22 Mar RISING ABOVE SOCIETY

Parashat Shemini
is so named because
it tells of what happened on השמיני יום –
“the eighth day.” For
seven days, Aharon
and his sons prepared for their role as kohanim in the Mishkan, and then, on the
eighth day, the service in the Mishkan began with them filling their role.
Of course, this is not the only time
when the eighth day is special. A newborn child receives his berit milah on the
eighth day. The Hanukah miracle lasted
eight days. Sukkot is celebrated for seven
days, and then a special additional holiday – Shemini Atzeret – is observed on
the eighth day.
It has been famously explained that as
the world was created in seven days, the
number eight signifies extending beyond
nature. A child receives a berit milah on
the eighth day because as a Jew, he is expected to rise above his natural drives and
tendencies. The Hanukah miracle lasted
eight days because it was supernatural,
something that occurred outside the
framework of the natural order. And so
the Mishkan, too, began operating on the
eighth day – showing us that we serve
Hashem by transcending our natural inclinations.
But this concept also means that we
rise above the rest of society. Throughout
the seven days of Sukkot, special sacrifices are brought on behalf of all nations
of the world, and then, on the eighth, a
special Yom Tov is observed celebrating
our special relationship with Hashem.
Just as we must extend beyond our natural instincts, we are also required to extend beyond the rest of the world, and not
go along with what everyone else is doing. We need to be different, to act differently, to speak differently, to think differently, to be grounded in what the Torah
says, and not blindly accept what society
says.
In the second half of Parashat Shemini, the Torah discusses the status of various creatures with respect to kashrut –
whether or not they may be eaten – and to
the laws of impurity. This includes the
laws regarding שרצים – rodents and reptiles, whose carcasses are considered impure.
The Gemara in Masechet Sanhedrin
makes an astounding statement – that in
order to be appointed to the Sanhedrin,
the highest rabbinic body, a scholar must
have the ability to show how a שרץ is
pure. Even though the Torah clearly
states that such creatures are impure, a
scholar must have enough knowledge and
a sharp enough mind to make
an argument for why a שרץ
should be considered pure.
Why?
The answer is that a scholar
needs to recognize that an argument can be made for anything, even for the most ludicrous ideas. People are able to
twist the truth to such an extent
that something which is unquestionably “impure” can be
portrayed as “pure,” and viceversa. Scholars who will be
reaching important decisions need to be
aware of the pressures they will face by
people who will try convincing them that
a שרץ is pure.
We see this phenomenon very clearly
in our times. Ideas which would have
been regarded as utterly preposterous just
several years ago are now embraced, and
we are told that we need to accept them.
Men are not necessarily men, and women
are not necessarily women. Mr. Potato
Head is no longer an acceptable toy, because its name is somehow offensive.
Books written by Dr. Seuss are now considered inappropriate, but books with explicitly vulgar titles on the front cover are
perfectly fine. We are told that impure is
pure, and pure is impure – and we are
pressured to accept it.
We need to remember the lesson of יום
השמיני ,the concept of the “eighth” – that
we are to rise above the popular trends in
society. The way we think and the way
we act is to be determined by the Torah,
and not by the society around us. In order
to serve Hashem properly, as represented
by the Mishkan, we must live on the level
of the “eighth,” and ensure not to swept
along by the current of popular fads. Just
because something is “natural,” accepted
by the majority of the people around us,
this does not mean that we must subscribe
to it. We need to accept what the Torah
teaches us, to accept its ideas and follow
the lifestyle it requires, and to rise above
the ideas promulgated by our surrounding
culture.