Q. When is the best and most meaningful time to read Parshas Shemini?
A. Parshas Shemini is often read after Pesach or sometimes after Purim, times when wine and drinks are common. During our difficult times, it is essential to understand what and where is the real source of joy and happiness.
The Talmud (Megilah 10b) states that since the day of Creation there was not another day so full of Simcha and joy as the Yom Hashmini, the day of the inauguration of the Mishkan.
The laws of Kashrus teach that; “we are what we eat,” If we consume non-kosher animals we assume their nature and incorporate their instincts. (Ramban) If the animal is impure, we will take up its tainted character, as we ingest it.
By the same token, the juxtaposition of these two chapters demonstrates that equally “we are what we do and what we think.”
The greatest of human accomplishments has to be the building of the Mishkan, as after all it became the abode of the Creator of the universe Himself. It thus concentrated all and everything in its midst.
A story is told that when the train was first invented, the world was flabbergasted. It was simply revolutionary and would change everything. Until this invention came along, the world traveled by carriages and wagons either pulled by horses and donkeys or pushed by people. The idea that a row of cars can move on their own accord was bewildering for most people.
Important Numbers
