RAV KOOK ON Tetzaveh Part 1: Beyond the Holy

One Line or Two? One of the most impressive of the special vestments worn by the High Priest was the tzitz, a pure gold plate placed across the forehead. Engraved on the tzitz was the phrase, “Holy to God.” According to Talmudic tradition, these words were split into two lines. God’s name appeared on the top line, and underneath was written, “Holy to.“ In contradiction to this tradition, however, Rabbi Eliezer testified that he had seen the tzitz among the plundered Temple articles in Rome — and the engraving was made on a single line (Shabbat 63b). Why should the phrase “Holy to God” be split into two lines? And if that was the way the inscription was supposed to be engraved, why did the actual tzitz used in the Temple bear the entire phrase on one line?