What are some different rituals?
How might we define ritual? What is the purpose of ritual?
How might we define ritual? What is the purpose of ritual?
The Book of Leviticus is all about ritual. In this week's parasha, we read about the ritual of inducting the priests, the kohanim, into the priesthood. This is important, holy work the priests are undertaking, so the ritual of induction matters. It's the difference between a college convocation ceremony and picking up an avocado at the supermarket-- unless you are particularly attached to avocados, the convocation ceremony marks a much weightier thing.
Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering
Priming: Before your event starts, it has begun
Priming: Before your event starts, it has begun
A gathering is a social contract
"All gatherings come with expectations. There are expectations of the host--that the agenda be followed or that food will be served. There are expectations of the guests--that they will do their homework and come prepared with ideas; that they won't bring their 3 cousins along; that they will dance their heart out and get others to do so."
The Invitation
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ קַ֤ח אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ הַבְּגָדִ֔ים וְאֵ֖ת שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֑ה וְאֵ֣ת ׀ פַּ֣ר הַֽחַטָּ֗את וְאֵת֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הָֽאֵילִ֔ים וְאֵ֖ת סַ֥ל הַמַּצּֽוֹת׃ וְאֵ֥ת כׇּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה הַקְהֵ֑ל אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
ה׳ spoke to Moses, saying: Take Aaron along with his sons, and the vestments, the anointing oil, the bull of sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; and assemble the community leadership at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
The greeting
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־הָעֵדָ֑ה זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה ה׳ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃
Moses said to the leadership, “This is what ה׳ has commanded to be done.”
Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering
"Now, I understand that you may hesitate to force your guests into a thirty-minute tunnel of silence or place gold foil on their lips. But there are many tiny ways you can create a threshold, a pause, before you and your guests cross the starting line together. And you don't need to be an award-winning theater producer to do it. The idea of helping people transition from one state to another is embedded in many rituals of traditional societies. It's the equivalent of a doctor taking off her jacket and putting on her white coat as she enters her office. It's the act of Muslims washing their hands and feet before prayer..." (167)
The three preparatory rituals (per Baruch Schwartz JSB)
1. Must first be bathed before investiture
וַיַּקְרֵ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיִּרְחַ֥ץ אֹתָ֖ם בַּמָּֽיִם׃
Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.
2. Tabernacle and furnishings must be anointed before first sacrifices are made
וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וַיִּמְשַׁ֥ח אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־בּ֑וֹ וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹתָֽם׃ וַיַּ֥ז מִמֶּ֛נּוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וַיִּמְשַׁ֨ח אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֜חַ וְאֶת־כׇּל־כֵּלָ֗יו וְאֶת־הַכִּיֹּ֛ר וְאֶת־כַּנּ֖וֹ לְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃
Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and all that was in it, thus consecrating them. He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, anointing the altar, all its utensils, and the laver with its stand, to consecrate them.
3. Altar must be purified before being used
וַיִּשְׁחָ֗ט וַיִּקַּ֨ח מֹשֶׁ֤ה אֶת־הַדָּם֙ וַ֠יִּתֵּ֠ן עַל־קַרְנ֨וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ סָבִיב֙ בְּאֶצְבָּע֔וֹ וַיְחַטֵּ֖א אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְאֶת־הַדָּ֗ם יָצַק֙ אֶל־יְס֣וֹד הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַֽיְקַדְּשֵׁ֖הוּ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ וַיִּקַּ֗ח אֶֽת־כׇּל־הַחֵ֘לֶב֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַקֶּ֒רֶב֒ וְאֵת֙ יֹתֶ֣רֶת הַכָּבֵ֔ד וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּ֥י הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת וְאֶֽת־חֶלְבְּהֶ֑ן וַיַּקְטֵ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֖ה הַמִּזְבֵּֽחָה׃ וְאֶת־הַפָּ֤ר וְאֶת־עֹרוֹ֙ וְאֶת־בְּשָׂר֣וֹ וְאֶת־פִּרְשׁ֔וֹ שָׂרַ֣ף בָּאֵ֔שׁ מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה ה׳ אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
and it was slaughtered. Moses took the blood and with his finger put some on each of the horns of the altar, purifying the altar; then he poured out the blood at the base of the altar. Thus he consecrated it in order to make expiation upon it. Moses then took all the fat that was about the entrails, and the protuberance of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and turned them into smoke on the altar. The rest of the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its dung, he put to the fire outside the camp—as ה׳ had commanded Moses.
What sense or feeling do you get from reading these verses?
How do you see the experience being shaped and formed? Is it leading towards something in particular?
How might we use this idea of ritual in our own lives? In our work as campus leaders?