Tzav: Process

Tzav: Process

This weeks parsha has a lot of orders.  The word tzav appears quite often .  And all of the orders are carried out as prescribed.

Our culture is oriented toward results.  The  process is just a way to get to the desired result.  But a particular process  can become the only way, and from there the process  can become the the purpose onto itself, superseding the result. 

Following orders. without a clear idea of the purpose, means that one has faith in the entity that issues the orders.  It means that one submits to the will of another who sees a more comprehensive picture. It is an admission that one does not see the whole picture.  It is an act of servitude and humility, 

  In medicine guidelines often become rituals.  This is not always a bad thing.  Performing the ritual  assures that certain acts are done, and not left out. Sometimes the answer to a problem comes from an unexpected source, a piece of information that is revealed only by adherence to the ritual.  The travel history can reveal the possibility of an important infection, the fingernails  can reveal surprises.

In this season, before Passover, we are preparing for a ritual shared by most Jews, the Seder. The point of much of the Seder  is not obvious and the attempt at explanation is part of the ritual itself.The process  is the point of the seder; and through the repetition  the past is brought to life and there is new discovery