Perek 28 Pasoke 33:
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־שׁוּלָ֗יו רִמֹּנֵי֙ תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י עַל־שׁוּלָ֖יו סָבִ֑יב וּפַעֲמֹנֵ֥י זָהָ֛ב בְּתוֹכָ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃
On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around:
The Me'il which was worn by the Kohen Gadol had 72 bells and 72 pomegranate trinkets attached to it in alternating order. Their purpose was to announce Kohen Gadol's arrival in the Mishkan and his departure from it. So what can we learn from this?
The fact that his presence was announced tells us that a person should not enter his house unexpectedly teaching us the lesson of being sensitive and respectful of other people.
This idea came from Rabbi Eli Scheller at aish.com
Do the pomegranates and bells have another purpose and what can we learn from them/ what might they signify? What else can we learn from the details of the Kohen Gadol’s clothing?
Ezra Cohen (Torah from Dixie) quotes the Chasam Sofer who comments that the bells were there to remind everyone that sometimes Leaders (Kohen) have to make their voices heard. Even though silence is a really big valued trait of ours, sometimes a leader needs to make his views known to the public. That leader needs to make noise especially when it comes to the holiness of the Torah and against anyone/thing that might desecrate Hashem’s name. I really like this idea because it’s highlighting the role of a leader to stick up and speak out when he’s needed.
ReplyDeleteTova Rubin
ReplyDeleteThe Abarbanel says the bells are there to announce that the kohen is coming/leaving the Beis Hamikdash which reminds us of teshuva and the concept of schar v'onesh that all actions are heard in shamayim with consequences. The avodah is responsible for bringing schar to Bnai Yisrael so if they are doing mitzvos then its a source of goodness that happens on earth such as rain, peace etc. I like this idea because nowadays a system with the kohen like that seems quite relatable and necessary for us.
ReplyDeleteThe Abarbanel’s explanation for the bells is that the bells act as a reminder to the Kohen Gadol. When the bells ring, it reminds the Kohen Gadol to concentrate on his actions and obligations. I like this idea because it provides a simple and reasonable explanation for the question.
Source: https://harova.org/torah/view.asp?id=1222
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ReplyDeleteLauren Becker
ReplyDeleteAccording to Rashi the pomegranates served no purpose, they were purely for beauty.other commentaries have trouble with this opinion because why pomegranates? Why not golden apples if it’s for beauty? Rashi says, beauty is in the pomegranates more than apples because someone who is imperfect (like a pomegranate) is more beautiful than someone who resembles perfection. For someone who is not perfect, every act is considered sacrifice and music to G-d’s ears.
Chabad.org
Pomegranates come up several times and is significant in Tanach. Pomegranates are woven into the robes of the Cohen Gadol and is depicted on the two pillars in the Temple Shlomo Hamelech built in Yerushalayim. Pomegranate is a symbol of Chasidus (righteousness) because of its 613 seeds which corresponds to the 613 Mitzvot. Also, many scholars believe that the pomegranate was the “forbidden fruit” in Gan Eden. Idea from OneForIsrael.org
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really cool way to think of pomegranate because we eat it a lot in everyday life so now whenever I eat it I am going to think of the Biblical significance of it. It’s also interesting that some Rabbis think it was the forbidden fruit because were learning about that in class.
Genie Tokayer
Rashbam Rabbi Moshe Alshich explained that for each bell that rang it was surround by two sounds of silence where the pomegranates. This is meant to to teach us how important it is to think before we speak. The rashbam says the bells have a functional purpose they let the angels know when the cohen is coming so they let him pass.
ReplyDeleteI think these are both very interesting ideas. I specifically love Rabbi Moshe Alshichs idea because I think that the pomegranates and the bells are a beautiful reminder to watch what we are saying.
Rabbi mordecai Katz writes about the significance of each of kohen gadols clothes and what they each symbolize for the Jewish people. He says that the coat the kohen wears symbolizes the atonement for lashon hara, the coat is sky blue as as a reminder that god in heaven is always listening so we should be careful if what we say. He describes the neckline as being tight but never ripped. this is also reminding the Jews to tighten their mouths before talking negatively about anyone. On the hem the gold bells made noise while the fabric ones stayed silent, a reminder to know when we should speak and when it isn’t necessary. I think this is a really interesting take on the kohen gadols clothing I find it fascinating when people make deeper symbols of concepts that may seem simple on the surface but really aren’t (even though it may seem far fetched sometimes)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.tbsoc.com/downloads/torahcommentaries/Ttzaveh_DvarTorah.pdf
Rabbi Jordan Cohen talks about how it’s important to describe the clothes the Cohen wore because clothes make a persons other appearance. We judge people initially on appearance, and that’s the first thing we see. It is important to have dignity and walk around dressed like how you want to be seen
ReplyDeleteThe Abarbabel says we could understand the pomegranate bells to be the Cohens request to Hashem to enter the holy areas of the Mikdash, like Esther had to make Achashveirosh aware of her intention to enter his palace. The bells create a relationship between the Cohen and Hashem.
ReplyDeleteI like this answer because it’s different than alerting other people of the Cohens presence, it’s more of a reminder to the Cohen if Hashems presence.
Sylvie Culang
One thing we can also learn from the clothing is that their dress code was supposed to give them a dignified and stately appearance. Why is this so? We all know how we regard officers in uniform, and how this attitude changes when the same person wears civilian attire. The Torah demands that the kohanim be completely serious with their work, and this sense of gravity will inevitably come across in their external appearance as well. The same demands are made of civil servants in many places in the world. They need to appear in a way that dignifies both themselves and their customers. -- Rav David Stav (https://mizrachi.org/clothes-dont-make-the-kohen-or-do-they/)
ReplyDeleteI like this answer because it relates to me - when I put on my uniform my attitude completely changes and I become serious and engaged in my work.
Elianna Ashendorf