Ceremonial Vestments, for Protection and Atonement

 

Tetzaveh, Exodus 27:20 – 30:10, begins with God speaking to Moses: “You shall instruct the Israelites…” and there follow many directives, such as to bring pure olive oil for lighting the Menorah inside the Tabernacle, and to provide very particular articles of ceremonial clothing for Aaron and his sons who are to serve as the Cohanim, priests, for the Israelites.

 This was the Torah portion of our now-grown son Amir, who can still chant by heart the opening verses of the portion he learned: “V’Asu et ha-ephod…”  “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen…”  There were so many details of how to craft, weave, and decorate the Cohen Gadol’s ceremonial outfit!  In order for him to understand this Torah portion we studied together the details of the High Priest’s clothing from materials I had gathered when I had served as Museum Educator at the Skirball Museum in Los Angeles.  He drew his version of how the High Priest might have looked, wearing the breastplate (hoshen) with precious stones representing the twelve tribes, linen pinafore (ephod), a robe (me’il) with golden bells and pomegranate tassels on the hem, a fringed tunic (ketonet tashbetz), a headdress or turban (mitznefet) and golden forehead band (tzitz) with the words “kadosh l’Adonai”– Holy to God -  engraved on it, a sash (“avnet”), and pants (michnasayim).

 

He understood that the very special dress of the High Priest symbolized the Cohen Gadol’s spiritual role and revered status.  Amir inserted his drawing, along with readings, poems, and other original illustrations into the siddur booklet we edited as a family.

 

Through the years, on the anniversary of Amir’s Bar Mitzvah, I look for additional meanings in this portion, which I have come to realize contains more than a mere listing of beautifully crafted robes; there are additional layers of symbolism attached to each article of the Cohen Gadol’s vestments. According to the Talmud, (B. Zevachim 88b), with commentary by Rashi (Commentary on the Babylonian Talmud, 28:35; derived from Zevachim 17b and Sanhedrin 83a.) and Maimonides (Laws of the Sanctuary Vessels 10:4), the wearing of the priestly robe atoned for the sin of evil speech on the part of B’nai Israel. Each piece of clothing offered a kind of protection to the priest and perhaps also served as a reminder for the people of the dangers of sinning.

 

A brief summary of each priestly garment and what sin it protects from: the sash is meant to protect from sins of the heart; the breastplate from faulty judgment; the robe with bells that tinkle as the priest walks protect from sins of lashon ha-ra, evil speech; the headdress and forehead band atone for arrogance, insolence, and audacity or ego; the tunic guards against bloodshed; the ephod against idol worship, and the pants from immorality. 

 

We no longer have a High Priest, but there seems to me to be a certain hint of that awe with which we beheld the High Priest, in the respect we show to the Torah scroll as it is walked through the congregation, with its mantle, binder (sash), breastplate, crowns, and bells. The Torah encompasses the authority of the Word of God passed down to us through the generations, and holds a remnant of the beauty, repository of knowledge, and power that resided with the Divinely appointed Cohen Gadol of our ancient tradition.

 

 

Rabbi Alicia Magal serves as spiritual leader of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley.