LIONS AND BEYOND NATURE

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well and ready for Pesach.

Mazal Tov again for Shlomo Levy whose birthday is on second night of Pesach! Wishing you a great year Shlomo!

Mazal Tov to Ariel Bassin whose birthday follows on Chol Hamoed. Wishing you a year of much progress in your studies Ariel, and also generally, and with much happiness!

Mazal Tov to Penina on graduating to be a Personal Trainer! You have put in so much work to achieve this Penina, and we wish you much success and joy in helping yourself and others become fit. Well done!

I heard an interesting shiur from Rabbi Gordon on the significance of the NUMBER EIGHT, in this week's Sedra Shemini (Shemini means 8 ie On the 8th day..), and we also learnt a Sicha of the Rebbe in Vol 22 of Likutei Sichos , which was connected.

Without going into the details, in Judaism, 7 refers to the natural order, for example the 7 days of the week, and 8 refers to the supernatural, (but the supernatural entering into nature.)

Examples are:

• On the 8th day of Pesach, the Haftarah is about the coming of Mashiach. And on this day the Baal Shem Tov also introduced the custom to have a seudah called, Mashiach Seudah
• After the 7 days of Sukkot, where the sacrifices relate to the whole world, we move on to the 8th day, Shemini Atzeres, which is Hashem relating to the Jewish People alone.
• The miracle of the 8 days of Chanukah
• Bris Milah is on the 8th day etc

The 8th day in our Sedra relates to Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the 8th day, after the 7 days of consecration of the Mishkan (Mini Temple).

During the 7 days, Sacrifices were offered, and holiness was present, but Hashem had not yet descended into the world to dwell in the Mishkan (and the subsequent permanent Temples).

This only occurred on the 8th day, and it happened as A FIRE IN THE SHAPE OF A CROUCHING LION, COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO CONSUME AHARON'S SACRIFICE.

And the Zohar (p32b) explains that this fire represents the angel Uriel, who appeared in this form.

The Zohar uses 2 terminologies in describing the form of the LION

• Mighty lion crouching over it's prey
• Large lion crouching over a Sacrifice

In short the explanation of these 2 forms is that:

• The first relates to the Sacrifices offered on the SEVEN days of consecration, and relates to the personal atonement of each person - this is a limited light.
• The second relates to the Sacrifice offered by Aharon, now the Kohen Gadol for the first time, on the EIGHTH day, where there was a revelation of Hashem from beyond nature, and related to bringing satisfaction to his Creator. - Hashem (the Shechinah) descended to dwell in this world, in the Mishkan.

The month of Nissan relates to Pesach and we wish everyone a kosher and happy Pesach, with it's opportunity to connect with 'beyond nature within nature'

Gut Yom Tov and Gut Shabbos