The Torah emphasizes Moshe’s direct involvement in three tasks: obtaining oil for the menorah, appointment of the Kohen Gadol, and preparation of the bigdei kehunah, priestly vestments. In all other instances which relate to building the Mishkan and its various appurtenances, the words uagu, ,hagu, or vag,, are used. This phrase implies Klal Yisrael’s collective involvement. What distinguishes these three obligations that renders Moshe’s involvement essential?
Horav Elchanan Sorotzkin z.l. posits that each of these three tasks require the direct supervision of the gadol ha’dor, prememinent Torah leader of the generation. He explains this in the following manner. The oil from the menorah symbolizes the light of Torah which burns constantly, illuminating the entire world with its pure light. The light of Torah must be pure, purged of any secular ingredients. This “oil” must be “sealed” with the seal of the Kohen Gadol or the Torah leader of that generation, attesting to its immaculacy. The Torah admonishes Moshe that the supervision of Torah study and its dissemination should only be under the watchful eye of gedolei Yisrael.
The second task Moshe is obligated to personally oversee is the appointment of the Kohen Gadol. This represents the Torah leadership of every generation, the Rabbis, and teachers who educate and inspire their respective communities and students with Torah knowledge. As the Torah must remain pure, so must its dissemenators exemplify erudition and values, scholarship combined with virtuous character traits. Indeed, the spiritual havoc during the time of the second Bais Ha’Mikdash was caused by the unqualified Kohanim Gedolim who “purchased” their position. They were not inducted through due process under the supervision of the “Moshe Rabbeinu’s” of that generation. Rather, they were appointed by a corrupt and immoral leadership. The Torah admonished Moshe to intervene directly in the appointment of Klal Yisrael’s spiritual leadership.
The third area which falls in Moshe’s domain is the preparation of the holy vestments. Like korbanos, the priestly raiment atones for various sins. Indeed, a kohen is disqualified from the service if he is not fully clothed in the holy vestments. The method of sanctifying this garb was entrusted to Moshe. He, in turn, transmitted it to wise men who produced the vestments. Nonetheless, there is an important lesson to be derived regarding the sanctity of clothing and the importance of dressing is a manner of tznius, modesty.
The Shechinah resides among us, protecting us from our enemies. Alas, our disregard for dressing in a Torah oriented manner had left us like a kohen who is “mechusar begadim,” missing his priestly vestments! Moshe is admonished regarding the importance of the Jewish dress code and the ramifications of defaulting this responsibility. Indeed, if we peruse history, we would notice that spiritual decline and catastrophe have occurred whenever these three areas have not been supervised in accordance with the dictates of the Torah and its leadership.
