by Rav Moshe Leib HaCohen Halbershtat, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.
This week's Torah portion of Tetzaveh (Sh'mot 27,20-30,10) discusses, inter alia, the priestly garments worn by the Priests in the portable Tabernacle, and later in the Holy Temple. It is the only portion in the Torah (not including Genesis) that does not mention Moshe Rabbeinu by name, although his presence is strongly felt throughout the portion because of all the actions in which he is involved for the Tabernacle (as per Rabbi Eliyahu KiTov).
For instance, Moshe is commanded: "You shall make holy garments for your brother Aharon [the High Priest] for honor and for beauty" (28,2). Let us discuss these garments.
The Holy Temple is the source of the spirit of the Nation of Israel. It was to there that the nation ascended on the three annual festivals from all over the country to see and partially participate in the Divine service. There they watched the Priests in their service, heard the Levites in their sacred song and music, and experienced the spiritual uplift that would then accompany them throughout the year. It was to there that they gathered on Sukkot every seven years for the majestic and inspiring Hak'hel ceremony. Presiding over the Temple proceedings were the Cohanim (priests), whose job was to influence and teach Israel the ways of Torah and sanctity (D'varim 33,10).
G-d commanded Moshe to fashion the High Priest's garments out of only the best: gold, beautifully colored wool, and fine linen, adorned with gold, precious stones, luxurious bells, and more. In addition, the High Priest was to wear a sash, turban, ephod, and more, all from the finest and most luxurious materials.
All this raises a strong question: Fancy expensive clothing would seem to be the height of flashy materialism. What type of example can the Priests give to the nation amidst all this extravagance? Is this how the people will learn to suffice with less and choose spirituality and Torah over physical lusts? Would it not have been more appropriate for the People of Israel to see Aharon and his priestly sons serving in holiness wearing simple white clothing that radiate purity and spirit?
To understand this, let us look back at the first appearance of clothing in the Torah: "Adam and his wife were both naked, and not ashamed… The woman took from the fruit [of the Tree of Knowledge] and ate, and gave to her husband as well, and he ate. Their eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked and they … made themselves loincloths… G-d made for them coats of skin and clothed them." (B'reshit 2-3)
What changed suddenly in the middle of this story? Why were they not bothered by their nakedness before they ate of the forbidden fruit, while immediately afterwards, they became both aware and ashamed of it?
R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926), in his classic Bible commentary Meshekh Chokhmah (B'reshit 12,7), explains that Adam, before his sin, was a pure and bright substance, separated by nothing from the vision of G-d's glory. This is why he went naked, for he was on a level on which even his nakedness aroused no lust or evil; it was equivalent to where one places his tefillin. But when he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, he turned into coarse matter, distinct from the truths that he had attained and from closeness to G-d; his substance was filled with evil forces resulting in lust, anger, vengeance, and the like. When he and Chava (Eve) sensed this and realized that their purity had turned into impurity, they knew that they were naked.
At this point, Adam realized he had to wear clothing, so that he could once again rise up and attain truth and closeness to G-d. This teaches us that clothing are a means by which to reveal our inner truth and spirituality. To the extent that our body is not covered, it interferes with and impedes that goal, while covering it allows our soul and spirit and true personality to emerge and function.
We are bidden to "honor" the Sabbath, including by wearing special Sabbath garments. "Clothes make the man" in the sense that they honor him; special Sabbath clothing reveal his spirituality by which he honors the Sabbath.
Similarly, the grand garments worn by the Priests "for honor and for beauty" were designed to reveal the inner content of the priestly service in the Holy Temple. They did not wear these clothes outside the Temple, but only for and during the service.
Each garment symbolized another aspect of the inner content of the Temple service. The Sages derive that just like the sacrifices atone for our sins, so do the Priestly garments: The breastplate atones for the judges; the ephod vest expiates idolatry; the cloak atones for public slander; the tunic redresses bloodshed; the turban atones for rudeness; the sash atones for unacceptable thoughts; the golden headdress atones for brazenness; and the pants atone for immorality and for walking to commit a sin. The Children of Israel lived with this, and learned from these beautiful garments both knowledge and fear of G-d.
We thus learn from Parashat Tetzaveh an important principle regarding the essence of clothing and their function in honoring a person and revealing his inner truth that is otherwise concealed by the physical.
No comments:
Post a Comment