Education through the Lens of the Cohen

The Cohen is someone who has to be the image of perfection, not in the sense that he cannot err - there are special sacrifices he brings when he does - but rather, one whose very action can be scrutinized, and learned from. 

Cohen, I once heard, comes from the root in Hebrew - Ka'hen - like these, i.e. one is to emulate the Cohen in thought, behavior and deed. 

This, it seems like, is even suggested by how Aharon, the first Cohen Gadol, became consecrated by Moshe: 

"He (Moshe) brought forward the second ram, the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the ram’s head, and it was slaughtered. Moses took some of its blood and put it on the ridge of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot."

The right, in Jewish thought, represents kindness, or mercy, and Aharon, the Cohen was to be one who could use his attentive ear, or listening capacities, physical deeds as represented by his right hand, and way of life ("Can he walk the walk?") to bring people closer to Hashem. 

As we are a nation of Cohens it behooves us to take the time to see how we can emulate Aharon's lofty ways in even the smallest fashion.