Parashat Shemini, describes what occurred following the seven-day process of priestly ordination, the eighth day. The altar was used for the first time by the newly authorized priests. Moses and Aaron together bless the assembled Israelites. The people respond to the divine fire which demonstrates that the sacrifices have been accepted with shouts of joy and worship.

Following this auspicious beginning to the efforts of the Israelite priesthood, Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, offer ill-defined - and ill-advised - "alien fire" before God. The errant priests are consumed in divine fire - the malignant equivalent of the fire which earlier consumed Israel's first sacrifices as an indicator of divine favor and approval. Moses offers a brief, somewhat cryptic, poetic message of consolation to his bereaved brother. Aaron responds with absolute silence to his devastating loss. The remains of the stricken priests are removed from the Sanctuary by their priestly cousins. Aaron and his surviving sons, in keeping with their unique obligations as priests, are adjured not to mourn in the usual manner.

God addresses Aaron, commanding him and all future priests serving at the altar to refrain from drinking wine or other intoxicant. Wine is deemed an impediment to the priestly mission of distinguishing "between the sacred and the profane, between the unclean and the clean" as well as the priestly duty of transmitting God's commandments to the Israelite community.

After a brief set of instructions regarding the meal, wave, and sin offerings, Shemini offers the Torah's fundamental basis for the Dietary Laws. Forbidden and permitted species among land animals (split hooved ruminants are permitted), fish (those with fins and scales are permitted), and birds (no distinguishing physical characteristic are specified, though a lengthy list is provided), as well as "winged swarming things" - insects. This discussion of food stuffs is followed by a corollary prescription of ritual impurity and its transfer from forbidden - i.e. impure or "unclean" - animals, by means of, for example, physical contact or carrying.

The parashah concludes with a critical statement of the purpose of the ritual requirements that have been detailed: "I, the Lord, am your God. You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy." The centrality of this message is reinforced by the fact that Parashat Shemini is identified by the Masoretes as including the very center of the Torah: the customarily majuscule gimel of gachon in 11:14, if counting by letters... or the imperative infinitive darosh darash [customarily the last and first words of consecutive lines] in 10:16, if counting by words. The Masoretic note on 10:16 is a studious play on words: darosh darash - zeh chatzi ha-Torah: "'to investigate thoroughly' - this is half of the Torah."