Table Talk

This week's parsha is Parashat Shemini.

In this parsha, after seven days of preparation, Aaron and his sons began the worship service of Hashem in the Mishkan.

Aaron, the Kohen Gadol, or High Priest, sacrificed animals and then blessed the people. Moses and Aaron then went inside the Ohel Moed, or Tent of Meeting, and when they came out of the tent a fire came forth and Hashem consumed everything on the altar. It was a sign that Hashem had accepted the offerings, and the People sang songs of joy.

Unfortunately, Aaron’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu, then brought a strange offering to Hashem without being asked or commanded. They did not follow the rules, and they were severely punished.

The second half of the parsha teaches us about Kashrut - the foods that we are allowed to eat and those that are forbidden.

Land animals can be eaten if they have split hooves and chew their own cud -  this means that they slowly chew their food over and over again in their mouth before finally swallowing it. Fish must have fins and scales. Hashem also gave a list of non-kosher birds and insects.

It is clear to me that the reason Aaron’s sons were punished was because they broke the rules. Breaking the rules is so bad because if you don’t follow the rules the world will be a mess.

You should follow the rules even if you don't want to. In my house there is a rule that on weekends I can stay longer and watch TV, but not after midnight. Once, my parents told me to go to sleep, but I didn't listen and I went to sleep very late. The worst thing was that I had to wake up early the next day. Sure enough, I had such a bad day. I should have listened to my parents. Now I know to never doubt my parents and to always follow the rules.

Another time I should have followed the rules was once when I wanted to bake cookies. I decided to ignore the instructions and I just put in whatever ingredients I wanted. When it came time to eat them they tasted terrible. I tried again and I followed the instructions, and this time they came out amazing. This taught me that in life it is usually a wise decision to follow the rules.

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom.