From the Rabbi’s Desk
Rabbi Manes Kogan
E-mail: kogan@rev.net
Tetzave
"You shall make vestments of sanctity for Aaron your brother, for glory and splendor" (Exodus 28:2)
"These are the vestments that they shall make - a Breastplate, an Ephod, a Robe, a Tunic of a box-like knit, a Turban, and a Sash. They shall make vestments of sanctity for Aaron your brother and his sons, to minister to Me: They shall take the gold, the turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and the linen: They shall make the Ephod of gold; turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twisted linen, with a woven design: It shall have two shoulder straps attached to its two ends, and it shall be attached: The belt with which it is emplaced, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, it shall be made of it, of gold; turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, and twisted linen: You shall take the two shoham stones and engrave upon them the names of the sons of Israel: six of their names on one stone, and the names of the six remaining ones on the second stone, according to the order of their birth: With a jeweler's handiwork, engraved like a signet ring, shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; encircled with gold settings shall you make them: You shall place both stones on the shoulder straps of the Ephod, remembrance stones for the Children of Israel. Aaron shall carry their names before Hashem on both his shoulders as a remembrance" (Exodus 28: 4-12)
"God is in the details"
Very appropriate to this portion and the portion before (Terumah), and actually to many of the portion of the Torah.
Last century in Germany and even today for many Jewish people...
Intent to take from Judaism and the Torah all these details.
The Torah, a wise and important book, legacy for generations, pride of the Jewish people...
Who care about the garments of the High Priest?
Who even care about the High Priest and the Priesthood institution in general?
Discussion at Beth Israel about giving the first Aliya to a Cohen and a second to a Levy.
Who care how long was the ark and how was built the Menorah? How can we justified the fact that we read about the High Priest’s underwear and his turban in the Torah ?
The answer is our popular saying: God is in the details. Godliness is in every single detail in the Torah, but also in the details of our life.
People care about details.
A friend’s house and its details. Being proud of the details. The finishing of the furniture, the matching of colors.
Judaism’s essence is not in the details, but, by taking care of the details we show how much we care about Judaism.
Some people ask me: Rabbi, what happen if we pray toward north instead of praying toward East? God will not listen to our prayers? Does God care about the Kosher supervision of the meat? What if I run my errands on Shabbat, I will be less Jewish?
Really, I don’t think God needs us to invest time in details. I really believe we need it!
God is in the details. In the food we eat, in the Tefilin we wear, in the Lulav we shake, in the quality of the words we utter.
Details also can teach us a lot.
Many commentators speak at length of the spiritual symbolism of the individual vestments of both the Kohen Gadol, or High Priest, and the ordinary Kohanim.
According to the Artscroll Chumash,
"That the Kohanim could perform the service only in garments bespeaking the sacred nature of what they were doing suggests also that the Jew who prays or involves himself in the performance of other commandments -- our own service of God -- should take care to dress and conduct himself with dignity and respect for the One before Whom he stands"
Many Jews who call themselves "Modern" try to avoid our portion. I look forward to it, because I really believe that God is in the details, and that is the reason I care so much about details.
Shabbat Shalom!