The Me'il Techelet-
The Blue Robe of the High Priest
Kislev 21, 5766/December 22, 2005
The Temple Institute is pleased to announce the completion of the me'il techelet - the Blue Robe - of the High Priest. This robe is the culmination of over three years of research and painstaking labor. But much more so, it is the fulfillment of a positive commandment - one that until now has stood unfulfilled since the destruction of the Second Holy Temple. This is the first time in nearly two thousand years that such a garment has been created.
The blue robe is now on display at the Temple Institute's headquarters in Jerusalem, joining the completed ephod and breastplate of the High Priest. These garments can be viewed by the public until such time as they are called into service for the resumption of the priestly duties in the Holy Temple. New pictures of the robe can be seen by clicking here.
"And you shall make the robe of the ephod entirely out of blue wool. Its head-opening shall be folded over within it, its opening shall have a border all around of weaver's work - it shall be for it like the opening of a coat of mail, that it should not be torn. And you shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet wool, on its hem all around, and gold bells between them, all around; a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around. It must be on Aaron in order to minister. Its sound shall be heard when he enters the Sanctuary before G-d and when he leaves, so that he not die" (Exodus 28:31-35).
This last verse quoted above is difficult to understand: "Its sound shall be heard when he enters the Sanctuary before G-d and when he leaves, so that he not die." For it can be demonstrated that pure gold produces no sound. How can these golden bells be "heard when he enters the Sanctuary?" But in reality the meaning of the Hebrew word kolo is "his voice." The verse actually refers to the voice of the High Priest himself, who prays on behalf of himself and the nation of Israel within the Sanctuary. It is forbidden for the High Priest to enter the Sanctuary unless he is garbed completely in the full set of priestly garments. Any lacking of completeness in the High Priest's garments would render him liable in the eyes of Heaven, G-d forbid! His service in the holy place is actually invalid without the garments, which must be precisely as prescribed by the Torah, down to the last detail. Thus this verse actually conveys the thought that the blue robe, with its seventy two pomegranates and seventy two bells along its lower hem, completes the prescribed vestments and grants the High priest license to enter the Sanctuary, stand before the G-d of Israel, and address the Almighty, as a representative of the entire nation of Israel.
Our prayer at the Temple Institute is that the completion of the blue robe will bring the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service one day closer. Meanwhile, we will press on with our efforts to fulfill G-d's commandments, continuing to prepare all of the garments and vessels for the time that they will be needed.
Both "garments" and "voices" have been topics of discussion these past few weeks on the Temple Institute's weekly Temple Talk internet radio show, hosted by www.israelnationalradio.com We have traced Adam's "garment of skin" as it changed hands over the generations, from Adam to Noah, to Nimrod and Esau. We learned how it was given by Rebecca to her son Jacob, as he went before his father Isaac to receive his blessing. In this past week's edition of Temple Talk, we see the garment reappear as a beautiful coat given by Jacob to his son Joseph. Often when the coat surfaces within the narrative of the book of Genesis, it is accompanied with the sounding out of a voice, a kol: the voice of Chava, (Eve), the voice of Rebecca and her son Jacob, and in this week's Torah reading, the voice of Potiphar's wife. Join us as we explore the hidden significance behind the words, as well as the connection between this ancient garment and the blue robe of the High Priest, who, upon donning it, can speak with the voice of the complete people of Israel. Temple Talk can be heard every Monday live, from 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Israel Time, and can be downloaded, as well. Past broadcasts are archived and can also be downloaded, by clicking here.
With blessings from Jerusalem,
Rabbi Chaim Richman - Yitzchak Reuven
The Temple Institute
PO Box 31876
Jerusalem, Israel 97500