Presence

I've been lax on Parsha Keywords, mostly due to lack of time. This week, however, a pattern jumped out at me, so clear and compelling that I had to get it down.

The word of the week is:

Any and all forms of Ochel (eating).

As a support for this, I'll point out that the entire Parshas Shemini (Lev. 9-11) is about eating. A quick rundown:

• 9:11 - A sin offering that was burnt instead of eaten; only one of its kind (cf. Rashi).
• 9:24 - "And there came forth fire from before the LORD, and consumed (va'tochal) upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat;
• 10:2 - And there came forth fire from before the LORD, and devoured (va'tocahl) them [Nadav and Avihu], and they died before the LORD."
• 10:8-11 - warning to not perform Avodah while intoxicated.
• 10:12-20 - Moshe's disagreement with Aharon, Elazar and Itamar about which sacrifices they should eat.
• 11:1-47 - Laws of Kosher animals.

That's the entire parsha. I'll open up the floor for comments; I'll post my thoughts later in the week when I've had time to collect them.

A few random bits of data to consider: Nadav and Avihu are mentioned one other time in the Torah, in Ex. 24: "And upon the nobles of the children of Israel [Nadav and Avihu] He laid not His hand; and they beheld God, and did eat and drink" (cf. Rashi there). Also, "Vayahi B'yom Ha'Shemini" is midrashically interpreted as referring to the eigth day of Creation (cf. Midrash Rabbah). I needn't point out the repeated usage of words like "havdalah" and "kodesh," which inexorably suggest the concept of da'as", either, right?