The Kohanim are commanded to wear eight majestic garments of the type worn by royalty at the time of the Giving of the Torah (Ramban). On a simple level of understanding, the garments serve the two functions of a uniform: they accord honor to the service, and they keep the Kohanim aware of their role and its responsibilities. Looking up, a Kohen would see his turban; he would constantly feel his thick sash with his arms. This would help him to keep his mind focused on serving Hashem in the same way tefillin help a person focus on Hashem (Sefer HaChinuch). Some of the garments, including the basic Tunic worn by all Kohanim, are made of pure white linen, which suggests purity (Rav Hirsch). Lightly dressed, and walking without shoes on cold marble stones, the Kohanim would serve Hashem with humble alacrity every single day, conveying our worship, gaining atonement, and bringing down blessings.

One of the central themes regarding the Kohanite garments is that each provides atonement for the Jewish people for a different sin, as set forth in Zevachim 88b. We shall elaborate on this theme, based on the Commentaries.

THE FOUR GARMENTS OF ALL KOHANIM

TUNIC [KESONES]

The Tunic atones for bloodshed. This is because the tunic clings to the flesh, and is the first garment to absorb spilled blood (Maharal).

SASH [AVNET]

The Kohanim wear a long Sash wrapped several times around the torso. It atones for sinful thoughts of the heart since it covers the heart (Rashi), or because it serves as a division between the heart and the private area (Pnei Menachem, Tzav 5753). In addition, the act of tightening garments with a sash or a girdle invokes alacrity (see Iyov 38:3), which causes one’s thoughts to become focused on his actions and liberates the heart of sinful thoughts. Its length of 32 cubits (approx. 16m) alludes to lev (heart), whichhas that numerical value.

UNDERPANTS [MICHNASAYIM]

This garment, which covers nakedness, serves to atone for immoral acts that are called gilui arayos,“uncovering of nakedness.”

TURBAN [MITZNEFES]

The Turban atones for haughtiness since it is worn at the highest extremity, on the head. As does any head covering, the Turban instills fear of Heaven within its wearer (Maharsha). It is a coiled scarf that is 16 cubits in length, which alludes to the four four-faceted angels of the Divine Chariot. The Kohen Gadol would be constantly aware that Hashem is above Him, seeing what he sees and thinking what he thinks (Malbim). He would serve before Hashem with the appropriate reverence and dignity, and this virtuous type of pride atones for sinful pride.

THE FOUR ADDITIONAL GARMENTS OF THE KOHEN GADOL

APRON [EPHOD]

The Apron is the type customarily worn by idol-worshippers, and it provides atonement for this sin when it is worn for the service of Hashem. It is suspended by straps that go over the shoulders, where there are affixed two black-colored precious stonescalled shoham, and upon each is inscribed the six names of the twelve sons of Yaakov. When Yaakov was on his deathbed, his twelve sons affirmed their belief in Hashem’s unity with the first verse of Shema, and Yaakov blessed Hashem with the words, Baruch shem…. In commemoration of this meaningful event, there are 25 letters on each shoham stone, representing the 25 letters in the first verse of Shema and the 25 letters in the accompanying phrase, Baruch shem kevod malchuso l’olam va’ed (Malbim). Thus, the shoham stones represent the unity of Hashem and atone for idol worship, which is essentially polytheism.

The shoham stone also appears on the Breastplate, and on it is inscribed Yosef. The two shoham stones on the Apron straps represent Yosef’s two sons, Menasheh and Ephraim, who were raised amongst Egyptians but did not learn from their sinful ways (Pesikta D’Rabbi Kahana, cited in Torah Shleimah). The shoham stones represent Egypt either because they can be excavated from the Nile river that runs through Egypt (Radal, citing Bereishis 2:12), or because the Egyptians were black-skinned (Rabbi Meir Shapiro), or because the Egyptians were “black” with sin and impurity. We may explain the significance of this allusion based on Rabbi Avigdor Miller’s observation that the Jewish people never invented an idol, but rather copied the practices of the nations amongst whom they lived. Thus, whenever Hashem sees the shoham stones, He is reminded of the Jewish people’s origin in idolatrous Egypt, where they were exposed to the idolatry of the Egyptians. He recalls that this sin does not represent the true essence of the Jewish people, and He atones for them. Moreover, He recalls those in every generation who, like Menasheh and Ephraim, keep their holiness intact despite their social surroundings.

BREASTPLATE [CHOSHEN]

The Kohen Gadol is commanded to wear an ornamental breastplate studded with twelve different precious stones, upon which is inscribed the names of the twelve tribes, the names of the Patriarchs, and “tribes of Yeshurun.” The Breastplate is set upon a folded piece of fabric, which contains a Divine name of 72 letters called the Urim V’Tumim (“illuminates and completes”) because it would illuminate various combinations of the 72 letters of the stones and would thereby communicate Hashem’s will to the Jewish people with finality (Rashi to Yoma 73b). It “judges” questions that are posed to it and decides them, and, correspondingly, it atones for the sin of twisting judgment.

The Torah commands us to attach the Breastplate to the Apron and never to separate them. We may suggest that the idea behind this mitzvah is that the glory of the twelve tribes symbolized by Breastplate must never be seen as value in its own right. Our glory is nothing more than an extension of Hashem’s glory, by virtue of our being His servants. Thus, the Breastplate must be attached to the Apron, which symbolizes our service to Hashem, as explained above.

CLOAK [ME’IL]

The Cloak atones for lashon hara (malicious gossip). There are 72 types of tzaraas (skin impurities) that a person might contract as a punishment for lashon hara.Correspondingly, 72 articles hang from the hem of the Cloak: 36 bells, and in between them, 36 balls of fabric that resemble pomegranates. A pomegranate alludes to the Torah since it is filled with numerous seeds, in the same way the Torah is filled with 613 mitzvos. The noise produced by the bells clanging against the pomegranates suggests that a person should use his mouth to speak only meritorious words — and not lashon hara. We may suggest that the clanging of a bell against the two adjacent pomegranates further alludes to this idea: the numerical value of rimon (pomegranate) is 306, and, therefore two pomegranates amount to 612, plus the bell.

The Cloak is made of pure blue wool, which suggests purity and Heavenliness. This intimates that one’s speech must be pure, in accordance with the holiness of the Jewish mouth. It is a mitzvah to not tear the “lip” (neckline) of the Cloak, which alludes to the idea that one should not “tear” the holiness of the lips with improper speech (Malbim).

HEADPLATE [TZITZ]

Upon the Headplate is inscribed Kodesh LaHashem (“sacred to Hashem”). It atones for brazenness, as brazenness in Scripture is called azus metzach (“a brazen brow”). By wearing the Headplate boldly on his brow in honor of Hashem, the Kohen Gadol atoned for the sinful boldness.

The atonement capacity of the eight garments teaches us a profound insight regarding interpersonal relationships: Even if most of the Jewish people are guilty of a particular sin, Hashem might nevertheless choose to ignore it by focusing on the garment of a single sacred servant in the Beis HaMikdash. So too, we should learn to focus on the good points that are verily present in every single Jew, and let those cover up his faults.