Study Desk

"‘All winged swarming creatures that go on all fours are a detestable thing for you;

But other than that, all winged swarming creatures having four feet are a detestable thing for you.

every animal that has a separate but incompletely divided hoof or that doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you; anyone who touches them will become unclean.

Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, is unclean for you; whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until evening;

and whoever picks up its carcass is to wash his clothes and be unclean until evening — these are unclean for you.

"‘The following are unclean for you among the small creatures that swarm on the ground: the weasel, the mouse, the various kinds of lizards,

Anything on which one of them falls when dead will become unclean — wooden utensil, article of clothing, leather, sacking — any utensil used for work; it must be put in water, and it will be unclean until evening; then it will be clean.

Everything on which any carcass-part of theirs falls will become unclean, whether oven or stove; it is to be broken in pieces — they are unclean and will be unclean for you;

although a spring or cistern for collecting water remains clean. But anyone who touches one of their carcasses will become unclean.

but if water is put on the seed and a carcass-part of theirs falls on it, it is unclean for you.

For I am Adonai your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and do not defile yourselves with any kind of swarming creature that moves along the ground.

(Maftir) For I am Adonai , who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy.

Its purpose is to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.'" Haftarah Sh'mini: Sh'mu'el Bet (2 Samuel) 6:1–7:17 (A); 6:1–19 (S) Suggested readings for Parashah Sh'mini from the B'rit Hadashah: Mark 7:1–23; Acts 5:1–11; 10:1–35; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; Galatians 2:11–16; 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 1:14–16

"Tell the people of Isra'el: ‘If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days with the same uncleanness as in niddah, when she is having her menstrual period.

But if she gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean for two weeks, as in her niddah; and she is to wait another sixty-six days to be purified from her blood.

"‘When the days of her purification are over, whether for a son or for a daughter, she is to bring a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering to the entrance of the tent of meeting, to the cohen.

He will offer it before Adonai and make atonement for her; thus she will be purified from her discharge of blood. Such is the law for a woman who gives birth, whether to a boy or to a girl.

If she can't afford a lamb, she is to take two doves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; the cohen will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"

If the bright spot on his skin is white, but it does not appear to go deep into the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the cohen is to isolate him for seven days.

On the seventh day the cohen is to examine him again, and if the sore appears the same as before and has not spread on the skin, then the cohen is to isolate him for seven more days.