Comentario sobre Exodo 29:29

לבניו אחריו [SHALL BE] FOR HIS SONS AFTER HIM — for him who comes after him in this high office.

L’MOSHCHAH BAHEM’ (TO BE ANOINTED IN THEM). “L’moshchah means to be raised to dignity by means of them, for the term m’shichah (anointing) is sometimes used in the sense of ‘authority,’ just as in these expressions: unto thee have I given them ‘l’moshchah’ (as a distinction);²⁰¹Numbers 18:8. touch not ‘bimshichai’ (My noble ones).”²⁰²Psalms 105:15. This is Rashi’s language. Perhaps it is so. For because authority in Israel belonged to those who were anointed — the king and the High Priest — they used the term [“anointing”] metaphorically for all kinds of authority. Similarly, when it says, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Aram… and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead,²⁰³I Kings 19:15-16. [the term “anoint” is used metaphorically — “appoint” or “designate”]. Here, however, the correct interpretation of l’moshchah bahem is to anoint with the garments the High Priests above their sons, and to consecrate them to offer the sacrifices. Likewise, unto thee have I given them ‘l’moshchah’²⁰¹Numbers 18:8. means that I have given them [i.e., the priestly gifts] because I have anointed you to minister unto Me.²⁰⁴Above, Verse 1. Similarly, touch not ‘bimshichai’²⁰²Psalms 105:15. means that he who touches them touches the anointed ones of G-d [i.e., the kings] who are destined to come from them, as He said, and kings shall come out from thy loins;²⁰⁵Genesis 35:11. kings of peoples shall be of her.²⁰⁶Ibid., 17:16.
It is even possible that we say that the expression thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Aram,²⁰³I Kings 19:15-16. means that he [i.e., Elijah] is to send him oil to be anointed as king, in order to inform him that this was the command of G-d; and Elisha [his disciple] did so in accordance with the charge of his master when he told Hazael that he will rule as king.²⁰⁷II Kings 8:13. Now even though it is not written there, [he yet actually anointed him as king], and [so did Elijah] anoint Elisha as a prophet [in accordance with G-d’s command to him]. Perhaps they²⁰⁸The prophets who lived in the time of Cyrus. also did so to Cyrus [king of Persia] whom they anointed like the kings of Israel, in order that he would know that it was a prophet in Israel who prophesied that he would reign, and [generations before his birth] he even called forth his name, for [the glory of] G-d. Therefore [Isaiah] said, to His anointed, to Cyrus,²⁰⁹Isaiah 45:1. upon which our Rabbis have commented:²¹⁰Megillah 12a. “And was Cyrus the anointed one? etc.”²¹¹“Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Messiah: “I complain to you about Cyrus. I said he will build My house and gather My exiles, but he said, Whosoever there is among you of all His people… let him go up.” (Ezra 1:3) — From this text it would appear that the Rabbis understood the verse to mean that Cyrus was really anointed [for otherwise there would have been no place at all for their question], except that he later became impaired in character. Thus all these verses speak of real anointing. However, the verse stating, The spirit of the Eternal G-d is upon me; because the Eternal ‘mashach’ me to bring good tidings unto the humble,²¹²Isaiah 61:1. is by way of metaphor, comparing the holy spirit which came to rest upon the prophet with precious oil, similar to that which is said, A good name is better than precious oil.²¹³Ecclesiastes 7:1.

ולמלא בם את ידיהם, “with which to become inaugurated.” Subsequent generations of the priests did not need to undergo these procedures seeing they had been born as priests, their status being hereditary, as opposed to Aaron and his sons.

למשחה בהם, the fact that they would be anointed with oil was equivalent to their receiving medals in the secular part of the world. The importance of this anointing is best illustrated by David when he says in Psalms 105,14 אל תגעו במשיחי, “do not dare touch those who have been anointed by Me!”

Whoever follows him in his exalted position. I.e., to be Kohein Gadol in his place, for an ordinary kohein is forbidden to wear the Kohein Gadol’s eight garments.

V. 29. בגדי הקדש וגו׳, d. h.: So wie Aaron durch Bekleidung mit den acht Gewändern des Heiligtums mit der Würde und dem Amt des hohen Priestertums bekleidet worden, so soll auch bei seinen Nachkommen die Bekleidung mit dem Hohepriesteramte durch Bekleidung und Salbung vollzogen werden.

למשחה means to be raised to dignity by means of them. For sometimes the word משח is used in the sense of “dignity”, as in (Numbers 18:8), “to thee I have given them as a dignity (למשחה)”, and (I Chronicles 16:22) “Touch ye not my nobles (משיחי)” (cf. Rashi on Exodus 30:29).

To be put in a high position by them. . . [Rashi knows this] because משיחה [in its usual sense of “anointing”] does not apply to garments. Anointing is not done with garments [but with oil].

ולמלא בם את ידם AND TO BE CONSECRATED BY THEM — through these garments he is to be invested with the high-priesthood (cf. Rashi on Yoma 73a).

By means of the garments. . . [Rashi knows this] because it is written (v. 9): “Gird them. . . and bind turban-like hats for them and then the priesthood shall be for them an everlasting statute.” But if their garments are not upon them, they are like non-kohanim.