“For glory and for majesty” is the expression describing how the Kohen’s attire should be. The Torah goes through an entire Parsha, sometimes in detail, describing the priestly clothing. One has to wonder, our religion which emphasizes internal beauty and spirituality, looks like it’s overdoing it a bit on the material external side, don’t you think? Furthermore, it’s a bit unclear whether external beauty is a tool to do a mitzvah or is it an end within itself. It’s an argument between Rashi who says that when the scripture says “l’kadsho” – to make him holy, implying the clothes, means towards performing the mitzvah. While Maimonides, wearing the clothes counts, as one of the mitzvoth.
The intention of the Torah is to enhance the status of the Kohanim by putting importance on the fine special clothing, regardless of it being a mitzvah or not. The Israelites will have more respect for G-d’s representatives, and therefore more respect for G-d.
It seems, perhaps a bit demeaning that we need the pageantry-like grandeur to enhance our spirituality. It shouldn’t be like that, considering we impressed G-d by proclaiming “we will do and then we will understand”. It was a much-advanced statement of belief to say the least. Presumably, one may have figured, the High Priest could have paraded around with a T-shirt and jeans and it wouldn’t have diminished the status of the Kohen or G-d for that matter. Do we really need the fine clothing to impress us?
Furthermore, there is more evidence of our human weakness. When Moshe came down from Mount Sinai, why did he have to bring down the physical tablets? If he found those particular commandments to be important, then let him verbally and dramatically announce them; after all, he did memorize quite a bit of the Torah, what’s ten more?
We learn a lesson that no matter how intellectual one can be, no matter how much of a strong belief one has, he still needs the physical to seal it in his psyche. On a subconscious level, the tablets or the Kohen’s garbs will be the final approval. We are – after all – flesh and blood and there is a great need for the physicality to complement our spiritual quests. |
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