“And you, bring near to you Aaron your brother from among the children of Israel.” Here, the Torah adds the language and you to tell you that because of the sin of the Golden Calf, Aaron became distanced [from God], just as the firstborn of Israel were disqualified. Moses brought him close through his prayer, as it is written And with Aaron, God was very angry, to destroy him, and I prayed also for Aaron at that time (Deuteronomy 9:20). The nature of this prayer was that Moses associated himself [with Aaron], saying, “Is he not my brother and my flesh? His destruction would be as if half of my flesh were consumed,” similar to how he prayed for Miriam. Thus, because Moses drew him close, Aaron was chosen due to Moses’ merit, even though he too was among the children of Israel who worshipped the Golden Calf. Nevertheless, Moses drew him near from among the children of Israel who were worshippers [of the calf], and all of this was for your sake. Therefore it says, And you, bring near to you Aaron your brother from among the children of Israel.

Another explanation as to why it says “from among the children of Israel”: According to the explanation that prophecy only rests upon the prophets of Israel through the merit of Israel, as Rashi explains in Parashat Devarim on the verse And the Lord spoke to me (Deuteronomy 2:17). This comes to tell us that even though Aaron should have been distanced [from serving as High Priest], nevertheless God brought him near for two reasons: First, because of Moses, as he is his brother, and Aaron’s honor is Moses’s honor. And second, through the merit of the children of Israel who needed a priest like this who makes peace. Therefore both phrases are stated: And you bring near to yourself and from among the children of Israel.

And you shall speak to all the wise-hearted. Here too, He mentions two instances of the second person [addressing Moses directly]: And you shall speak. This is because all the wise-hearted received their emanation from Moses, as it is written And I will take of the spirit that is upon you and place it upon them (Numbers 11:17). Similarly, all the craftsmen who were “in the shadow of God” received the flow of wisdom through Moses, as it is written And you shall select from all the people (Exodus 18:21) — meaning, through the holy spirit that is upon you. This means that you [Moses] should influence the judges of Israel from the holy spirit that is upon you. So too, And you shall speak to all the wise-hearted so that they may receive the emanation of intellectual light from you. Therefore, it is stated at the end of all the work of the Tabernacle, And Moses finished the work (Exodus 40:33). But did Moses really finish the work? Wasn’t it all the wise-hearted who did it? Rather, since Moses emanated to them from his intellectual light, it is as if he himself did all the work. And it says, “whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom,” meaning, although in truth it is I who filled him with a spirit of wisdom, for the Lord gives wisdom (Proverbs 2:6), nevertheless, since the flow reaches them through you [Moses], it will all be attributed to your name. Therefore it says, And you — from your essential being and the additional wisdom within you — shall speak to all the wise-hearted to influence them. Since it says wise-hearted in the plural, it should have said “whom I have filled them [plural] with a spirit of wisdom.” We can say that whom I have filled him refers back to Moses, because since I filled him with a spirit of wisdom, therefore he will emanate from his wisdom to all the wise-hearted. This is not God’s statement to Moses, since it doesn’t say “whom I have filled you with a spirit of wisdom.” Rather, the verse explains to us what is meant by saying to Moses, And you shall speak to all the wise-hearted — why do I attribute this task to Moses? Because I have filled him with a spirit of wisdom. And afterwards, the Holy One, blessed be He, returned and said to Moses in the second person, And they shall make Aaron’s garments, etc. The word asher [whom] serves as an explanatory term [meaning “because”], as is its usage in several places.

And these are the garments that they shall make: a breastplate and an ephod. Here the breastplate is mentioned before the ephod, but later when listing them in detail, the ephod is mentioned first, and afterward and you shall make a breastplate. Similarly, at the time of construction in Parshat Pekudei, the ephod is also mentioned before the breastplate. Additionally, there is another difficulty: in all other instances it says and you shall make, but here it says and they shall make the ephod. I am surprised that all the commentators who questioned why it says and they shall make an ark regarding the Ark, here no one says a word. According to what will be explained soon regarding the purpose of the ephod, which came as atonement for idolatry, specifically for the [golden] calf that they made, which caused the breaking of the tablets that Moses carried on his shoulders — therefore the ephod was placed on his [the High Priest’s] two shoulders, and it is written two shoulder pieces shall be joined to it, corresponding to the two tablets which had five commandments opposite five. Therefore, it appropriately says and they shall make in the plural form, for the same reason that it says and they shall make regarding the Ark.

However, it seems reasonable to understand, according to what our Sages of blessed memory said in the tractate (Arakhin 16a): “Why is the section of sacrifices juxtaposed with the section of the priestly garments? To tell you that just as sacrifices atone, so too the priestly garments atone. The breastplate atones for corrupt judgment, the ephod atones for idolatry, the robe atones for evil speech, the tunic atones for bloodshed, the turban atones for arrogance, the belt atones for impure thoughts of the heart, the headplate atones for brazenness, and the breeches atone for sexual immorality” — and all of these are derived there from scriptural verses. According to this, we can explain why the Holy One, blessed be He, placed the breastplate before the ephod, because the Holy One, blessed be He, is more strict about the corruption of justice than about idolatry. Evidence for this comes from the generation of the dispersion [Tower of Babel] who rebelled against the fundamental principle [of belief in God] but were not destroyed, while the generation of the flood, because there was violence and robbery among them, were destroyed. For if a person sins against the Holy One, blessed be He, what harm does it do to Him? But Israel, for the honor of the Omnipresent, blessed be He, gave precedence to making the ephod, because the sin of idolatry was more severe to them than the corruption of justice. Therefore it says, And they shall make the ephod, because the language of and they shall make also implies a prediction of future events, saying that this is how it will be — that they will make the ephod first. Furthermore, the Holy One, blessed be He, has the power to forgive and overlook idolatry, but not the corruption of justice in matters between one person and another, because the Holy One, blessed be He, only forgives matters between Himself and His creatures. But Israel said, “It is in our power to forgive and overlook the injustice that happened to us through the corruption of justice, but who can permit [the forgiveness of] the portion that belongs to the Most High?” Therefore, they gave precedence to the making of the ephod.

And this is similar to what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, Take vengeance for the children of Israel against the Midianites (Numbers 31:2), and Moses said to take the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. From here Rashi learned to say that although Moses heard that his death depended on this matter, nevertheless he did it joyfully and without delay. For if he had not done it joyfully, then he should have told Israel things as they were — that they should take vengeance for the children of Israel for what they had done to them, since they caused 24,000 of Israel to fall. Rather, it is certain that Moses thought: Since Israel loves their leaders, and when they hear that Moses’ death depends on this vengeance, they will say, “Does the Holy One, blessed be He, seek vengeance except for our sake?” If so, Israel might say, “We will forgive what they did to us and not seek vengeance so quickly.” Therefore, Moses changed the wording and said to take the Lord’s vengeance on Midian for what they did against God in the matter of Peor. And if it concerns the portion of the Most High, who would dare to postpone it? Thus, Moses certainly acted joyfully and without delay. This matter will be further explained in the portion of Matot, God willing.

Breastplate and ephod and robe, etc. He did not mention the headplate and breeches because they are not considered clothing, as they are not garments. But since we find here three instances of the language of “making” — And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and then it says, And they shall make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him, and then it says, And these are the garments which they shall make — we can say that the first and second instances, since holiness is mentioned in them, certainly allude to the headplate and breeches. For wherever you find a fence for nakedness, there you find holiness. And according to our Sages (Arachin 16a), the breeches atone for sexual immorality. And I add that the headplate also atones for sexual immorality — this one for private matters and that one for public matters. For the breeches, which are in a private place, atone for private matters — that is, one who pursues sexual immorality privately and covertly, as it is written to cover the flesh of nakedness. And the headplate atones for brazenness, which is sinning publicly without shame. And this is what is cited in the Gemara (ibid. 16a), the verse you had the forehead of a harlot woman (Jeremiah 3:3). Therefore, Holy to the Lord is written on the headplate. And even if we say that the headplate atones for general brazenness, still, the first instance of “making” alludes to the headplate, upon which is written Holy to the Lord.

And with this is resolved what was said initially, And you shall make holy garments for Aaron (Exodus 28:2) — placing holy garments before Aaron and afterwards it says, And they shall make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him (Exodus 28:3) — placing Aaron’s garments before “sanctification.” This is because the first verse speaks about the headplate [tzitz], which previously he was not accustomed to wearing any headplate. Therefore it says, And you shall make holy garments for Aaron — that one should make for Aaron a garment with Holy to the Lord engraved upon it like seal engravings, and let it be to him as a garment with which he wraps himself (Psalms 109:19). But further down it speaks about the breeches [undergarments], which in any case it is the way of people to go clothed with breeches. Therefore it says, And they shall make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him, meaning those garments of Aaron which he was already accustomed to wearing, now they shall make them to sanctify him from sexual immorality.

And they shall make the ephod. In all other instances it says and you shall make, but here it says and they shall make, because the Sages said (Arachin 16) that the ephod comes to atone for idolatry, and here the Israelites transgressed and made the golden calf. Therefore, all of them should be involved in making the ephod to provide atonement for everyone. In a similar way, the Sages said (Exodus Rabbah 34:2) regarding And they shall make an ark — let everyone come and be involved in it, etc. Likewise, and they shall make stated here [is because] Moses had no part at all in that act [of the golden calf], therefore [the text] attributed [the making] to the Israelites and not to Moses. We have explained this previously in a different way. And [the text] says that it should be a work of skilled design in order to atone for idolatry, because the thought regarding it [idolatry] is considered like an action, as it is said in order to seize the house of Israel in their heart (Ezekiel 14:5). The reason for this is that the essence of that sin depends on belief, which is in the realm of thought, and all the services performed for idolatry are secondary to the thought, because the main sin depends on the believing heart. This is what is meant by and the skillfully woven band which is on it shall be of the same workmanship because although “cheshev” refers to binding or girding, nevertheless, the text uses the term cheshev, which also indicates thought, to teach that the thought regarding it [idolatry] is considered as an action. For this reason, the cheshev[band] was made like its workmanship, to atone for the thought which is considered as an action.

And for this reason we find in the portion of Shelach Lecha, in the passage And if you err, etc. (Numbers 15:22–24) which speaks about idolatry, that it places the burnt offering before the sin offering, even though in all [other] atonements the sin offering precedes the burnt offering. This is because in every sin, the thought precedes the action, yet the action is more severe than the thought. Therefore, one removes first the greater [sin], which is the sin offering that atones for the action, and afterward the burnt offering for the spirit of thought. But with idolatry, the sin of thought is greater than the action, therefore it places the burnt offering before the sin offering. Similarly here, it places the atonement for thought before the atonement for action, as it first says a work of skilled design to atone for the sin of thought, and afterward it says two shoulder pieces joined to it to atone for the sin of action, as it is written They bear it on the shoulder, etc. (Isaiah 46:7) regarding idolaters. And because the [golden] calf caused the breaking of the tablets that Moses carried on his two shoulders, which had five commandments corresponding to five [on the other tablet], and they were joined, as the commandments were parallel to one another, therefore as atonement came two shoulder pieces joined to it, etc. In addition to this atonement, the Ark was made, which was carried on two shoulders by the two poles of the Ark. And this is what is meant by He dwells between his shoulders (Deuteronomy 33:12). For the Holy One, blessed be He, condensed His Divine Presence between the two poles of the Ark that were placed on the shoulders of those carrying the Ark. Furthermore, the Holy One, blessed be He, condensed His Divine Presence between the two shoulder pieces of the priest carrying the ephod, for on it was hung the breastplate of judgment in which were the Urim and Thummim opposite his heart, and the explicit Divine Name was engraved in them.

And take two onyx stones. To atone for the two stone tablets that were broken, whereupon the bond was severed between these four: the Holy One, blessed be He, the tablets, Moses, and Israel. Through this atonement, all were reconnected, for the two onyx stones correspond to the two stone tablets. Shoham [onyx] was explained by Rabbeinu Bachya as containing the letters of “HaShem” [God’s name], and it also contains the letters of “Moshe” [Moses], and engraved upon it were all the names of the children of Israel. Thus, all four are now brought together to one inn, whereas initially they had forgotten their savior and consequently, God also forgot them. Now, after the atonement when they returned and remembered that God was their rock, they too would be on His two shoulders for remembrance.

And you shall make a breastplate of judgment, of skilled work. Throughout all the priestly garments, the term skilled work is mentioned only regarding the ephod and the breastplate. This indicates that this atonement is for a specific sin where the thought is considered equivalent to the action, which is found only in idolatry, as explained earlier in the section about the ephod. The breastplate comes to atone for corruption in judgment, as judicial matters are entrusted to the judge’s heart, for a judge has only what his eyes see, and it is in his power to declare right as left and left as right, depending on the situation, the person, the time, and the place. If a judge says, “This is how it appeared to me,” who can contradict him except God alone, who examines the hearts of men? Therefore, the breastplate was placed on Aaron’s heart, because judgments are entrusted to the heart, and thus it was of skilled work to atone for the judge’s thoughts. Since it says skilled work like the work of the ephod, it links the concept of skilled work to the ephod, telling you that corruption in judgment is equivalent to idolatry, as our Sages said (Sanhedrin 7b): “Whoever appoints an unworthy judge is as if he planted an Asherah,” which refers to idolatry. Therefore, it says that the breastplate of judgment, which atones for judicial corruption, should be like the work of the ephod, which atones for idolatry. Similarly, our Sages interpreted the verse You shall not make with Me gods of silver as referring to an unworthy judge (Jerusalem Talmud, Bikkurim 3:3), because this sin primarily depends on the judge’s thoughts, as it is written (Proverbs 12:5): The thoughts of the righteous are just, for they are complete in judgment even in their thoughts. It was square — because every judge needs to be complete in the four qualities listed in the verse And you shall choose (Exodus 18:21). It was doubled — because the sin is also doubled, as it harms one person financially and another spiritually by allowing him to keep another’s money unjustly. This is what the Midrash concludes (Lamentations Rabbah 1:57): “They sinned doubly and were punished doubly,” for they sinned through corruption of justice, as it says (Isaiah 1:21): Righteousness lodged in it, and they sinned through idolatry, which is also a double sin, as it says (Jeremiah 2:13): They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew out for themselves broken cisterns. From all this, we learn the similarity between corruption in judgment and idolatry, which is why the breastplate was like the work of the ephod. A span its length — because corruption in judgment causes the destruction of the world, and its correction is like becoming a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the work of Creation, about which it says and measured heaven with the span (Isaiah 40:12).

And you shall set it with settings of stones, four rows of stones. And in each row, three precious stones, for a court of law [beit din] must have no less than three [judges]. And they shall shine like the radiance of these stones, for they are noble stones that appear [as pure] inside as they do outside. And in the Akeidah [Rabbi Yitzchak Arama’s commentary], he wrote that these stones were some expensive and some inexpensive, to hint that a judge should treat a case involving a single coin with the same justice as one involving a hundred maneh. And the names of the tribes were engraved upon them according to their birth order, to hint that one should not show favoritism to any person, but should hear the small and the great alike, as if there is no advantage to the greatest of the tribes over the smallest, except for the birth order based on age, and apart from this, all are equal. This is a proper hint, and it also hints to the judge not to become haughty saying, “I will rule,” for one whose heart is arrogant in rendering decisions is a fool, wicked, and coarse-spirited. And the verse states, He guides the humble in justice (Psalms 25:9). And the reason for this we explained above in Parashat Mishpatim. And this is why they said (Talmud Shabbat 139a) that in the merit of and he will see you and rejoice in his heart, Aaron earned the breastplate of judgment upon the heart, for because of his great humility, he did not envy the authority of Moses, his brother who was younger than him in birth order. He merited the breastplate of judgment, which depends on the attribute of humility, and the names of the tribes were written there according to their birth order, and this is precisely measure for measure.

“And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim.” Because those who sit in judgment illuminate [me’irim] for the whole world, for this reason the Sanhedrin were called “the eyes of the congregation,” as they serve as eyes for them to bring to light all the hidden matters of the litigants, as explained above. Therefore, the Urim and Thummim were placed in the breastplate of judgment.

And you shall make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue. Since the robe atones for evil speech, it was therefore made entirely of blue, because blue resembles the sea, and through the blue one will look at the sea and observe it and act accordingly. For regarding the sea it is said I broke My decree upon it, and set bars and doors, and I said, “Until here you shall come and no further…” (Job 38:10-11). Similarly, the Holy One, Blessed be He, placed a wall and a bar for the tongue, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Arachin 15b), “And not only that, but I surrounded you with two walls, one of bone and one of flesh.” What then could He add or increase protection from a deceitful tongue? For it goes outside, speaks, shoots its sharpened arrows to all four corners of the world, and passes through bars and doors. It would be proper for a person to learn from the sea, which does not pass through doors and bars and does not breach its boundaries. This is the reason for the blue, which resembles the sea, because when one looks at the blue, one will be reminded of the sea that resembles it in color, and consequently will then contemplate the sea’s behavior, observe it and act accordingly.

And in the section of “Shelach Lecha,” with God’s help, this matter will also be explained regarding the techelet [blue thread] of tzitzit, as concluded in the Yalkut portion of Ha’azinu (942): Moses said, Look at the heavens that I created to serve you — have they ever changed their ways? etc. And likewise regarding the sea, as it is said Do you not fear Me, says the Lord, who has placed sand as a boundary for the sea (Jeremiah 5:22), etc. This is the reason for the techelet as a reminder of all of God’s commandments, because by looking at the techelet which resembles the sea, one will be reminded of the sea’s behavior — that it does not breach its boundaries and stands by God’s decree. So too should a person behave. And by looking at the sea which resembles the firmament, one will also be reminded of the firmament’s behavior, which does not change its measure. One should observe this and do likewise, all the more so. And by looking at the firmament which resembles the Throne of Glory, one will see with his own eyes the source from which he was hewn, and he will yearn to return and cleave to that place, because the soul yearns for the place where its tent was initially situated. See further in the portion of Shelach Lecha (15:38), for that is its place. And here, the main reason for the techelet is to learn from the sea alone, as stated. We can also say that there is benefit in looking at the heavens and the Throne of Glory, because this will cause one to reduce his speech, as it is written For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

And regarding the matter of the two walls surrounding [the mouth], it [the Torah] says, And there shall be an opening for his head in the midst, it shall have a binding around its opening — for the tongue also needs to be like this, that “the opening of his head” should be inside, within the wall closest to it, which is of bone. And corresponding to the wall of flesh, which refers to the lips, it says there shall be a binding around its opening, it shall not be torn — so that the two walls should not be torn together. And it does not say “a work of skilled design” regarding it, because the sin of the tongue is specifically in speech and not in thought. And there were pomegranates and bells on it that make sound, to atone for the tongue that is inside the mouth like a clapper inside bells. And the correction for the tongue is that one should not profane his word anymore and should speak only matters of holiness, as it says, And his sound shall be heard when he enters the holy place, and he shall not die. For evil speech kills three people (Arachin 15b), which implies that one who is careful about this will not die, as in the story of that peddler who would announce, “Who wants to buy the elixir of life?” etc., as will be explained in the portion of Metzora, God willing.

And you shall make a pure gold frontplate. According to our Sages (Arachin 16a) who said that the frontplate [tzitz] atoned for brazenness, we need to consider this matter carefully, since it is written, And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall sanctify and our Sages said (Menachot 25a) that this refers to sacrifices offered in a state of impurity. How can this midrashic interpretation contradict the plain meaning of the text? According to what we wrote above, the frontplate atones for blatant promiscuity, as it says (Jeremiah 3:3), You had the forehead of a promiscuous woman. Wherever you find a fence against immorality, there you will find holiness, and promiscuity desecrates holiness, as will be explained later in Parshat Korach on the verse For all the congregation, they are all holy and so on. And Moses heard — that they suspected him with another man’s wife. Based on this, we can say that they found a basis for this interpretation, suggesting that just as the frontplate atones for ordinary sacrifices that became impure, so too it atones for the forehead of a promiscuous woman — the holiness of a person. Therefore, it had written on it Holy to the Lord. Both of these aspects are present in it, for the frontplate itself atones for the impurity of sacred items, but the fact that it was specifically placed on the forehead was to atone also for the forehead of a promiscuous woman. For this reason it says, And you shall place it on a blue cord, similar to the blue cord of the tzitzit [ritual fringes], about which it says (Numbers 15:39), And you shall not follow after your hearts and after your eyes, after which you stray. This shows that it protects from promiscuity, like the story of the man who hired a prostitute for 400 zuz but was saved by his tzitzit (Menachot 44a). And even if our Sages were speaking of ordinary brazenness, nevertheless it also involves desecration of holiness, for all brazenness presumably does not originate in holiness but comes from the side of impurity, since the chamber of its conception was defiled. This matter is self-evident.

And according to this understanding, there will be three things here that protect from promiscuity. The first is the tzitz [headplate] itself, which had Holy to the Lord written on it. The second is the blue cord, which is similar to the blue cord of tzitzit [ritual fringes] about which it is said that you do not follow after your heart and your eyes, which lead you astray. The third is the mitre [turban], which atones for haughtiness, and our Sages said (Sotah 4b): “Whoever is arrogant, it is as if he has engaged in forbidden sexual relations with all of those with whom relations are forbidden,” etc. They further said (ibid.): “Anyone who has haughtiness will eventually stumble with a married woman,” etc. The reason for this matter will be explained, God willing, in Parashat Korach on the verse For all the congregation are holy, and the Lord is among them; why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord and Moses heard — that they suspected him of [relations with] a married woman, etc., see there. Therefore it is stated regarding the tzitz: And you shall put it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the mitre. And with this is also resolved what Rashi explained, that we need to reconcile three verses: a cord on the tzitz, the tzitz on the cord, and the cord on the mitre. For we can explain that the term “on” does not indicate the location of its placement, but rather it is an expression of addition, saying that each one adds to its companion, since all three have one intention. According to this, there is an “on” that indicates the place of placement, and there is an “on” that indicates addition, and the student will choose which of them indicates the placement according to the meaning of the verses.

“And you shall weave the tunic of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, etc.” Our Sages said (Arachin 16) that the tunic comes to atone for bloodshed. What is the connection between these things? And if it is because Joseph’s brothers dipped Joseph’s tunic in blood, nevertheless, what does all bloodshed occurring in every generation have to do with the tunic? For without doubt, this atonement is for every generation and not only for the bloodshed of the tribes. The author of the Akeidah was very hard-pressed on this matter, as you will see in his book. Also, there was no actual bloodshed there, because dipping the tunic in blood is not bloodshed, though in a distant way there is an aspect of bloodshed since they sold him as a slave, and our Sages said (Bava Batra 8b) that a captive suffers all [forms of distress]. However, I found a resolution to this from what Rabbeinu Bachya wrote in Parshat Vayeshev, and these are his words: “Through the tunic, events developed into the enslavement of their bodies in Egypt, and later, there were the 10 martyrs killed by the government, for indeed the body is the tunic of the soul.” End quote. You see the Rabbi’s opinion that the body is the tunic and garment of the soul, and if so, there is a similarity and relationship between this tunic and the body of the murdered person. And it was entirely of fine linen [shesh], that is, flax, because Cain was the first of all murderers, and the matter developed because he offered flaxseed, and his offering was not accepted while his brother Abel’s offering was accepted. Therefore, he became jealous of him and killed him. And this is why there were six [shesh] cities of refuge, because “shesh [linen]” relates to the word for “six” [shisha].

And the linen turban atones for haughtiness of spirit, because the turban was like a crown that indicates authority, as it is written Remove the turban and lift off the crown (Ezekiel 21:31). And it is written And a royal diadem in the hand of your God (Isaiah 62:3). And it was made of linen because linen is appropriate for one who rises to greatness, as it is written regarding Joseph And he clothed him in garments of fine linen (Genesis 41:42). And the sash atones for improper thoughts of the heart; therefore, the sash was thirty-two cubits long [the numerical value of “lev” [heart] is thirty-two], and contemplating sin is worse than the sin itself, because after one has committed the act itself, one becomes satiated from the travail of their soul and their soul is disgusted by it, but the improper thoughts cling to a person forever, just as a belt clings to a man’s loins. Therefore, the sash, which clung to him like a belt, came for atonement. And make for them linen breeches — to atone for sexual immorality, which is practiced in private when people are alone together [bad vebad], for bad [linen] also connotes the meaning of solitude/isolation. The priestly garments atoned for these eight transgressions: four of them are the most severe of all transgressions dependent on action and speech, and they are: idolatry, sexual immorality, bloodshed, and evil speech, which equals them all. And four of them are comprehensive categories: Perversion of justice causes destruction of the world; and haughtiness of spirit, contemplation of sin, and brazenness include all transgressions, and they are the most common.

And perhaps this was the intention of the proselyte, who said “I will convert on the condition that they make me a High Priest” so that he could wear these garments, as mentioned in tractate Shabbat (31). Was he so foolish that he wanted to convert just to wear these garments? Rather, certainly he had heard scholars reciting And these are the garments they shall make, along with the explanation of their purpose and what they atone for. The proselyte knew that he had transgressed all these sins during his time as a gentile, and he needed all these atonements. It seems this was also Ahasuerus’s intention when he dressed in the priestly garments, as they learned in tractate Megillah (12a) through a gezeirah shavah [textual comparison]: It says here the glory of his greatness and it says there for honor and for glory. Just as there it refers to priestly garments, so too here it refers to priestly garments. He too erred in this, thinking that wearing them would provide him atonement for all these eight major transgressions. We can further reconcile what our Sages interpreted in tractate Megillah (12b) on the verse And those close to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, etc. (Esther 1:14). The ministering angels said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: “Have they ever offered before You young bulls and two turtledoves on an earthen [adamah] altar?” Tarshish — “Did they ever serve before You in priestly garments containing tarshish stones, which are jasper?” Meres, Marsena— “Did they ever stir [marsu] before You the blood and meal offerings, etc.?” It seems to me that the reason they did not mention all the priestly garments but only the breastplate [choshen] containing the stones, and of all the stones mentioned only the tarshish, is because among all the priestly garments, the holiness was not as evident as in the breastplate, which contained the Urim, the explicit Divine Name, and the 12 stones. All of these are alluded to in the word tarshish[which can be read as] ‘trei shesh’ [double-six],“ — two times six equals 12.

This Midrash requires explanation, because one could ask why [the angels] did not criticize [the gentiles] by saying, “Have they accepted the Torah? Do they put on tefillin?” and similar matters. But certainly, since [the gentiles] were not commanded to do these things, they cannot be blamed for not doing them. If so, they were also not commanded regarding sacrifices, so how could [the angels] criticize them for not offering bulls, etc.? Furthermore, we should examine the language: why did the angels phrase it in the negative, saying “Have they ever offered sacrifices before You?” rather than simply stating “They do not offer sacrifices before You.” Certainly, the main criticism was that the angels saw Ahasuerus wrapping himself in a prayer shawl that was not his and dressing in the priestly garments, and additionally drinking from the Temple vessels, as our Sages learned from the verse and vessels of various kinds (Esther 1:7), that this wicked man was using the Temple vessels (Megillah 12a). Therefore, the angels found an opportunity to disrupt his feast and criticize him, saying before the Holy One, Blessed be He: “Master of the Universe, see how this wicked one has dressed himself in priestly garments as if he were a priest offering sacrifices. Has he offered bulls and turtledoves before You? And see how he has clothed himself in tarshish [which can be read as] ‘trei shesh’ [double-six], which is holy of holies to the Lord. Has he performed divine service with them?” And when they said Meres, Marsena [names of Ahasuerus’s advisors mentioned in Esther 1:14], they were protesting that he became drunk using sacred vessels. “Has he mixed [‘meres’] blood and meal offerings with them, as is proper for these sacred vessels? Rather, he used all of them for his own needs.” Therefore, he deserves a great punishment, for the stranger who approaches [the holy vessels] shall be put to death (Numbers 18:7). This explains the precise language “Have they ever offered…” as is clear to anyone of understanding.

However, we still have room to question this Midrash interpreter, for how did he interpret Carshena, Shethar, Admatha as words of the angels when the plain meaning of the verse doesn’t suggest this? For it says the seven chamberlains who attended upon the king, which implies that all these are names. How could the beginning of the verse connect with its end? Furthermore, why indeed wasn’t Ahasuerus punished like Belshazzar was punished for using the sacred vessels? Additionally, what motivated Ahasuerus to use the sacred vessels — didn’t he see or know what happened to Belshazzar? Furthermore, our Sages (Megillah 12) said and the drinking was according to the law, meaning according to the law of Torah where eating exceeds drinking, like the eating and drinking of the altar: a bull and three-tenths of fine flour for the altar’s consumption, and half a hin of wine for drinking. What prompted Ahasuerus to do this? Isn’t it the way of the world that at every feast, drinking exceeds eating? Go and see what the people do! Why did Ahasuerus deviate from the custom of the world to make his feast resemble the consumption of the altar?

What seems most likely to me to say about this is that Ahasuerus wanted to correct two things with this. The first is that we find in many places where there is a large feast, with one’s table full and one’s Master’s table empty, it gives an opening for accusers to say, “Master of the Universe, look at all these feasts — did he offer anything to the Most High, an ox or a ram?” as concluded in the Yalkut on the portion of Vayera (22:1-95) After these things. The angels were accusing and saying, “From all these feasts that Abraham made, did he offer before You an ox or a ram, etc.?” Similarly, Ahasuerus was afraid that they might criticize his feast in heaven: “Did he offer anything from the feast to the Most High, bulls or turtledoves?” Therefore, he erred in his imagination thinking that everything would be rectified if he made his feast resembling the altar’s offerings, and it would be accepted to atone for him as if he had actually sacrificed on the altar. That is why he took the holy vessels, dressed in priestly garments, made the eating more abundant than the drinking, and called his officers names reminiscent of sacrifices, because he thought all this would make it acceptable as if it had actually been done on the altar. The second reason is the opposite of this: His main intention was to wear the priestly garments for atonement, because he had been told by the sages of Israel that these eight garments atone for specific sins. He wanted to adorn himself with them for honor and glory, and also wanted to show off the holy vessels because none like them could be found, as learned from the verse and vessels different from vessels (Yalkut Shimoni Esther 1:1048). Nevertheless, this wicked man was informed that it was forbidden for non-priests to wear these garments — only a priest during service could wear them — and regarding the holy vessels, he was afraid of the punishment that happened to Belshazzar. Therefore, he thought to rectify this by saying: “Granted, Belshazzar thought and erred because he used these vessels inappropriately, as their proper use requires food to be more abundant than drink, but regarding Belshazzar it is written he drank wine before the thousand (Daniel 5:1), meaning he certainly had more drink than food, and he did everything to distance the vessels from their holiness by using them inappropriately, therefore he was punished.” Furthermore, he thought Belshazzar was punished because he did not offer an ox or ram, etc., from the entire feast.

However, Ahasuerus thought to be innocent of all these, for he said, “I will use these vessels in their proper way — with eating exceeding drinking — and thus I will not profane them from their sanctity. Also, I am innocent, and my kingdom, from the offense of wearing the priestly garments, as it would be like I am standing and offering sacrifices. And in this way, I will also be innocent from the accusation of Did he ever offer before You a bull or a ram?” And to strengthen his misconception, he named his chamberlains who served him at the feast — who sat first in his kingdom — after the names of the priests who serve our God in the Temple, for they are foremost in the kingdom of heaven, seeing the face of the Supreme King. Therefore, he called the names of those who saw his face and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar — after bulls of the first year and two turtledoves — and so forth. All this he did to equate his feast and its servants completely to the feasts of the altar and the service of the priests who attend the altar. He thought to be exempt through this from the accusation of Did he ever offer before You a bull or a ram?, from the punishment of Belshazzar, and from the punishment for a stranger wearing the priestly garments. And because all this was merely an imitation and not actual service, the angels found grounds to accuse and say, “Master of the Universe, do not regard their offering; it is a vain offering, for in all his actions there is nothing but mere resemblance, as there was no actual sacrifice there.” Therefore, they spoke in the negative form: Have they ever offered before You bulls of the first year or turtledoves, etc.? As if to say, “Does the mere fact that his servants were named after these make it as though he actually offered sacrifices?” In this way, the entire interpretation of the verse and those nearest to him: Carshena, Shethar… is according to its literal meaning, even according to the Midrash. Nevertheless, the author of the Midrash stated from his own reasoning that the angels accused him, for truly they had grounds to accuse and claim against him all the aforementioned claims. And presumably, the angels of mercy did not refrain from mentioning his guilt for the benefit of Israel and to return his evil upon his own head — for wearing priestly garments without offering sacrifices, for not offering a bull or ram from the entire feast, and for using sacred vessels. Therefore, his feast was disrupted through Vashti, but he was not killed like Belshazzar because he was close to being unintentional, having erred in this scheme he devised, thinking that his entire feast was in the likeness of the heavenly one. And this is a precious interpretation.