Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

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The Robe. The Showplate. The Regular Cohanim’s Clothing.

The Robe (The Me’il)

The Ephod was to be worn on top of a robe made completely out of blue wool.

The collar of this robe should be folded inwards, similar to a coat of arms which has a collar that is folded inwards.

It is forbidden to tear this robe.

The bottom hem of the robe was lined with a row of alternating pomegranates (made out of blue, purple and scarlet wool) and gold bells.

The Cohen Gadol must wear these garments. If he does not, he is worthy of death by the hands of heaven.

The Showplate (The Tzitz)

A showplate should be made out of pure gold with an engraving upon it it saying “Holy to G-d”. This showplate should be worn around the Cohen Gadol’s forehead.

The showplate had three holes in it – one on each end and one in the center. Through these holes were to be thread blue cords made out of blue wool so that 6 strands of this wool hung out (one on each side from being pulled through). The two side cords were tied together and then the middle cords tied from on top to the strands now in the back, creating a sort of cap that encircled the entire crown of the head, with the show plate on the forehead in front.

The Cohen Gadol was to wear this showplate as a way to appease G-d for Him to accept sacrifices that were offered from someone “unclean”.*

*Side note: It did not appease for the inequity of someone who intended to eat from the sacrifice outside of the designated area (termed פִּגּוּל, lit. “abominable thing”). Nor did it appease for someone who wished to eat from the sacrifice after its allotted time (termed נוֹתָר). Nor did it appease for the Cohen himself if he were to be unclean. It only served to appease for the sake of the person who brought the sacrifice.

According to most opinions, this showplate served to appease such sacrifices at all times, even if it wasn’t being worn by the Cohen Gadol at a specific time. There are some opinions however that say that it only served as an appeasement whilst the Cohen Gadol was wearing it, in which case he needed to touch it to remind himself of its significance for it to have that effect.

Both the Kutonet (inner checkered tunic), and the Mitznefes (cap) (both mentioned in the first Aliyah) should be made out of linen.

The Clothing of the Regular Cohanim.

While the Cohen Gadol (Aaron) needed to have all of the garments mentioned, his sons (i.e. regular Cohanim), were only to wear these four garments: The Kutonet (inner tunic), the Avnet (a sash), the Migba’at (cap) and Michnasaim (linen pants – reaching from the waist to the thighs).

Aaron and his sons are to wear their respective clothings and are then to be anointed as Cohanim with anointing oil.

Aaron and his sons must wear their appointed clothing whenever they are to enter the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), the Mishkan or approach the altar to serve G-d. If they do not wear these clothing when they are meant to, they will be liable to be put to death by the hands of heaven.