Question: The Kohen is commanded to swap his fine clothing into regular clothing that will inevitably get dirty when taking the ash outside of the camp each morning. Why is such a menial task given to a person of such high stature?
Answer: There are many mitzvot and Jewish customs that we love to do, and sometimes we dress up in fine clothing to serve God – Shabbat services, Passover Seder, Purim – like the Kohen in front of the Altar in the Tabernacle. But the same Kohen is required to do other mitzvot that are not as fun – every day he gets his clothes dirty throwing out the trash. This teaches us there are no hierarchies in mitzvot, none are more or less important. By striving to fulfill all of God’s mitzvot, only then will we truly be rewarded, become closer to God, and live happy and fulfilling lives as Jews.
Linen tunic and breeches Kohen hath Donned on his flesh before advancing toward ash Resting on the altar among a mash Of glowing embers surviving from last Full day of sacrifices that had past
Daybreaks dawn, very first and foremost task Is to scoop, sift, separate to bypass What fire did not burn, to reach the ash As jet black and as dark as a mine shaft Picked out of the pile, Kohen must snatch From atop the altar, Kohen must cast Beside the altar and into a stash
Priestly garments now removed and detached To don new garments because it’s forecast The clothes would soil and sully from ash And drive the Kohen straight into a bath
The Kohen himself would pickup the stash This menial task not given to staff Who takes out the trash? Only the top brass!
Time for the Kohen to make a fast dash Take the whole pile and not just half To scoop, spoon, and shovel the entire mass Outside of the camp and down the footpath To a clean pure place and into a cache A pile of ash on top of the grass
To learn the lesson, look through looking glass Just reading the words, you’ll get nowhere fast The daily removal of the ash stash A deeper meaning can be unmasked
Some mitzvot are full of panache and pizzazz Like the Kohen at altar removing the ash In his fine white linen, but by contrast
For his next mitzvah he cannot dispatch Other Israelite to carry the task Of taking out the Tabernacles trash
Even a Kohen whose faith is no match G-d commanded him for lowly tasks
The result of faith to all of God’s tasks You shall conquer and climb the mountain pass Rewarded with a first class boarding pass On a straight, non-stop and direct flight path To destination where you’ll make a splash In the glory of G-d, you will lie and bask
Parshas Tzav: Jewish Priesthood – Only the Top Brass Takes Out The Trash | By Ronen Khordipour
The author writes musings of Torah wisdoms through simple rhyming poetry, as a means to reach a wider audience than standard prose. He is currently compiling one poem for each parsha to publish a book titled “Soul of the Scroll.” Ronen is available for public readings, and can be reached at info@soulofthescroll.com.
