Parashat Tetzaveh: Clothing a Holy Expression

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, ברכות התורה א׳

(א) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Torah Blessings 1

(1) Blessed are You, Adonai, Ruler of the Universe, Who sanctifies us with commandments and commands us to be engrossed in the words of Torah.

Does what you wear matter? Why?

Regular Kohen on the left, Kohen HaGadol on the right (front and back)

-Chabad.org

שמות כ״ט:ד׳-ט׳

(ד) וְאֶת־אַהֲרֹ֤ן וְאֶת־בָּנָיו֙ תַּקְרִ֔יב אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְרָחַצְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם בַּמָּֽיִם׃ (ה) וְלָקַחְתָּ֣ אֶת־הַבְּגָדִ֗ים וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֤ אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֔נֶת וְאֵת֙ מְעִ֣יל הָאֵפֹ֔ד וְאֶת־הָאֵפֹ֖ד וְאֶת־הַחֹ֑שֶׁן וְאָפַדְתָּ֣ ל֔וֹ בְּחֵ֖שֶׁב הָאֵפֹֽד׃ (ו) וְשַׂמְתָּ֥ הַמִּצְנֶ֖פֶת עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְנָתַתָּ֛ אֶת־נֵ֥זֶר הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ עַל־הַמִּצְנָֽפֶת׃ (ז) וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וְיָצַקְתָּ֖ עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֖ אֹתֽוֹ׃ (ח) וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו תַּקְרִ֑יב וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֖ם כֻּתֳּנֹֽת׃ (ט) וְחָגַרְתָּ֩ אֹתָ֨ם אַבְנֵ֜ט אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּבָנָ֗יו וְחָבַשְׁתָּ֤ לָהֶם֙ מִגְבָּעֹ֔ת וְהָיְתָ֥ה לָהֶ֛ם כְּהֻנָּ֖ה לְחֻקַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם וּמִלֵּאתָ֥ יַֽד־אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְיַד־בָּנָֽיו׃

Exodus 29:4-9

(4) Lead Aaron and his sons up to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water. (5) Then take the vestments, and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the decorated band of the ephod. (6) Put the headdress on his head, and place the holy diadem upon the headdress. (7) Take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. (8) Then bring his sons forward; clothe them with tunics (9) and wind turbans upon them. And gird both Aaron and his sons with sashes. And so they shall have priesthood as their right for all time. You shall then ordain Aaron and his sons.

שמות כ״ט:כ״ט-ל׳

(כט) וּבִגְדֵ֤י הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַהֲרֹ֔ן יִהְי֥וּ לְבָנָ֖יו אַחֲרָ֑יו לְמׇשְׁחָ֣ה בָהֶ֔ם וּלְמַלֵּא־בָ֖ם אֶת־יָדָֽם׃ (ל) שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים יִלְבָּשָׁ֧ם הַכֹּהֵ֛ן תַּחְתָּ֖יו מִבָּנָ֑יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָבֹ֛א אֶל־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לְשָׁרֵ֥ת בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃

Exodus 29:29-30

(29) The sacral vestments of Aaron shall pass on to his sons after him, for them to be anointed and ordained in. (30) He among his sons who becomes priest in his stead, who enters the Tent of Meeting to officiate within the sanctuary, shall wear them seven days.

What such specific descriptions?

Why does it matter what Aaron and his sons are wearing?

What do we do with these descriptions today?

מורה נבוכים, חלק ג' מ״ה:ח׳

(ח) ולהגדיל הבית עוד - הגדיל מעלת עובדיו ונבדלו 'הכהנים והלוים' וציוה להלביש ה'כוהנים' בגדים נאים ומלבושים יפים וטובים "בגדי קודש לכבוד ולתפארת" ושלא ישמש ב'עבודה' 'בעל מום' ולא בעל מום לבד אלא הכיעורים גם כן 'פוסלים' ב'כהנים' - כמו שהתבארה בתלמוד זאת ה'מצוה' - מפני שההמון לא יגדל אדם אצלם בצורתו האמיתית אלא בשלמות איבריו ויפי בגדיו; והמכוון - שתהיה לבית גדולה ותפארת אצל הכל.

Guide for the Perplexed, Part 3 45:8

(8) In order to raise the estimation of the Temple, those who ministered therein received great honour: and the priests and Levites were therefore distinguished from the rest. It was commanded that the priests should be clothed properly with beautiful and good garments, "holy garments for glory and for beauty" (Exod. 28:2). A priest that had a blemish was not allowed to officiate; and not only those that had a blemish were excluded from the service, but also--according to the Talmudic interpretation of this precept--those that had an abnormal appearance; for the multitude does not estimate man by his true form but by the perfection of his bodily limbs and the beauty of his garments, and the temple was to be held in great reverence by all.

מלבי"ם על שמות כ״ח:ב׳:א׳

ועשית בגדי קדש, הנה הבגדים שצוה לעשות היה כפי הגלוי בגדים חיצונים, שיספר ענינם איך עשו אותם האומנים במלאכה, אבל באמת היו מורים על בגדים פנימים שיעשו כהני ה' להלביש בם את נפשותיהם בדעות ובמדות ובתכונות טובות שהם מלבושי הנפש, ומלבושים אלה לא עשו האומנים, וצוה ה' אל משה שהוא יעשה בגדי קדש אלה, היינו ללמדם תקון נפשותיהם ומדותיהם באופן שילבישו הוד והדר את נפשם הפנימית. ופי' ועשית בגדי קדש לכבוד, כי התבאר אצלנו בכ"מ שנפש האדם נקראת בשם כבוד בכתבי הקדש [כמ"ש למען יזמרך כבוד וכדומה] תעשה בגדי קדש שבם יתלבש הכבוד שהיא הנפש, וכבר בארתי בפי' ישעיה (סימן ה') שיש הבדל בין כבוד ובין תפארת, שיכובד האדם גם במעלה טבעית אבל לא יתפאר רק במעלה בחירית, ומצד הרוחנית שיש לנפש בטבעה מצד מקור מחצבתה נקראת כבוד, ומצד האור וההדר שתזכה ע"י עבודתה וקדושתה נקראת תפארת, ושתי מדרגות אלה יתלבשו בבגדי קדש שיעשה להם משה, ר"ל שילמדם ויסייע אותם בזכותו להתלבש בלבושי יקר והדר ובזה יעשה בגדי קדש לנפש הנקראת כבוד ולנפש הנקראת תפארת:

Malbim on Exodus 28:2:1

And you shall make sacred garments: Behold, the garments that He commanded to make were ostensibly outer garments, such that their makeup is discussed - how the craftsmen are to make them with their work. But they really indicate inner clothes that the priests of God should make - to clothe their souls with thoughts and traits and proper tendencies, which are the clothes of the soul; and the craftsmen did not make those garments. But God commanded Moses that he should make these sacred garments - meaning to teach them how to refine their souls and traits, in such a way they will wear majesty and splendor upon their internal souls. And the explanation of "And you shall make sacred garments for glory," is that it is understood by us that every place that the soul of a man is called glory (as in Psalms 30:13, "In order that my glory sings"), you shall make sacred garments for the glory - meaning the soul - and I have already explained in my commentary to in Isiah (Chapter 5) that there is a distinction between glory and beauty, for a man is glorified also by his natural traits but is beautified only be his traits of volition. Corresponding to the spirituality within the soul naturally sourced in its depths is called glory, and corresponding to the light and splendor which one merits through divine service and its holiness is called beauty. And these two levels clothe in the holy garments that Moshe made, which is to say that he [Moshe] taught and aided them to merit to be garbed in precious garments and splendor and through this they "made holy garments" for the soul - which is called glory - and the soul - which is called beauty.

Is Dressing Nicely only for the Priests?

סנהדרין פ״ג ב:י״ג-י״ד

ומחוסר בגדים מנלן אמר רבי אבהו אמר רבי יוחנן ומטו בה משמיה דרבי אלעזר בר' שמעון (שמות כט, ט) וחגרת אותם אבנט בזמן שבגדיהם עליהם כהונתם עליהם אין בגדיהם עליהם אין כהונתם עליהם והוו להו זרים ואמר מר זר ששימש במיתה:

Sanhedrin 83b:13-14

The baraita continues: And the punishment for a priest who is lacking the requisite priestly vestments and who performed the Temple service is death at the hand of Heaven. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that this is his punishment? Rabbi Abbahu says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says, and there are those who determined that this halakha is a tradition that was cited in the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon: It is stated: “You shall gird them with a belt, Aaron and his sons, and you shall wrap the headdresses upon them; and they shall have the priesthood as an eternal statute, and you shall inaugurate Aaron and his sons” (Exodus 29:9). From that verse it is derived: At a time when their vestments are upon them, their priesthood is upon them; but when their vestments are not upon them, their priesthood is not upon them. Therefore, priests who are lacking the requisite priestly vestments assume the status of non-priests in this respect, and the Master says earlier in the baraita: A non-priest who per-forms the Temple service is punished with death at the hand of Heaven.

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, הכנה לתפילה, ברכות השחר ז׳

(ז) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם מַלְבִּישׁ עֲרֻמִּים:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Preparatory Prayers, Morning Blessings 7

(7) Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who clothes the naked.

Rav Schwab on Prayer; The teachings of Rabbi Shimon Schwab z'l on the Siddur (2002) p. 34
Who Clothes the Naked - The simple meaning of this blessing is to thank God for giving us clothing as protection against the elements. More profoundly, though, it refers to the gift of garments by God to Adam and Eve when they left Gan Eden. The human being was originally created naked. However, when he gave preeminence to the demands of his body and committed the sin of the eitz hadaas (Tree of Knowledge) in an animal-like fashion, it became necessary for Hakadosh Baruch Hu to clothe his body, which is similar to that of an animal so that he be ever cognizant of his superiority over the animals. The human being is the only creature on earth that has free will. He has the ability to overcome his animalistic urges. Clothing, then, symbolically distinguishes men from animals. Thus, the concept of tzenius (modesty) was born. One covers those portions of the body which humans have in common with the animals. However, the face, which portrays man's superiority over animals, and the hands, with which we control the world, need not be clothed.

נדרים מ״ט ב:י״ב

דְּבֵיתְהוּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה נְפַקַת, נְקַטַת עַמְרָא, עֲבַדָה גְּלִימָא דְּהוּטְבֵי. כַּד נְפַקַת לְשׁוּקָא מִיכַּסְּיָא בֵּיהּ, וְכַד נָפֵיק רַבִּי יְהוּדָה לְצַלּוֹיֵי הֲוָה מִכַּסֵּי וּמְצַלֵּי. וְכַד מִיכַּסֵּי בֵּיהּ הֲוָה מְבָרַךְ ״בָּרוּךְ שֶׁעָטַנִי מְעִיל״.

Nedarim 49b:12

The Gemara further relates: Rabbi Yehuda’s wife went out to the market, collected wool, and made a thick [hutevei] cloak. When she would go out to the market she would cover herself with it, and when Rabbi Yehuda would go out to pray he would cover himself with the cloak and pray. And when he would cover himself with it he would recite the blessing: Blessed is He who wrapped me in a coat, as he took much pleasure in it.

ספר המדות, יראה, חלק ראשון י״ג

יג. הַכִּסּוּי שֶׁל הָראשׁ מֵבִיא לִידֵי יִרְאָה.

Sefer HaMiddot, Fear of God, Part I 13

13. Covering the head brings one to fear of G-d.

קידושין ל׳ א:ח׳

רבי חייא בר אבא אשכחיה לריב"ל דשדי דיסנא ארישיה וקא ממטי ליה לינוקא לבי כנישתא א"ל מאי כולי האי א"ל מי זוטר מאי דכתיב והודעתם לבניך וסמיך ליה יום אשר עמדת לפני ה' אלהיך בחורב מכאן ואילך רבי חייא בר אבא לא טעים אומצא עד דמקרי לינוקא ומוספיה רבה בר רב הונא לא טעים אומצא עד דמייתי לינוקא לבית מדרשא

Kiddushin 30a:8

The Gemara relates: Once Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba encountered Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, and saw that he had placed an inexpensive covering on his head and brought his child to the synagogue to study. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said to him: What is the reason for all this fuss, as you are in such a hurry that you do not have time to dress yourself properly? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to him: Is it insignificant, that which is written: “But make them known to your sons,” and juxtaposed to it is the phrase in the verse that states: “The day when you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb”? The Gemara comments: From this moment onward, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba would not taste meat [umtza], meaning he would not eat breakfast, before he had read to his child and added to the child’s studies from the day before. Similarly, Rabba bar Rav Huna would not taste meat before he had brought his child to the study hall.

שבת י׳ א:ב׳

רבא בר רב הונא רמי פוזמקי ומצלי אמר הכון לקראת וגו׳ רבא שדי גלימיה ופכר ידיה ומצלי אמר כעבדא קמיה מריה אמר רב אשי חזינא ליה לרב כהנא כי איכא צערא בעלמא שדי גלימיה ופכר ידיה ומצלי אמר כעבדא קמי מריה כי איכא שלמא לביש ומתכסי ומתעטף ומצלי אמר הכון לקראת אלהיך ישראל

Shabbat 10a:2

Since the verse: “Prepare to greet your God, Israel,” was cited with regard to the obligation to prepare and adorn oneself before prayer, the Gemara cites that indeed Rava bar Rav Huna would don expensive socks and pray and he said he would do this as it is written: “Prepare to greet your God, Israel.” On the other hand, Rava would not do so; rather, in his prayer he would remove his cloak and clasp his hands and pray. He said that he would do so as a slave before his master, who appears before him with extreme submission. Rav Ashi said: I saw that Rav Kahana, when there is suffering in the world, would remove his cloak and clasp his hands and pray. And he said that he did so as a slave before his master. When there is peace in the world, he would dress, and cover himself, and wrap himself in a significant garment, and pray, and he said that he did so in fulfillment of the verse: “Prepare to greet your God, Israel.”

שבת ע״ז ב:י״א

״לְבוּשָׁה״ — לֹא בּוּשָׁה. ״גְּלִימָא״ — שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בּוֹ כְּגֹלֶם. ״גּוּלְּתָא״ — גַּלִּי וְאִיתֵּיב. ״פּוּרְיָא״ — שֶׁפָּרִין וְרָבִין עָלֶיהָ. ״בּוֹר זִינְקָא״ — בּוֹר זֶה נָקִי. ״סוּדָרָא״ — סוֹד ה׳ לִירֵאָיו. ״אַפַּדְנָא״ — אַפִּיתְחָא דֵּין. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שְׁלֹשָׁה כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁמַּזְקִינִין מוֹסִיפִין גְּבוּרָה, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: דָּג, וְנָחָשׁ, וַחֲזִיר.

Shabbat 77b:11

An outer garment is called levusha, which is an acronym for lo busha, which means no shame, as one who is clothed is no longer ashamed.

A broad outer garment is called gelima, an allusion to the fact that, by wearing it, one is transformed into an amorphous golem-like figure, as his limbs are indistinguishable.

A beautiful coat is termed golta, which is an acronym for geli ve’eitiv, which means reveal, remove the coat, and only then I will sit, so that the coat will not get dirty.

[...]

ישעיהו נ״ט:י״ז

(יז) וַיִּלְבַּ֤שׁ צְדָקָה֙ כַּשִּׁרְיָ֔ן וְכ֥וֹבַע יְשׁוּעָ֖ה בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיִּלְבַּ֞שׁ בִּגְדֵ֤י נָקָם֙ תִּלְבֹּ֔שֶׁת וַיַּ֥עַט כַּמְעִ֖יל קִנְאָֽה׃

Isaiah 59:17

(17) God donned Righteousness like a coat of mail, With a helmet of triumph on God head; God clothed God's self with garments of retribution, Wrapped God's self in zeal as in a robe.