Daily Chumash & Rashi Parshas Tetzaveh Rishon: The Bigdei Kehuna – Priestly Garments (Sunday, 5th Adar)

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Parshas Tetzaveh

Pesukim: 101 [Siman: מיכאל]

Haftorah: Yechezkal 43:10-27

 

 

Number of Mitzvos:

There are Seven Mitzvos in Parshas Tetzaveh. Four positive commands and three negative command.

 

A. Positive commands:

1. Mitzvah 98/Positive 40: To have candles constantly lit before Hashem, in the Temple.

2. Mitzvah 99/Positive 41: For the Kohanim to wear their special garments while serving in the Temple.

3. Mitzvah 102/Positive 42: For the Kohanim to eat the Karbanos.

4. Mitzvah 103/Positive 43: For the Kohanim to offer incense onto the altar twice daily.

 

B. Negative commands:

1.       Mitzvah 100/Negative 59: Not to remove the Choshen from the Eiphod.

2.       Mitzvah 101/Negative 60: Not to tear the rim of the Meil.

3.       Mitzvah 104/Negative 61: Not to offer onto the gold altar any offering other than the daily incense.

 

Rishon

  1. The Menorah oil and lighting:
  • Moshe is told to command the Jewish people to bring him clear crushed olive oil for illuminating the Ner Tamid [i.e. the Menorah]. The Menorah is to be placed in the Ohel Moed, outside the Paroches. Aaron and his sons are to make sure it is lit from evening until morning for all generations.

 

  1. Appointing Kohanim:
    • Moshe is to bring near Aaron, and his sons, to become priests for Hashem. Aaron, Nadav, Avihu, Elazar and Isamar shall be priests.

 

  1. The Bigdei Kehuna-Preistly garments:
  • Make for Aaron, your brother, holy garments for glory. Speak with the wise, and they shall make the garments.
  • The following are the garments:
    • Choshen [breastplate]
    • Eiphod [apron]
    • Meil [robe]
    • Kutones of checkered texture. [shirt]
    • Mitznefes [turban]
    • Avneit [belt]
  • The material: The garments are to be made from gold, Ticheiles-Turquoise wool, Argamon-Purple wool, scarlet wool, and twisted linen.
  1. The Eiphod:
  • The material: The Eiphod is to be made from gold, Ticheiles-Turquoise wool, Argamon-Purple wool, scarlet wool, and twisted linen. It is to be the work of an artist.
  • The shoulder straps: It is to contain two shoulder straps, one by each end. It is to have a belt which is likewise made of the same materials stated above.
  • The Avnie Shoham: You are to take two Shoham stones and engrave on them the name of the tribes, six on each stone, following their order of birth. The stones are to be inserted into gold settings. They are to be placed on the shoulder straps of the Eiphod, one per strap, and Aaron is to wear them on his shoulders as a remembrance.

 

📘 Rashi Q&A — Shemot 27:20–28:12

27:20 – Pure Olive Oil

Q1. What does “זָךְ” (pure) oil mean according to Rashi?

A: Oil free of sediment — meaning the oil, not the olive, must be pure.

 

Q2. How is this achieved?

A: By picking the top‑of‑tree olives, fully ripe and easily crushed.

 

Q3. What does “כָּתִית” (crushed) mean?

A: The olives are pressed in a mortar, not ground in a mill, to avoid sediment.

 

Q4. What is done after the first drop of oil is taken?

A: The olives may be ground in the mill; this second oil is unfit for lighting but fit for minchah offerings.

 

Q5. What does “להעלות נר תמיד” teach?

A: The Kohen must light the lamp until the flame rises on its own.

 

Q6. What does “תמיד” mean here?

A: Nightly, not literally continuous — just as “olah tamid” is daily but not nonstop.

 

27:21 – From Evening Until Morning

Q7. What does “מֵעֶרֶב עַד־בֹּקֶר” mean?

A: Provide enough oil for the lamp to burn from late afternoon until dawn.

 

Q8. How much oil is needed per night?

A: Chazal calculated half a log, even for long winter nights.

 

 

 

 

28:1 – Calling Aaron and His Sons

Q9. What does “וְאַתָּה הַקְרֵב אֵלֶיךָ” mean?

A: After completing the Mishkan’s structure, Moshe must draw Aaron and his sons close for service.

 

28:2 – Priestly Garments

Q10. What purpose do the special garments serve?

A: Honor and splendor for the priestly role.

 

28:3 – Consecration Through Garments

Q11. What does “לְקַדְּשׁוֹ לְכַהֲנוֹ לִי” mean?

A: To initiate Aaron into the priesthood by wearing the sacred garments.

 

Q12. What does “kehuna” mean in this verse?

A: Service (“serjanterie” in Old French), not priestly status.

 

28:4 – Names and Essence of the Garments

Q13. What is the “Choshen”?

A: A breast adornment worn above the heart.

 

Q14. What is the form of the “Ephod” according to Rashi?

A: An apron-like garment worn from behind, similar to a porzent (Old French).

 

Q15. Why can’t the Ephod be just a belt?

A: Because the Torah separately mentions the Ephod, its belt, and its shoulder straps.

 

Q16. How do we know the Ephod is a full garment?

A: Onkelos translates “linen ephod” as kardut d’vutz, meaning a full robe-like garment.

 

Q17. What is a “Me’il”?

A: An outer robe.

 

Q18. What is a “Ketonet”?

A: A tunic worn next to the skin.

 

Q19. What does “tashbetz” mean?

A: Decorated with recessed designs, like jewelry settings (castons in Old French).

 

Q20. What is the “Mitznefet”?

A: A dome‑shaped hat (“coyfe” in Old French).

 

Q21. What is the “Avnet”?

A: A belt worn over the tunic; the Ephod itself had its own belt above it.

 

Q22. What are “bigdei kodesh”?

A: Garments made from materials donated for Hashem’s sake.

28:5 – Gathering Materials

Q23. Who receives the materials?

A: The wise‑hearted artisans, who collect the gold and colored wool.

 

28:6 – Making the Ephod

Q24. How many materials made up each thread of the Ephod?

A: Five: gold, techeiles, argaman, scarlet wool, and linen.

 

Q25. How were the gold threads made?

A: Gold was beaten into sheets, sliced into threads, and spun together with six wool or linen strands.

 

Q26. How many strands were in each final thread?

A: 28 strands total.

 

Q27. What does “ma’aseh choshev” mean here?

A: Woven work showing different patterns on each side.

 

28:6–8 – Structure of the Ephod

Q28. What was the basic shape of the Ephod?

A: An apron reaching down toward the heels, girded behind the High Priest.

 

Q29. Where was the belt (cheshev) attached?

A: Woven into the upper edge of the apron.

 

Q30. How were the shoulder straps arranged?

A: Two wide straps attached behind, rising over the shoulders and folding over the chest.

 

Q31. What was attached to the shoulder straps?

A: Two onyx stones set in gold frames.

 

28:7 – Shoulder Straps Detailed

Q32. What does “al shtei ketzotav” refer to?

A: The straps attached to the two ends of the Ephod’s width, matching the width of the priest’s back.

 

Q33. What does “codes” (Old French) refer to?

A: The elbows — the Ephod was worn level with the elbows, not higher or lower.

 

Q34. What does “vechubar” teach?

A: The straps must be sewn on, not woven as part of the Ephod.

 

28:8 – The Belt of the Ephod

Q35. What is “cheshev afudo”?

A: The decorative belt by which the Ephod is beautified and prepared for wearing.

 

Q36. What does “asher alav” mean?

A: The belt lies on the upper edge of the Ephod.

 

Q37. What does “mimenu yihyeh” teach?

A: The belt must be woven together with the Ephod, not attached separately.

 

28:9–10 – Engraving Names on the Onyx Stones

Q38. What does “ketoldotam” mean here?

A: According to their birth order.

 

Q39. Which names were engraved on the first stone?

A: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Dan, Naftali.

 

Q40. Which names were engraved on the second stone?

A: Gad, Asher, Yissachar, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyamin.

 

Q41. How is “Binyamin” spelled on the stone?

A: With a yud after the mem, as spelled at his birth.

 

Q42. How many letters were on each stone?

A: 25 letters.

 

28:11 – The Engraving Method

Q43. What does “ma’aseh charash even” mean?

A: The work of a skilled stone artisan (construct form; vocalized with patach).

 

Q44. What does “pituché chotam” mean?

A: Signet‑ring engraving — deeply etched, clear lettering.

 

Q45. What does “al‑shemot” mean?

A: “With the names of.”

 

Q46. What are “musabos mishbetzot”?

A: Gold settings encasing the stones completely.

 

28:12 – Stones as Remembrance

Q47. What is the purpose of the stones being “for remembrance”?

A: So Hashem sees the names of the tribes and remembers their righteousness.

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About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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