להעלות נר תמיד. The Torah here indicates that we will never be without the eternal light, even though the Temple may be in ruins due to our many sins. It remains a duty for us to kindle a symbolic eternal light in our synagogues which are called miniature sanctuaries in the parlance of our sages. This light is to burn from evening to morning and during the times when prayers are being recited. Nowadays prayers take the place of animal sacrifices. I believe that this Rabbinic commandment to light an eternal flame in the synagogue is mentioned in the famous book Menorat Ha-Maor. Rabbi Menachem Ha-Bavli wrote that the reason for this commandment is that since the sacrificial service had to be performed with particular intents, and the vestments were worn exclusively for such service, wearing them would jog the priest's memory ensuring he would have the correct thoughts when he performed his part of the service.

ועשו בגדי קודש. Just as proper clothing bestows honour and dignity on the body of the wearer, so a body in proper condition bestows honour on the soul that inhabits it. This is the meaning of the words: בגדי קודש לאהרון אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת, "sacred vestments for your brother Aaron for dignity and adornment." According to this the word לכבוד alludes to Psalms 57,9: עורה כבודי, "Awake O my dignity!" It was in such a context that the famous Rabbi Yochanan described his clothes as מכבדותי, "that which bestows dignity upon me" (Shabbat 113). Whenever a person gets dressed he should train himself to think that he covers not only the nakedness of his body but also that of his soul.

ולא יזח החושן מעל האפוד. Rabbi Menachem Ha-Bavli writes about this verse that the reason for this commandment is analogous to the principle that anyone who appoints a judge who is unworthy of the position is as though he had built an אשרה, a grove for idol worship (Sanhedrin 7). The Choshen is an instrument to obtain forgiveness for the sin of perverted justice, whereas the ephod is meant to obtain forgiveness for the sin of idol worship. We know this from Hoseah 3,4 who describes the absence of properly constituted authority in Israel in the same breath as he bemoans the absence of ephod and teraphim. Such absence was due to the sin of idol worship committed by Israel. The חושן, breastplate, was permanently attached to the ephod in order to discipline the sinners who passed by, since the Torah legislates that people have to be reminded by hearing about public execution for this crime in order that they should become afraid (Deut. 13,12 et al). We have a principle that if an object must be destroyed for legal reasons, then even if it still exists in an undamaged form it is legally considered as having been destroyed and must not be used for the pupose it had once been designed (Chullin 89). Being afraid of the penalty of idol worship has the desired effect. The exposure to the sight of the High Priest wearing the ephod on his back and the חושן in front over his heart, there would be a constant reminder of this warning to all who saw the High Priest.

שלא לקרוע המעיל. Rabbi Menachem Ha-Bavli comments on this too. He sees allegorical meaning in the words לפיו סביב in the same verse. The rim, פיו, of the robe which must not be torn is a symbol for the High Priest's mouth. In view of the High Priest's function of restoring harmony between G–d and His people, he, more than anyone else, must be sure not to say anything that could impair the unity or innocence of the people. Every individual who claims to be a servant of the Lord must in this regard conduct himself on the same level as did the High Priest.