The first act of the priest, the kohen, each morning is to gather the ashes of the previous day, change his clothes and then take them out of the camp to a specially designated location which is considered pure.

What is so special about these ashes, that their removal would require a whole ritual? Perhaps it is the symbolic and metaphorical meaning that they hold.

There is first of all perhaps a practical aspect to the ritual, a humbling one, which serves the purpose of reminding those in positions of religious authority to consider that each task, even as simple as taking out the previous day’s ashes, serve a purpose greater than themselves.

Rabbeinu Bahya, a Spanish biblical commentator, suggests that the ritual of changing clothes reminds the person who is performing the task that there is a bigger picture and that the task, as demeaning as it might be considered for a person of such high social standing, serves to “enhance the reputation of the Eternal” (on Vayikra 6:3).

Another perspective on the ritual might be that the ashes are yesterday’s news, our past, what we might dwell on, but we look at it and it has influence on our decisions for today. However, we cannot simply dwell on it and not let it go.

So, we treat our past with respect and appreciation, and just as the priests respectfully took the ashes out, we set it aside, in its own holy site, in our memory, so that we can begin each day spiritually and emotionally rejuvenated.

And in that spirit, the ashes reflect who we see ourselves to be, for good and for more challenging. And perhaps more so for that reason, creating rituals around the manner in which we dispose of the ashes is a way of making ourselves feel stronger, empowered and more secure in who we are.