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The
Abarbanel on the Yom Kippur Service
in the Beis Hamikdash
Wearing
the Priestly Garments
Rendered into English
by Rabbi Elimelech Lepon
QUESTIONS:
16.Why did the Torah forbid
the Kohen Gadol to wear
the gold garments when performing the special Yom Kippur service? Didn't
these garments, including the breastplate and ephod, give honor and glory?
The holiest of garments, they included the "urim
and tumim" where Hashem's
spirit rests, and the gold headband, which is called "Holy to Hashem." Why did the Torah insist that the Kohen Gadol wear cloth
garments, whose sanctity was less than those of gold? The explanation of
the Rabbis, that since Yisrael
sinned with gold when they made the golden calf, a "prosecutor cannot
become a defender," is not completely satisfactory. Weren't all
the vessels used for the Yom Kippur service made of gold, even those that
were made of silver the rest of the year? Why, therefore, the avoidance of
the gold garments?
17. If
Hashem desired that the Kohen
Gadol serve on Yom Kippur wearing the white
garments, why weren't they worn for all the services of the day? Why did He
command that parts of the service be performed in white garments and other
parts in gold? What was the reason for changing garments for different
specific functions?
18.
If Hashem decreed that some parts of the service
be performed in the gold garments and some in the white, why wasn't the
service arranged in such a way that all the functions to be done in the
white garments, then in the white, then in the gold, again in the gold
garments, then in the white, then in the gold, again in the white, and once
more in the gold?
COMMENTARY:
The
wearing of the garments and changing from the gold garments to the white
and then back to gold is the sixth service of Yom Kippur.
The Torah commanded that the Kohen Gadol's garments be made of gold and precious stones to
show honor for the service. Otherwise, people might think the Kohen Gadol degrades himself
when he dirties his hands by preparing the candles and offering sacrifices
of fat and blood. So that they should not consider the table of Hashem disgusting, He commanded the Kohen
Gadol to perform those coarse physical functions
in expensive garments, showing the importance of the service and the
spiritual greatness of this action. Concerning this it says, "And you
should make holy garments for Aharon your
brother, for honor and glory."
Yet when the Kohen Gadol
entered the Holy of Holies, the place of the Divine Presence, Hashem commanded that he should not wear gold garments
but rather white ones, with only four vestments like other kohanim. There were four reasons for this:
The first reason is that when the Kohen Gadol comes before the Master of Masters, he should
enter with humility, in white garments worn by all the other kohanim. He should not wear gold, precious stones, or
pearls, for it is not proper for a slave to put on airs before his master.
Furthermore, the cherubs that represent the ministering angels are made of
pure gold. It is not fitting for the Kohen Gadol to wear gold when he stands there to serve, for
it appears that the servant and the master are equal. As it says,
"Don't glorify yourself in the presence of the King...."
Concerning this it says, "With this Aharon
will come to the Holy of Holies...he shall wear a tunic of holy cloth, the
garments are holy,"
meaning to say: Do not take the cloth garments lightly, for they are holy
although they are not made of gold and silver.
The second reason that the Kohen Gadol serves in the Holy of Holies in simple white
cloth is to show that he is pure and cleansed of sin, for he has already
enumerated his sins upon his bull and received forgiveness before entering.
For this reason Hashem commands that he enter
with white garments, which represent purity and cleanliness. As it says,
"At all times shall your garments be white...," and it says,
"Even if your sins be like crimson thread, they will become white as
snow." And in relation to leprosy, it says, "If it has all turned
white he is pure," because white represents cleanliness and purity.
The third reason for wearing white cloth garments is that when the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy
of Holies, he would cleave to his Creator and emulate Him and His angels as
much as possible. The prophets describe Hashem as
being One "Whose garment was white as snow and His hair was like pure
wool."
Yechezkel describes the angel that appeared to
him as "the man that wore the cloth garments,"
and Daniel saw the angel "that wore the cloth garments." The Kohen Gadol also wore cloth
garments when he entered the Holy of Holies, to demonstrate his holiness.
For this reason, when the prophet Malachi praised the Kohen
Gadol, he said, "He is an angel of the Lord
of hosts,"
because when he wore the cloth garments on Yom Kippur, his service
performed below emulated the service of the angels performed in Heaven.
The fourth reason is that when the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies, he was like a man who
passed from this world to the next. He went without food or drink,
confessing his sins, regretting them, and receiving atonement. Therefore he
wore white garments, like a dead man who wears a tunic of holy cloth. When
a person departs this world, he takes none of the wealth and possessions he
acquired during his lifetime -- all he has is linen cloth that he wears.
Thus the white garments worn by the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur were thereafter forbidden to be
used, like the clothes a dead man is buried in.
All the services done outside the Holy of Holies -- the musaf
and tamid,
the lighting of the candles, and the burning of the incense in the outer
hall -- were performed by the Kohen Gadol wearing the gold garments, in honor of the
service. However, for the reasons I have explained, whenever he entered the
Holy of Holies, Hashem commanded that the Kohen Gadol wear the white
garments. This explains why all the services of the day were not performed
in white garments.
This also explains why the gold garments and the white ones had to be worn
alternately. Preparing the candles, burning the incense, and sacrificing
the morning tamid
constituted the first service. Being daily functions, they were performed
in gold garments, as was the musaf
offering. However, the special service for atonement which took place
inside the Holy of Holies was performed in the white garments. After this,
the remainder of the musaf
and afternoon tamid
were offered. Since these were usual services performed outside the Holy of
Holies, the gold garments were worn. After this, the Kohen
Gadol would come before the Divine Presence one
last time to take out the shovel and ladle. For this service he would wear
the white garments.
In short, the white garments were designated for the special services
performed in the Holy of Holies, and the gold garments were designated for
services that were performed in the heichal and in the
courtyard. This answers questions 16, 17, and 18.
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