reported by BNP via Leviticus Today
The new sacrificial code is proving to be a win-win situation for those with limited funds. Instead of requiring those in the lower financial brackets to bring the more expensive animals for sacrifice, provision has been made for them to simply acquire the common wild turtle doves or pigeons. They just have to capture them.
For those who have a small coin to spare, there are young boys capitalizing on the agility of youth to catch the birds for an extremely low fee.
Since the doves and pigeons are needed for very common sacrificial cleansing rituals, such as when a person has had a stomach illness or the common discomforts of women, there are quite a lot of birds needed. For those who are willing to work at it constantly, the small fees can add up, providing a step up into the next economic level of prosperity.
Since the birds take care of themselves and are prolific at reproducing, the business outlay costs are close to zero. The boys would probably be running around and chasing something anyway, so they are not even eating more as a result.
Some of the boys from wealthier families have been seen making fun of the enterprising bird hunters, demeaning both the job and the pay. Most of the boys who are making money with the activity appear not to care. When asked by this reporter, a common reply is, “At least we have a job. Besides, it is kind of fun. Those other boys might be jealous because their moms make them stay out of the dust.”
There don’t seem to be many jobs for young boys that are considered clean work, so the opportunities are limited for those who won’t get their hands dirty.
The complete implications of all of these sacrifices are not yet understood, but after the incident with the Aaronson brothers, most Hebrews are following all guidelines as closely as they can.
Some people say that going through the rituals is difficult, with all of the blood, but that they can see that something needs to be done to address their failures and imperfections. They are willing to try to work with this system for now.
(for further information see Leviticus 14 and 15)
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