Shemini שְּׁמִינִי - Eighth
Leviticus 9:1-11:47
Reading #1 - Leviticus 9:1–16
My Thoughts:
Prepare the offerings for “today Hashem appears to you (verse 4).” How amazing that would be! You are bringing a perfect offering, you are preparing to present it, and you know that soon Hashem will appear in His glory! What excitement and energy that must have brought to the people. And hopefully fear. Fear of the presence of the Holy One! Good fear, fear of Hashem. We should be getting excited too! We should be praying every day for Hashem to come back to the Temple in Jerusalem. We should be praying for the Temple to be built! We should be getting ready for the glory of Hashem to come to Israel, may it be soon. Remember to do this. It may help to bring Him back sooner. Please Hashem.
Challenge:
I challenge you today to make an “offering” to Hashem. It can be prayer, sacrifice, worship, repentance or a good deed (mitzvah). Think about what you can give today and do it. And be excited and anticipatory to give it to Him. Think of all the gifts He gives you every day. Today is the day to give Him one!
Reading #1 - Leviticus 9:1–16
9 On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take a calf from the herd for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without defect, and offer them before Hashem. 3 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without defect, for a burnt offering; 4 and a bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Hashem; and a meal offering mixed with oil: for today Hashem appears to you.’”
5 They brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting. All the congregation came near and stood before Hashem. 6 Moses said, “This is the thing which Hashem commanded that you should do; and Hashem’s glory shall appear to you.” 7 Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as Hashem commanded.”
8 So Aaron came near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. 9 The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar; 10 but the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as Hashem commanded Moses. 11 The meat and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp. 12 He killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13 They delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head. He burned them upon the altar. 14 He washed the innards and the legs, and burned them on the burnt offering on the altar. 15 He presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and killed it, and offered it for sin, like the first. 16 He presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance.
