Divine Design and Human Embellishments

Rabbi Lewis M. Barth
Professor Emeritus, Midrash and Related Literature
Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles

Parshat Tetzaveh: Exodus 27:20-31:10

This was originally posted as part of 10 Minutes of Torah, published by the Union for Reform Judaism, on February 11, 2008. It is reprinted with permission of the Union for Reform Judaism. For more information, visit the 10 Minutes of Torah Web site at www.urj.org.From an early 21st century perspective, it is a stretch to imagine God as the designer of priestly garments. Yet that is the role in which God is cast in Parashat Tzaveh. How are we to understand this, what possible religious message can it have for our time?

The image of God as designer appears in the larger context of instructions to Moses as he prepares Aaron and his sons to be consecrated to serve as priest. Exodus 27:20-21 precedes this with the command regarding "pure oil" for the "eternal light" that is to be placed in the "Tent of Meeting," a task to be performed by Aaron and his sons- and perhaps an introduction to the deep theme of this parasha. The entire chapter of Ex. 28 is devoted to the design of the priestly garments, describing in great detail how the "breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a fringed tunic, a headdress and a sash" are to be made. Ex. 29 contains a description of the future priestly ordination ceremony, specifically laying out the sacrifices to be offered for the consecration of Aaron and his sons and the alter. The parasha concludes, Ex. 30:1-10, with a description of how the incense altar is to be built, decorated and placed, and what is to be offered on it and what is not. It ends (vs. 10) with the once a year "purification" sacrifice that Aaron shall make on the altar forever.

There are three themes embedded in or inferred from this parasha and especially the detail in Ch. 28: 1) the theme of the relationship between hiddur mitzvah and keduasha; 2) the theme of Moses as miracle worker and the special properties of "sacral vestments," (better translated "garments of holiness"); and 3) the theme of the importance of reading the labels. 

Hiddur mitzvah is a traditional concept that has been embraced in Reform Judaism over the last several decades. It is about the artistic enhancement of sacred space and objects. From Torah covers to ark doors, from to Menorahs and Seder plates sold in Temple gift stores and Judaica shops - the greater the beauty of the object, the greater its aesthetic power conveys of holiness, of reverence, and of meaning far beyond monetary worth. So it is with priestly garments. Ex. 28:4 deals specifically with this theme: "Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment." The artist or craftsmen are "all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill... (vs. 3)" and the materials they are to receive are "the gold, the blue, purple and crimson yarns, and the fine linen (vs. 5)." Again and again we find the Hebrew verb root- ayin, sin, hey, "to do, to make," the product of which will be these "garments of holiness" and the other ceremonial objects worn by the priest. It is through artistic skill and quality material that what is created becomes transformed into garments and objects on to which we project the sense of holiness and invest those who wear them with dignity.

The tension in contemporary Reform Judaism between the acceptance of such ideas and yet simultaneously the deep rejection of the concept of priesthood and all that goes with it is reflected throughout the year, except on the High Holy Days, by a simple fact: many rabbis wrap themselves in beautifully made kippot and talitot when leading services - yet refuse to wear robes when leading tefillah.

Are we, on some level, afraid to accept what are inherently the special properties of "garments of holiness?" Are we are uncomfortable with the image of Moses as a miracle worker associated with garments in which the property of holiness inheres? Ancient Rabbinic Judaism understood this tension but had no difficulty with such concepts or even the special properties of divine clothing as having what we might call a magical dimension. In the following paragraph from Sifra, Mekhilta d�Milluim 1:6 we have a description of the final scene in Aaron's life - the transfer of the priestly garments to his son Eleazar - and the magical role that Moses, with God's help, played in this scene. Moses is commanded to:

"Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up on Mount Hor. Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on his son Eleazar (see Nu. 20:25-26)."... How was Moses able to strip the garments in their proper order? For the outer garments are always the outer garments, and the undergarments are always the undergarments! Well, this was a miraculous act that Moses performed. Yet God did more for Aaron at the time of his death than during his lifetime. Moses placed him on the rock and stripped him of the priestly garments and (at the same time) garments of the Shekina (the Divine Presence) were dressed under them. "And (Moses) put them on his (Aaron�s) son Eleazar (Nu. 20:28)." But how was Moses able to dress Eleazar with garments in proper order? ... For God dressed him first with garments of the Shekina underneath. Then "Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments" in proper order "and put them on his son Eleazar (see Nu. 20:28)" in proper order.

The concern of this peculiar Midrash, of course, is the possibility that Aaron, or his son Eleazar, might appear naked at the moment of the transfer of the priestly garments. Such a possibility is precluded by Moses' miracle, made possible by God, to have the garments removed and reset while a temporary set of miracle garments covered Aaron and Eleazar. We also recognize that the rabbinic concept that things have a "proper order" is saved by the qualities of the "garments of the Shekina" which seem to magically clothe both father and son to insure modesty.

Imagine you are out shopping and you come across a shirt with the label "garments of the Shekina." What would permit a manufacturer to use such a label and why would we be inclined to buy it? This is not a silly question. My colleague and friend for over 40 years, Rabbi Richard Levy, has dealt with this issue in the context of generational differences in the understanding of God and mitzvoth. He writes:

A law that used to evoke our derision is the prohibition against shaatneiz, mixtures of linen and wool (Leviticus 19:19, Deuteronomy 22:11). Why should God prohibit such an innocent com�bination? But Rabbi Charles Arian has reminded me that the mitzvah prohibiting shaatneiz requires that one look closely at the ingredients of a garment one is considering buying. Doing so allows us to consider other things we might look for: Who manufactured this garment? Was sweatshop labor employed? Were the employees paid a decent wage? Not only is much attention given to the garments of the High Priest, but the very first garments humans wore were crafted by God. There is therefore an inherent holiness to something as mundane as clothes. Oshek, oppression, does not mix well with holiness. Our ongoing relationship with God has helped us find new (or old!) revelation in these arcane passages. (Richard N. Levy, A Vision of Holiness: The Future of Reform Judaism, (URJ Press, New York), p. 98)

I may disagree with Rabbi Levy on some theological issues, but not about the importance and capacity of interpretation to make biblical messages contemporary. What differentiates "garments of holiness" or "garments of the Shekina" from much that is available for purchase at our local shopping mall? It is not the ancient concern over mixing of species, but our modern concern about the rotten mixture that happens when clothing is produced by exploited labor - whether in third world countries or in our own. We are obligated to look at the labels, and we are obligated to demand that the labels tell the truth. Such ideas are found in the ethical monotheism envisioned by the prophets of Israel and imbedded in the social action commitments of modern Jews. Whether or not we are comfortable with the biblical description that we are "a kingdom of priests and a holy people" we need to remind ourselves that the purpose of priestly garments is to convey "dignity" as well as "adornment."