The priestly garments (in Hebrew, bigdei kehunah) were special clothing, primarily made of linen, that were worn by the priests (kohanim) during their service in the mishkan and later in the Temple. In the book of Exodus, the artisans Betzalel and Oholiav are instructed to make the special garments, which are meant to serve as symbols of "honor and glory."
Notable Sources
All Sources
A
Dressed for Divine ServiceTANAKH
Dressed for Divine Service
TANAKH
Biblical priests would wear special garments while they served in the Tabernacle, the Israelites’ portable Temple, and then in the Temple itself. In the book of Exodus, God gives detailed instructions for the production of these vestments for Aaron and his sons, who would serve as Israelite priests.
The Power of the Priestly GarmentsCOMMENTARY
The Power of the Priestly Garments
COMMENTARY
The priestly garments, worn during Temple service, render a priest fit for Temple service. Rashi, in his renowned 11th-century commentary on the Torah, notes the centrality of the garments to the priestly role.
The High Priest’s Wardrobe ChangeMISHNAH
The High Priest’s Wardrobe Change
MISHNAH
For parts of the Temple service of Yom Kippur, the high priest would wear special white garments, which differed from the colorful gold vestments he would wear the rest of the year. Tractate Yoma of the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law, from the early third-century land of Israel, provides a detailed account of the high priest’s change of clothes.
The Choreography of AtonementTALMUD
The Choreography of Atonement
TALMUD
The high priest, who performed many different sacrificial rites on Yom Kippur, would wear his special white vestments for parts of the service and his regular gold ones for others. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Yoma presents a debate about when the high priest would wear each set of garments.
Worn Over the HeartCOMMENTARY
Worn Over the Heart
COMMENTARY
The Torah describes a breastpiece to be worn first by Aaron and eventually the high priests who will succeed him. Professor Everett Fox, in his essays that accompany his translation of the Torah, explores the significance of the breastpiece.
Consulting God in Times of WarTALMUD
Consulting God in Times of War
TALMUD
The Urim VeTummim were a twelve-stone breastplate worn by the high priest and through which Israel would consult with God before going to war. Tractate Yoma records a discussion as to whether the high priest was required to wear all of his official priestly vestments in order to consult with God via the Urim VeTummim.
Diadem and FringesKABBALAH
Diadem and Fringes
KABBALAH
The high priest wore a golden diadem on his head, known as the tzitz. The Zohar, a foundational work in Jewish mysticism, explores the connection between the tzitz and the tzitzit, the fringes required on four-cornered garments.
The Vestments of AtonementMIDRASH
The Vestments of Atonement
MIDRASH
The priestly garments are necessary for the Temple service and therefore are critical to the process of atonement for sins. The ancient midrash in Vayikra Rabbah associates each priestly garment with a particular sin for which it can provide atonement.
The Allure of Priestly BeautyTALMUD
The Allure of Priestly Beauty
TALMUD
The garments worn by the high priest in the Temple were beautiful enough to captivate the attention even of outsiders to the Jewish tradition. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Shabbat tells the story of a convert drawn to Judaism by the aesthetics of the priesthood.
Selected by GodCOMMENTARY
Selected by God
COMMENTARY
The high priest’s garments mark him as unique among the Israelites and even among the priests. But according to Netziv, a 19th-century commentator on the Torah, the garments also serve to head off accusations of arrogance or hunger for power.
The Meaning Behind the VestmentsCHASIDUT
The Meaning Behind the Vestments
CHASIDUT
The garments of the high priest are understood in the Jewish mystical tradition to have symbolic meaning. In his 18th-century Chasidic work, the Kedushat Levi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explores the symbolism behind the priestly vestments, linking them to the attributes of God, constellations, and months of the year.
