This week’s parsha, Shemini, holds a powerful lesson about contrast—joy and pain, celebration and loss, clarity and confusion.

After seven days of preparation, Aaron and his sons officially begin their service as Kohanim (priests) on the eighth day. In fact, the “Shemini” means “eighth” in hebrew. This new beginning was a moment of joy and pride for Aaron and his family, however this soon went downhill when Aaron suddenly loses his two sons, Nadav and Avihu. The Torah tells us they brought a “strange fire” that God did not command, and they died instantly. And at that moment, the Torah says, “Vayidom Aharon”—“And Aaron was silent.”

That silence is powerful. It speaks to the kind of grief that just leaves you speechless. But instead of pushing it down or pretending it didn’t happen, Aaron just sits in it. He allows himself to feel. And maybe that’s a message we need now more than ever.

So many of us deal with moments of emotional overwhelm. Stress, anxiety, senioritis—they’re real, especially in high school. We are often told to try to power through, to keep smiling, to keep going. But Shemini teaches us that we don’t always need to have the answers. Sometimes strength looks like pausing. Like being still. Like saying, “I’m not okay right now,” and knowing that’s valid.

After this emotional moment, the parasha transitions into the laws of kashrut—what’s kosher and what’s not. It can feel random: why no shellfish? Why split hooves? But maybe it’s not about the food itself. Maybe it’s about what a diet represents. Making intentional choices, even in the smallest parts of our lives. Living with purpose. Slowing down and asking, “Why am I doing this?”

In a world that moves fast and expects us to keep up, Shemini reminds us to pause. To reflect. To find holiness not just in big, emotional moments, but in the quiet ones. In our routines. In our choices. In how we take care of ourselves and others.

So this Shabbat, ask yourself:
When was the last time I truly paused?
What small choices can I make with more intention?
And how can I create space to just be… with all the feelings that come with that?

Shabbat Shalom BBYO,

Jason Walters
Liberty Region