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Yeshivat Har Etzion

Towards the end of Parashat Tetzave, the Torah discusses the daily sacrifices, the "temidim," which were offered daily - one in the morning, and the second before the Bet Hamikdash service concluded prior to sunset: "two yearling lambs each day, always ['tamid']." It has been suggested that the these "tamid" sacrifices allude to two verses in Tanakh that contain the word "tamid," the verses with which the Rem"a opens and closes his glosses to the Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim (the section of the Shulkhan Arukh that deals with day-to-day religious obligation): "I place God before me, always ['tamid']"; "A festive heart is always ['tamid'] good." The two daily sacrifices correspond to these two feelings that a Jew must sense at all times.

Beyond the "cute" literally association of the word "tamid," this idea may reflect a fundamental theme latent in the daily sacrifices. These sacrifices clearly represent constancy and consistency in the service of God. Indeed, one of the reasons we fast on the seventeenth of Tammuz is because on that day the "tamid" offering was no longer offered. Without this institution, which ensured the constant, sacred activity within the Mikdash, the destruction of the Temple may be said to have begun.

Symbolically, then, the "tamid" offerings signify an individual's constant responsibilities, the ideals and values that ought to navigate him through every situation, day in and day out. Quite appropriately, then, the two verses with which the Rem"a surrounds Orach Chayim are said to correspond to the daily sacrifices. These two verses reflect our two most basic types of spiritual awareness that must determine the way we conduct our daily lives. First, "I place God before me always." This denotes the sense of "yir'a," a genuine cognizance of God's Presence and the awe and dread that such a feeling necessarily evokes. An individual must feel almost a painful sense of inadequacy as he bears in mind God's constant, watchful eye that follows him in every situation. But on the other hand, "A festive heart is always good." Without a profound sense of joy and appreciation for what one has and the opportunities presented to him, avodat Hashem becomes impossible. Concurrent with fear of God comes the love of God, the excitement and enthusiasm one must feel over the privilege granted to him to study Torah, perform mitzvot, and devoutly serve and worship his Creator. These two feelings are the two "daily sacrifices" required of us, each day of our lives.

[Prepared by David Silverberg.]

MOSHE THE PRIEST

In the second half of Parashat T'etzave, Moshe receives the command to install his brother Aharon and Aharon's four sons, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar, in the office of the priesthood. For the eight days of the investiture, Moshe is to serve as priest himself. This begs the question: why is it Aharon, and not Moshe, who is chosen, along with his progeny, to become God's priest? It is Moshe who regularly enters the Inner Sanctum; it is he who constantly communicates with God at an unprecedented and irreplicable level. Why then does Moshe not merit the priesthood?

Rashi (4:14) quotes Rabbi Yosi on Z'vachim 102a: "'Aharon your brother the Leivi'—he was destined to be a Leivi and not the priest, and the priesthood should have come from you. Now [since you are reluctant to go to Par'oh], it will not be so; rather, he will be the priest and you will be a Leivi, as it says (I Divrei haYamim 23:14): 'And Moshe, the man of God—his children are called by the tribe of Leivi.'"

This midrash indicates that it is Moshe's humility that costs him the priesthood. As we read the first half of T'tsaveh, we see the command "'You shall make holy garments for Aharon your brother, for honor and for glory'" (28:2). This indicates the special role of the High Priest; as the person who carries the "zikaron" (best, but inadequately, translated as "remembrance") (ibid. v. 12, 29-30, 38) of B'nei Yisrael before God, he must be impressive to the people, an imposing figure in fine linen, gold, and precious gems—and this is a duty for which Moshe, the humblest man on the earth (B'Midbar 12:3), is uniquely unsuited.

Furthermore, the uniqueness of Moshe's prophecy, as God goes on to explain to Miriam and Aharon in Bamidbar 12, puts him in a category unto himself. There will be many more Aharons, but there will never be another Moshe (Devarim 34:10). When Aharon dies, Elazar steps into his shoes effortlessly (Bamidbar 20:22-29); when Moshe dies, the Torah ends. Thus, God's communication of the Torah to B'nei Yisrael, which Moshe delivers, is a one-generation phenomenon, and though he has physical children, Moshe has no true heirs. Aharon, on the other hand, who brings B'nei Yisrael's zikaron before God, has a never-ending task, one that extends down throughout the generations. It is only for eight days that we see the phenomenon of Moshe the priest.

[Prepared by Yoseif Bloch.]

With this cryptic commandment, God instructs Moshe that the Kohein Gadol must always have bells hanging from his garments in order that they be heard as he walks about the Mishkan, performing his services. The pasuk further implies that were he to decide not to heed this instruction, the Kohein Gadol would, for some unexplained reason, meet with an untimely demise. What is the significance of these bells, and what is the nature of the death from which they save him?

Rashi, in his interpretation on these pesukim, claims that the two factors are not directly related. He explains that the Kohein Gadol is subject to death simply for removing any part of any one of his garments while he performs the services of the Mishkan. However, as other commentators point out, this doesn’t seem the most natural explanation of the pasuk. If the warning is a general one that refers to all of his garments, why would it be placed here, in the very same pasuk as an explanation of these bells, after only three out of the Kohein’s eight garments have been presented? Moreover, why would the pasuk mention his leaving, if the only requirement is that he wear all his garments while he is in the Mishkan, performing the services?

Because of these questions, Ramban offers an alternative interpretation, based on a close analogy between the Kohein Gadol as a servant of God in the Mishkan and one who is granted an audience with a king of flesh and blood. Were one to immediately, without permission, enter the throne room of a king, he would be quickly put to death. (See Esther 4:11.) The appropriate way to enter the king’s presence is to first make him aware of the visitor’s upcoming entrance, both out of respect for the king and to give his servants a chance to leave the room and grant the king privacy with his visitor. Similarly, when the visitor leaves the king’s room, he must make the king’s servants aware that he has left so that they can reenter and continue attending to the king. That is exactly what the Kohein Gadol is doing in our context, explains Ramban. The bells are placed upon his garments so that the other kohanim (servants of the King) can be made aware of his whereabouts and adjust their positions accordingly, as the pasuk says, “And no man shall be in the Ohel Mo’ed when [Aharon] enters … until he leaves” (Vayikra 16:17). Additionally, the Kohein Gadol must display an appropriate degree of respect towards God (the King), by warning Him (at least on a symbolic level) of his imminent entrance.

[Prepared by Reuven Weiser.]

The two purposes of the ornamental Priestly clothing, listed in this week’s Parsha, are "for glory and splendor" and "to sanctify him (the Kohein)." Perhaps these purposes represa dual purpose in the Priesthood itself- one for the Kohanim themselves, and the other for Bnei Yisra'el. Furthermore, perhaps these purposes are interrelated; Bnei Yisrael had to see the sanctification of Aharon in order for the broader scheme of "glory and splendor" to take place. However, the only purpose revealed the Bnei Yisrael was “to sanctify him”; the other purpose, “for glory and splendor”, was desired but not revealed. Thus, God told Moshe that His intention is for glory, but that the rest of the people must recognize Aharon's great spirituality in order for the glorification to take place. To understand this more fully, let us try to define “glory and splendor” a little bit better.

The last Mishna in Pirkei Avot says "All that God created he did not create but for His Glory..." God's glory does not mean His entourage, His buildings, and His cars; it has to be more than that. Everyone and everything and every idea and every situation that has ever happened and ever will happen is playing a part in the symphony of God. Our job as players in this symphony is to recognize our own modes of expression of Kavod Shamayim- God's glory. When we are confronted with a situation that we can clearly see opportunities for growth and spirituality, we see the revelation of God's glory more clearly. Perhaps this is why we bless "that He created everything for His glory" specifically at a “Sheva Brachot”. We are emphasizing the awareness of the diversity on creation only when we can see the elements of this diversity reaching their full potential.

The Bnei Yisrael achieved an awareness of their own potential for revealing God's glory when they saw the sanctification of Aharon. Thus, Aharon himself became the spiritual center of the Bnei Yisrael, and all of the people fell into rank behind him. Just as the encampment in the desert had the Tabernacle as its focus, and only then could move, so too the Jewish people have the Kohanim as their spiritual center, allowing them to continue to function in long, dark exiles. The Hebrew word for splendor- "Tif'aret", has connotations of harmony and balance. This too highlights the development of roles behind the leadership of the Kohanim. When the building of the Tabernacle was finally carried out, the Torah uses the expression "Just as God had commanded Moshe" an astounding number of times. The message is clear; although each metallurgist, weaver, smith, engineer, and architect was using talents and traits that G-d had granted him, nevertheless he expressed his talents exactly the way that G-d intended. This is the Kavod and Tif'aret which the sanctification of Aharon brought about.

[Prepared by Elli Fischer.]

Among the most curious adornments decorating the priestly garments are the bells hanging from the bottom of the kohen gadol's "me'il" (robe). God says, "Aharon shall wear it while officiating, so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before God and when he goes out - that he may not die." Why is it so important for the kohen to make sounds before and after officiating in the Mikdash?

The Ramban explains that just as in Megilat Ester we find that entering the royal chamber uninvited renders one liable for the death penalty, so must the high priest "knock," as it were, before communing with the Almighty. The bells of the robe serve this purpose, symbolizing the kohen's request of permission before entering the Mikdash to perform the "avoda." We may add that the ringing bells also draw the kohen's attention to what he is about to do. The bells may act as a "wake-up call" of sorts, focusing the kohen's mind upon the awesome endeavor on which he now embarks. Indeed, this may have been the Ramban's intent when he speaks of "permission"; one is granted permission to enter God's sanctuary by properly preparing himself both mentally and emotionally for this sacred encounter.

Although this approach adequately explains the need for these bells upon the Ramban's entry into the sanctuary, it does not provide the basis for requiring the sounds when the kohen gadol leaves the Mikdash ("…when he comes into the sanctuary… and when he goes out"). Why would the kohen require preparation before leaving the Mikdash?

It has been suggested that a change of mindset is indeed necessary before the kohen leaves the sanctuary, as well. Understandably, the kohen who leaves the Mikdash and goes back home experiences a considerable culture shock. He leaves the representative "residence" of the Shekhina to confront the pressures and annoyances of day-to-day life. As a prominent Jewish leader, he bears the burden of assisting others, hearing their troubles, and offering guidance and encouragement. After a private meeting with the Almighty Himself, the kohen gadol suddenly finds himself engaged in the most mundane and trivial matters, as his position and stature demand.

Therefore, just as the kohen requires the sounding of the bells to redirect his thoughts towards the service in the Mikdash as he enters, so must his attention be grabbed upon his departure from the sacred environment. The kohen needs to, pardon the expression, "snap out of it," come down from the lofty summit of spiritual experience to prepare for the equally significant responsibilities to which he must now attend. This is not to say, God forbid, that the kohen must leave the Mikdash without any impact or impression. Clearly, a kohen who leaves the same person as when he entered fails to appreciate what the sanctuary is all about. However, the bells assist the kohen in shifting his focus from the sublime aura of the Temple to the more trivial reality that awaits him outside.

[Prepared by David Silverberg.]

"Aaron will thus carry the names of Israel's sons on the decision breastplate over his heart when he comes into the sanctuary. It shall be a constant remembrance before God." (Shemot 28:29)

In our parasha, the clothing of the priests in the sanctuary is described. The high priest is to wear clothing incorporating precious stones on which the names of the sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes, are written. What does it teach us?

On one level, it can be explained in terms of the role of the priests. When a non-priest brings a sacrifice to the sanctuary/Temple, the priests offer it up for him. The priests also offer it up for him. The priests also offer the communal sacrifices for the whole people. They should remember that they are representing all twelve tribes of the Jewish people, not just their own tribe of Levi.

Historically, after the northern tribes split off and formed the kingdom of Israel, the Temple was only available to the kingdom of Judah. Most of the tribes could not or did not want to be part of the service of God in the Temple of Jerusalem. Nevertheless, they were not forgotten or written off. Their names still appeared on the clothing of the high priest.

Similarly, today, when a portion of the Jewish people has stopped praying for the Temple to be rebuilt, they still cannot be written off or forgotten. The Jewish people is one unit, indivisible.

On another level, this is a 'constant remembrance before God.'

[Prepared by Samuel Jackman.]

"To bear the names of the children of Israel upon the heart."

In Parashat Tetzave, we read about the various pieces of clothing that the Kohanim were told to wear. The high priest wore a breastplate which had twelve stones on its surface - representing the twelve tribes, and in it the "Urim VeTumim," an insertion with the name of God. On certain occasions, it would act as an indicator relating messages from God. It seems to have had two functions. The pesukim read: "And Aharon shall bear the names of the children of Israel on the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goes in to the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. And you shall put the breastplate of judgment - the Urim VeTumim, and they shall be upon Aharon's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. And Aharon shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually."

Why does the Torah repeat itself - mentioning the functiof the breastplate both before and after God's name being placed within it? It seems that there is value to bearing the names of the children of Israel upon the heart irrelevant of whether their judgment is also upon the heart. "Judgment" may refer to decisions concerning which they require a divine message (Rashi) or judgment literally - that they be acquitted in judgment (Seforno). A leader must be able to hear the names of the children of Israel upon his heart before God not only in order to receive a divine message and not only in order to pray about particular things but as a representative - indeed every individual - as a state of "standing before God."

[Prepared by Shlomo Dov Rosen.]

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