Parashat: Shemini

Parashat: Shemini
Leviticus 9:1–11:47

“’…had I [Aaron] eaten the purgation offering today, would The Eternal have approved?’ And when Moses heard this, he approved.”

— Leviticus 10:19b–20

In the wake of the death of his two older sons, Aaron and his two younger sons are still in a period of mourning. At the same time, as the Priests they have the obligation to perform and consume the regular offerings. One offering in particular was supposed to be consumed in the sanctuary (the most sacred area) but was not, spurring Moses to question Aaron. Aaron’s answer is a powerful statement on the nature of loss and mourning, that in the face of death we are not expected to carry on as normal. Rather we need to take the time we need to grieve in order to integrate the loss into our lives as we return to the new normal that eventually comes.

— Rabbi Daniel Plotkin