The priests' vestments and
their instatement are at the heart of Parashat Tetzaveh, while this theme is
flanked at the beginning and end by the respective citing of the oil for the
Menorah, and the description of the altar of incense. The previous Parasha
started with a free-will offering to YHVH (Ex. 25:2) – ‘trumah’ – whereas this
one starts with a command, to "bring” [which
in Hebrew is literally “take”] pure olive oil beaten for the light, to set
light perpetually" (27:20 italics added). This order is denoted by "tetzaveh" - you shall command,"
the root being tz.v.h (tzadi,
vav, hey). “This type of command connotes instructions given by a father
to a son (I Sam. 17:20), a farmer to his laborers (Ruth 2:9), and a king to his
servants (II Sam. 21:14). It reflects a firmly structured society in which
people were responsible to their right to rule by God’s command. The leader was
then in a position to command the people and to expect their obedience.” The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament further
connects this root with "tzi'yoon"1, which means a “signpost, a mark or a monument”
as is found, for example, in Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 31:21, “Set up road marks for yourself." Thus “command,” as in “mitzva,” usually
perceived only as a strict order or a dictate, has further and deeper
implications. Interestingly, “tetzaveh” is not the imperative form for
“command,” but the second person future tense, in this way diminishing from its
intensity.
Last week, we compared the building
instructions for the Mishkan with the six days of Creation (ref. Ex. 24:16). This
week we are also required to make a similar analogy. In Parashat Trumah the
Menorah was listed in third place, while here the oil for the "perpetual
light" is mentioned first, recalling of course the light on the first day
of Creation. The instructions for making the oil emphasize not only its purity
and clarity (27:20, the word there being "zach,"
denoting both), but also that it is to be made by beating or pounding (the
olives). This oil is therefore named "katit," the root of which is k.t.t. (kaf, tav, tav), meaning to “beat or crush." Made, as it is by crushing and pounding, this
oil is to be for a continual light (“ner tamid”). As such
it reflects very clearly our unchanging Messiah (Heb. 13:8) Who is without sin
and therefore pure (Heb. 4:15b), had been bruised and crushed (Is. 53:4), and is
the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). An analogous description of Him as the
Anointed One Who is also the Word (John 1:1) is found in Tehilim (Psalms)
119:105: "Your word is a
lamp to my feet and a light to my path".2
It was up to the priests, A’haron (Aaron) and his sons, who were later to
be anointed with the anointing oil, to attend to the lighting "before
YHVH" (27:21). Afterwards Moshe was "to bring near A’haron… and
his sons" to "himself" (literal translation 28:1). In the
process of sanctifying the priests, Moshe was also told to, "take one
bullock, and two perfect rams, and unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes
poured over with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil," to make
them of "fine wheat flour" and to "put them into one basket,"
which he was, again, to “bring near" (29:1-3, the translations most
likely will not reflect “bring near”). Immediately after that, he was told once
again "to bring near A'aron and his sons to the opening
of the tent of meeting…" (v. 4, literal translation, emphasis added). In
all three cases the verb is "karev," of the root k.r.v
(kof, resh, bet/vet), meaning to “bring
near or close.” This root is also the root for
"korban," a “sacrifice” or an “offering.” In 29:8,
A'aron's sons were to be "brought
near," as was the bullock, which was to be slaughtered after the
priests laid their hands on it (v. 10). This is the first instance of "laying of hands" – “samoch” (s.m.ch, samech, mem, kaf/chaf), with the primary meaning of the
verb being to “lean upon." In
the case of the "laying of hands," as is seen preformed here by the
priests, there is an identification with the "korban" which is about
to give up its life, symbolizing ultimate submission. Thus, the particular
selection of verbs used here forms an introduction to the sacrificial system
and to its significance. It is by virtue of the sacrifice that a “drawing near" to YHVH can occur, followed by "leaning" and "relying" on Him. According to
King David, “though [a man] falls, he is not cast down; for YHVH upholds -
"somech" - his hand” (Psalms 37:24). In Tehilim 145:14 we read again: “YHVH upholds all who fall.”
The blood of the second ram, of the two that were slaughtered, was to be
put on the priests' right earlobe, right thumb, and the right big toe (29:20).
In their service to YHVH, these servants' relationship with Him was to be marked
by listening and obeying (which is denoted by one and the same word in Hebrew),
by doing His deeds, and walking in His paths.3
The priests' special vestments signified their unique position, while
each of the several items with which they were attired had its own particular
purpose. "And you shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for
glory and for beauty"
(28:2). The word for "beauty" here is "tif'e'ret," of the root p.e.r (pey, alef, resh), which means to “beautify”
and a “turban.” Our High Priest says of Himself in Yishayahu (Isaiah)
61: "The Spirit of YHVH is on Me, because YHVH has anointed Me to… appoint
to those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty - p'er - instead
of ashes the oil of joy instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the
spirit of infirmity, so that they may be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of YHVH, in order to beautify
- lehit'pa'er - Himself" (vs. 1,3). Once clothed in “beauty,” these
ones render glory to YHVH, while exclaiming: "I will greatly rejoice in
YHVH. My soul shall be joyful in my Elohim. For He clothed me with garments
of salvation; He put on me the robe of righteousness, even as a
bridegroom puts on – literally “ministers as a priest” - his ornament - p'er - and as the bride is adorned with her jewels" (Is. 61:
10 italics added). The clothing items in this verse: garments – b’gadim, robe -
m’eel, and the “ornament” denoted by “p’er,” are all found also in Sh’mot 28:2,
4. Notice in particular how the Yishayahu text associates the bridegroom with
the priesthood.
In 28:29, A'haron is told to bear the names
of the sons of Yisrael on the breastplate of judgment whenever entering the Holy Place Israel
.
Golden bells and pomegranates were to be attached alternately to the
bottom of the High Priest's garment (28:33-35). The word for "bell"
is "pa'amon," its root being p.a.m. (pey, ayin, mem) which
means, “foot, step, anvil, and time.” Unlike other words for Time, “et,” "zma'n"
and “mo’ed,” which point to specific times, "pa'am" refers to "pulse"
or "beat," and thus to Time's continuous motion. With this
meaning of “pa’amon,” marking the passage of time, it is interesting to note
the function of its sound here. The bells were to "be heard in his
[A’haron's] going into the sanctuary before the face of YHVH and in his coming
out, that he [Ah’aron] should not die" (v.35, italics
added). The pomegranates were used frequently as a decorative motif (e.g. Jer.
52:22ff). “Pomegranate” shares its root with one of the words for “high
or elevated” – r.o.m (resh, vav, mem), which we encountered in the name
of last week’s Parasha – Trumah.
The fact that Moshe was
told (literally) to clothe A’haron and his sons (28:41) recalls B’resheet
(Genesis) 3:21, where we read: "And YHVH Elohim made coats of skin for the
man and his wife, and clothed them." It was the actions (sin) of “the man
and his wife” that had actually necessitated the ministry of interposing
between man and Elohim, which was entrusted to A'haron and his sons.
The last article to be mentioned in this Parasha is the altar of incense.
In 30:7-8 we learn that while attending to the altar, A'haron was also to
attend to the lights: "And Aaron
shall burn incense of perfume on it morning by morning; when he dresses the
lamps he shall burn it" (30:7). Thus, our Parasha comes around ‘full
circle’ from its beginning (with the lights/lamps) to the end. "When he
dresses the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it; which he did every morning
when he went into the holy place, where the candlestick with its lamps was.
These he trimmed and dressed, snuffed those that were ready to go out, lighted
those that had gone out, supplied them with oil and wicks, and cleared the
snuff dishes, and the like. Now near to the candlestick stood the altar of
incense, so that when the priest looked after the one, he did the service of
the other. Hence we learn that our intercessor and lamplighter is one
and the same; he that was seen amidst the golden candlesticks dressing the
lamps of them appears at the golden altar with a golden censer, to offer up the
prayers of his saints."4 (emphasis added).
1
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol. 2, ed. R. Laird Harris,
Moody
Press, Chicago, 1980.
2
"In this world you stood in need of the light of the Temple
lamps are
lit from its light. But in the world to come, by virtue of that
lamp
["ner" - light], I shall bring you King Messiah who is likened to
a lamp, as
it is said (Ps. 132:17): "There I will cause to flourish a
horn for
David, I will set a lamp for Mine anointed" (Tanhuma
Tezaveh 8 -
an ancient commentary). Quoted from New Studies in
Shmot Part
2, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman. Eliner
Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the
Diaspora.
Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn ,
N.Y.
3 Moses on the
Witness Stand, Shlomo Ostrovski, Keren Ahava Meshichit,
4 Gill
commentary, Online Bible.
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