Parashat Tetzaveh - These Garments are to be seen as Egalitarian for a Reason!

רפואה מן התורה

Healing from the Torah

Parashat Tetzaveh

Exodus 27:20-30:10

By Adam Ruditsky

     Tetzaveh (you will command) finds Moses instructing the people of Israel regarding the continued construction of the Mishkan and specifically about the הבגדים (hab’b’gadim or the garments) that Aaron the High Priest would wear as he stood before God on Israel’s behalf.  Rabbi Jonathan Sacks teaches when the High Priest wore these garments they carried a message that “was to be a signal of transcendence to himself (so that Aaron saw himself as) a living symbol of the Divine Presence in the midst of the nation.”  However, seeking to confront this male dominated text about the Cohanim (Priests), Rabbis Sara Paasche-Orlow and Leah Lewis offer suggestions how to better approach this parsha in today’s Jewish egalitarian world. 

     As far R’Paasche-Orlow, she calls these garments a  “message of equality between men and women.”  Although mentioned in the context of Tachrichim, or the gender neutral white burial shroud, for Paasche-Orlow the real equality of men and women begin in the home that evokes “a more egalitarian model” than the Temple of old.  In this case the home replaced the Temple whereas the Shabbat Table replaced the alter, with the husband and wife dressed in their Shabbat הבגדים, replacing the role of the Temple based Cohanim.  Not intended to separate singles or same-sex couples in anyway, Paasche-Orlow makes her point by looking to the roles of a husband and wife on Shabbat.  As such, it is the wife for the sake of the family who is given the honor each week to kindle the lights that welcome in the Shabbat “continuously,” just as the Cohanim were tasked with the duties of keeping the ner talmid burning “continuously.”  The priesthood symbolize a more egalitarian Jewish practice as well as service, or avodah.  R’Lewis approaches the הבגדים, or the garments differently, here evoking the idea of anavah (ענוה), or humility.  One the one hand, the High Priest stood before the entire assembly of Israel bearing upon his chest the חשן (the choshen or breastplate) with its 12 different kinds but equally sized stones that represented each tribe.  For Aaron, leading the ritual life of Israel took anavah, because if he forgot his place it could lead to an “inflated sense of self” if not careful.  On the other hand, this was also a test of anavah for all of Israel.  The 12 stones on the choshen had no center, no stone was more important than the next, each tribe had its rightful place as part of the whole.  In this case, both for the High Priest and the entire assembly of Israel, the lesson of anavah called for a “divine balance” that means “no more and no less” in attitude and behavior.  So while one view was about avodah (service), and the other about anavah (humility), each emerged from the meaning of the Priestly garb.
     Rashi and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, although not writing from an egalitarian Jewish world-view, certainly add to the spiritual “message of equality between men and women” if we chose to read them that way.  Regarding the choshen then, which is first mentioned in Exodus 28:4, we read that it would be a part of the High Priests בגד קדש, or Holy Garments.  Rashi spends and extensive amount of time explaining how these garments were donned by the High Priest, and regarding the choshen, Rashi simply notes that it was attached to the Ephod with a chain on either side and hung “over the High Priest in front of him.”  But when the choshen is first mentioned Rashi says that it was an “ornament worn opposite the heart.”  Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik teaches that the choshen was a part of the greater character of the High Priest that included “intelligence and knowledge” as well as “love and affection of Israel.”  However regarding the choshen itself, Soloveitchik teaches that it worn “on Aaron’s heart” as opposed to Rashi who said that it was worn “opposite the heart.
     I think it is worth noting, even if simplistically, that the distinction between opposite and on can be significant.  Opposite can still be detached from; hence you have two random people sitting “opposite” of each other in a specific waiting room only because they share the same doctor.  On denotes partnership with; a certain couple is discussing an important matter of life, which requires their unity even if not full agreement, as they need to make sure that together they are both “on” the same page.  Sure you can read these words in different ways, but in this drash the action that is produced which comes from the heart should not be “opposite” from each other, but like the relationship between keva (the fixed prayers) and kavanah (the inward attention of the one praying) they are dependent “on” each other.

     This idea of “on” or “opposite” that came from the teachings of Rashi and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik can be read as egalitarian because we all put on garments of one kind or another. According to Rabbi Sara Paasche-Orlow the garments are about the equality of avodah (service) between men and women.  According to Rabbi Leah Lewis the garments are about anavah (humility) in how we all carry ourselves.  Whether for personal, professional, spiritual or social, interactions and/or relationships, we all wear garments of conviction that can help us to transcend every situation with proper attitudes and behaviors.  Last week we talked about יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ (yid’d’vehnu libo), a heart that motivates us to do the right thing, and the right thing finds its voice in garments that are sacred.  For Judaism that is just not reserved for the ways of the Rabbi or the Cantor, but for every person, hence Israel was called in Torah מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים, וְגוֹי קָדוֹש, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  This is why these garments are to be seen as Egalitarian, meaning that no matter your identity or identification, each of us is cloaked with a garment of conviction.  The mindful key to the garments of our Priesthood; they just do not exist as opposite of who we are, but they are to be worn on our hearts, acting in tandem with whom we strive to become.   

Shabbat Shalom!