Musar su Esodo 28:46

I have previously referred to an allusion contained in the words: אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו וכו'. The vestments for the priests were to be לכבוד ולתפארת, "for dignity and adornment." These were to symbolize the כתנות אור, garments of light, which Adam and Eve wore before they had to exchange them for כתנות עור garments of skin, after the sin. Onkelos translates כתנות עור as לבושין דיקר, "precious garments" (Genesis 3,21). At first glance it seems that Onkelos equates כתנות אור with כתנות עור and בגדי כהונה. There is a mystical dimension to this comparison which is rooted in Kohelet 2,13: כיתרון אור מן החושך, "as the advantage of light over darkness." The message there is that G–d makes purity emerge even out of impurity. I have dealt with this at length in one of my addresses on שבת הגדול, the Sabbath preceding the festival of Passover. You will find it in my tractate Pesachim.

I have already explained at length in Parshat Terumah how the Tabernacle was a re-enactment of the work of creation, i.e. a microcosm, and that it served as man's rehabilitation for the damage to G–d's universe brought about by Adam's sin. We have also explained that there was a parallel Tabernacle in the Celestial Regions. Aaron, as High Priest, symbolised the rehabilitation of man who had become distant from G–d as a result of Adam's sin. Concerning Aaron, the Torah writes: ואתה הקרב אליך את אהרון אחיך, "As for you (Moses), bring close Aaron your brother etc." (28,1) Here the Torah expresses a mystical dimension of the verse in Leviticus 16,17: וכל אדם לא יהיה באהל, "No man shall be inside the tent." This is a reference to original Adam. The universe was created under the aegis of חסד, loving-kindness, as we know from עולם חסד יבנה, "The universe was built with loving-kindness" (Psalms 89,3). The בנין של מעלה, "The structure corresponding to the physical universe in the Celestial Regions," contains the secret of the seven days of creation and commences with the emanation חסד down to the emanation מלכות, i.e. seven emanations. We find that in connection with Aaron, the Torah (Deut. 33,8) speaks about תומיך ואוריך לאיש חסידך, that Aaron represented the attribute of חסד. We have explained that the three groups of Israelites, i.e. the כהנים, לוים, ישראלים, corresponded to the three emanations חסד, גבורה, תפארת, respectively.

First of all, the episode of the serpent, who spoke lashon hara of the Holy One Blessed be He and thereby brought death to the world. And (Bereshith 29:20): "If G-d will be with me and guard me," concerning which Chazal have said: "if He will guard me against lashon hara." And the episode of Joseph (Ibid. 37:2): "And Joseph brought their evil talk to their father," this being the catalyst of the descent of the Jews to Egypt. And (Shemoth 2:14): "In truth, the thing has become known" (see Rashi there and what we shall write below). There, too, (4:1) Moses our teacher, may peace be upon him, says: "But they will not believe me," and the Blessed L-rd counters (Ibid. 2): "What is this in your hand?" … (3) …and it became a serpent." Also there (6): "And, behold, his hand was leprous as snow." And (Ibid. 17:2): "And the people quarreled with Moses… (7) …over the quarrel of the children of Israel, etc." followed by (8): "And Amalek came and warred with Israel, etc." And (Ibid. 23:1): "You shall not bear a false report, which applies to both the speaker and the receiver [of lashon hara] (as we find in Makkoth 23a), followed by (2): "Do not be after many to do evil." And, in reference to the me'il [the outer robe of the ephod] (Ibid. 28:32): "A border shall there be to its mouth roundabout," and the entire section. And (35): "And its sound will be heard when he comes to the sanctuary, etc." And the entire section of Tazria and Metzora: the plague-spots of houses, the plague-spots of clothing, the plague-spots of men, (Vayikra 13:46): "Solitary shall he sit"— even outside of the camp of Israel. And his atonement— "chirping" birds. And (Ibid. 19:16): "Do not go talebearing among your people," (Ibid. 17): "Reprove, shall you reprove your neighbor, but you shall not bear sin because of him." And (Ibid. 25:17): "You shall not wrong, one man, his fellow," which relates to verbal wronging, which is also in the category of evil speech. And (Bamidbar 5:1): "And they shall send out of the camp every leper"— even if he were as great in Torah as Doeg. And (Ibid. 12:1): "And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, etc." And the entire section of Shelach Lecha, which speaks about the spies. And (Ibid. 21:5): "And the people spoke against G-d and against Moses." And (Devarim 23:10): "When you go out as a camp against your foes, guard yourself against every evil thing [davar ra]," concerning which Chazal have said: "davar ra" may be read as "dibbur ra" [evil speech]. And in Tetze, the "giving out of an evil name [motzi shem ra]," and (Ibid. 24:9): "Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam, etc." And (Ibid. 27:24): "Cursed be he who smites his friend in secret," which refers to lashon hara. And it is known that all of the "cursings" were preceded by blessings; and they opened with blessing, saying: "Blessed is he who does not smite"— whence we derive that one who is heedful in this is blessed.

ולא יזח החושן מעל האפוד. Rabbi Menachem Ha-Bavli writes about this verse that the reason for this commandment is analogous to the principle that anyone who appoints a judge who is unworthy of the position is as though he had built an אשרה, a grove for idol worship (Sanhedrin 7). The Choshen is an instrument to obtain forgiveness for the sin of perverted justice, whereas the ephod is meant to obtain forgiveness for the sin of idol worship. We know this from Hoseah 3,4 who describes the absence of properly constituted authority in Israel in the same breath as he bemoans the absence of ephod and teraphim. Such absence was due to the sin of idol worship committed by Israel. The חושן, breastplate, was permanently attached to the ephod in order to discipline the sinners who passed by, since the Torah legislates that people have to be reminded by hearing about public execution for this crime in order that they should become afraid (Deut. 13,12 et al). We have a principle that if an object must be destroyed for legal reasons, then even if it still exists in an undamaged form it is legally considered as having been destroyed and must not be used for the pupose it had once been designed (Chullin 89). Being afraid of the penalty of idol worship has the desired effect. The exposure to the sight of the High Priest wearing the ephod on his back and the חושן in front over his heart, there would be a constant reminder of this warning to all who saw the High Priest.

The original "jewelry" had been taken from Man due to the powerful impact of Adam's sin. At that time Man's original vestments were exchanged from כתנות אור, garments made of light, for כתנות עור, garments made of hide (Genesis 3,21). The Torah, in our portion, orders that כתנות, tunics, be made for Aaron's sons (28,40) who had to be dressed in sacred vestments. They put on שמן משחת קודש, holy anointing oil, on their bodies before they dressed in the sacred vestments. By following this procedure, the priests ceased being זרים, strangers or "outsiders," before putting on garments which could not be worn by non-priests. When Adam became a זר, outsider, this was due to the pollutant with which the serpent had infected him. It was this pollutant from which he had to be purified. Aaron was the human being through whom this rehabilitation of Man was achieved. He had to be separate to sanctify his body. He thereafter dressed in the sacred vestments which conferred upon him כבוד ותפארת, the very kind of visible distinction that Adam enjoyed while dressed in garments made of light. The pollutant present in Man because of the serpent's infection was converted into something positive by means of the breastplate Aaron wore on his heart. The Ineffable name of G–d was engraved on the stones of the breastplate The names of the 12 tribes as well as the names of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were engraved between the 12 gemstones set in it. The latter represented the מרכבה, whereas the former represented the twelve possible ways of arranging the letters of the Ineffable Name.

שלא לקרוע המעיל. Rabbi Menachem Ha-Bavli comments on this too. He sees allegorical meaning in the words לפיו סביב in the same verse. The rim, פיו, of the robe which must not be torn is a symbol for the High Priest's mouth. In view of the High Priest's function of restoring harmony between G–d and His people, he, more than anyone else, must be sure not to say anything that could impair the unity or innocence of the people. Every individual who claims to be a servant of the Lord must in this regard conduct himself on the same level as did the High Priest.

The four paragraphs of the Torah which are written in the תפילין correspond to the four letters in the Ineffable Name of G–d, i.e. י-ה-ו-ה, as explained in the Tikkunei Zohar. The "carriers" of G–ds glory derive from these four letters in His name, the emanation being three or four respectively, as we will explain. This is hinted at by the fact that on one side of the תפילין, phylacteries, we have the letter shin with 3 "legs," whereas on the opposite side, the letter shin appears with four "legs." The origin of that practice is the verse in Exodus 28,39: "ושבצת את הכתונת שש, ועשית מצנפת שש." The Talmud Zevachim 19a says that there was a spot on Aaron's forehead where he laid his phylacteries between the headband, מצנפת, and the golden plate, ציץ, (Exodus 28,36). The word שש refers to the two shins we have on the תפילין.

The four paragraphs of the Torah which are written in the תפילין correspond to the four letters in the Ineffable Name of G–d, i.e. י-ה-ו-ה, as explained in the Tikkunei Zohar. The "carriers" of G–ds glory derive from these four letters in His name, the emanation being three or four respectively, as we will explain. This is hinted at by the fact that on one side of the תפילין, phylacteries, we have the letter shin with 3 "legs," whereas on the opposite side, the letter shin appears with four "legs." The origin of that practice is the verse in Exodus 28,39: "ושבצת את הכתונת שש, ועשית מצנפת שש." The Talmud Zevachim 19a says that there was a spot on Aaron's forehead where he laid his phylacteries between the headband, מצנפת, and the golden plate, ציץ, (Exodus 28,36). The word שש refers to the two shins we have on the תפילין.

Rabbenu Bachyah comments on the repeated use of the word משכן in 38,21, that this is a hint that the Tabernacle in our world stood "opposite" the Sanctuary in the Celestial Regions. We know this also from Exodus 15,17: מכון לשבתך פעלת ה', "You have made a place for You to dwell in." The word מכון should be read as מכוון, "corresponding" to the Sanctuary in Heaven. This places the importance of the Tabernacle on earth on a par with the creation of the universe. In connection with the universe, Isaiah 40,22, speaks about G–d "who spread out the skies like gauze, stretched them out like a tent to dwell in," whereas in connection with the Tabernacle on earth the Torah says: "You shall make cloths of goats' hair for a tent over the Tabernacle." In connection with the creation of the universe the Psalmist (Psalms 104,2) speaks about נוטה שמים כיריעה, "He stretches the heavens like a tent-doth." During the process of creation we read (Genesis 1,9) "Let the waters concentrate in one place," whereas in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle the Torah instructs the making of a copper basin to contain all the water used in the Tabernacle by the priests. During the creation the Torah speaks about the creation of luminaries, whereas during the construction of the Tabernacle the making of a candlestick is commanded. The winged creatures mentioned during the process of creation are matched in the Tabernacle by the cherubs spreading their wings over the Holy Ark. Whereas the creation of Adam represented the highlight of the act of creation, the highlight of the construction of the Tabernacle was reached when G–d told Moses to appoint Aaron as High Priest (Exodus 28,1). The completion of the work of creation was announced by the words: ויכלו השמים והארץ, whereas the completion of the work on the Tabernacle was described by the Torah as ותכל כל עבודת משכן (39,32). Whereas the Torah reported that G–d blessed the seventh day (Genesis 2,3), Moses blessed the Tabernacle and sanctified it and all its utensils (39,43). The Torah reported G–d as resting on the seventh day, (Genesis 2,3), whereas in connection with the Tabernacle the Torah stated: "You shall perform your work during six days and the seventh day shall be holy" (35,2). After all this the Torah said: "Take from yourselves a donation" Thus far the comment of Rabbenu Bachyah.

The purpose of creation, is, as far as man is concerned, for the sake of the Torah, i.e. he is to perform the positive and negative commandments contained in Torah. He has to avoid transgressing negative commandments. His task vis-a-vis Torah can be summarised as לעבדה ולשמרה, just as Adam's task in Eden had been the same thing. All this is hinted at in Genesis 1,26, when G–d said: "נעשה אדם, instead of אעשה אדם." The word נעשה, alludes to the נעשה ונשמע the Jewish people proclaimed at Sinai prior to receiving the Torah. That moment in time was their finest hour, as we explained when discussing the appropriate verse. Once Adam had sinned, "Man's" rehabilitation did not commence until the giving of the Torah and the building of the Tabernacle. This is because the Tabernacle was built in a way that made it a universe in miniature, i.e. a microcosm. It reflected the universe, since it too had been created for the sake of Man. Adam had distanced himself and his place was now taken by Aaron, who had been brought close. G–d instructed Moses in Exodus 28,1: "ואתה הקרב אליך את אהרון." I have elaborated on this theme in Torat Kohanim i.e. the book of Leviticus. I also explained how the Tabernacle was the universe in miniature. Aaron is equivalent to "Adam" i.e. Man, for whose sake the universe had been created, so that he could receive the Torah. It is this which is hinted at at the beginning of the book of Numbers, אוהל מועד=ציור העולם. The Levites, who are close to Aaron, may be viewed as if they were branches of "Adam," and it is a fact that only Israel is described in the Torah as אדם.

Nonetheless, there was a partial rehabilitation through the construction of the Tabernacle called מקדש, Sanctuary, which served as an illustration of how the material and spiritual worlds are inter-related, as I have explained on פרשת תרומה and on פרשת ויקהל-פקודי. It was equivalent to a new act of creation, a rejuvenation of the universe as it were. In that rejuvenated universe Aaron took the place of Adam. Of Aaron the Torah writes specifically that he should be brought "close," i.e. that he should personify what Adam had personified prior to the latter's sin. (cf. Exodus 28,1 and the Midrash I have quoted in connection with that verse). In our physical universe Aaron's function as High Priest corresponds to the function of the High Priest in the Celestial Region who offers the souls of the righteous on an altar (Chagigah 12). We have illustrated this by quoting כי היום ה' נראה אליכם (Leviticus 9,4) and showing that the words נראה אליכם nhna comprise the same letters as אהרן , מיכאל. This is an allusion to Aaron's function here on earth being similar to that of the archangel Michael in Heaven. Aaron was to bring about the closest rapprochement possible between man and G–d Instead of offering the souls of the righteous, Aaron could only offer animal sacrifices i.e. from the domesticated beasts such as the cattle and the sheep. This was basically no different from what Adam himself had done after he had sinned, when he sacrificed the ox which is reputed to have had a single horn on its forehead (Shabbat 28). Noach offered animal sacrifices in expiation for a corrupt human society which had been punished. Abraham did likewise in order to obtain forgiveness for the sin of the generation of the Tower of Babel. It is written of him ויבן שם מזבח לה' ויקרא בשם ה', "He built there an altar for the Lord, and proclaimed the name of the Lord" (Genesis 12,8). Not only did Abraham offer animal sacrifices, but he even offered his only beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice.

Come and see how great is the power of peace. For in the beginning of the creation of the universe the Holy One Blessed be He employed Himself in the creation of an instrument of peace, as it is written (Bereshith 1:3): "And G-d said: 'Let there be light' — and there was light." And how do we know that light is peace? For it is written (Isaiah 45:7): "He fashions light and creates darkness; He makes peace and creates evil." On this basis, our teachers of blessed memory ruled (Shabbath 23b): "As between a candle for his house and wine for kiddush, to sanctify the Sabbath [if he can afford only one], a candle for his house takes precedence because of the peace of his household." What is more, our sages enacted many ordinances in pursuit of the paths of peace, viz. (Gittin 59a): "They declared the following in pursuit of the paths of peace: 'The Cohein reads first [in the Torah], then the Levite, then the Israelite, because of "the paths of peace."'" An eruv [a halachic enabling device] is placed in an old house, because of "the paths of peace." The pit nearest the irrigation canal is filled first because of "the paths of peace."'" And so is it written (Proverbs 3;17): "Its [Torah's] ways are ways of pleasantness and all of its paths are peace." And thus did our sages of blessed memory say in the aggadah (Bamidbar Rabbah 15:13, Tanchuma Beha'alothecha 11): "There are thirteen things that the Holy One Blessed be He loved, and of all of them, He "doubled" [in profusion of love], only "peace." They [(the thirteen)] are: Cohanim, Levites, Israel, Sanhedrin [the high court], the first-born, the offerings of the tabernacle, the sacrifices, the oil of anointment, the Land of Israel, Jerusalem, the Temple, the kingdom of the house of David, and the silver and the gold. The Cohanim — (Shemoth 28:41): "And they shall be priests unto Me." the Levites (Numbers 3:41): "And I shall take the Levites unto Me." Israel — (Shemoth 19:6): "And you [Israel] shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests." Sanhedrin — (Numbers 11:16): "Gather unto Me seventy men." The first-born — (Shemoth 13:2) "Sanctify unto Me every first-born." The offerings of the tabernacle — (Ibid. 25:2): "And they shall take unto Me an offering." The sacrifices — (Numbers 28:2): "You shall heed to sacrifice unto Me in its appointed time." The oil of anointment — (Shemoth 30:31): "The holy oil of anointment shall this be unto Me for your generations." The Land of Israel — (Ibid. 19:5): "For unto Me is all the land." Jerusalem — (I Kings 11:36): "The city that I have chosen unto Me." The Temple — (I Chronicles 17:12): "He shall build unto Me a habitation." The kingdom of the house of David — (I Samuel 16:1): "For I have seen in his sons a king unto Me." The silver and the gold — (Chaggai 2:8): "Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold." But, of all of these, none was doubled [in profusion of love] but "peace," as it is written (Isaiah 27:5): "Or let him take hold of My strength. He shall make peace unto Me; peace shall he make unto Me." Great is peace, which takes precedence to praise of the Blessed One Himself. For when Yithro came to Moses, immediately (Exodus 18:7): "And each made inquiry of the other's peace," whereas only afterwards (Ibid. 8): "And Moses related to his father-in-law all of the miracles that the Holy One Blessed be He had wrought for Israel." What is more, for all of the mitzvoth that the wicked perform in this world, the Holy One Blessed be He gives them their reward in this world — such as wealth, property, years, honor, and the like — except peace, which He does not give them, as it is written (Isaiah 57:21): "There is no peace, says my G-d, for the wicked." And, what is more, the Holy One Blessed be He gives peace as a reward to the righteous, as it is written (Ibid. 32:17): "And the reward for righteousness shall be peace…" What is more, it is with peace that He draws near to Him converts and penitents, as it is written (Ibid. 57:19): "He creates the utterance of the lips: 'Peace, Peace,' for the far and the near, says the L-rd, and I will heal him." Great is peace, for in regard to all of the journeyings in the desert it is written "And they journeyed and they rested," journeying in strife and resting in strife. But when they came to Mount Sinai, they made one great "resting," as it is written (Shemoth 19:2): "And Israel rested there, before the mountain." (Vayikra Rabbah 9:9): "The Holy One Blessed be He said: 'The time has now arrived for Me to give Torah to My children.'" For as long as they are at peace with one another, the Shechinah is among them. And thus is it said (Devarim 33:5): "And He was a King in Yeshurun when the heads of the people were gathered, together with the tribes of Israel." When does the kingdom and the Shechinah of the Blessed One abide in Israel? When they are all gathered together as one. Come and see how great is the power of peace; for it is through the power of peace that the world endures. For thus have our sages of blessed memory said (Avoth 1:18): "On three things does the world stand: on judgment, on truth, and on peace, as it is written (Zechariah 8:16): 'Truth and a judgment of peace shall you judge in your gates.'" What is more, when there is peace among men, there is blessing in their fruits, as it is written (Ibid. 12): "For as the seed of peace, the vine shall give its fruit, and the earth shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give its dew, and I shall bequeath all of these to the remnant of this people." And thus is it written (Psalms 147:14): "He makes peace on your borders and sates you with the fatness of wheat." Our sages have said (Vayikra Rabbah 9:9): "Great is peace, for if one erases one letter of G-d's name, he transgresses a negative commandment, as it is written (Devarim 12:3): 'And you shall wipe out their [the idols'] name from that place,' followed by (Ibid. 4): 'You shall not do so to the L-rd your G-d.' Yet to make peace between a man and his wife, the Torah says (Numbers 5:23): 'And the Cohein shall write these curses [containing G-d's name] in a book and erase them into the bitter waters.' The Holy One Blessed be He says: 'Let My name, which was written in holiness, be erased by the waters.'" And Chazal have said further (Vayikrah Rabbah 9:9): "Great is peace, for all of the goodly blessings and consolations that the Holy One Blessed be He convokes upon Israel conclude with "peace." The Shema — "He spreads a canopy of peace." The Amidah — "He makes peace." The priestly blessing — "And He shall repose peace upon you." "Therefore, my sons, be circumspect in this trait — to love peace and to pursue peace. For there is no end to the reward for loving peace and pursuing peace." Until here, the language of Ma'aloth Hamiddoth.

Nachmanides has this to say on the expression of לכבוד ולתפארת, in 28,2: "As far as the mystical dimension of these instructions, i. e. ועל דרך האמת, is concerned: They should make prestigious garments for Aaron so that he could perform service in them to the G–d who represents true glory and splendour and who dwells amongst the Israelites. The might and glory of the Jewish people is their G–d, as we know from Psalms 89,18: כי תפארת עוזמו אתה, "For You are their strength in which they glory." We also know this from Isaiah 64,10 בית קדשנו ותפארתנו אשר הללוך אבותינו, "Our Holy Temple and the site of our glory where our forefathers praised You." The word קדשנו refers to our כבוד, honour, the word תפארתנו to the glory of Israel. We also have a verse in Psalms 96,6: עוז ותפארת במקדשו, "Strength and glory in His Sanctuary." Isaiah 60,13 speaks of לפאר מקום מקדשי ומקום רגלי אכבד, "To glorify the site of My Sanctuary and the place where My feet rest." The prophet evidently describes that the site of the Temple is to reflect G–d's splendour and honour. G–d is glorified through Israel viz: Isaiah 49,3: ישראל אשר בך אתפאר, "I glory in you Israel."

What applies to the vestments of the High Priest also applies in some measure to the vestments of Aaron's sons as we read in 28,40. Isaiah also uses this expression when referring to the value of the sacrifices offered up by Israel, such as Isaiah 60,7: יעלו לרצון על מזבחי ובית תפארתי אפאר, "They will be welcome offerings on My Altar, and I will add glory to My glorious House." The Altar represents G–d's goodwill, the Sanctuary His glory. These vestments had to be made for the express purpose of serving as the priests' garments. This is why G–d prefaced His instructions with the words: "You shall instruct all those whose heart is endowed with wisdom and whom I have endowed with a spirit of wisdom, etc." (28,3). All those participating in the weaving, sewing, etc. of these garments should be aware of what they were doing and why they were doing it. We have already been told in Yuma 69 that an image of the High Priest Shimon Hatzadik dressed in his sacred vestments appeared to Alexander the Great when the latter engaged in battle. Alexander was convinced that he had had a vision of a holy angel. Thus far Nachmanides.

(Shemoth 28:31): "And you shall make the me'il of the ephod [i.e., belted by the ephod] entirely of blue wool [tcheleth]." It would seem that tcheleth was necessary because of what our sages of blessed memory have said about tzitzith (Menachoth 89a), that tcheleth is reminiscent of [the color of] the sea; the sea, of the firmament; and the firmament, of the Throne of Glory. That is, he shall remember thereby that he will come before the Throne of Glory. Similarly, in our instance. It is stated in Tanna d'bei Eliyahu, that the lashon hara that one speaks ascends opposite the Throne of Glory, as it is written (Psalms 73a): "They have placed their mouths in the skies, and their tongue walks the earth." Since he is clothed in tcheleth, he will remember and reflect upon whither his words ascend, and he will guard himself against this.

(Shemoth 28:32): "And the mouth of its head shall be [folded over] within it." This intimates what Chazal have said on the verse (Job 26:7): "'He suspends the earth on nothingness [blimah]' — On whom does the earth depend? On him who clamps his mouth shut [bolem piv] in a time of quarrel." That is, he suppresses all his speech then, that it not go forth.

(Ibid.): "As the opening of a suit of armor shall it [its neck-opening] be for it, so that it not be torn." Why need the Torah add "as the opening of a suit of armor"? Is it not sufficient to have stated "And the mouth of its head shall be [folded over] within it. A border shall there be for its mouth"? It must intimate, then, that just as one dons armor for protection, that he not be harmed by the arrows shot at him, so, if one clamps shut his mouth, it affords him protection against his antagonist, and, in the end, it serves to silence him by giving him no answer. If he answered him, however, the quarrel would widen and he would come to blows, as it is written (Ibid. 21:18): "And if men quarrel, and a man strike his neighbor with stone or fist, etc." And the Holy One Blessed be He is also his Protector because of this, because "the earth depends upon him," as mentioned above. (Ibid. 33-34): "And you shall make on its (lower) hem pomegranates of purple … and golden bells in their midst roundabout [one bell between every two pomegranates]. A golden bell and a pomegranate [next to it], a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the me'il roundabout. The allusion here would seem to be to what Chazal have said (Chullin 89a): "What is a man's 'trade'? Let him make himself a mute. I might think, even to words of Torah. It is, therefore, written (Psalms 58:2): 'Righteousness shall you speak.'" It is found, then, according to this, that whenever one has time, he should not remain idle, but he should learn Torah. And the learning should not be silent, as we find in Eruvin 54a. And when one cannot learn Torah, whatever the reason might be, he should make himself a mute, who cannot open his mouth. And for this reason there were on the hem of the me'il, "a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate," alluding to the study of Torah, as mentioned above. And, in the midst of this, when he cannot learn, he should embrace the trait of silence [as our sages of blessed memory have said (Avoth 1:16): "R. Shimon ben Gamliel said: 'All my life, I grew up among the wise, and I found nothing better for the body than silence.'"] And this is alluded to by the pomegranate next to the bell; that is, like a pomegranate, that makes no sound. And, if one conducts himself in this manner, the Torah assures us (Ibid. 35): "and its sound will be heard when he comes to the sanctuary." That is, the sound of his prayer and his Torah will be accepted on high, which will not be the case if he does not guard his faculty of speech and mixes his speech with lashon hara, rechiluth, and the like, in which case the forbidden speech will defile his words of holiness and they will not be accepted on high, as mentioned above in Chapter I.

(Ibid.): "As the opening of a suit of armor shall it [its neck-opening] be for it, so that it not be torn." Why need the Torah add "as the opening of a suit of armor"? Is it not sufficient to have stated "And the mouth of its head shall be [folded over] within it. A border shall there be for its mouth"? It must intimate, then, that just as one dons armor for protection, that he not be harmed by the arrows shot at him, so, if one clamps shut his mouth, it affords him protection against his antagonist, and, in the end, it serves to silence him by giving him no answer. If he answered him, however, the quarrel would widen and he would come to blows, as it is written (Ibid. 21:18): "And if men quarrel, and a man strike his neighbor with stone or fist, etc." And the Holy One Blessed be He is also his Protector because of this, because "the earth depends upon him," as mentioned above. (Ibid. 33-34): "And you shall make on its (lower) hem pomegranates of purple … and golden bells in their midst roundabout [one bell between every two pomegranates]. A golden bell and a pomegranate [next to it], a golden bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the me'il roundabout. The allusion here would seem to be to what Chazal have said (Chullin 89a): "What is a man's 'trade'? Let him make himself a mute. I might think, even to words of Torah. It is, therefore, written (Psalms 58:2): 'Righteousness shall you speak.'" It is found, then, according to this, that whenever one has time, he should not remain idle, but he should learn Torah. And the learning should not be silent, as we find in Eruvin 54a. And when one cannot learn Torah, whatever the reason might be, he should make himself a mute, who cannot open his mouth. And for this reason there were on the hem of the me'il, "a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate," alluding to the study of Torah, as mentioned above. And, in the midst of this, when he cannot learn, he should embrace the trait of silence [as our sages of blessed memory have said (Avoth 1:16): "R. Shimon ben Gamliel said: 'All my life, I grew up among the wise, and I found nothing better for the body than silence.'"] And this is alluded to by the pomegranate next to the bell; that is, like a pomegranate, that makes no sound. And, if one conducts himself in this manner, the Torah assures us (Ibid. 35): "and its sound will be heard when he comes to the sanctuary." That is, the sound of his prayer and his Torah will be accepted on high, which will not be the case if he does not guard his faculty of speech and mixes his speech with lashon hara, rechiluth, and the like, in which case the forbidden speech will defile his words of holiness and they will not be accepted on high, as mentioned above in Chapter I.

We have now learned that the three parts of the Tabernacle correspond to the three parts of the universe concerning which King David said in Psalms 103,20: "Bless the Lord, O, His angels, mighty creatures who do His bidding, ever obedient to His bidding. Bless the Lord all His hosts, His servants who do His will; bless the Lord all His works, through the length and breadth of His realm." David's son Solomon also adopted his father's outlook when he alluded to this in three consecutive verses in Song of Songs 5,13-15. Three different parts of the human body form the subject of those verses, each one representing a different aspect of the universe and how man's composition reflects this division of the universe into three constituent parts. I (Rabbenu Bachyah) have explained this in detail when I discussed Jacob's dream of the ladder." Thus far the quotation from Rabbenu Bachyah.

However, I (של"ה) propose to pursue a slightly different approach. By means of these two letters "א-ה," the apparent deficiency which we mentioned after showing how the camp of Yehudah with its image of אירה, amounted to 216, or three times the numerical value of the permutated Ineffable Name, can be made up. Each of the four flags also had three permutations each of the ineffable four -lettered name of G–d inscribed on them, corresponding to the fact that each flag represented three tribes. That this was so can be gleaned from the verse in Psalms 122,4: ששם עלו שבטים, שבטי ה'. The appropriate translation would be: "There the tribes, the tribes of the Lord, ascended" (to the Jerusalem of the Celestial Regions). The reason for inscribing these permutations on each of the flags was to have the 72-lettered (worded, according to some Kabbalists) name of G–d inscribed thereon. This has been pointed out in the Sefer Habahir, and is referred to in Pardes Rimonim. We read there that a certain Rabbi Amorai expounded on the verse השמים ושמי השמים לא יכלכלוך (Kings I 8,27) "Neither the heavens nor the heavens of the heavens can contain You," that this proves that G–d has 72 names, and that all of them are incorporated in the שבטים, the twelve tribes. We know that this is so, since the Torah writes in Exodus 28,10, ששה משמותם על האבן האחת, ואת שמות הששה הנותרים על האבן השנית כתולדותם. "The names of six of the tribes on the one stone, (gem of the Ephod) and the names of the remaining six tribes on the second stone, according to the order of their births." These two stones of the אפוד, just as the 12 stones of the breastplate, חושן, of the High Priest, are לזכרון, as a remembrance. Since the words "as a remembrance” are used both times, it it is clear that both contained the same. Alternatively – even better in our context – since the Torah mentions only the number twelve, we must consider that the twelve stones had six facets each and that the total number of facets is thus 72. The deeper meaning of the sacrifices offered by the Princes in Parshat Nasso of which the Torah says in its summation שנים עשר בקר ושש עגלות צב, "six draught carts and 12 oxen,” may well be connected with this concept. The Torah tells us by mentioning the number 12, that G–d employs 12 מנהיגים," managers," each of whom is equipped with six כוחות, specific capabilities. The Pardes Rimonim elaborates on this.

Rekanati sees the following allusions in the composition of the breastplate and the ephod respectively. "You must appreciate that the breastplate symbolises the splendour which is Israel, whereas the ephod reflects the presence of G–d's might. This is the reason the breastplate was not to be loosened from the ephod. Seeing that the breastplate symbolised Israel's splendour, it is only logical that it had two golden rings on it. They alluded to the זרועות עולם, the arms supporting the universe, parallel to the cherubs on top of the lid of the Holy Ark. You are also aware that some of the priests' garments were made of gold and some of silver. [Surely the author uses the word silver in lieu of white. Ed.]. This too referred to the two "arms" supporting the universe. Different vestments were worn for the performance of different kinds of duties in the Tabernacle.

The reason for the bells on the rim of the robe of the High Priest is specifically spelled out in the Torah. His voice (approach) should be heard when he entered the Sanctuary. This was in the nature of securing permission before entering the Sanctuary. Anyone entering suddenly, i.e. unannounced, was guilty of death. We know of something similar in the palace of Ahasverus (Esther 4,11). I shall explain this in greater detail when I deal with Leviticus 16,17: "No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting when Aaron enters to obtain atonement in the Sanctuary." This is why the Torah commanded that he had to announce his arrival. It is not unlike the time Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. He had instructed that everyone present in the palace had to be removed first, except for himself and his brothers (Genesis 45,1). Service to the King has to be performed with no one else present. When one leaves the king one must also be granted permission so that the king's servants will know when to re-enter the king's presence. An additional dimension which is important when dealing with the presence before the King of Kings is that unless permission has been obtained both before entering and before leaving, G–d's angels are apt to kill the person who acts without permission. The Torah warns Aaron so that we may appreciate that if even a person of the exalted stature of Aaron is subject to such restrictions, anyone on a lower level does not even have to be warned specifically. When the Torah adds the words לפני ה', in 28,39, it adds stature to Aaron who is compared to an angel of the Lord of Hosts. According to our sages the reason there must not be a tear in the robe (28,31), i.e. that it should be constructed in such a way that it is not liable to be torn, is because Satan is jealous of the High Priests's stature and tries to pull him by his robe as warriors do.

קח מאתם …. ונתת אותם אל הלוים . Why are the Levites suddenly mentioned here again in 7,5,? At this point the Levites had not yet been chosen. They had only been chosen after the Israelites had been counted, and that count had not taken place until the first day of lyar. Only then had G–d said: "Do not count the tribe of Levi with the other tribes," and had said that they would be counted separately. The offerings that the Princes brought had been brought a month earlier, on the first day of Nissan. The fact is that G–d had already then given Moses an indication that in the future He would appoint the Levites to perform the Service involving the Tabernacle. This is similar to what we read in Parshat Tetzaveh, where the Torah speaks about Aaron lighting the candelabrum, the kind of oil to be used, etc., and the Torah says: "Bring close Aaron your brother and his sons from the midst of the children of Israel, etc." (Exodus 28,1). Rashi explains there that the appointment of Aaron and his sons, and his daily duties, etc., did not become a commandment until after the completion of the building of the tabernacle, though the Torah wrote it in this connection. Actually we find the commandment as such only at the end of Parshat Emor at the beginning of chapter 24. Nonetheless G–d had informed Moses much earlier of what was to become a commandment at a later stage, so that preparations could be made. We find the same thing regarding the appointment of the Levites.

We are told in 28,12 that Aaron was to wear the two gemstones on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod לפני ה' על שתי כתיפיו לזכרון, "on the two shoulder-pieces for remembrance before the Lord." This is an allusion to the events surrounding Purim of which we read in Esther 9,28 that "these days will be remembered and celebrated." This is a clear reference to the commandment to remember and never to forget what Amalek did to the Jewish people after they had crossed the sea and found themselves in the desert. The reason that the verse speaks both about נזכרים and נעשים is that the commemoration must precede the celebration. Even when Purim, i.e. the 14th of Adar, occurs on a Friday, so that the cities such as Jerusalem who celebrate Purim on the 15th of Adar celebrate it on the Sabbath, we cannot read פרשת זכות on that day, but must read it on the Sabbath preceding the 14th of Adar in order to comply with the sequence indicated in the Book of Esther. There is a dispute about this in Megillah 30 between Rav and Shmuel. The former holds that the paragraph commemorating the attack of Amalek on the Jewish people must be read in the Synagogue on the Sabbath prior to Purim, whereas Shmuel is of the opinion that it may be read even after Purim (i.e. the 14th). He reasons that since there are people who observe Purim on the 15th of Adar, in such an event the remembrance and celebration would coincide. In view of the fact that we accept the view of Rav, we need to understand why it is important to read פרשת זכור before the 14th of Adar.

Let us now demonstrate how Aaron served as the instrument of Adam's rehabilitation. We have already mentioned that the whole purpose of creation was Man, and that when Adam sinned he corrupted not only himself but the whole planet. At the revelation at Mount Sinai the process of rehabilitation had advanced to a point where the whole planet, including Man, was ready to resume the spiritual and physical level which had existed in גן עדן. The episode of the golden calf ruined this rehabilitation; ever since the progress towards Man's complete rehabilitation has been very halting and irregular. The establishment of the Tabernacle was a major part of whatever rehabilitation has occurred since. The reason that the Tabernacle was such a major factor in the process of rehabilitation is that it represented a world "reborn." It was meant to be a microcosm of the cosmos. Within this "reborn" world Aaron occupied the place that Adam had occupied on our planet when he was first created. Sacred vestments were made for both Aaron and his sons to take the place of the regular garments made of skin worn by Adam after his sin. Adam had been forced to wear those garments in exchange for the garments made of light which he had been equipped with at the time he was created.

The purpose of these garments was to be לשם ולתפארת, "for dignity and adornment," as stated by the Torah in Exodus 28,2. Genesis 2,28 reports: "Adam and Eve were nude; they did not experience a sense of shame." The serpent became jealous when it saw their nudity. This is the mystical dimension of all the forbidden sexual unions. The serpent had infected humans with a pollutant. The priests were warned by the Torah not to climb the altar by means of steps so as not to reveal even part of their bodies in the process (Exodus 20,23). It is a natural tendency of man to want to climb steps, to become G–d-like, the vision held out to Eve by the serpent in Genesis 3,4. This tendency became outlawed, i.e. ערוה. Adam later was מושך בערלתו tried to conceal the fact that he was circumcised, as stated by our sages in Sanhedrin 38b. The seven days of inauguration of the Tabernacle before Aaron took over in his capacity as High Priest were symbolic of the seven days of creation. On the eighth day Moses called upon Aaron; on that day he was crowned with ten crowns (Rashi on Leviticus 9,1). He was considered as if he had been created anew on that day. On that date Adam was resurrected, so to speak, because Aaron fulfilled the commandment of "sacrificing his own personality," i.e. אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן, performing an act which reversed the direction Adam had taken, when, instead of cementing his close relations with G–d, he had distanced himself from G–d by eating from the tree of knowledge and bringing death into the world. Nonetheless death henceforth would occur when someone, who was close to G–d (i.e. a priest) would fail to observe all the strictures on the performance of the service in the Tabernacle G–d had placed on the priests, just as death was the consequence of non-observance of G–d's law in the macrocosm, so now death would be the penalty for failing to observe G–d's law within the Tabernacle, the microcosm. At the creation G–d had warned with the words מות תמות; now two sons of Aaron died because they had approached G–d in a forbidden manner, as will be explained in due course.

The purpose of these garments was to be לשם ולתפארת, "for dignity and adornment," as stated by the Torah in Exodus 28,2. Genesis 2,28 reports: "Adam and Eve were nude; they did not experience a sense of shame." The serpent became jealous when it saw their nudity. This is the mystical dimension of all the forbidden sexual unions. The serpent had infected humans with a pollutant. The priests were warned by the Torah not to climb the altar by means of steps so as not to reveal even part of their bodies in the process (Exodus 20,23). It is a natural tendency of man to want to climb steps, to become G–d-like, the vision held out to Eve by the serpent in Genesis 3,4. This tendency became outlawed, i.e. ערוה. Adam later was מושך בערלתו tried to conceal the fact that he was circumcised, as stated by our sages in Sanhedrin 38b. The seven days of inauguration of the Tabernacle before Aaron took over in his capacity as High Priest were symbolic of the seven days of creation. On the eighth day Moses called upon Aaron; on that day he was crowned with ten crowns (Rashi on Leviticus 9,1). He was considered as if he had been created anew on that day. On that date Adam was resurrected, so to speak, because Aaron fulfilled the commandment of "sacrificing his own personality," i.e. אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן, performing an act which reversed the direction Adam had taken, when, instead of cementing his close relations with G–d, he had distanced himself from G–d by eating from the tree of knowledge and bringing death into the world. Nonetheless death henceforth would occur when someone, who was close to G–d (i.e. a priest) would fail to observe all the strictures on the performance of the service in the Tabernacle G–d had placed on the priests, just as death was the consequence of non-observance of G–d's law in the macrocosm, so now death would be the penalty for failing to observe G–d's law within the Tabernacle, the microcosm. At the creation G–d had warned with the words מות תמות; now two sons of Aaron died because they had approached G–d in a forbidden manner, as will be explained in due course.

We note that all these sages were alert to the remarkable phenomenon of the free-will acceptance of the Torah by the Jewish people at that time. We therefore understand the nature of the joy we are commanded to experience on Purim. When the Megillah 9,15 describes the royal vestments Mordechai wore after he had been appointed Prime Minister, this was an expression of joy that the Jews had been saved, and has nothing to do with the need to serve G–d in fancy clothing. I have explained at length that the laws of שעטנז, the prohibition of wearing a mixture of wool and linen, may include an exhortation not to indulge in fancy dress, that a modest person refrains from wearing such attire.

At the end of פרשת צו the Torah mentions the sanctity of Aaron and his sons and how they were sanctified. The Torah (8,6) writes there: ויקרב משה את אהרון ואת בניו, "Moses offered Aaron and his sons (as a sacrifice)." The Torah had also commanded Moses to do just that in Exodus 28,1. The meaning of these verses is that Aaron as well as his sons themselves served as sacrifices, i.e. the mystical dimension of אדם, as we have explained this at the very beginning of the Book of Leviticus.