Dear friends,
This week we’re talking about the bigdei kehunah—the eight highly detailed clothes the kohen gadol wore, and the four that the ordinary Kohanim wore in the Mishkan. An interesting fact is that they could only begin being kohanim and do the avodah through which they were able to generate real changes in the fate of the entire people once they put on the begadim.
The obvious truth is, they weren’t just clothes. They were identity. They are also referred to as kavod and teferet. Kavod, which means honor, is one of the ten names of the soul. Everyone needs kavod, a sense of living a significant life, and playing a real role, one that can’t be replaced. Every time a Kohen put them on, he wasn’t just getting dressed—he was stepping into who he was meant to be. The clothing reminded him: This is who I am. This is my purpose. This is how I bring Hashem into the world. Being a kohen is defined as being both a leader and a servant. That is who I am.
And that’s really the whole point of the Mishkan itself. Hashem didn’t just want a physical space. No physical space could possibly be relevant unless He (miraculously) made it so. He wanted to show us what it means to carry holiness inside ourselves. The specifics all have significance and carry messages that are individually important, but the message that says it all is that each of us can be a place where Hashem can live in the world He created, the lowest of all possible worlds.
We don’t have the Mishkan anymore. It is hidden. We don’t have the Beit Hamikdash. One of the differences between the Mishkan and the Bais HaMikdash is that while the mishkan was holy beyond anything words can adequately express, the place where it stood was not. The torah lists 42 places that the Jews in the desert stopped on their journey to Eretz Yisrael. Each one demanded that the mishkan be re-erected. The place where the Mikdash was built, Yerushalaim, was holy from the time of the world’s beginning, and it still is. We do have Yerushalayim. The garments of the kohenim that are narrated in the parshah tell you both who you are and who you can be.
1) Kutonet (Tunic)
The layer closest to your skin.
This is about who you are when no one’s looking — your honesty with yourself. Your private thoughts, your integrity, your quiet kindness that no one ever sees. Real identity starts from the inside out.
2) Michnasayim (Pants)
Covering your most human, physical side.
This reminds you that being holy isn’t about denying you’re human — it’s about bringing holiness into the physical, into the messy, regular parts of life. How do you eat? How do you scroll? How do you handle your frustrations? That’s where holiness begins.
3) Avnet (Belt)
A long, wrapped belt around the center of the body.
The belt held everything together — heart, mind, action. It’s a reminder to align your values with your behavior. It’s so easy to say you believe in something, but living it? That takes constant wrapping and re-wrapping.
4) Mitznefet (Turban)
On top of your head — right above your thoughts.
The mitznefet reminds you to think higher. What’s on your mind most of the time? What do you dream about? What do you worry about? Holiness starts in your head, with the thoughts you let live there.
5) Choshen (Breastplate)
Over the heart, holding the names of every tribe.
This is about carrying people with you. It’s not just about your personal spirituality — it’s about seeing yourself as part of something bigger, taking responsibility for the people around you, and letting your heart be wide enough to care for all of Am Yisrael.
6) Ephod (Apron-like garment)
Connected to the shoulders.
The shoulders are where we carry weight — responsibility, leadership, the ability to stand tall. The ephod says: You are here to do. To step up. To carry what’s heavy and still move forward.
7) Me’il (Robe)
With bells at the bottom.
Every step the Kohen Gadol took made noise. You couldn’t hide. Your presence had to be felt. That’s your voice — your impact. You’re here to make noise in the world — through your kindness, your ideas, your courage. Don’t silence yourself.
8) Tzitz (Gold plate on the forehead)
Stamped with the words "Kodesh LaHashem."
Front and center — right where the world can see — this piece said it all: I belong to Hashem.
That’s not about being perfect. It’s about remembering, in every interaction, every decision, every moment — I’m part of something holy.
Wearing the Bigdei Kehunah wasn’t about costumes — it was about stepping into identity.
You can “wear” these ideas every single day — in the way you think, speak, act, dream, and even dress.
So next time you wonder, “who am I supposed to be?”, remember: You’re already wearing the bigdei kehunah. You just have to notice them.
The mishkan and later the mikdash ground your identity.
My daughter put together this incredible tour to help you experience it—really feel it. Walking those streets, seeing the stones, breathing the air—it reminds you that you’re part of something so much bigger. It helps you taste what it means to be a Kohen for Hashem today, even without the bigdei kehunah.
If you’ve ever wondered where you belong, what your place is, or how you fit into this story—this is your chance to find out. Come join. Let Yerushalayim speak to you.
Walking in Yerushalayim
with
Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller Gottlieb!
TOMORROW
Wednesday
5th of Adar, 5th of March
Time 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Yerushalayim's Tzadikim are Yerushalayim's Treasure
see some of the most
unique sights of Yerushalayim
· Homes of Gedolim
· R' Aryeh Levin Tz"l– "A Tzaddik in our times"
· "R' Iser Zalmen Meltzer zt"l
· R' Mordechi Sharabi zt"l
· The infamous movie house and what it is today.
· First Haskala school and who is learning there these days
Get a glimpse of the spiritual battles of yesteryear appreciate the amazing present reality in comparison to what was attempted years ago!
· ENCOUNTER TODAY’S GEDOLEI TORAH
· R' Tzvi Kushelevski shlit"a
· R' Gamliel Rabinowitz shlit"a
· Daven at Zichron Moshe
24/7 minyan Shul
· Davening at the Kevarim of:
R' Arye Levin zt"l
R' Ovadya Yosef zt"l
R' Ben Tziyon Aba Shaul zt"l
Henni Machlis A"H
Holy Bagel – Kashrus R' Rubin
360 nis bring a friend 320 nis each
Or call Devorah
089743013
0548495896
Can’t wait to hear what you discover,
Love my dear fellow non-kohanim who are also Kohanim (part of an entire nation of Kohanim!)
Tziporah
No comments:
Post a Comment