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Shemini (2026)

Shabbat Shemini

Dvar Torah – Holiness through the mundaneIn the portion of Shemini, we encounter a striking transition between two very different types of spiritual experiences. The first half of the portion is the climax of a long narrative: the inauguration of the Tabernacle. It is a moment of pure, awe-inspiring drama. The Divine Presence, the Shechina, descends in a visible way, connecting the heavens and the earth. It is the pinnacle of holiness.

The entire second half of the portion, by contrast, feels relatively mundane. It moves away from the Tabernacle and introduces the laws of keeping Kosher—the technical details of which animals, fish, and birds may be eaten.At the end of this second section on kashrut we find a verse that we would have actually expected to follow the first section on the Tabernacle:“You shall embrace holiness, and become holy, because I am holy” (Ex. 11:44)

The Talmud (Yoma 39a) teaches a profound lesson about the phrasing of this verse. It suggests that our "embracement" of holiness is actually a relatively minor, initial step. It is a simple willingness to start. However, this initial effort is enough to trigger a transformation; once we take that first step, the rest will simply “become.”

While the Tabernacle represents the peak of spiritual experience, that is not actually what is expected from us in our daily lives.We are taught that holiness is not only found in grand, once-in-a-lifetime events. Instead, the Torah expects it to start in the mundane – what we eat and how we eat. Shemini teaches us that living a life infused with holiness is a challenge, but is an accessible one, achievable through mindfulness in our day-to-day lives.

Shabbat in (candle-lighting)/ out (Havdalah) timesYerushalayim 18:25/19:42Tel-Aviv 18:45/19:44Nahariyah 18:36/19:45Rome 19:27/20:29Paris 20:17/21:26NYC 19:12/20:13More timesPray for the well-being of Jerusalem; May those who love you be at peace (Psalms 122:6)Shabbat Shalom!



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