Ark Openers and Other Crucial Tasks (Menachot 52a)

I always hate being given the "honor" of opening the ark. "Can't the rabbi or cantor just do it," I ask myself. But I always say yes. I don't want to seem standoffish.

What I find is that sometimes the most successful synagogues actually make work for their congregants to keep them involved. Ark openers, english readings, people to undress the Torah, and people to hold it are actually not so crucial to the flow of the service.  And often, the service would seem smoother without these people. So why involve them in these tasks?

The reason is that the more you involve people the more buy-in you have from the community. A great example of this comes up in today's daf (or more precisely the daf quotes a piece of a very long Mishnah from Tamid 4:3). In essence here's the summary of the Mishnah.

There was a definite procedure to offer up the daily Tamid sacrifice in the Temple. To accomplish all the steps of offering the sacrifice, the texts mandate that no less than 9 priests become involved (although there is room for more). Here's the breakdown:

5 priests dealt with the animal (most holding sections of the animal that were cut up)
1 priest dealt with the entrails
2 priests dealt with the two kinds of grain offerings that happen along with the sacrifice
1 priest dealt with the wine offering that happen along with the sacrifice

And then of course there are:
1 priest who slaughters the animal
1 priest who throws the blood on the altar
1 priest who cleans up the ash

Although it's clear that we could have had less than 13 people involved in the sacrifice, I think it's telling that the Talmud mandates this number. Like the ark opener, the task is easily done by someone else (why can't the same person deal with the wine and later clean up the ashes?). However, getting these priests involved is good for everyone. It keeps them invested and feeling like they matter.

Perhaps I shouldn't be so down on ark openers after all?