Parashat Tetzaveh
From Zissil
Warning: You are not logged in.
Your IP address will be recorded in this page's edit history.The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | '''Parshas Tetzaveh''' is the eighth parsha in the Book of Shemos and the final week of Shovavim-Tat during leap years. It contains 101 pesukim. For the Haftora; Yechezkel's prophecy about the Third Beis Hamikdash, is read | + | '''Parshas Tetzaveh''' is the eighth parsha in the Book of Shemos and the final week of Shovavim-Tat during leap years. It contains 101 pesukim. For the Haftora; Yechezkel's prophecy about the Third Beis Hamikdash, is read. |
==Menorah Service== | ==Menorah Service== | ||
Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
===Efod / Apron=== | ===Efod / Apron=== | ||
− | The Efod was an upside-down apron, draped over the back of the Kohen Gadol's feet,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> starting from a little above the waistline and reaching until his heels.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> It was constructed from three parts; the main body of the Efod, the 'Cheshev' waist straps and the 'Kitaphot' shoulder straps<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:4"/> and used to increase his elegance.<ref>Rashi</ref> The main apron part of the Efod was slightly wider then the width of a human,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6">Rashi Shemos 28:6</ref> so it would drape over the sides of the legs as well.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> It was made from gold, twisted fine linen and wool dyed in blue, scarlet and purple colors. These were embroidered using the 'Choshev' method | + | The Efod was an upside-down apron, draped over the back of the Kohen Gadol's feet,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> starting from a little above the waistline and reaching until his heels.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> It was constructed from three parts; the main body of the Efod, the 'Cheshev' waist straps and the 'Kitaphot' shoulder straps<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:4"/> and used to increase his elegance.<ref>Rashi</ref> The main apron part of the Efod was slightly wider then the width of a human,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6">Rashi Shemos 28:6</ref> so it would drape over the sides of the legs as well.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> It was made from gold, twisted fine linen and wool dyed in blue, scarlet and purple colors. These were embroidered using the 'Choshev' method that allowed for completely different designs to be made on each side of the created textile.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> |
====Cheshev==== | ====Cheshev==== | ||
− | Coming out of the Ephod were two waist-straps called the 'Cheshev', extruding from both the right and the left of the top of its main section.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> These were tied like a belt around the Kohen Gadol from behind, opposite his heart, below his elbows,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> to help hold the main part of the garment in place. They were tied above the waist, around the center of the stomach, parallel to the bottom of the heart<ref | + | Coming out of the Ephod were two waist-straps called the 'Cheshev', extruding from both the right and the left of the top of its main section.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> These were tied like a belt around the Kohen Gadol from behind, opposite his heart, below his elbows,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> to help hold the main part of the garment in place. They were tied above the waist, around the center of the stomach, parallel to the bottom of the heart<ref>Shover Zadim Parashat Tetzaveh</ref> and the elbows,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> a location that produces little sweat.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> It served a similar purpose as the Avnet belt but that was used to tie down the lower Ketonet tonic while the Cheshev was used to secure the upper Me'il - robe.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> The Cheshev was woven as a continuation of the main body of the Ephod and unlike the Kitaphot was not produced separately and then sewn on.<ref>Shover Zadim Parashat Tetzaveh</ref> |
====Kitaphot==== | ====Kitaphot==== | ||
− | The Ephod had two shoulder straps called the 'Kitaphot' coming out from the top right and left of the Cheshev, from the section worn behind the Kohen Gadol.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> These straps were then worn going vertically up the sides of the back, curving over the shoulders and extending to the chest on the front of the body. They were made from the same materials as the rest of the Ephod.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> Each shoulder strap was set with a large sardonyx stone that had the names of six tribes engraved on it in the order of their birth. These served as a remembrance of the Jews in front of Hashem | + | The Ephod had two shoulder straps called the 'Kitaphot' coming out from the top right and left of the Cheshev, from the section worn behind the Kohen Gadol.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> These straps were then worn going vertically up the sides of the back, curving over the shoulders and extending to the chest on the front of the body. They were made from the same materials as the rest of the Ephod.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> Each shoulder strap was set with a large sardonyx stone that had the names of six tribes engraved on it in the order of their birth. These served as a remembrance of the Jews in front of Hashem. Unlike the Cheshev that was woven as a continuation of the main body of the Ephod,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> the Kitaphot were produced separately and then sewn on with a needle.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> |
+ | '''Rings''' | ||
− | + | Attached to these shoulder settings, were two gold chains that extended down along the chest and looped through two gold rings on the upper corners of the Choshen, then doubling over and extending back up to the Kitaphot where both sides of each chain were linked.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> These attachments served the duel purpose of vertically aligning the Choshen to sit parallel to the heart and at the same time pulled the two Kitaphot inwards applying pressure so they would not slip off the shoulders of the Kohen Gadol as he bent down.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto Footnote</ref> | |
− | + | ||
− | Attached to | + | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
'''Soham Stones''' | '''Soham Stones''' | ||
− | Each shoulder of the Kitaphot had a large sardonyx stone set on it using Bezel settings with gold fully surrounding their circumference<ref | + | Each shoulder of the Kitaphot had a large sardonyx stone set on it using Bezel settings with gold fully surrounding their circumference.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> They were located at the end of the Kitaphot in front of the shoulders.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:6"/> Each stone had the names of six out of the Twelve Tribes engraved on it, in clear defined letters like those of a signet ring.<ref>Rashi</ref> The Tribes were listed in the order of their birth. On the right stone were Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Dan and Naftali.<ref>Rashi </ref> On the left stone were Gad, Asher, Yissachar, Zevulun, Yosef and Benyamin<ref>Rashi </ref> whose name was spelled out fully with two Yuds just as it is written at his birth in [[Parashat-Vayishlach|Parshas Vayishlach]].<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> Each stone contained a total of 25 letters<ref>Rashi</ref> ('''Right''' |
= ראובן, שמעון, לוי, יהודה, דן, נפתלי / '''Left''' = גד, אשר, יששכר, זבולן, יוסף, בנימין) | = ראובן, שמעון, לוי, יהודה, דן, נפתלי / '''Left''' = גד, אשר, יששכר, זבולן, יוסף, בנימין) | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
===Choshen / Breastplate=== | ===Choshen / Breastplate=== | ||
− | The Choshen was a breastplate worn only by the Kohen Gadol, opposite his heart.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:4">Rashi Shemos 28:4</ref | + | The Choshen was a breastplate worn only by the Kohen Gadol, opposite his heart.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:4">Rashi Shemos 28:4</ref> It was made from a rectangle shaped cloth that was folded over to form a perfect square. On its front were embedded twelve gemstones and inside the formed pocket were held the Urim v'Tummim parchments. It was embroidered from thick threads composed of thinner threads made of gold, fine linen and wool dyed in blue, scarlet and purple colors. |
+ | ====Threads==== | ||
+ | Golden threads were produced by hammering a cluster of gold into a thin sheet and then slicing it into thread thin strips.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> Each thin diameter sized golden thread was then twirled with six thin diameter sized threads of either blue, crimson or purple dyed wool or fine linen to produce a medium diameter sized thread.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> Each medium sized thread was therefore composed of seven thin threads, one of gold and six of its variety,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> producing four distinct varieties (linen, blue, red and purple) of mid diameter threads. A thick diameter sized thread was then produced by combining one of each of the four varieties of mid sized threads together. Each thick diameter sized thread was therefore composed of 28 thin threads (6 linen, 6 blue, 6 red, 6 purple and 4 gold).<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> | ||
====Gemstones==== | ====Gemstones==== | ||
− | The Choshen contained four horizontal rows, each with three gemstones embedded | + | The Choshen contained four horizontal rows, each with three gemstones embedded in it. On the stones were engraved the names of the twelve tribes, this way they were carried by Aharon over his heart when he entered the Holy and serve as a remembrance before Hashem constantly. |
'''Rows of the Choshen''' | '''Rows of the Choshen''' | ||
− | # Odem | + | # Odem, Pitdah, and Bareketh |
− | # Nofech | + | # Nofech, Sappir, and Yahalom |
− | # Leshem | + | # Leshem, Shevo, and Achlamah |
− | # Tarshish | + | # Tarshish, Shoham, and Yashpheh |
====Attachment to Ephod==== | ====Attachment to Ephod==== | ||
− | Each of the Choshen's two upper corners | + | Each of the Choshen's two upper corners had a gold ring that allowed the two doubled over golden chains linked to the Kitaphot of the Ephod to loop through it, holding it up<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> directly in front of the heart.<ref>Rashi</ref> On the bottom two corners of the Choshen were another two rings. These allowed two doubled over blue dyed wool ribbons to loop through them and then connect to the two rings attached to the lower part of the Kitaphot,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> where they connected to the Cheshev of the Ephod,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> that lined up very near to the lower rings of the Choshen.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> This lower fastening allowed the Choshen to be held in place and prevented it from bouncing and wobbling in all directions, away from the body of the Kohen Gadoel as he moved around.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> Once connected, the Choshen is never to be removed from the Ephod. |
− | + | ||
− | On the bottom two corners of the Choshen | + | |
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ||
− | These allowed two doubled over blue dyed wool ribbons to loop through them and then connect to the two rings attached to the lower part of the Kitaphot,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> where they connected to the Cheshev of the Ephod,<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> that lined up very near to the lower rings of the Choshen.<ref>Rashi Kepshuto</ref> This lower fastening allowed | + | |
====Urim v'Tummim==== | ====Urim v'Tummim==== | ||
Line 78: | Line 67: | ||
===Mitznefet / Turban=== | ===Mitznefet / Turban=== | ||
− | The Mitznefet was a turban of pure linen. There were two versions of the Mitznefet; those worn by regular Kohanim which were tall and pointy and were generally referred to as 'Migbaot',<ref>Rashi Kepshuto Footnote</ref> while the one worn by the Kohen Gadol was more flat and domed<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:4"/> and was always referred to as the 'Mitznefet'.<ref | + | The Mitznefet was a turban of pure linen. There were two versions of the Mitznefet; those worn by regular Kohanim which were tall and pointy and were generally referred to as 'Migbaot',<ref>Rashi Kepshuto Footnote</ref> while the one worn by the Kohen Gadol was more flat and domed<ref name="Rashi Shemos 28:4"/> and was always referred to as the 'Mitznefet'.<ref>Shover Zadim Parashat Tetzaveh</ref> |
===Avnet / Belt=== | ===Avnet / Belt=== |