Pekudei: priestly garb
This week is the fourth of the parshiyot describing the construction of
the mishkan (portable sanctuary) and all its implements in great detail.
This week we read about the garments worn by the kohein gadol (high priest),
and it makes me wonder why all the fancy stuff. We read today about the
ephod (some sort of over-garment?) of gold with rich yarns, and a gold
gem-encrusted breastplate. Who's this for, anyway?
We sometimes ask if God needs the elaborate mishkan and answer that it's not primarily for God but for us, to have a tangible and physical connection. If we believe that God doesn't need the mishkan per se then we can probably say that of the priestly garments too, but I don't think the rest of that reasoning holds here. I don't think the kohein gadol's garments are for the people because the people never see them. This isn't like a king who parades down Main Street with crown, scepter, royal robes, and retinue; the kohein gadol wears these garments only within the sanctuary when doing his job, and most people never get close enough to see that. Non-levites can, at best, get to the outer courtyard.
So if it's not for God and it's not for the people, then who is it for? I think it's for the kohein gadol himself. It's not to encourage his ego; the torah wouldn't suggest or condone that. And it's not needed to remind him of his obligation to God; being in the middle of the mishkan does that already. But our text today gives us an important clue.
The ephod and breastplate have stones set in gold on which is engraved the names of the sons of Israel; the text says this is to remember. Remember? Does anybody really need to be reminded that we are the people of Israel, in twelve tribes descended from the sons of Yaakov? No, but the kohein gadol might need a reminder of what it is to be among the other eleven tribes.
The kohanim (and the entire tribe of Levi) do not have land; they live off of the offerings of the rest of the people. I'm only three generations removed from farmers and I haven't a clue how to keep livestock or grow grain. The kohein might need a reminder of what it is to bring a bull or dove or omer of grain, what the Israelite bringing it had to put into raising or growing that and what he is giving up. Food isn't cheap or easy, but when you're too far removed from its production you can forget this. And I think the kohein also needs to remember what it is to depend on another for your atonement. We modern Jews are used to reaching out to God directly through prayer and other acts, but that came about only after the destruction of the temple. When the mishkan and temple stood the ordinary Jew relied on the kohanim to perform rituals that would make him right with God. To depend on others in that way can be a fragile and delicate matter, one that the kohein gadol will not himself experience.
The kohein gadol works for God but he serves the people -- but he is isolated from the people, and to serve someone well you need to have empathy and a common understanding. The kohein gadol wears a reminder that there are eleven other tribes out there and their circumstances are very different from his. It's a reversal, in a way: ordinary Jews wear tzitzit as a reminder to think about God and the mitzvot because it is so very easy to lose track while going about our daily lives in the world. The kohein gadol, on the other hand, lives immersed in God and wears something to remind himself of the world outside that would otherwise be so easy for him to forget.
It's easy to remember what's in front of us, what we interact with every day, whether that be our families, God, our work, our social circles, or something else. Each of us has somebody or something that we need some help remembering to pay attention to. This parsha encourages us to look for it.
We sometimes ask if God needs the elaborate mishkan and answer that it's not primarily for God but for us, to have a tangible and physical connection. If we believe that God doesn't need the mishkan per se then we can probably say that of the priestly garments too, but I don't think the rest of that reasoning holds here. I don't think the kohein gadol's garments are for the people because the people never see them. This isn't like a king who parades down Main Street with crown, scepter, royal robes, and retinue; the kohein gadol wears these garments only within the sanctuary when doing his job, and most people never get close enough to see that. Non-levites can, at best, get to the outer courtyard.
So if it's not for God and it's not for the people, then who is it for? I think it's for the kohein gadol himself. It's not to encourage his ego; the torah wouldn't suggest or condone that. And it's not needed to remind him of his obligation to God; being in the middle of the mishkan does that already. But our text today gives us an important clue.
The ephod and breastplate have stones set in gold on which is engraved the names of the sons of Israel; the text says this is to remember. Remember? Does anybody really need to be reminded that we are the people of Israel, in twelve tribes descended from the sons of Yaakov? No, but the kohein gadol might need a reminder of what it is to be among the other eleven tribes.
The kohanim (and the entire tribe of Levi) do not have land; they live off of the offerings of the rest of the people. I'm only three generations removed from farmers and I haven't a clue how to keep livestock or grow grain. The kohein might need a reminder of what it is to bring a bull or dove or omer of grain, what the Israelite bringing it had to put into raising or growing that and what he is giving up. Food isn't cheap or easy, but when you're too far removed from its production you can forget this. And I think the kohein also needs to remember what it is to depend on another for your atonement. We modern Jews are used to reaching out to God directly through prayer and other acts, but that came about only after the destruction of the temple. When the mishkan and temple stood the ordinary Jew relied on the kohanim to perform rituals that would make him right with God. To depend on others in that way can be a fragile and delicate matter, one that the kohein gadol will not himself experience.
The kohein gadol works for God but he serves the people -- but he is isolated from the people, and to serve someone well you need to have empathy and a common understanding. The kohein gadol wears a reminder that there are eleven other tribes out there and their circumstances are very different from his. It's a reversal, in a way: ordinary Jews wear tzitzit as a reminder to think about God and the mitzvot because it is so very easy to lose track while going about our daily lives in the world. The kohein gadol, on the other hand, lives immersed in God and wears something to remind himself of the world outside that would otherwise be so easy for him to forget.
It's easy to remember what's in front of us, what we interact with every day, whether that be our families, God, our work, our social circles, or something else. Each of us has somebody or something that we need some help remembering to pay attention to. This parsha encourages us to look for it.