and Moses took of the blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. And Aaron’s sons were brought, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot. (Leviticus 8:23–24)
וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה מִדָּמוֹ, וַיִּתֵּן עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן אַהֲרֹן הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית. וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן, וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה מִן הַדָּם עַל תְּנוּךְ אָזְנָם הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדָם הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלָם הַיְמָנִית. (ויקרא ח', כג-כד)
During the seven days of consecration, Moses applied the consecration ram’s blood to the priests’ right earlobes, thumbs, and great toes.
A person afflicted with tzara‘at undergoes a similar rite, receiving blood of the guilt-offering lamb and then oil on the right extremities:
And the priest shall take of the blood of the guilt-offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. … And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the guilt-offering. (Leviticus 14:14, 17)
וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מִדַּם הָאָשָׁם, וְנָתַן הַכֹּהֵן עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן הַמִּטַּהֵר הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית ... וּמִיֶּתֶר הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּפּוֹ יִתֵּן הַכֹּהֵן, עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן הַמִּטַּהֵר הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית, וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית, עַל דַּם הָאָשָׁם. (ויקרא י״ד, יד, יז)
Usually blood or water is sprinkled on the whole body rather than a particular part: purification water (Numbers 19:18), or the basin covenant at Sinai (Exodus 24:8). Here only the right extremities receive blood. What does this express?
I propose an interpretive direction that is not substantiated.
The consecration ram expresses the essence of the seven-day transitional period in which the priests’ hands are “filled” for their new duties:
And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration be fulfilled; for He shall consecrate you seven days. (Leviticus 8:33)
וּמִפֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא תֵצְאוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, עַד יוֹם מְלֹאת יְמֵי מִלֻּאֵיכֶם, כִּי שִׁבְעַת יָמִים יְמַלֵּא אֶת יֶדְכֶם. (ויקרא ח', לג)
Blood on their right extremities symbolizes gradual entry into a new state through the body’s right side, in keeping with Middot: “All who enter … enter by the right” (Middot 2:2).
At the process’s end, when the transition is complete, the ram’s blood is sprinkled over their entire bodies (Leviticus 8:30).
Similarly, someone recovering from tzara‘at undergoes a transition. Unlike most naturally temporary or cyclical impurities, such as menstrual impurity, this condition can last a lifetime. Recovery and purification transform exclusion from Israel’s camp into gradual return. Blood and oil on the right extremities symbolize passage between states.
Like the consecration rite, the purification rite ends with oil applied to the head of the purified person as a whole being, after the transition is completed (Leviticus 14:29).
