Eighth day models our best connection to G-d

This week and next week, the Torah portion begins with the phrase “yom ha shmini,” referring to an eighth day. In this week’s parsha Shemini, the reference is to the eighth day of the miluim, the time when the Tabernacle was dedicated in the wilderness.

Next week in parsha Tazria, we will be reading of the process a woman goes through after giving birth, and how on the eighth day after a boy is born, he is to be circumcised.

Is there a connection between these eighth days?

The Midrash Aggadah makes the connection, quoting a verse in Kohelet (11:2), “Give a portion to seven and even to eight, for you do not know what evil will be on the earth,” as a springboard to saying there are a number of things that are seven, which lead to number eight.

Moshe had a seven-day conversation with G-d at the burning bush before he was ready for his eighth day — to move on to be the deliverer from bondage.

Rabbi Elazar (or Eliezer) said seven refers to the days of a week, and eight refers to bris milah. Rain fell in the times of Elijah the Prophet (after several years of drought), in the merit of these two mitzvot: Shabbos and bris milah.

Rabbi Yehoshua said seven refers to the (Biblical) days of Pesach, while eight refers to the eight days of Sukkot (which include Shmini Atzeret).

Rabbi Simone said seven refers to the seventh day of the korbanot (offerings) of the n’siim (princes) in Bamidbar 7, and eight refers to the eighth day of the same korbanot, the offerings brought by the princes of Ephraim and Menashe.

Rabbi Yehuda said seven refers to niddah (proper observance of the laws of family purity), which can lead to the birth of a boy who is circumcised on his eighth day of life.

Rabbi Azarya (also attributed to Rabbi Eliezer) said the verse refers to the seven days of miluim (dedication of the Tabernacle), and eight refers to the eighth day of our parsha.

The Midrash Rabba adds to this list:

Rabbi Azarya said Moshe supervised over the bris milah of the seenth generation (Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Levi, Kehat, Amram, Moshe), while Yehoshua supervised the bris milah of the eighth generation as they entered the land of Canaan.

Rabbi Levi said there are seven days of sukkot, and eight is Shmini Atzeret.