(כב) וַיַּקְרֵב֙ אֶת־הָאַ֣יִל הַשֵּׁנִ֔י אֵ֖יל הַמִּלֻּאִ֑ים וַֽיִּסְמְכ֞וּ אַהֲרֹ֧ן וּבָנָ֛יו אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָאָֽיִל׃ (כג) וַיִּשְׁחָ֓ט ׀ וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִדָּמ֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן עַל־תְּנ֥וּךְ אֹֽזֶן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַיְמָנִ֑ית וְעַל־בֹּ֤הֶן יָדוֹ֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְל֖וֹ הַיְמָנִֽית׃ (כד) וַיַּקְרֵ֞ב אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיִּתֵּ֨ן מֹשֶׁ֤ה מִן־הַדָּם֙ עַל־תְּנ֤וּךְ אׇזְנָם֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֤הֶן יָדָם֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְלָ֖ם הַיְמָנִ֑ית וַיִּזְרֹ֨ק מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הַדָּ֛ם עַל־הַֽמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃ (כה) וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־הַחֵ֣לֶב וְאֶת־הָֽאַלְיָ֗ה וְאֶֽת־כׇּל־הַחֵ֘לֶב֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַקֶּ֒רֶב֒ וְאֵת֙ יֹתֶ֣רֶת הַכָּבֵ֔ד וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּ֥י הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת וְאֶֽת־חֶלְבְּהֶ֑ן וְאֵ֖ת שׁ֥וֹק הַיָּמִֽין׃ (כו) וּמִסַּ֨ל הַמַּצּ֜וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה לָ֠קַ֠ח חַלַּ֨ת מַצָּ֤ה אַחַת֙ וְֽחַלַּ֨ת לֶ֥חֶם שֶׁ֛מֶן אַחַ֖ת וְרָקִ֣יק אֶחָ֑ד וַיָּ֙שֶׂם֙ עַל־הַ֣חֲלָבִ֔ים וְעַ֖ל שׁ֥וֹק הַיָּמִֽין׃ (כז) וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶת־הַכֹּ֔ל עַ֚ל כַּפֵּ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְעַ֖ל כַּפֵּ֣י בָנָ֑יו וַיָּ֧נֶף אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃
(22) He brought forward the second ram, the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the ram’s head, (23) and it was slaughtered. Moses took some of its blood and put it on the ridge of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. (24) Moses then brought forward the sons of Aaron, and put some of the blood on the ridges of their right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and the rest of the blood Moses dashed against every side of the altar. (25) He took the fat—the broad tail, all the fat about the entrails, the protuberance of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat—and the right thigh. (26) From the basket of unleavened bread that was before יהוה, he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of oil bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat parts and on the right thigh. (27) He placed all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and elevated them as an elevation offering before יהוה.
What is the reasoning for the ear, thumb, and toe?
Head to toe!
Rabbi Nelly Altenburger (Conservative Rabbi in Connecticut)
Ear / earmarked, making sacred what one hears; thumb making sacred what you touch and how you touch; big toe, the locus of balance and walking, making sacred your comings and goings.
Ear / earmarked, making sacred what one hears; thumb making sacred what you touch and how you touch; big toe, the locus of balance and walking, making sacred your comings and goings.
Philo (ancient commentator in 1st century Egypt)
...This signified that the perfect person must be pure in every word and action, and in all of life, for it is the hearing that judges a person's words, and the hand is the symbol of action, and the foot of the way in which a person walks in life.... Since each of these parts is an extremity of the body, and is likewise on the right side, this indicated that improvement in everything is to be arrived at by dexterity, being a portion of felicity, and being the true aim in life, which a person must necessarily labor to attain, and to which a person ought to refer all actions, aiming at them in life as an archer aims at a target. (Philo. On the Life of Moses 2:29:150. Alexandria, Egypt, early 1st century CE. Reprinted in, e.g., The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition. Translated by Charles Duke Yonge, page 504. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993. ISBN 0-943575-93-1.)
...This signified that the perfect person must be pure in every word and action, and in all of life, for it is the hearing that judges a person's words, and the hand is the symbol of action, and the foot of the way in which a person walks in life.... Since each of these parts is an extremity of the body, and is likewise on the right side, this indicated that improvement in everything is to be arrived at by dexterity, being a portion of felicity, and being the true aim in life, which a person must necessarily labor to attain, and to which a person ought to refer all actions, aiming at them in life as an archer aims at a target. (Philo. On the Life of Moses 2:29:150. Alexandria, Egypt, early 1st century CE. Reprinted in, e.g., The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition. Translated by Charles Duke Yonge, page 504. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993. ISBN 0-943575-93-1.)
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (12th century, Spain)
"[the thumb and big toe are] the essence of all actions, and the right ones because of the strength of the right side, and the ear ridge is a reminder to listen to what is commanded."
"[the thumb and big toe are] the essence of all actions, and the right ones because of the strength of the right side, and the ear ridge is a reminder to listen to what is commanded."
Is it only about leadership?
This action comes up one other time later in Leviticus, for the ritual to purify the metzora, the person who had scaly skin disease (sometimes referred to as leprosy). The metzora would be sent out of camp and quarantined because of their illness. Once they had healed there is an elaborate ritual of purification that the priest performs for the metzora, and part of this ritual includes putting blood on the right ear, right thumb and right big toe. (Rabbi Becca Walker, 5776 Sermon at Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies)
(יד) וְלָקַ֣ח הַכֹּהֵן֮ מִדַּ֣ם הָאָשָׁם֒ וְנָתַן֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן עַל־תְּנ֛וּךְ אֹ֥זֶן הַמִּטַּהֵ֖ר הַיְמָנִ֑ית וְעַל־בֹּ֤הֶן יָדוֹ֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְל֖וֹ הַיְמָנִֽית׃
The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the ridge of the right ear of him who is being cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
This ritual connection between the metzora and the priests comes to teach us the importance and value of empathy. On the occasion of their ordination into priesthood Aaron and his sons now have a special role among the Israelites and with God. With all the excitement and responsibility of this high position it could be easy to forget what it is like to be someone on the margins. That experience of suffering is what this ritual comes to remind them about. The ram's blood on their right side connects them to the blood they put on the right side of the metzora. It is saying remember the people on the outside, and not just remember but also let the source of actions in the body exemplify that empathy. In order for Aaron to be a great leader he can't forget the suffering of those outside the camp.
This lesson about empathy is important for all of us, whether or not we are in a formal position of leadership. Even when we are feeling fully empowered and included we need to remember what it would feel like to be on the margins. We can use our own experiences of sadness and suffering to help us empathize with those in our community who are currently experiencing hardships. Our communities and our leaders will be stronger when we remember and connect to the vulnerable among us.... As we empathize let us also translate that into action. What is one thing we can do in the coming weeks to help bring someone in? ...By doing this we will help to bring more holiness and compassion into our lives and into the world. (Rabbi Becca Walker, 5776 Sermon at Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies)
This lesson about empathy is important for all of us, whether or not we are in a formal position of leadership. Even when we are feeling fully empowered and included we need to remember what it would feel like to be on the margins. We can use our own experiences of sadness and suffering to help us empathize with those in our community who are currently experiencing hardships. Our communities and our leaders will be stronger when we remember and connect to the vulnerable among us.... As we empathize let us also translate that into action. What is one thing we can do in the coming weeks to help bring someone in? ...By doing this we will help to bring more holiness and compassion into our lives and into the world. (Rabbi Becca Walker, 5776 Sermon at Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies)