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בגדי קודש הם, “they are sacred vestments.” The sages in Torat Kohanim use this verse as applying not only to this service in the Tabernacle on the Day of Atonement, but as applying to any time the High Priest performs duties in the Temple or Tabernacle. [Meaning that only the four vestments mentioned here are to be worn by him inside the Tabernacle, not the additional vestments which have been described as לכבוד ולתפארת, “for glory and splendour.” (Exodus 28,2). Ed.] Nachmanides writes that according to the plain meaning of the text, seeing that in connection with the eight vestments the Torah had used the expression ועשית בגדי קודש, “you are to make sacred vestments,” (Exodus 28,2) the same terminology is used here. The Torah by emphasising the fact that the garments enumerated here are to be linen, בד, indicates that during service inside the Tabernacle only linen garments are to be worn. [Approaching Hashem in golden vestments when asking forgiveness would be the ultimate in bad taste. Ed.] In Vayikra Rabbah, 21,10 a comparison is drawn between the way service by the angels is perceived as taking place in the celestial counterpart to the Tabernacle on earth. In those regions the service is performed in linen vestments. The words כתונת בד קודש match what our sages used to describe as taking place in those regions. (Compare Ezekiel 9,1) Commenting on three different verbs used by the Torah for Aaron donning these vestments, ילבש, יחגור, יצנוף, when we would have thought that the word ילבש would suffice to describe all this, Torat Kohanim explains that seeing that the High Priest had to return to the Holy of Holies for the offering of the evening portion of the incense, he needed additional vessels to retrieve the spoon used for the incense, for instance, these extra words hint at these additional items the High Priest had to take with him.

The Torah may also have intended to convey that these garments are of holy character by writing the words בגדי קודש הם, One should not think that it is demeaning that the very servant of G'd who had been equipped with eight garments described in Exodus 28,2-5 as לכבוד ולתפארת, "for glory and splendour," should now wear only inferior garments when performing the service inside the Holy of Holies. Only the four garments listed here are suitable for the mission the High Priest was to fulfil inside the Holy of Holies. One of the reasons is that אין קטגור נעשה סנגור, that the accuser cannot also function as the counsel of defence, as we pointed out repeatedly. The presence of gold on the garments of the High Priest would have reminded the attribute of Justice of the episode of the golden calf.

The Torah may also have intended to convey that these garments are of holy character by writing the words בגדי קודש הם, One should not think that it is demeaning that the very servant of G'd who had been equipped with eight garments described in Exodus 28,2-5 as לכבוד ולתפארת, "for glory and splendour," should now wear only inferior garments when performing the service inside the Holy of Holies. Only the four garments listed here are suitable for the mission the High Priest was to fulfil inside the Holy of Holies. One of the reasons is that אין קטגור נעשה סנגור, that the accuser cannot also function as the counsel of defence, as we pointed out repeatedly. The presence of gold on the garments of the High Priest would have reminded the attribute of Justice of the episode of the golden calf.