The twenty-fourth portion of Torah takes us on a a journey into ritual and custom. These are very different things, even when they are framed as being one and the same. The Parasha begins with a description of how the priests (Aaron and his family) should approach the sacrifices brought to the MIshkan, and also lays out rules for what portion should be set aside for their upkeep. But then, in an odd turn of events, G-d decrees that fat, blood and certain organs were henceforth to be rejected as a source of food. No real explanation is given, except to say that some things belong to the Divine, and others are, well, just do it...... This is the beginning of a series of mitzvot in Leviticus that will shape Jewish identity and culture through millenia, even shaping us now. For this reason, even if no other, Parashat Tzav is core to our Jewish learning and our understanding of ourselves.