18 Aviv 5780
April 18, 2020

Parashat Shemini
“Eighth”

Here are the Torah, Haftarah and suggested Brit Chadasha (New Testament) readings for this week. Listen to the current Portion readings from the Tree of Life Version here.

• Leviticus 9:1-11:47 
• 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17 (A) 
• 2 Samuel 6:1-19 (S) 
• Hebrews 7:1-19

The seven aliyot readings from the Torah begin at these verses:

1. Leviticus 9:1
2. Leviticus 9:17
3. Leviticus 9:24
4. Leviticus 10:12
5. Leviticus 10:16
6. Leviticus 11:1
7. Leviticus 11:33

Maftir: Leviticus 11:45

In Shemini

The Key People include Moshe (Moses), Aharon (Aaron), Nadav (Nadab) and Avihu (Abihu), Misha’el (Mishael) and Eltsafan (Elzaphan), El’azar (Eleazer) and Itamar (Ithamar).

The Scene is the tabernacle, in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Main Events include Aharon’s first offerings; Moshe and Aharon entering the tabernacle; fire consuming the burnt offering; the people falling on their faces; Nadav and Avihu offering unauthorized fire and dying; El’azar and Itamar distinguishing holy from unholy and pure from unpure.

Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then he stepped down from presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came back out and blessed the people, the glory of Adonai appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of Adonai, and devoured the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
(Leviticus 9:22-24 TLV)

The Haftarah

Then He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had gazed into the ark of Adonai. He struck down the people—70 out of 50,000 men—the people mourned because Adonai had struck the people a great slaughter. So the men of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before Adonai—this holy God? To whom should it go up from us?”
(1 Samuel 6:19-20 TLV)

The Brit Chadasha

For it is clear that our Lord has sprung forth from Judah—concerning this tribe, Moses said nothing about kohanim. And it is even more evident, if another kohen arises like Melchizedek— one made not by virtue of a Torah requirement of physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life. For it is testified, “You are a kohen forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
(Hebrews 7:14-17 TLV)

Torah Portion readings and the associated Haftarah readings generally follow the Stone Edition Chumash and/or the Complete Jewish Bible. Verse numbering generally follows the Hebrew tradition, and where modern Christian traditions differ those verse numbers are shown in parentheses (). Haftarah readings generally follow the Ashkenazi tradition. Where the Sephardic tradition differs, the Haftarah portions are designated as (A) and (S). Suggested New Testament readings are taken from the Walk! series of Messianic Devotion Commentaries by Dr. Jeffrey Enoch Feinberg. The Key People, The Scenes, and The Main Events are taken from the Walk! series of Messianic Devotion Commentaries by Dr. Jeffrey Enoch Feinberg. Scripture taken from the Tree of Life Version (TLV) © 2015 by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society. Used by permission of the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.