The Torah of Hospital Corners

Leann Shamash
1 day ago
4 min read

#tzav #ritual #sacrifice #leviticus #vayikra #parsha #wordshavewings #sheets #memories #hospitalcorners #everydaythings #thingswedo #brushingourteeth #makingthebed #torah #seder #passover #order #orderliness #rituals #ritual

Is it any surprise that Parshat Tzav comes in advance of Pesach? For both Pesach and Shabbat have something in common and that is that in life there is a certain order to things. In the case of Korbanot, you can be sure that whether it is the Korban Todah, or the Korban Asham or the Korban MIncha, all have a very specific set of instructions and a strict order.

Just as Parshat Tzav is detail and order, the same holds for Seder of Pesach . We know specifically what to do when and how to do it. We know what we need to purchase, how much we need to eat, when it needs to be eaten and even how we sit when we eat. We know when to start and by when to end. Tunes may vary but the language remains largely the same over time and distance. Can you imagine beginning the Seder with Chad Gadya, heading over to Karpas, the skipping the Afikoman and finishing the night with Maror?!?

When considering both Parshat Tzav and the Passover Seder it is easy to begin to reflect on order and little rituals that govern our lives . Just think about countless rituals, each of which have their own details,orders and even a specified time. These are not rituals that have been ordered by HaKadosh Baruch Hu, but are rituals we develop over time. Some small rituals come from our grandparents, our parents or our siblings. Some are devised for comfort and some for need.

Rituals occur morning, noon and night. Even when we travel certain rituals come along with us. When these rituals are interrupted, be it by a sudden change of location, or war, or illness, or a change in family structure we are left doggy paddling upstream until we once again find our footing, and either develop new rituals or modify those rituals to fit our new circumstances.

I've called this post, The Torah of Hospital Corners because each of the korbanot that are introduced in Parshat Tzav begin with the same phrase, "This is the Torah of..."

This is the Torah of the Mincha זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הַמִּנְחָ֑ה

זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הַֽחַטָּ֑את. This is the Torah of the Chatat

וְזֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הָאָשָׁ֑ם. This is the Torah of the Asham

וְזֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת זֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִ֑ים This is the Torah of the Sh'lamim

So, what are some of the Torahs of that govern your days? Perhaps you rarely give them a thought, but the more that you think of This is the Torah of.... the more examples come to mind and all of a sudden you realize just how much we (you, me, they, us?) rely on these little rituals the fit into our days like neat puzzle pieces.

Spend a moment thinking about the rituals that you perform each and every day.

Perhaps it is the ritual of how you stretch when you wake up.

or how you brush and floss your teeth?

Perhaps it is the Torah of drinking tea or coffee?

or the Torah of checking your phone?

Maybe it is the Torah of playing Mah Jong,

or the Torah of making brisket.

Or the Torah of folding laundry.

or the Torah of putting your kids to bed.

The very first ritual that came to mind when I was thinking about personal rituals was the Torah of Hospital Corners, passed down to me by mom, Irma Gershkowitz when I was a child. The ritual might seem simple, but it had many steps. What I loved about this particular ritual was the precision of the steps and its neat results. Things felt cared for, even something as simple as a place to lay your head.

Now it’s your turn to think and consider the place that order and ritual play in your life and perhaps you will read Parshat Tzav differently this year.

Fill in the blank: My Torah of ________________________________is.....

(would love to hear from you what it is!)