April 8, 2021 / 26 Nissan, 5781 • Parshat Shemini
Issue 661
Dedicated in loving memory of Mrs. Miriam Friedman

And it was on the eighth day, that Moses summoned
Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.
וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי קָרָא משֶׁה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וּלְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Leviticus 9:1


On the eighth day, Moses summoned Aaron and his sons

Due to the limitations of our finite human minds, we cannot attain ultimate Divine consciousness on our own.

G-d therefore revealed Divinity in such a way that we can grasp it, by giving us the Torah. Once this had been accomplished, the next step was to prepare the world to absorb the G-dliness that is inherent in the Torah, for without preparation on our part, Divine revelation cannot be absorbed into our being, and therefore cannot elevate us in any meaningful or lasting way.

G-d gave us the Torah through Moses, but Aaron was the one who made society receptive to G-dliness by inspiring the people to aspire to the spiritual life. It was therefore Aaron who completed the process of Divine revelation begun by Moses. The rites that Moses performed in the Tabernacle’s installation rites did not reveal G-d’s presence; only those that Aaron performed accomplished this.

We all desire to feel G-d’s presence in our lives. In order for this to occur, we must imitate Aaron: “love peace and pursue peace; love your fellow creatures and bring them close to the Torah.”

—from Daily Wisdom #1