Pemikiran Yahudi Ester 5:9: Akeidat Yitzchak & Guide for the Perplexed

These are the eight garments which the most perfect human being wore. He did not wear them just for ornamental, visual effect, but to help him achieve the moral perfection of which they were to remind both him and others. From that point of view it is obvious that their physical absence in our time, does not make these garments less important, since we can absorb the lessons that they represented. Moreover, these lessons can be absorbed by every Jew, since we are a nation of priests. Isaiah 61, 10, exclaims " My soul will rejoice with G-d, for He has clothed me in garments of salvation draped over me a robe of righteousness, like a bridegroom adorned with splendour." The Talmud Sotah 44, exhorts man to perfect himself as much as possible before he proceeds to take a wife and build a home. A proper wife helps man achieve the moral standard represented by the eight priestly garments. The union of Adam and Eve in gan eden before the fall, unfortunately had not resulted in man being morally elevated through his wife. Ever since then, the slow and gradual ascent from the fall was punctuated by the acquisition of simple garments, till at the end of time Isaiah envisions the "garments of splendour" as the ultimate, symbolising our emancipation from the sin of the tree of knowledge. When Rabbi Meir's Torah scroll is reputed as having spelled the words “kotnot or” the garments which G-d had provided for Adam and Eve, with the letter “aleph" in the word or instead of the traditional “ayin" if the word was to mean leather, skin, he wanted to indicate the ultimate purpose of these garments. These garments, according to Rabbi Meir, serve a dual purpose. They are a physical covering. They are also to serve however, as an ongoing reminder to regain the or the light that we lost when we sinned in the garden of Eden. The garments then are are a spiritual endowment provided by G-d to help us along that road. Now we understand why the priestly garments were worn only after the tabernacle had been consecrated. The sons of Aaron had first brought some sacrifices to attain the moral stature that enabled them to wear these garments. The symbolic meaning of these offerings during the consecration ceremonies may be understood in the following way. The par, bull, represents the body that is to be dedicated to G-d. The two male rams represent the two spiritual forces in man, the theoretical, speculative, and the practical. A person who puts all three powers at the disposal of the Divine, may wear the precious priestly garments, each according to his status. Only a minute part of the bull's blood was used for sprinkling on the altar, i.e. sacrificial service. The remainder was burned, since only insignificant parts of our body can rise to such noble heights. Of the rams, the one which was offered in incense and had all its blood sprinkled on the altar, represents the theoretical speculative, spiritual power in man, seeing it is all holy. The second ram however, representing holiness in action, was only used partially in the sacrificial rites. Corresponding to the famous "we shall hear and we shall do," (Deut. 5,24) the ear and upper leg became part of the sacrificial service. The balance of the ram was consumed by the owners, since by means of holy deeds inspired by holy thoughts, the body becomes sanctified to the extent that this is possible. All of the foregoing teaches all of us the order in which we are to proceed to achieve the highest level in the service of G-d.

THE term kam (he rose) is a homonym. In one of its significations it is the opposite of “to sit,” as “He did not rise (kam) nor move for him” (Esth. 5:9). It further denotes the confirmation and verification of a thing, e.g.: “The Lord will verify (yakem) His promise” (1 Sam. 1:23); “The field of Ephron was made sure (va-yakom) as the property of Abraham” (Gen. 23:17). “The house that is in the walled city shall be established (ve-kam)” (Lev. 25:30); “And the kingdom of Israel shall be firmly established (ve-kamah) in thy hand” (1 Sam. 24:21). It is always in this sense that the verb is employed with reference to the Almighty; as “Now shall I rise (akum), saith the Lord” (Ps. 12:6), which is the same as saying, “Now shall I verify my word and my dispensation for good or evil.” “Thou shalt arise (takum) and have mercy upon Zion” (Ps. 102:13), which means: Thou wilt establish what thou hast promised, viz., that thou wouldst pity Zion.