This week’s Torah portion, Tzav, details elaborate instructions for the ritual of sacrifice and the description of the actual ordination of Aaron and his sons (These directions were given in Exodus, but now carried out). If one can make it through the reading concerning all of the blood, fat, entrails and fire, one might ask (in the spirit of the Four Sons), “What does all of this have to do with me, today?”

Just ahead of us is Purim. Perhaps not like many others, I have been preparing for Purim for months. From costume planning to mishloach manot to hamantaschen baking, my preparations have been detailed. The excitement builds for me and I hope for my children to see the beauty in the tradition and festivities of this holiday. For me, it is not just about the reading of Megillat Esther, the Purim shpiel, the Purim Carnival, and the giving of gifts, it is the ritual of preparation that makes it as special of a holiday as it is for me.

I know many people who feel the same about Pesach. It is the hours of preparation for the holiday that mean as much as the actual celebration. Some grind their own maror or make their own gefilte fish. Some try out different recipes for charoset. Others love the act of taking out their Passover dishes from the box and getting them ready for the festival. Some plan out their seder, incorporating new ideas each year to make sure the children (and the adults) find more and more questions to ask about the Haggadah and about the rituals involved. Much work and time are devoted with much attention to detail.

It is this attention to the minutiae that enhances the experience and adds importance. Consider an event that you may just attend each year — one that you buy the ticket and just show up. Now consider an event or program that you have helped to plan — one that you have played a role in its success. Which is dearer to you? To which are you more committed? In most cases, it is probably the one that you spent more time in preparation. The one you followed through step by step, rather than standing back and observing.

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It is “this” that the Torah portion has to do with us, today. The lesson we can apply to our modern lives is: that which we focus upon, prepare for, pay attention to details, and carry through with is that which will have the greatest meaning to us. If the priests in our portion only were told to “sacrifice the animal,” the rituals would have never been established. The act may have been carried out as one today may throw a slab of meat on a grill. However, the priests were given instruction, details, and ritual so that the act of sacrifice was done with care and attention. This ritual had great importance not only because of the act of sacrifice, but because ritual of sacrifice made the act important. So, too, with the ordination of Aaron and his sons; they had already been named to their positions, but the ritual of ordination made the ordination so much more significant. 

As we approach Purim, and then move to Pesach, and with all the ritual opportunities in between and beyond, let us remind ourselves that although the preparation can take time, it is the preparation and the focus that adds meaning and importance to our ritual.