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ופתחת עליו פתוחי חתם קדש לד'

And you shall engrave upon it, engrave like a signet ring Holy to Hashem. (28:36)

The Tzitz Hakodesh was a Head-Plate inscribed with the words Kodesh l’Hashem, Holy to Hashem, that was worn by the Kohen Gadol. These words were engraved on the Head-Plate similar to a signet ring. Pituchei chosam – “engraved like a signet ring” is used by the Gaon m’Vilna as an allusion to a statement made by Chazal. “Three keys (mafteichos, which have the same root word as pituchei) were not given to man. They remain in the domain of the Almighty (Only He can “open the door” to these events). They are: chayah, to give life to a child, the…

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והם יקחו את הזהב ואת התכלת ואת הארגמן ואת תולעת השני ואת השש

They shall take the gold, the turquoise, purple and scarlet wool, and the linen. (28:5)

Moshe Rabbeinu was commanded concerning the construction of the Bigdei Kehunah, Priestly Vestments. For this purpose, he was to obtain gold, turquoise, purple and scarlet, various colors of dyed wool, from the people which were to be used to make the Eiphod, Cheshev ha’Eiphod, Choshen and Avnet. Sheish is flax/linen. Thus, the Bigdei Kehunah were constructed of shatnez, a mixture of wool and linen. Given the reality, one would conjecture that while shatnez is prohibited to be worn by a Jew, the Bigdei Kehunah constituted an exception to the rule. In other words, a dispensation is made for the Priestly…

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ועשית בגדי קדש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת

You shall make sacred vestments for your brother, Aharon, for glory and splendor. (28:2)

Kavod and tiferes are terms which are associated with the dignity of man and the requirement of manifesting this sense of reserve and class. When we mention the gadlus ha’adam, greatness of man, one immediately thinks of Slabodka, the yeshivah whose Mashgiach/founder, the Alter zl, of Slabodka, Horav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, was its primary exponent. I take the liberty of expounding on the subject and its intended impact on the Jewish imperative. When Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel was about to launch his yeshivah, he asked Horav Yisrael Salanter, zl, founder of the Mussar, character refinement, movement, “On which foundations shall…

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ואתה הקרב אליך את אהרן אחיך ואת בניו אתו... לכהנו לי

Bring to near to yourself Aharon, your brother, and his sons with him… to minister to Me. (28:1)

The Midrash teaches that Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to be Kohen Gadol, despite his position as facilitator of the Torah to Klal Yisrael. Imagine being the conduit through which our nation received the Torah. Yet, Moshe apparently wanted more; he sought the Kehunah Gedolah, High Priesthood. Hashem told Moshe, “I gave you the Torah. It was mine, and I gave it to you.” This was supposed to placate Moshe. How? Moshe did not deny his lofty plateau as the nation’s quintessential Rebbe; he wanted the Kehunah Gedolah – also! In his Shemen HaTov, Horav Zev Weinberger, Shlita, quotes the Talmud in…

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