You shall make holy garments for your brother

(Exodus 28:2)

Adar 8, 5778/February 23, 2018

"I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel and I will be their G-d. They will know that I, HaShem, am their G-d, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt in order that I may dwell in their midst; I am HaShem, their G-d." (Exodus 29:45-46) After G-d has completed His instructions to Moshe for building the Tabernacle and its vessels, making the priestly garments for Aharon and his sons, and dedicating the Tabernacle, He then reaffirms His reason for bringing Israel out of Egypt and His determination to dwell in their midst. What is the nature of this meeting place between G-d and man? What makes the Mishkan(Tabernacle) so unique? For sure, it is filled with beautiful vessels of gold and silver, but gold and silver are also the cherished possessions of earthly kings. And G-d doesn't command Israel to make for Him a sanctuary so that His presence may inhabit these man-made vessels, G-d forbid! G-d commands Israel to make for Him a sanctuary so that He may dwell amongst them.

The answer to this question is revealed in one single verse in this week's Torah reading of Tetzaveh: "You shall make holy garments for your brother Aharon, for honor and beauty." (ibid 28:2) For who is this honor and beauty intended? For your brother! G-d is speaking to Moshe, whose brother, named Aharon, will be wearing the garments of the High Priest. But Aharon's role as Kohen Gadol (High Priest) is simply to represent all of Israel as he stands before G-d in the Tabernacle/Holy Temple. So when G-d commands Moshe to "make holy garments for your brother Aharon" He is actually commanding all of Israel to make holy garments for all our brothers! That is, to honor our brothers (and sisters), our fellow man (and woman), and we do this by recognizing the G-d-given beauty which they possess. The Hebrew word which is translated as beauty, or glory, is tiferet, which describes a perfect balance of loving-kindness (chesed) and modesty (gevurah) with which G-d has endowed each and every one of us. The myriad details of the High Priest's garments, which are described in Tetzaveh, are all intended to bind the Kohen Gadol spiritually with all of us. Each detail described connects a specific aspect of our soul with the soul of the Kohen Gadol. His service in the Holy Temple is our service in the Holy Temple.

When G-d created our world, His intention from the words "In the beginning"was for His presence to dwell in this world with His creation. It was man - Adam- who turned his back on G-d, defying G-d's will and hiding from G-d, pushing away G-d's presence, and it was the enmity and rivalry between brothers throughout all the generations which distanced G-d from His creation. The entire book of Genesis is a chronicle of fraternal discord, which only approaches a positive resolution at the book's conclusion, between Yosef and his brothers. It is this new-found brotherly love and solidarity which opens the possibility for redemption and the exodus from Egyptian bondage.

In the opening chapters of the book of Exodus this newly discovered brotherly love is reaffirmed when Aharon comes to meet Moshe, who continues to protest his unworthiness to return to Egypt and redeem his people, as per G-d's command. It is not until Aharon approaches Moshe "and he kissed him," just as G-d had told Moshe, "Aharon your brother... is coming forth toward you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart" (ibid 4:14,27) that Moshe is convinced to go back to Egypt. Without Aharon's show of love for his brother, Moshe never would have returned to Egypt, Israel never would have been delivered from Egypt and G-d's plan to dwell within the midst of His children who built for His a sanctuary would never have come to be! Brotherly love, peace between brothers, this is the secret ingredient which ultimately allows for G-d's presence to fill His sanctuary and to dwell among His people! The Kohen Gadol represents all of Israel and all people who draw near to the G-d of Israel, and just as we, his brother, are commanded to clothe him with honor and beauty, we are commanded to love one another and clothe one another with honor and beauty, or more precisely, to recognize in one another the holiness and beauty with which G-d has endowed us.

"A song of ascents of David. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers also to dwell together!
As the good oil on the head runs down upon the beard, the beard of Aharon, which runs down on the mouth of his garments.
As the dew of Hermon which runs down on the mountains of Zion, for there HaShem commanded the blessing, life forever." (Psalms 133)

-The Temple Institute