Exodus 29 Head, and Shoulders, Ears, Thumbs, and Toes

After the descriptions of the priestly vestments, the Torah discusses the inauguration ceremony for the priests. Aaron and his sons are instructed to place their hands on various sacrifices and to be anointed with the special oil. Moshe is also instructed to:“Slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the ridges of his sons’ right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; and dash the rest of the blood against every side of the altar round about” (verse 20):וְשָׁחַטְתָּ אֶת־הָאַיִל וְלָקַחְתָּ מִדָּמוֹ וְנָתַתָּ עַל־תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן אַהֲרֹן וְעַל־תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן בָּנָיו הַיְּמָנִית וְעַל־בֹּהֶן יָדָם הַיְּמָנִית וְעַל־בֹּהֶן רַגְלָם הַיְּמָנִית וְזָרַקְתָּ אֶת־הַדָּם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב (שמות כט:כ).Why is the blood sprinkled on these specific extremities? One possibility is that the ritual links the altar with the priests. Moshe is also commanded to sprinkle blood on the horns of the altar and the sides. The priests, who are primarily responsible for the sacrificial rites, also have blood sprinkled on their extremities. Another answer is that the three sprinklings match three different commandments to the priests: one that they listen to God (ear), two that they perform the proper sacrificial rites (thumb), and finally that they walk in the way of God (toe). Yet another possibility is to emphasize that the priests are still human beings despite their involvement in the sacrificial rites, which are bloody and almost animalistic. Humans are unique with their cognitive abilities (ear), they have opposable thumbs (thumb), and they are bipeds (big toe). The three body parts also represent three sections of the body—the head, the trunk, and the legs. The priests then are being purified throughout their bodies and are reminded that their entire body now belongs to the service in the Mishkan.