The ordination of Aaron begins with washing. Before the robes, before the anointing, before anything else, the priests wash. The water must purify them for the sacred work ahead. Not symbolically only, but as the first step of actual preparation.
Washing appears throughout Leviticus as boundary between the common and sacred. Priests wash before entering the holy place. The basin filled from women's mirrors made from their gifts serves this constant cleansing. The principle is consistent: drawing near to God requires intentional separation from the ordinary.
Yet notice something: the washing is public. The people gather to watch Aaron washed and prepared. It's not a private cleansing done in secret. The ordinand's preparation is part of the community's ritual. This teaches that coming to serve God involves both personal cleansing and public accountability. We can't hide parts of ourselves while offering others. And we don't do this work alone. Our communities witness and participate in our preparation.
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