days and so , is Appreciation , a pathway to bring HaShem's Revelation . We must always Thank and Bless HaShem . We must always Appreciate HaShem . We must always Follow HaShem Only . That Will Bring in that Final Eighth Day - that Final " Shemini , " that Final Calling of Moshiach , to usher in the End Of Days And The Sweet Closeness Of HaShem's Revelation , to Finally live within HaShem's Closest Love and Care . Thank You HaShem For All That You Have Done , For All That You Do And For All That You Will Do . Thank You HaShem For You . I wish Most Beloved HaShem With Forever And Sweet And Special And Most Beautiful Deepest Love Always , A Very Sweet And Beautiful And Special Shabbos Kodesh With Forever Deepest Love , and to all my fellow Jews and to all of Creation , a Very Sweet and Beautiful And Special Shabbos Kodesh With Love .