5:44pm - Candle Lighting, Friday.
6:39pm - Havdalah, Saturday.
These times are for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Eruv Status: TBA
Shabbat Shalom!
This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim ("the Shabbat that blesses" the new month): a special prayer is recited blessing the Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") of the upcoming month of Iyar, which falls on Monday and Tuesday of the following week.
Prior to the blessing, we announce the precise time of the molad, the "birth" of the new moon. See molad times.
Please click here to view the PDFs of the Weekly Publications distributed in Shule each Shabbos.
PARSHAH IN A NUTSHELL
On the eighth day, following the seven days of their inauguration, Aaron and his sons begin to officiate as kohanim (priests); a fire issues forth from G‑d to consume the offerings on the altar, and the divine presence comes to dwell in the Sanctuary.
Aaron's two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu, offer a "strange fire before G‑d, which He commanded them not" and die before G‑d. Aaron is silent in face of his tragedy. Moses and Aaron subsequently disagree as to a point of law regarding the offerings, but Moses concedes to Aaron that Aaron is in the right.
G‑d commands the kosher laws, identifying the animal species permissible and forbidden for consumption. Land animals may be eaten only if they have split hooves and also chew their cud; fish must have fins and scales; a list of non-kosher birds is given, and a list of kosher insects (four types of locusts).
Also in Shemini are some of the laws of ritual purity, including the purifying power of the mikvah (a pool of water meeting specified qualifications) and the wellspring. Thus the people of Israel are enjoined to "differentiate between the impure and the pure."
HAFTORAH IN A NUTSHELL
II Samuel 6:1-19.
This week's haftorah mentions how Uzzah was struck dead when he disrespectfully touched the Ark of the Covenant; reminiscent of Nadab and Abihu's death described in this week's Torah reading.
The Holy Ark had been in storage in the house of Avinadav for many years, ever since the destruction of the Tabernacle in Shiloh. Recently crowned King David decided to move the Ark to the new capital, Jerusalem. He had the Ark placed on a cart and it was transported amidst singing and dancing. When the procession reached Goren Nachon, the oxen misstepped and Uzzah, Avinadav's son, took hold of the Ark to steady it—whereupon he was instantly killed.1 David was devastated, and he temporarily placed the Ark in the home of Oved-edom the Edomite, where it remained for three months.
"And it was told to King David saying: 'G‑d has blessed the house of Oved-edom, and all that belongs to him, because of the Ark of G‑d.' And David went and brought up the ark of G‑d from the house of Oved-edom into the City of David with joy." The Ark was brought up to the city of David with great singing and dancing. David then blessed and distributed presents to all the assembled Israelites.
SAGES ON THE PARSHAH
It came to pass on the eighth day (Leviticus 9:1)
That day took ten crowns: It was the first day of creation (i.e., a Sunday), the first for the offerings of the nesi'im (tribal heads), the first for the priesthood, the first for [public] sacrifice, the first for the fall of fire from heaven, the first for the eating of sacred food, the first for the dwelling of the Divine Presence in Israel, the first for the priestly blessing of Israel, the first day on which it was forbidden to sacrifice to G‑d anywhere but in the Sanctuary, and the first of months.
(Talmud, Shabbat 87b)
That day was as joyous to G‑d as the day on which heaven and earth were created.
(Talmud, Megillah 10b)
It came to pass on the eighth day (9:1)
The number seven represents the cycle of creation; the number eight represents the "circumference"—that which lies beyond the perimeter of time and space. This is why the Divine Presence came to dwell in the Israelite camp on the eighth day. This is also alluded to in the saying of our sages (Talmud, Erchin 13b) that "the lyre of Moshiach has eight strings."
(Keli Yakar; Shaloh)
https://w2.chabad.org/media/pdf/14405.pdf
ZICHRON YAAKOV
THIS COMING WEEK IN HISTORY
Sun
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