Barry Block: Leviticus assigns some very messy duties to the Cohanim, the Priests of otherwise exalted status in the ancient Temple. Not only is the Priest charged with slaughtering the sacrificial animal and sprinkling blood according to prescribed ritual, he is also required to clean up after the ritual is complete.
Yes, that's right. The same Priest who presides over the sacrificial ritual is the custodian. He changes clothes, sweeps up the ashes, and takes them to the dumping ground outside the camp — to the dumpster, if you will.
We may be surprised that Torah assigns this garbage run to the Priest himself.
