The ordination of Aharon and his sons takes seven days. Why is this needed? What are the images and remembrances you have of the number 7?
A handy list of a few sevens in Judaism:
The seven branches of the Temple Menorah.
The sprinkling of blood seven times in the Temple.
The seven days of shiva.
The seven days of celebration a wedding.
Seven aliyot on Shabbat.
Seven mitzvot of the Children of Noah.
Seven years of Shemitah.
Seven times seven years for Jubilee, or Yovel.
Seven weeks of the Counting of the Omer
Seven species of the land of Israel.
Seven days for Pesach and Sukkot in Israel.
Seven prophetesses named in the Talmud: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Chuldah, and Esther.
(31) Moses said to Aaron and his sons: Boil the flesh at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of ordination—as I commanded: Aaron and his sons shall eat it; (32) and what is left over of the flesh and the bread you shall consume in fire. (33) You shall not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the day that your period of ordination is completed. For seven days you will fill their hands (ordain them). (34) Everything done today, Ad-nai has commanded to be done [seven days], to make expiation for you. (35) You shall remain at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days, keeping Ad-nai’s charge—that you may not die—for so I have been commanded. (36) And Aaron and his sons did all the things that Ad-nai had commanded through Moses.
(22) Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he stepped down after offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the offering of well-being. (23) Moses 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. (24) Fire came forth from before Ad-nai and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And all the people saw, and shouted, and fell on their faces.
It is after that moment of power that the two sons will take up the fire that was not commanded and be consumed, just as this first sacrifice was. We will talk about them next week. The important point is that the end of this seven day period is significant, not just psychologically but also in what the story tells you people actually see: the fire that accepts, consumes, takes over the sacrifice. Very dramatic. Seven, of course, is Shabbat and Creation itself:
(8) Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. (9) Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (10) but the seventh day is a sabbath of Ad-nai your God: you shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements. (11) For in six days Ad-nai made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; therefore Ad-nai blessed the day of Shabbat and made it holy.
We all know Eshet Chayil, the Woman of Valor of Proverbs, Mishlei. But there are other women in Proverbs, and one of them is chochmah, or Wisdom.
And Wisdom is connected with the number seven:
(א) חָ֭כְמוֹת בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ חָצְבָ֖ה עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ שִׁבְעָֽה׃ (ב) טָבְחָ֣ה טִ֭בְחָהּ מָסְכָ֣ה יֵינָ֑הּ אַ֝֗ף עָֽרְכָ֥ה שֻׁלְחָנָֽהּ׃ (ג) שָֽׁלְחָ֣ה נַעֲרֹתֶ֣יהָ תִקְרָ֑א עַל־גַּ֝פֵּ֗י מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃ (ד) מִי־פֶ֭תִי יָסֻ֣ר הֵ֑נָּה חֲסַר־לֵ֝֗ב אָ֣מְרָה לּֽוֹ׃ (ה) לְ֭כוּ לַחֲמ֣וּ בְֽלַחֲמִ֑י וּ֝שְׁת֗וּ בְּיַ֣יִן מָסָֽכְתִּי׃ (ו) עִזְב֣וּ פְתָאיִ֣ם וִֽחְי֑וּ וְ֝אִשְׁר֗וּ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ בִּינָֽה׃ (ז) יֹ֤סֵ֨ר ׀ לֵ֗ץ לֹקֵ֣חַֽ ל֣וֹ קָל֑וֹן וּמוֹכִ֖יחַ לְרָשָׁ֣ע מוּמֽוֹ׃ (ח) אַל־תּ֣וֹכַח לֵ֭ץ פֶּן־יִשְׂנָאֶ֑ךָּ הוֹכַ֥ח לְ֝חָכָ֗ם וְיֶאֱהָבֶֽךָּ׃ (ט) תֵּ֣ן לְ֭חָכָם וְיֶחְכַּם־ע֑וֹד הוֹדַ֥ע לְ֝צַדִּ֗יק וְי֣וֹסֶף לֶֽקַח׃ (פ)
(1) Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn her seven pillars. (2) She has prepared the feast, mixed the wine, and also set the table. (3) She has sent out her maids to announce on the heights of the town, (4) “Let the simple enter here”; to those devoid of sense she says, (5) “Come, eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed; (6) Give up simpleness and live, walk in the way of understanding.” (7) To correct a scoffer, or to rebuke a wicked man for his blemish, is to call down abuse on oneself. (8) Do not rebuke a scoffer, for s/he will hate you; reprove a wise person, and s/he will love you. (9) Instruct a wise person, and s/he will grow wiser; teach a righteous person, and s/he will gain in learning.
Wisdom is so fundamental to the worldview of Proverbs that we find the idea expressed, already, that what we would call science - ie, understanding how the world works - is really God's Wisdom by another name:
(19) Ad-nai founded the earth by wisdom; God established the heavens by understanding; (20) By God's knowledge the depths burst apart, and the skies distilled dew. (21) My child, do not lose sight of them; hold on to resourcefulness and foresight. (22) They will give life to your spirit and grace to your throat. (23) Then you will go your way safely and not injure your feet.
(א) ויהי ביום השמיני - רב אהבה בר כהנא פתח: (משלי ט): חכמות בנתה ביתה טבחה טבחה וגו', שלחה נערותיה וגו'. מי פתי וגו'. ר' ירמיה בר אלעאי פתר קרא בברייתו של עולם. חכמות בנתה ביתה, זה הקב"ה, דכתיב ביה (שם ג): ה' בחכמה יסד ארץ. חצבה עמודיה שבעה, אלו שבעה ימי בראשית, שנאמר (שמות כ): כי ששת ימים וגו'. (בראשית ב): ויברך אלקים את יום השביעי. טבחה טבחה, ויאמר אלקים תוצא הארץ. מסכה יינה, ויאמר אלקים יקוו המים. אף ערכה שולחנה, ויאמר אלקים תדשא הארץ דשא עשב מזריע זרע. שלחה נערותיה תקרא, זה אדם וחוה. על גפי מרומי קרת, שהסיטן הקדוש ברוך הוא וקרא אותן אלהות, הדא הוא דכתיב: והייתם כאלקים. אחר כל השבח הזה מי פתי יסור הנה הן הניחו דעתו של הקב"ה והלכו אחר דעתו של נחש, בשביל כך חסר לב. אמרה לו (שם ג): כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב:
(1) "And it was on the 8th day" [Leviticus 9:1] - Rav Ahava bar Kahane opened with: [Proverbs 9:1-4] "Wisdom has built her house, [she has hewn out her seven pillars]" "She has prepared her food, [she has mixed her wine, she has even set her table]" "She has sent forth her maidens, [she calls out from the heights]" "Whoever is simple [will turn here, whoever is lacking understanding]..."
Rabbi Yirmiya bar Ilai interpreted these [difficult] verses with the creation of the world. "Wisdom has built her house..." - That is the Holy One of Blessing, as it is written, [Proverbs 3:19] "God has founded the earth with wisdom."
"She has hewn out her seven pillar" - That is the seven days of creation, as it says, [Exodus 20:11] "For six days..." [Genesis 2:3] "And God blessed the seventh day."
"She has prepared her food", [that refers to] [Genesis 1:24] "And God said, Let the earth bring forth..."
"She has mixed her wine", [that refers to] [Genesis 1:9] "And God said, Let the waters be gathered..."
"She has even set her table" - [that refers to] [Genesis 1:11] "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself..."
"She has sent forth her maidens" - that is Adam and Eve. "She calls out from the heights" - [this refers to] that God tempted them, and he called them divine, and that's what is written [Genesis 3:5] "and you will be like gods". After all of this praise, only "the simple will turn" away, they will leave aside the intent of God, and follow after the intent of the serpent, and therefore are "lacking understanding". She says to them: [Genesis 3:19] "For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
2 and 3 are drashot that go in the similar vein but about the end of times and the ways to interpret the Torah text. The last one of the cycle, number 4, is what caught my eye.
Rabbi Aba Bar Kahana interpreted these [difficult] verses with the Tabernacle:
"Wisdom has built her house..." - That is Betzalel: "And I filled him with the spirit of God [with wisdom, ability and knowledge]" (Exodus 31:3)
"She has hewn out her seven pillar" - That is the seven days of ordination, as it says, (Exodus 8:33) "For seven days you will fill their hands/will ordain them."
"She has prepared her food", these are the sacrifices.
"She has mixed her wine", these are the libations.
"She has even set her table" - this is the setting of the bread of faces/showbread
"She has sent forth her maidens" - this is Moshe, as it is written "and on the eight day, [God] sent forth Moshe to Aharon and his sons, etc" (Leviticus 9:1)
The interesting piece about those two is that they connect the creation of the world and the Tabernacle together, weaving within the two the idea of wisdom. Our wisdom in creating things, such as the Tabernacle, are a reflection - or maybe simply an expression - of God's Wisdom. And wisdom is not something that you are born with, it is something you acquire, you find, you study. That's why it is two lines of that third chapter of Proverbs will figure prominently in the closing of our Torah service.
(יג) אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה וְ֝אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה׃ (יד) כִּ֤י ט֣וֹב סַ֭חְרָהּ מִסְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף וּ֝מֵחָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ (טו) יְקָ֣רָה הִ֭יא מפניים [מִפְּנִינִ֑ים] וְכָל־חֲ֝פָצֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃ (טז) אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים בִּֽימִינָ֑הּ בִּ֝שְׂמֹאולָ֗הּ עֹ֣שֶׁר וְכָבֽוֹד׃ (יז) דְּרָכֶ֥יהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹ֑עַם וְֽכָל־נְתִ֖יבוֹתֶ֣יהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (יח) עֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ (פ)
(13) Happy is the person who finds wisdom, the person who attains understanding. (14) Her value in trade is better than silver, her yield, greater than gold. (15) She is more precious than rubies; all of your goods cannot equal her. (16) In her right hand is length of days, in her left, riches and honor. (17) Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths, peaceful. (18) She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, and whoever holds on to her is happy.
Why is seven so connected to wisdom? Because there is a need for quiet contemplation so as to attain wisdom. The newly minted "kohanim" in our portion needed the seven days of being away, in silence, to understand their new role, and have their hands filled with wisdom so as to set forth in their journey as both the enablers of what looks like prayer (which is the role of the korbanot, the sacrifices) and their medical functions (later on, we will read about the various skin diseases and other afflictions they are supposed to diagnose). The people need these days to sense that a complete cycle has been established: the Tabernacle is up, and our collective relationship with God will change. We, individuals living in the 21st century, need the quiet offered by Shabbat, and by the other sevens that have to do with cessation of work for that:
"Life can only be perfected through the affording of a breathing space from the bustle of everyday life. The individual recovers from the influence of the mundane at frequent intervals, every Shabbat day…What the Shabbat achieves regarding the individual, the Shmita achieves with regard to the nation as a whole. The nation (in which the Divine spirit dwells prominent and eternal) has special need of expressing from time to time the revelation of its own Divine light at the fullest brightness, not suppressed by the cares and toil of the passions and rivalries of everyday life, so that the totality of the soul’s purity may be revealed within it."
[Rav Kook, Shabbat Ha'Aretz]
"Like Shabbat, shmita quiets the tumult of the intervening periods and restores a more authentic relationship to ourselves, to each other, to nature, and to God. Its observance reveals the unique weave of socio-economic relationships that the Torah would have us pattern. The Jubilee year is a revelation of the cumulative insight and holiness that we will have achieved in the previous seven shmita cycles. Its ideals of liberty and emancipation bear universal meanings for the whole of humanity"
[Sinclair, Yedidya. "A Sabbath for the Land and the People — Rav Kook’s Shabbat Ha’aretz and the Peoplehood Potential of Shmita." Available online at http://ejewishphilanthropy.com; Shabbat Ha'Aretz was published in 1909 by Rav Kook, Rabbi Sinclair has translated it in 2015]
In this moment of the year, when there is the short respite between Purim and the preparations for Pesach, may we seize the days to study our Torah and to fill our own hands with wisdom. May we grow as human beings and seize pathways of pleasantness and peace.
Shabbat Shalom.