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In this parsha, a veritable myriad of Kashrut precedence and foundation, we have many important illustrations of the human factors that surround Kashrut. The need for balance, the dangers of ambiguity and inexact concepts of holiness, and the need for an air of permanence throughout the ages are all antecedent to the establishment of a code of Kashrut.

In the first portion, in Chapter 9, I first noticed the mentioning of several different types of offerings: burnt, peace, meal, and sin offerings. Jeff enlightened me on the types and I believe we counted four or five. The sin offering, of some importance in this parsha, could either be the offering brought regularly to the temple to atone for the community’s sins or an individual sin offering brought by a repentant individual for a sinful act. The sin offering is done on Rosh Hodesh and all festivals in addition to committed sins. We also see that the parsha’s timeframe starts on the eighth day of what the previous parsha had started as a time period, though I can’t tell what this was. In 9:5 the word “took”, as the English translation reads, from “And they took what Moses had commanded”, seemed to evoke a physical object being taken to the people. Jeff clarified that this meant in fact the materials to be sacrificed, whereas I had thought it meant the instructions themselves. The altar mentioned in 9:9 has horns, on which Aaron ceremonially smears with blood. I asked where these horns came from, and Jeff replied that these are a product of the Golden Calf destruction. The horns symbolize the warning to anyone who considers practicing idolatry, and serves as a reminder of the dominance of God.

At Chapter 9, verse 24, we come to a crucial part of the parsha that evokes much rabbinical debate. Although this is the last verse of chapter 9, it is separated into the next portion as the first verse, and the next verse starts with chapter 10. Jeff explains that this unexpected grouping is supposed to be a clue as to the importance of this verse and the ones it is grouped with, 10:1 and 10:2. These three verses seem to constitute a triplet, with an example of a good sacrifice, an ambiguous one, and a bad one. In 9:24, the sacrifice is carried out as intended and is cause for rejoicing. In 10:1, the reason for the action performed in the sacrificial fire is not known – it could result from a good intention, but is still out of place and was not commanded, resulting in Aaron’s sons’ death, as the resulting “bad” sacrifice. All three verses contain the mention of fire, and so they mirror the good and bad qualities of fire itself. In the verse immediately after this series, God’s declaration is ‘I will be sanctified through those near to Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’ ” Does this imply that glorification can be good or bad, since “all the people” can include sinners? What are the deeper meanings of glorification and sanctification here? Is there a meaning for physical distance as well as spiritual distance?

An interesting verse, 10:6 carries many implications. Why are Aaron’s remaining sons not allowed to mourn in the traditional way, by tearing clothes and leaving hair uncut? The verse seems to imply that God’s anger will be invoked if they do this, and one possible explanation is that their priestly duties may be perceived as coming first before personal matters. If the entire community needs a spiritual leader through which God can maintain a spiritual connection, perhaps this duty is so important that a break in the precise chain of command and execution of daily spiritual actions is inexcusable to God, even to mourn one’s own brothers. Moses is especially compassionate as he consoles the sons with the idea that all of Israel will mourn together with them, as long as they do not do any mourning.

Verses 10:8 – 10:11 contain a mention of God speaking directly to Aaron – does this happen elsewhere in the Torah? The instruction to abstain from intoxication before entering the Tent of Meeting turns into a more meaningful statute to constantly distinguish between holy and profane, clean and unclean. Why does the specific example of intoxicating wine lead to such a profound concept? Is there something more fundamental about intoxication that pertains to this matter? We also see an important command for Aaron – to “instruct” in the statutes of Moses. Easy to miss, this important corollary is a fundamental underpinning of every religion – education. Without dissemination of teachings, the knowledge and ideas that were so perfectly formed by God and received by Moses will still not reach their intended audience.

In verses 10:16-10:20, we see that Moses has investigated a sacrifice-related duty that Aaron’s surviving sons were supposed to perform, and has found that their sin offering was completely burnt without being consumed, as it should have been. Is Moses’ trust in Aaron’s sons shaken, such that he decides to check up on them to make sure they are performing the duties of the Tent of Meeting and the priesthood correctly? Aaron counters, seemingly to defend his son’s decision, by pointing out that their sons experienced a great deal of grief that day. If he were in their shoes, he points out, would he have not done the same thing, and would it have pleased God to consume the sin offering with a tragedy having happened? Moses is “pleased” at hearing this, as the next verse goes. Can we speculate that Moses is happy to see that Aaron is using his judgement to evaluate the priestly duties, and take into account what will please God, rather than blindly following rules? After this, Moses seems to decide that it is time to more specifically formulate many rules, and proceeds to give a large body of what will become Kashrut. Aaron’s statement may have shown Moses that the people of Israel had progressed to a point that more specific rules were needed and general ideas were not enough to coordinate daily life. The maturity of Israel at this point is such that its people can now start applying the concepts God has given to Moses to daily life, to avoid mistakes such as those committed by Aaron’s sons.