Torah Trivia for Parshah 26. Shemini (with Answers)
Shemini; Aaron performs a sacrifice for himself and the Israelites, Avihu and Nadav are punished; and basic laws (mitzvot) of kashrut are imparted;
(Hebrew term for week: kashrut); כשרות referring to the “ritual fitness” of food “כאשר” meaning, “proper.” “right;” (appears numerous occasions amidst the description of the sacrifices that Aaron performs, yet is interestingly absent amidst the actual, subsequent description of the dietary laws that define what is “kashrut”)
This week’s featured Torah Trivia question is: (what item or act does Adonai prohibit for Aaron and his sons whilst being inside the Mishkan?)
1.) Can you list the 7 animals that Aaron is commanded to sacrifice to atone for himself and for the people of Israel?
Answer: The 7 animals are: a calf, a ram, a male goat, another calf, a lamb, a bull, and another ram;
“Take a calf of the herd for a purification offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and bring them before the Lord. And speak to the Israelites, saying: ‘Take a he-goat for a purification offering; a calf and a lamb, yearlings without blemish, for a burnt offering; and an ox and a ram for an offering of wellbeing to sacrifice before the Lord; and a grain offering with oil mixed in. For today the Lord will appear to you.” (Vayikra 9:2 – 4).
2.) Can you describe what offering Aaron makes after performing the burnt offering of the young calf and lamb?
Answer: After performing the burnt offering, Aaron performs the grain offering;
“He brought forward the burnt offering and sacrificed it according to regulation. He then brought forward the grain offering and, taking a handful of it, he turned it into smoke on the altar—in addition to the burnt offering of the morning.” (Vayikra 9:16 – 17).
3.) Can you describe what Aaron does after performing the elevation offering, and what Moshe and Aaron do after Aaron performs this offering:
a.) Aaron roars like a lion, and Moshe and Aaron race against each other around the courtyard;
b.) Aaron throws up the “Magen David,” and Moshe and Aaron play “patty-cake” until evening;
c.) Aaron sits in reflection and studies the Torah, and Moshe and Aaron then have a Theological discussion regarding the nature of the rivalry between Cain and Abel, and why Abel’s offering is preferred;
d.) Aaron feeds a goat, and Moshe and Aaron subsequently assist in facilitating the birth of a calf; and/or,
e.) Aaron blesses the Israelites, and Moshe and Aaron re-emerge from the Mishkan to bless the Israelites again?
Answer: The answer is: e.);
“Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the purification offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being. (Moshe) and Aaron then went inside the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the Presence of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces.” (Vayikra 9:22 – 24).
4.) Can you describe which 2 sons of Aaron provide an inappropriate incense offering and are subsequently burned by the fire of Adonai; and which 2 sons Moshe commands to remove the remains of those 2 Priests?
Answer: The 2 sons of Aaron are Nadav and Avihu who inappropriately offer the incense and are killed; and the 2 sons that Moshe commands to remove the bodies are actually the sons of Aaron’s and Moshe’s Uncle, Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan;
“Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which (Adonai) had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the Lord.” (Vayikra 10:1 – 2);
“(Moshe) called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, ‘Come forward and carry your kinsman away from the fron of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.’” (Vayikra 10:4)
5.) Can you discern what item(s) or act(s) Adonai specifically prohibits for Aaron and his sons whilst the Priests are within the Mishkan; and why:
a.) Alcohol; so that Aaron and his sons can maintain clarity of thought whilst making judgments and legal decisions;
b.) Prostitution; to maintain a decorum of sexual propriety and behaviour before the children of Israel;
c.) Extortion; to prevent undue subjugation of the children of Israel;
d.) Bribery; to maintain the integrity of the judgments and decrees that are provided by the כהנים
e.) Capital Punishment; to inspire Peace and harmony amongst the children of Israel;
f.) Gambling; to emphasise purpose and intentionality within the respective pursuits of the children of Israel; and/or,
g.) Weed; to prevent the uprising of the proletariat spawned by rebel music?
Answer: Whilst prostitution, extortion, and bribery may be considered as generally prohibited, according to additional mitzvot that are previously and subsequently conferred upon the children of Israel, the actual answer is: a.) alcohol, for the purpose of maintaining clarity of thought whilst making judgments and legal decisions; and it may be considered that g.) weed, is similarly prohibited (as an intoxicant) for the same reason as alcohol;
“And the Lord spoke to Aaron; saying:
“Drink no wine or other intoxicant, you or your sons, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, that you may not die. This is a law for all time throughout the ages, for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the impure and the pure; and you must teach the Israelites all the laws which the Lord has imparted to them through (Moshe).” (Vayikra 10:8 – 11).
6.) Can you a.) explain the initial, general kashrut rule for land animals, and b.) list some of the specific animals that are prohibited?
Answer:
a.) “These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the land animals: any animal that has (actual) hoofs, with clefts through the hoofs, and that chews the cud—such you may eat.” (Vayikra 11:2 – 3);
b.) “The following, however, of those that either chew the cud or have (actual) hoofs, you shall not eat: the camel—although it chews the cud, it has no (actual) hoofs; it is impure for you; the daman—although it chews the cud, it has no (actual) hoofs: it is impure for you; and the swine—although it has (actual) hoofs, with the hoofs cleft through, it does not chew the cud: it is impure for you. You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses; they are impure for you.” (Vayikra 11:4 – 8).
7.) Can you explain the general kashrut rule for water animals?
Answer: “These you may eat of all that live in water: anything in water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and scales—these you may eat. But anything in the seas or in the streams that has no fins and scales, among all the swarming things of the water and among all the other living creatures that are in the water—they are an abomination for you and an abomination for you they shall remain: you shall not eat of their flesh and you shall abominate their carcasses. Everything in water that has no fins and scales shall be an abomination for you.” (Vayikra 11:9 – 12).
8.) Can you 1.) describe the general kashrut rule for birds, and 2.) discern which of the proceeding birds are specifically prohibited from being eaten: a.) eagles, b.) vultures, c.) black vultures, d.) kites, e.) falcons, f.) ravens, g.) ostriches, h.) nighthawks, i.) sea gulls, j.) hawks, k.) little owls, l.) cormorants, m.) large owls, n.) white owls, o.) pelicans, p.) bustards/magpies, q.) storks, r.) herons, s.) hoopoe, and/or t.) bats?
Answer:
1.) Within this Parshah, there is an absence of any “general” rule regarding the prohibition of birds;
2.) The answer is: “all the above;” all the specific birds listed are actually prohibited from being eaten:
“The following you shall abominate among the birds—they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, and the black vulture; the kite, falcons of every variety; all varieties of raven; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull; hawks of every variety; the little owl, the cormorant, and the great owl; the white owl, the pelican, and the bustard; the stork; herons of every variety; the hoopoe, and the bat.” (Vayikra 11:13 – 19).
9.) Can you a.) describe the general kashrut rule for insects, and b.) list some of the specific insects that are permitted?
Answer:
a.) “All winged swarming things that walk on fours shall be an abomination for you. But these you may eat among all the winged swarming things that walk on fours: all that have, above their feet, jointed legs to leap with on the ground—” (Vayikra 11:20 – 21).
b.) “of these you may eat the following: locusts of every variety; all varieties of bald locusts; crickets of every variety; and all varieties of grasshopper. But all other winged swarming things that have four legs shall be an abomination for you.” (Vayikra 11:22 – 23).
10.) Can you correctly mix and match the proceeding items and what is to be done with each when it has contact with the body of a dead animal:
1.) A Wooden Dish a.) Burned Into Smoke
2.) Clothing b.) Washed With Water
3.) Leather Products c.) Broken Into Parts
4.) A sackcloth d.) Eaten Before the Next Day
5.) A Clay Pot e.) Discarded As Unclean
6.) Food Inside A Clay Pot f.) Absence Of Anything, It is OK
7.) Food Soaked With Water g.) Inspected To Determine Whether
Inside A Clay Pot Leprosy Previously Breaks Out Within It
8.) An Oven Or Stove h.) Cast Outside The Camp Until Leprosy
Vanishes
9.) A Pond i.) If Contact Is Less Than 5 Seconds, The Item
Is Raised As An Elevation Offering And
Redeemed As Clean
10.) A Stream j.) It Is OK Once Evening Arrives?
11.) A Well
12.) Planted Seeds
13.) Seeds Soaked In Water
14.) A Person
Answer:
1.) A Wooden Dish: b.): is washed with water (Vayikra 11:32);
2.) Clothing: b.): is washed with water (Vayikra 11:32);
3.) Leather Products: b.): are washed with water (Vayikra 11:32);
4.) A Sackcloth: b.): is washed with water (Vayikra 11:32);
5.) A Clay Pot: c.): is broken into parts (Vayikra 11:33);
6.) Food Inside A Clay Pot: e.): is discarded as unclean (and perhaps may be burned into smoke and/or cast outside the camp) (Vayikra 11:33);
7.) Food Soaked With Water Inside A Clay Pot: e.) is discarded as unclean (and perhaps may be burned into smoke and/or cast outside the camp) (Vayikra 11:33);
8.) An Oven Or Stove: c.): is broken into parts (Vayikra 11:33);
9.) A Pond: f.): remains OK (Vayikra 11:36);
10.) A Stream: f.): remains OK (Vayikra 11:36);
11.) A Well: f.): remains OK (Vayikra 11:36);
12.) Planted Seeds: f.) remain OK (Vayikra 11:37);
13.) Seeds Soaked In Water: e.): is discarded as unclean (and perhaps may be burned into smoke and/or cast outside the camp) (Vayikra 11:38);
14.) A Person: j.) remains unclean until evening (Vayikra 11:39).
11.) Can you describe the general kashrut rule regarding animals that “swarm” upon the land?
Answer: “All the things that swarm upon the earth are an abomination; they shall not be eaten. You shall not eat, among all things that swarm upon the earth, anything that crawls on its belly, or anything that has many legs; for they are an abomination.” (Vayikra 11:41 – 42).
12.) Can you describe the number of occasions in which Adonai refers to Adonai, as well as the children of Israel, as being Holy?
Answer: The answer is 2 occasions, near the end of Parshah Shemini:
“For I the Lord am your God: you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy.” (Vayikra 11:44);
“For I the Lord am (Adonai) who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God: you shall be holy, for I am holy.” (Vayikra 11:45);
Moshe makes a similar statement proclaiming the Holiness of Adonai, without specifically including the children of Israel, after Nadav and Avihu are killed:
“Then (Moshe) said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord meant when (Adonai) said:
“ ‘Through those near to Me I show Myself holy,
“ ‘And I gain glory before all the people.’
“And Aaron was silent.” (Vayikra 10:3);
Moshe also makes 2 additional inferences regarding the Holiness of Aaron and his sons, also after Nadav and Avihu are killed:
“(Moshe) said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, ‘Do not bare your heads and do not rend your clothes, lest you die and anger strike the whole community. But your kinsmen, all the house of Israel, shall bewail the burning that the Lord has wrought.’” (Vayikra 10:6);
“ ‘And so do not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die, for the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you.’ And they did as (Moshe) had bidden.” (Vayikra 10:7).
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Discussion Questions:
Is there any significance in Aaron performing the sacrifice on behalf of himself, instead of Moshe performing the sacrifice? What implications does this have regarding the respective authority of both Moshe and Aaron, and the interaction between both leaders?
After Aaron performs the offerings and blesses the Israelites, Moshe and Aaron go into the Mishkan, and then re-appear, blessing the Israelites, and the glory of Adonai appears before the Israelites; what do Moshe and Aaron actually do inside the Mishkan before the Israelites are blessed and see the glory of Adonai?
The acts of Nadav and Avihu also seem to be the first descriptions of the priestly duties that any of the sons of Aaron perform after being ordained; is there any significance that this first description also involves Nadav and Avihu being killed because of improperly performing the burning of the incense?
Is there any significance within the description of Adonai communicating directly to Aaron, within Vayikra 10:8 – 11?
Does Aaron’s refusal to eat from the goat of the (sin offering) constitute a form of grieving that Moshe previously prohibits; if so, why does does Moshe (and presumably Adonai) forgive Aaron? And is such an initial prohibition even necessary?
Amidst the rules of kashrut, there is the description of anyone touching the body of a dead animal becoming unclean until the evening; does this also apply to the Priests who perform the sacrifices?
What makes a “clean” animal clean, and an “unclean” animal unclean? What are the intended and potential metaphysics within the teaching of a person keeping one’s body clean by what that person consumes?
What is the nature of the distinction between simply being unclean until evening, and being unclean until both washing and the arrival of evening?
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