Date: February 22nd 2018

PARSHAT TETZAVEH - REMINDERS


"And they shall make holy clothing for Aaron...and his sons” (Parshat Tetzaveh 28:4).

This verse teaches that a Kohain (priest) performing the service in the temple was required to wear special priestly garments that were unique and unusual. These garments enveloped almost the entire body, and hence, they were constantly visible to the wearer.

Why was this attire necessary? The Sefer Hachinuch (literally, “The Book of Education” - published anonymously in 13th century Spain) explains the matter. While performing the “avodah” (service in the temple), the Kohain was not permitted to forget, for even a moment, that he was executing the rite of Hashem (G-d). Since the Kohain would always see and feel his distinctive priestly garments, they constantly reminded him to retain his focus. This was the primary purpose for the garments. (An ancillary reason for wearing these garments was that they added to the grandeur of the temple which helped impress sinners to repent.)

It is difficult to understand why the special dress was necessary to enhance the Kohain's concentration on his tasks. There were numerous manifestly observable indicators that called to mind the sanctity of the Temple. For instance, ten plainly visible miracles were constantly occurring (Talmud Avot 5:8). Among them:
1) All of the Jews would come to Jerusalem during the holidays. When the Kohain blessed the people in the Temple during the services of the day, they would all prostrate themselves on the ground. The Temple was very crowded. While standing, the press of people standing shoulder to shoulder was so intense that it would literally lift people off the ground. Nevertheless, when lying on the ground, everyone was surrounded by a free space of several feet so that they could confess their sins to G-d without being embarrassed by others hearing what was said.
2) Even a physically weak Kohain could hoist and wave a huge animal when it was part of a sacrifice.
3) The smoke from the daily offering of incense would always rise directly to the heavens, even when the wind was blowing.

Furthermore, the most preeminent Kohain of all was the high priest Aharon (Aaron). Moshe (Moses) is described in the Torah as the greatest of people, and Ahron is referred to in the Midrash as the equal of Moshe. Nevertheless, the Mitzvah of donning priestly garments not only applied to the main body of Kohanim serving in the Temple. Ahron himself needed this reminder when serving in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) where the same miracles later associated with the Temple were constantly occurring as well. Otherwise, he might have neglected to properly focus.

This requirement of priestly garments reveals a potentially negative characteristic of the human personality. That is an innate inclination to be desensitized to the commonplace, no matter how miraculous or vita it might be. Facts and stimuli that are plainly visible but repetitious may simply not impact or be recognized with appropriate focus and. Presumably, the great miracles that cried out: “This is the House of Hashem” were noted by the Kohain on some level. But the very deluge and repetition of these wonders could have caused him to overlook their meaning and their implications for his behavior.

However, yet an additional reminder could revitalize a person and inspire a refocus of attention. The one extra "tap on the shoulder" can spell the difference as to whether or not a person will properly focus on a matter vital to his or her own well-being.

This explains the words of the Sefer Hachinuch. The unique priestly attire might have mattered at a moment when the Kohain’s concentration on what he was doing was about to lapse. Despite not fully taking heed of the many miracles, the one extra glance at his “uniform” could have caused a rededication of focus.


The following question, however, might still be raised: If the many miracles did not drive this home, it seemingly indicates that the Kohain was unresponsiveness to reminders. Why then would the additional factor of special apparel make a difference? If the surfeit of miracles didn’t inspire the Kohain to tune in, why would the additional factor of his clothing make a difference?

One might argue that the garments were more effective reminders because the Kohain wore them physically. As such, he felt them and didn’t just see them. In truth, this is not a valid answer because a person can quickly become inattentive to even a physical condition or impediment. For example, after several days of having a large bandage on an arm, hours can pass without the person being aware that it even exists. Similarly, a high priest that had already worn the garments daily for years could easily forget about their presence.

It must, therefore, be that the only significance of the priestly garments was the mere fact that they provided yet another and different reminder. This teaches that when it comes to attaining proper focus, there is always a need for an additional reminder. A person with four unnoticed or ignored reminders might respond to a fifth. When there are more reminders, there is a greater chance that the person will respond to at least one of them.


This idea has wide daily application. Most people have several relationships with others that are vital. A person may be a child to a living parent, and/or a parent to a child, a spouse, and a close friend. Because these associations are so meaningful, people might automatically assume that they are fully in tune with each and every one of them and their inherent obligations. Can it be otherwise? The words of the Sefer Hachinuch reveal that one could indeed lose sight of these obvious realities.

To illustrate, imagine a stay at home mother of a large family of small children. Can she possibly not be aware of her situation? She is inundated with her family duties during her every waking minute. Strange as it may seem, the Sefer Hachinuch is saying that to perform her role optimally, the young woman needs to constantly remind herself that she is the mother and primary caretaker of her small children. Otherwise, she might begin performing many of her tasks by rote while hardly thinking about what she is doing and to whom her efforts are directed. This could result in a failure to notice developing problems that require parental attention or intervention.


The following vignette resonates with the idea of this Dvar: Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin (1749-1821) was likely the most famous student of the Gaon of Vilna (1720-1797). In his small hometown of Volozhin, he founded a yeshiva that grew to become one of the world's foremost centers of Torah study. Volozhin became a Mecca for many of the greatest minds of the Jewish people, and its students were known for their prodigious Torah scholarship as well as for their refinement of character and piety.

Reb Chaim (as he was known) was once asked why the “baalei batim” (lay people) of Volozhin were mostly unaffected by the yeshiva in their midst. One might have assumed that the presence of the great Torah center would have inspired many of the local townspeople to drop everything else and dedicate their lives to Torah study. This, evidently, did not happen. Reb Chaim replied that, indeed, Volozhin was one of the world’s great centers of Torah. However, their constant exposure to Torah scholarship and study desensitized the townspeople to its majesty and holiness.




This is an edited version of the Dvar that was previously emailed on February 21st, 2013. Please consider sponsoring this weekly email Dvar Torah for $120. It is a meaningful way to note an occasion such as a graduation, birthday, anniversary, yahrzeit, etc. The sponsorship will be noted in the Dvar. Thank you in advance!

We wish everyone a happy holiday of Purim.



--
You are subscribed to Jewish Heritage Initiative using example@example.com

You may automatically unsubscribe from this list or change your subscription
by visiting http://www.jhicambridge.com/mail/mail.cgi/list/parsha

For more information, visit http://www.jhicambridge.com or send mail to jhi@jhicambridge.com
__________________________________

Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail
http://www.jhicambridge.com/mail/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/