Torah Posting: תצוה
Now that we have a Mishkan within which the Divine Presence can dwell amongst us, it is time to convene a priesthood to perform the rituals held there, which form the beating spiritual heart of the community.
Before we do, though, I want to speculate briefly on why this whole part of the Torah is the way it is, and why the priesthood and the exacting specifics of its rituals are so important to it.
I have mentioned in previous installments the well-supported theory of the Torah’s composite origins known as the documentary hypothesis, in which the linear text we have now is a patchwork of editorial selections from several versions and authorial voices from different places and parts of Jewish history. This theory dovetails nicely with some theories of the historical basis for the exodus from Egypt.
To me it is quite believable that this part of the Torah as the national/religious origin myth — coming in with rather different tone and content after a whole prior book of clearly earlier and more primordial stories — was the critical addition of some group of people who really did come from Egypt, even if they later integrated into a larger group of other Mesopotamian peoples, rather than the entire people of Yisra’el moving in a large mass like the story suggests.
It would be unsurprising that those people brought with them an extravagant priestly religion — like the ones for which ancient Egypt is famed — but with a relationship with divinity that would obviously have been unpopular with the Egyptian establishment. It would be especially unsurprising if those people served as the priesthood of this fledgling nation themselves, and their contribution to the story — which I submit we are reading now — was in service of establishing both their legitimacy as the priesthood of יהוה to the people of Yisra’el and enshrining their religion as a core function of that people.
With that in mind, let’s return to the text and observe that establishment in its voice.
This parashah begins with two lines interesting to consider in isolation, the first requiring donations of olive oil for kindling the lamps of the Mishkan, and the second explaining that Aharon, Mosheh’s brother, and his sons are the individuals who must set up and kindle the lamps to burn all night, from evening until morning, for all time. It might seem these specific ritual instructions would have fit well in last week’s parashah rather than being cordoned off into this one, so it’s interesting to consider why. Ibn Ezra says it’s because the kindling of the lamps is the transition to the description of the daily ritual work, which the priests — and only the priests — were to perform, as opposed to the construction of the Mishkan itself, which was a communal duty.
After those two lines, a new chapter is marked, and here is where Aharon’s sons are designated as the כהנים [kohanim], the priests. His four sons — Nadav, Avihu, El’azar, and Itamar — are called out by name.
Sacral vestments for the high priest — the first of whom will be Aharon himself — are commanded from the people’s finest craftsmen: a breastplate, an ephot, a robe, a tunic with fringes, a turban, and a sash. Their colors, materials, construction, and decoration are outlined precisely. Specific gemstones are required with the names of the sons of Yisra’el engraved on them. Bells and pomegranates are to decorate the fringes; the high priest will be heard as he moves, which seems to be some kind of warning system to prevent any catastrophic magical accidents.
These garments are to have divination tools built into them. Instructions for their use are not given here; surely that knowledge the esoteric privilege of the priesthood.
The headdress is to have a gold plate on the front inscribed “קדש ליהוה” — “Holy to יהוה.” This inscription is said to allow Aharon, the high priest, to remove spiritual impurities from the offerings given to him by the people to offer up to God.
Aharon’s sons, the attending priests, are also to have tunics, sashes, and turbans, though they will not wear the elaborate magical garments of the high priest.
All the priests will be anointed, ordained, and consecrated to God. The priests must wear their vestments when they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar, and again it is warned that a breach of protocol could be fatal.
Next the service for ordaining the priests is outlined. A young bull, two unblemished rams, unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers, oil and wheat flour are to be presented in the ritual basket. Mosheh will lead Aharon and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Then Mosheh will dress Aharon in the high priest’s vestments, followed by his sons. At this moment, the hereditary line of Aharon will be enshrined for all time as kohanim.
Finally, the bull will be led to the front of the tent, and Aharon and his sons will lay their hands upon its head in blessing. Then Mosheh shall slaughter the bull, smear its blood on the horns of the altar with his finger, and pour the rest at the base of the altar. The fat covering the entrails, the protuberance on the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat shall be turned into smoke upon the altar. The rest of the flesh, the hide, and the dung shall be burned outside the camp as a purging of impurities.
Then the first ram shall be slaughtered, its blood dashed against the sides of the altars, and its body quartered and washed. The whole animal shall be turned into smoke, an offering of pleasing aroma to יהוה.
Then Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the second ram and bless it. Then it shall be slaughtered, and some of its blood shall be smeared on the ridges of the kohanim’s right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet. The rest of the blood shall be dashed around the sides of the altar. Some of it shall then be gathered up and mixed with the anointing oil and sprinkled upon the kohanim and their vestments, consecrating them.
The fatty parts of the second ram, along with one flat loaf of bread, one cake mixed with oil, and one wafer from the basket are placed on the palms of the kohanim and then offered. This is the offering of ordination, another pleasing odor to יהוה. The breast of that ram is an elevation offering that is Mosheh’s portion, the portion for the one doing the ordaining. This part is marked off as an ongoing offering to the kohanim from the people.
The vestments are declared to be hereditary. The next high priest to be ordained is to put them on and enter the sanctuary for seven days to complete the transition.
The ram of ordination is then to be feasted upon by the kohanim in the sacred precinct; laypeople are not to eat of it. If any of this offering is left over until morning, it must be burned.
The ordination ceremony itself is to go for seven days; a bull is to be offered for purification each day, and at the end the altar itself will be fully activated and holy.
Then the daily offerings are given. Two yearling lambs, one in the morning and one at twilight, along with a measure of flour, oil, and wine. These daily rituals form the time-bound foundation of daily Jewish prayer for all time, even in times when no valid temple stands.
God completes this section by describing how these rituals will bring down God’s presence to the Tent of Meeting, abiding in the midst of the people, and they shall know that יהוה is their God who liberated them.
After that, a new chapter begins, and an epilogue describes a wooden altar for burning incense, similar in glory to the sacrificial altar, also with horns. It shall be placed in front of the curtain over the Ark of the Pact. Aharon is to make incense offerings when tending the lamps morning and evening. No foreign incense is to be offered there, nor burnt offerings, meal offerings, or libations. These protocol warnings are beginning to feel like foreshadowing.
Just to be sure, one last ritual is given here: The high priest is to purify this incense altar yearly with the blood of the sin offering. “קדש-קדשים הוא ליהוה” — “it is the holiest of holies to יהוה.”
So now we have a priesthood. The magic — and the stakes — of daily worship and offering are established. We ended the last parashah with a containing structure ready, and we end this one with a living daily practice.
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