With reference to the grain offering and the sin offering described in the Bible's book of Leviticus, chapter 6, there are intriguing statements made: "Whatever touches them will become holy." Experts in the Hebrew language claim that another translation of these statements is equally valid: "Whoever touches them must be holy."
Does one translation negate the other? I prefer to think it does not. I hope that the meaning is to be taken as "both and." There is value in the Israeli priests bringing their best selves to performing these sacrifices. They are to wash. They are to dress appropriately. They are to be anointed. They are to pray. They are to be blessed--all these things leading them toward an encounter with that which is holy.
And there is value in the priests handling holy things, too. They are lay hands on the consecrated offerings. With their own hands they are to set fire to the sacrifices. They are to eat appropriate portions of the sacrificial grains or animals--all these things making them holy, not perfectly holy and perhaps not even visibly holy, but holy nonetheless.
How may we handle holy things? How may we become holy?
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