CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS TETZAVEH
"Into the Breastplate of Judgment shall you place the Urim and the Tumim, and they shall be on Aharon's heart when he comes before God" (Shmot 28:30).
The above passage in not only confusing, but an apparent contradiction in terms as well. The Urim and Tumim were, in essence, a small piece of folded parchment with God's holy name written on it. The parchment was inserted "Into the Breastplate", as the Torah commands in the beginning of this passage. But, at the end of this passage, the Torah states that the Urim and Tumim shall be "On Aharon's heart."
How can the High Priest carry the Urim and Tumim directly on his heart? Four mandatory layers of the High Priest's ritual garments – the kutonet, the cloak, the vest, and finally the breastplate, separate Aharon's heart from the Urim and Tumim!
We can reconcile the apparent contradiction in this passage by proposing that the Torah is literal when requiring that the Urim and Tumim be inserted into the breastplate, but figurative when instructing that they shall be on Aharon's heart. The Torah is commanding that there nothing seperate God's holy name (Urim and Tumim) from the High Priest's heart. In other words, the High Priest must be focused completely on God; no other thoughts or musings may be in his heart to interfere with his perfect dvekus, or clinging, to God.
Why is it so important that the Kohen Hagadol – the High Priest – have no other thoughts or musings in his heart while performing his duties in the Holy Temple?
"Into the Breastplate of Judgment shall you place the Urim and the Tumim, and they shall be on Aharon's heart when he comes before God" (Shmot 28:30).
The above passage in not only confusing, but an apparent contradiction in terms as well. The Urim and Tumim were, in essence, a small piece of folded parchment with God's holy name written on it. The parchment was inserted "Into the Breastplate", as the Torah commands in the beginning of this passage. But, at the end of this passage, the Torah states that the Urim and Tumim shall be "On Aharon's heart."
How can the High Priest carry the Urim and Tumim directly on his heart? Four mandatory layers of the High Priest's ritual garments – the kutonet, the cloak, the vest, and finally the breastplate, separate Aharon's heart from the Urim and Tumim!
We can reconcile the apparent contradiction in this passage by proposing that the Torah is literal when requiring that the Urim and Tumim be inserted into the breastplate, but figurative when instructing that they shall be on Aharon's heart. The Torah is commanding that there nothing seperate God's holy name (Urim and Tumim) from the High Priest's heart. In other words, the High Priest must be focused completely on God; no other thoughts or musings may be in his heart to interfere with his perfect dvekus, or clinging, to God.
Why is it so important that the Kohen Hagadol – the High Priest – have no other thoughts or musings in his heart while performing his duties in the Holy Temple?
No comments:
Post a Comment