Parshat Shmini: The Sacred Eight

(1) חכמות בנתה ביתה חצבה עמודיה שבעה. טבחה טבחה מסכה יינה אף ערכה שלחנה. שלחה נערותיה תקרא, על גפי מרמי קרת., “Wisdom has built her house, when she has hewn seven pillars. She has slaughtered the meat, mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, she cries out from the highest places in the town.” (Proverbs 9,1-3).

(4) This Midrash (Midrash Mishley chapter 9) interpreted the word שבעה, “seven,” which Solomon mentioned in verse one literally.

The reason is that the number seven has equal significance in the celestial regions and the terrestrial regions. There are many commandments in the Torah where the number “seven” plays a significant role.

The Sabbath is the seventh day;
the Jubilee year is the conclusion of seven cycles of seven years, שמטה.
Both the festival of Passover and Tabernacles consist of seven days.
The components of the four species of plants used on the festival of Sukkot total seven, (1 lulav, 1 etrog, 2 willow-branches, and 3 branches of the myrtle).
We observe a period of seven days of mourning for close relatives who have died; we observe seven days of celebration when a couple get married.

The common denominator of all these commandments or practices involving the number seven is that they somehow symbolise the seven days in which G’d created and completed the universe.

Even a Gentile prophet such as Bileam built seven altars for G’d before embarking on his nefarious scheme of cursing the Jewish people (which was thwarted by G’d). He told G’d specifically that he had erected seven altars (Numbers 23,4).

It is not surprising therefore that there were seven days of inauguration for the Tabernacle. G’d Himself referred to them as such (Leviticus 8,33). The spiritual origin of these rites involving the number seven is one and the same.

If Aaron did not get consecrated on the seventh day itself but only on the morrow, the eighth day, this was because of the special nature of performing service in the Sanctuary of the Lord. Seeing G’d is essentially “One,” this is symbolized by the fact that Aaron did not commence his duties until the “first” day after the seven days of his consecration, i.e. the day of the “One.”

(5) ויהי ביום השמיני קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו ולזקני ישראל , “It was on the eighth day; Moses called upon Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel.” The reason that the office of the High Priest began functioning on the eighth day was due to yet another cause in addition to what we have mentioned.

We observe that in connection with the Tabernacle and the Temple the number eight plays a very significant role.

The High Priest wore eight garments.

The number of fragrances constituting the anointing oil and incense was eight. The anointing oil contained four such fragrances, i.e. מר, קנמון, קנה, קדה, (Exodus 30,23-24) whereas there were four additional fragrances which made up the incense. They were נטף, שחלת, חלבנה, לבונה (30,34).

The number of staves used to carry the furnishings of the Tabernacle also amounted to eight; 2 each for the Holy Ark, 2 for the golden [incense] Altar, 2 for the table, and two for transporting the copper [animal sacrifice] Altar.

Animals which were basically fit as sacrifices on the Altar had to be at least eight days old (Leviticus 22,27).

The musical instruments [or types of psalm?] used when the Levites sang the daily hymn during the service numbered eight as we know from Psalms 4,1 and others: lamnatzeach, al neginot, al machalat, al alamot, al hanchilut, al shoshanim, al ha'gitit, al ha'shminit.

(Note: the last of these "al ha'shminit" means "on the eighth." Eight-stringed instrument? Eight-noted scale?)

In this instance the eighth day was the first day of Nissan, a day when the Tabernacle was not only erected but remained standing. The day was distinguished with “ten crowns” in the language of our sages (Rashi). In other words, it was distinguished, honored in ten different ways. 1) It was the beginning of the second year since the Exodus. 2) It was the first day on which Aaron functioned as High Priest. 3) It was the first day on which sacrifices were offered in the Tabernacle. 4) It was the first time the people of Israel received the priestly blessings. 5) It was the first day on which heavenly fire descended onto the copper altar. 6) It was the first time the male goat of the New Moon offering was ever offered. 7) It was the first time that animals which had been slaughtered without previously having been designated as a sacrifice were no longer permitted to be eaten. 8) It was the first day when the Shechinah took up residence on earth. 9) It was the first of the twelve days on which the princes offered their respective offerings. Nachshon ben Aminadav, prince of the tribe of Yehudah, was the first to offer same. 10) It was the first day on which people who had contracted certain types of ritual impurity had to leave the camp, i.e. a testimony to the sanctity of the encampment of the whole people.
We find a similar description in Torat Kohanim describing the day as “taking” ten crowns, i.e. it was first in order of the creation. [There are two views as to whether the world was created (completed) on the first of Tishrey or the first of Nissan; this is the latter view. Ed.].

Now, sometimes this Sefirah [Binah] is called the Jubilee: Yovel-יובל, for as we have already explained, all manner of freedom and redemption depend on this Sefirah.

The reason being that all seven lower sefirot are sometimes affected by the mistakes of the lower beings, God forbid, such that they are in a state that is as if there is a cessation of beneficence. ... Therefore, when people sin below, the Sefirah of Understanding-Binah, as it were diminishes the range of her blessings, and it is then as though the other Sefirot must traverse various paths until they are gathered to ascend to the Sefirah of Understanding-Binah, which causes that those below remain in a state of destruction.

However, when the lower Sefirot are attached to the Sefirah of the Jubilee-Yovel-יובל, and draw her beneficence and blessings downwards, then all kinds of freedom and redemption are found in all the Sefirot, and in all beings that are sustained and provided for by the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut, that receives the flow of blessing from them.

And know that a future time will come in which the righteous folks will ascend until they attach themselves to the Sefirah of Understanding-Binah, which is the mystery of the World-That-Is-Coming (Olam Haba-עולם הבא), and they will go forth into freedom and be redeemed from every kind of destruction and suffering, according to the secret of the verse, “Who redeems your life from destruction.” (Ps 103:4)

...

In this manner I will give you hints and if you merit, contemplate their primary root:

The secret of Understanding-Binah-בינה is called the Jubilee-Yovel-יובל, since through her everything will go forth to freedom.

All who merit to adhere to her will never see worry or any lack, since She adheres to the innermost chambers of the upper sefirot, where there is no worry or no lack whatsoever...

Whoever adheres to the Jubilee-Yovel-יובל is himself redeemed, since there is nothing, neither minister, nor angel, nor anything in the world surrounding the Jubilee-Yovel-יובל that can cause any damage whatsoever. It rather is solely the world of mercy-Rachamim.

(42) You shall not eat, among all things that swarm upon the earth, anything that crawls on its belly, or anything that walks on fours, or anything that has many legs; for they are an abomination.