Pensée juive sur L’Exode 28:36

The belt they would wear corresponds to the theft that the men of the generation of the flood would do, as it is stated, for the earth is filled with violent crime (Genesis 6:13). And it has already been explained above (Chapter 43), regarding the high priest, that these three garments would atone for these three sins. The hats they would wear corresponded to the idolatry that they were worshipping, as it is stated, then they called out profanely in the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26). And you should know that even though I wrote about the high priest (Chapter 43), that the matter of the turban with the high priest was to teach about the prohibition of eating meat, and the apron was for idolatry, the ideas of the clothes of the regular priests came for another matter. And that is why the name is differentiated, since this one is called turban [mitznefet], and that one is called hats [migbaaot]. And likewise, the making of the hats was different than the production of the turban, as the Tosafot wrote in the first chapter of Sukkah (Sukkah 5a, s.v. VeAl), in Yoma (Yoma 25a, s.v. Notel), and in the first chapter of Gittin (Gittin 7a, s.v. BeZman). And so too did Ramban write in his commentary on the Torah (Exodus 28:31). Likewise, Ibn Ezra wrote on Parasht Tetzaveh (on Exodus 28:36) that the migbaaot were a type of hat, whereas the mitznefet was something long that he would wrap around his head, see there in his commentary. And it shows pride, since it is a fine ornament on the head, such that he can be proud and beautify himself with it, which was not the case with the regular priest, since he only had a small hat on his head to cover it, to say that the divine presence is over his head above. And that is why they were forbidden to go around with a bare head. So, through this, they were teaching the prohibition of idolatry. And the content of the migbaaot would [also] teach about the matter of idolatry from the angle of the shared word, migbaot. For the way of the idolators was to set up idols upon the hills and mountains [givaaot], as it is stated, They sacrifice on the mountaintops and offer on the hills (Hosea 4:13); and it is stated, And upon all the high hills, and upon all the lofty mountains (Isaiah 2:14). And there are many [examples] like this in Scripture. And our rabbis, may their memory be blessed, already said (Avodah Zarah 45b), "You do not have any mountain in the land of Israel upon which they did not set up an idol."