Leviticus 8:23-24

"And Moses killed it, and took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the great toe of his right foot. And Aaron's sons were brought, and Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet; and Moses threw the blood upon the altar round about" (Leviticus 8:23-24 RSV).

Question:

Why these body parts?

Comment:

Leviticus is one of the later books of the Hebrew Bible in terms of its composition, but it clearly draws upon long tradition when it describes the earliest rituals of the Hebrew people. At that time the Hebrews still believed in a God of sacrifice, who found pleasure in animal offerings. So blood is an inevitable part of the ordination rite, which is described at great length (Lev. 8:22-35). As to the deeper significance of this passage, because the majority of people are right-handed, the right was generally seen as the dominant side of the body. As to the specific body parts, we can only speculate, or find the deeper meaning within ourselves. The ear represents hearing, of course, and the hand represents work, and the foot (symbolized by the big toe) symbolizes, I think, both grounding and support. Balance. So by this specific part of the ordination ritual the newly anointed priests are called to undertake their work (hand), to carefully listen (ear) to the people who come to them, and to stay grounded and balanced (foot) in their commitment to the priesthood, and to God.