Tzav
Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Précis: The parasha begins with Adonai ordering Moses to command (“tzav”) Aaron and his sons concerning offerings. Requirements for the daily offerings, directions for the meal offerings, instructions for guilt-offerings and thanksgiving offerings are described. The parasha then describes the initial offerings of the Tabernacle made by Aaron and his sons following their consecration to service by Moses.
Lev. 8:22-23 “Moses brought out the second ram, the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram’s head and it was slaughtered. Moses took some of the blood and put it on the ridge of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.”
The Book we begin last week, Vayikra, has also known as “Torat Kohanim” (the Teaching of the Priests), because of its emphasis on the role of the Priests in the ancient system of sacrificial worship. But since the People of Israel are referred to as a “nation of priests,” it is understood by many commentators that we should review and study the details of the sacrificial rites with an eye towards applying underlying principles to today’s world.
The installation ceremony we read about here, as Aaron and his sons begin their roles as Priests, is of some particular interest, even if we might find anointing them with blood distasteful or even barbaric. First, they are washed to achieve ritual purity. Then, they don special clothing and are anointed with oil. Then they offer a “sin offering” to atone for the mistakes which they will inevitably make in the course of their complex ritual duties. Following this sacrifice, Moses touches Aaron and his sons’ ears, thumbs, and toes with blood from the offering, symbolizing (as 1st century C.E. historian Philo suggests) that the Priests were to be pure in hearing (ear), action (hand), and in the pilgrimage through life (foot).
The use of blood symbolizes a transition from purity to worldliness, from life in the mundane world to existence in Divine service. If we are to achieve our goal of being a nation of priests (although I think not with the blood of sacrifices!), we should take note of the solemnity and sense of concentration which infused the priests and take some of it into our own hearts.
We also need to remind ourselves that in daily life, we must strive for purity in listening for the needs of others; that we need to be proactive in the service of our family, friends, our People and the world; and that we seek (or ought to seek) Divine guidance on each step of our own life’s journey. Given the world in which we live, where barbarism, intolerance, and strife seem to be exploding in every venue, our task to be a nation of priests has never been more difficult - or more essential.
