(א) וְאַתָּ֡ה הַקְרֵ֣ב אֵלֶ֩יךָ֩ אֶת־אַהֲרֹ֨ן אָחִ֜יךָ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו אִתּ֗וֹ מִתּ֛וֹךְ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְכַהֲנוֹ־לִ֑י אַהֲרֹ֕ן נָדָ֧ב וַאֲבִיה֛וּא אֶלְעָזָ֥ר וְאִיתָמָ֖ר בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹֽן׃ (ב) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בִגְדֵי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֑יךָ לְכָב֖וֹד וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת׃ (ג) וְאַתָּ֗ה תְּדַבֵּר֙ אֶל־כׇּל־חַכְמֵי־לֵ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִלֵּאתִ֖יו ר֣וּחַ חׇכְמָ֑ה וְעָשׂ֞וּ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֧י אַהֲרֹ֛ן לְקַדְּשׁ֖וֹ לְכַהֲנוֹ־לִֽי׃
(1) You shall bring forward your brother Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. (2) Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment. (3) Next you shall instruct all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill, to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.
School #1: Designated vestments are prophylactic: they inhibit an infraction to the system of Korbanot by the people, Israel.
(ב) קדש לה' - על האפוד ועל החשן היו שמות בני ישראל לזכרון, שכפר הקב"ה על עון הקדשים שיקדישו בני ישראל הכתובים למטה, מן הציץ באבני האפוד והחשן. קדש לה' - כלומר, הקב"ה מרצה עון הקדשים.
The names of the tribes of Israel are engraved on both the gemstones of the ephod as well as on the breastplate. These names were to remind G’d of the merits of the founding fathers of these tribes and to facilitate atonement for the sins of their descendants. The specific sins referred to are inadvertent violations involving sacred sites entered in violation of the law, or the consuming of sacred sacrificial meat by people either not entitled to eat them or not in a ritually pure state which would be the prerequisite for eating same. While the High Priest wore the ציץ G’d undertook to forgive such inadvertent violations committed by the people concerned.
R. Alter (Translation and Commentary): "If, for example, an Israelite consecrated to the cult an animal marred by a blemish, "guilt" would be incurred.
School #2: Investiture: The designated garments invest the wearer with the right to officiate.
The "clothes make the man."
Position #3: The Complex Position of the Rambam in Sefer HaMitzvot
(א) היא שצוה הכהנים ללבוש בגדים מיוחדים לכבוד ולתפארת ואז יעבדו במקדש, והוא אמרו ועשו בגדי קדש לאהרן, ואת בניו תקריב והלבשתם כתנות, וזאת היא מצות בגדי כהונה שמונה בגדים לכהן גדול וארבעה לכהן הדיוט וכל עת שישרת הכהן בפחות ממנין בגדיו המיוחדים לו באותה העבודה או ביותר מהם, עבודתו פסולה ויתחייב על זה מיתה בידי שמים....
ובא הפירוש: בזמן שבגדיהם עליהם, כהונתם עליהם; אין בגדיהם עליהם, אין כהונתם עליהם, והוו להו זרים והרי נתבאר זר ששמש במיתה....
וכבר בא בספרי שלבישת בגדים אלו היא מצות עשה, והוא אמרם מנין שאין אהרן לובש בגדים אלו לגדולתו אלא כמו מקיים גזרת המלך שנאמר ויעש כאשר צוה ה' את משה.... ואע"פ שהם בתכלית היופי שהם מזהב שהם וישפה וזולתם מהאבנים הטובות והיפות לא יכוין בהם היופי אלא לקיים הצווי שצוה השם יתעלה למשה לבד.
(1) That is that He commanded the priests to wear special garments for glory and adornment, so they can then serve in the Temple. And that is His saying, "And make holy garments for your brother Aharon, for glory and adornment" (Exodus 28:2); "Then bring his sons forward; clothe them with tunics" (Exodus 29:8). And this is the commandment of the priestly garments - eight garments for the high priests and four for an ordinary priest. And anytime the priest serves with less than this number of special garments, or more than them, his service is disqualified and he becomes liable for death at the hands of the Heavens....
And the explanation appears - when their garments are upon them, their priesthood is upon them; when their garments are not upon them, their priesthood is not upon them, and they are outsiders (non-priests). Behold it has been made clear to you that an outsider that serves [in the Temple receives] the death penalty....
And this is their saying (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 8:10), "From where [do we know] that Aharon did not wear the garments for his aggrandizement, but only to fulfill the decree of the King? As it is stated, 'and he did as the Lord commanded Moshe' - that is to say, the wearing of the garments." And even though they are the utmost in beauty - given that they are from gold, onyx, jasper and the other precious and beautiful stones - he should not have intention [in wearing them,] for their beauty, but rather only to fulfill the command that God, may He be exalted, commanded Moshe. And that is that he always wear these garments in the Temple.
Position #4: The Positions of the Ramban - Rational and Mystical
(א) לכבוד ולתפארת שיהיה נכבד ומפואר במלבושים נכבדים ומפוארים, כמו שאמר הכתוב כחתן יכהן פאר (ישעיה סא י), כי אלה הבגדים לבושי מלכות הן, כדמותן ילבשו המלכים בזמן התורה.... והמצנפת ידועה גם היום למלכים ולשרים הגדולים.... והאפוד והחשן לבוש מלכות.... והציץ נזר המלכים הוא.... והתכלת גם היום לא ירים איש את ידו ללבוש חוץ ממלך גוים....
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ועל דרך האמת, "לכבוד ולתפארת," יאמר שיעשו בגדי קדש לאהרן לשרת בהם לכבוד השם השוכן בתוכם ולתפארת עזם, כדכתיב....
שיהיה מקום המקדש מפואר בתפארת, ומקום רגליו, שהוא מקום בית המקדש, מכובד בכבוד השם. וכן ובישראל יתפאר (שם מד כג), שיהיה מראה ומיחד בהם תפארתו, וכן אמר למטה גם בבגדי הבנים כלם לכבוד ולתפארת (שמות כ״ח:מ׳), ואמר בקרבנות יעלו על רצון מזבחי ובית תפארתי אפאר (ישעיה ס ז). והנה המזבח רצונו, והכבוד בית תפארתו.
והיו הבגדים צריכין עשייה לשמן, ויתכן שיהיו צריכין כוונה, ולכן אמר ואתה תדבר אל כל חכמי לב אשר מלאתיו רוח חכמה (שמות כ״ח:ג׳), שיבינו מה שיעשו וכבר אמרו (יומא סט.) דמות דיוקנו מנצח לפני בבית מלחמתי:
(1) AND THOU SHALT MAKE HOLY GARMENTS FOR AARON THY BROTHER FOR SPLENDOR AND BEAUTY — this means that he be distinguished and glorified with garments of distinction and beauty, just as Scripture says, as a bridegroom putteth on a priestly diadem.27Isaiah 61:10. For these garments [of the High Priest] correspond in their forms to garments of royalty, which monarchs wore at the time when the Torah was given.
Thus we find with reference to the tunic....
The same applies to the robe and the tunic....
The mitre [mentioned here] is to this day known among kings and distinguished lords.
The ephod and the breastplate are also royal garments, just as it is written, and thou shalt have a chain of gold about thy neck.36Daniel 5:16.
The plate [around the forehead, which the High Priest wore], is like a king’s crown. Thus it is written, ‘yatzitz nizro’ (his crown will shine).37Psalms 132:18.
Furthermore, [the High Priest’s garments] are made of gold, blue-purple, and red-purple38Further, Verse 5. [which are all symbolic of royalty]. Thus it is written....
As for the blue-purple, even to this day no man will lift up his hand40Genesis 41:44. to wear it except a king of nations....
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By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala,] majesty is to kavod (glory) and to tiphereth (splendor),43Cabalistic terms for certain Emanations. the verse thus stating that they should make holy garments for Aaron to minister in them to the Glory of G-d Who dwells in their midst, and to the Splendor of their strength, as it is written, For Thou art the Glory of their strength,44Psalms 89:18. and it is further stated, — meaning, that the place of the Sanctuary will be glorified by the Splendor, and the place of His feet, which is the place of the Sanctuary, will be honored by the presence of the Glory of G-d.
And in Israel will He glorify Himself48Ibid., 44:23. also means that in Israel He will show and designate His Splendor. Likewise
He says further with respect to the garments of all of Aaron’s sons, that they are for splendor and for beauty.49Further, Verse 40.
Of the sacrifices He also says, they will come up with ‘ratzon’ (‘will’ — acceptance) on Mine altar, and I will glorify My glorious house.50Isaiah 60:7. Thus the altar is His Will and the house of His Glory is the Splendor.
The [priestly] garments had to be made with the intention to be used for that purpose. It is possible that in making them, intent of heart [for what they symbolize] was also needed on the part of their makers. It is for this reason that He said, And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom51Verse 3. — who will understand what they will do.
(ז) ועשית בגדי קודש לאהרן אחיך לכבוד ולתפארת ואתה תדבר אל כל חכמי לב ועשו בגדי אהרן לקדשו גו'(שמות כח, ב). נראה, כי משה קדש את אהרן שיהא אהרן לבוש לקודשא בריך הוא ושכינתיה, כי נשמת הצדיקים המה כלים למדת עליונים. וזהו ועשית בגדי קודש לאהרן אחיך, שיהא מנשמת אהרן בגדי קודש. ופירוש לכבוד ולתפארת, היינו קודשא בריך הוא ושכינתיה. וחכמי לב יעשו מלבושים של אהרן בעצמו לכן לעיל כתיב לאהרן ובחכמי לב כתיב אהרן:
(7) Exodus 28,2. “you are to make sacred garments for your brother Aaron , for dignity and adornment. Next you shall instruct all who are skilful and whom I have endowed with the gift of skill, to make Aaron’s vestments to sanctify him, etc.” Judging from the apparent repetition in these two verses, i.e. Moses was commanded to sanctify his brother Aaron, and then the craftsmen were commanded by Moses, that Aaron was to be attired in these vestments to be made in honour of G’d; apparently Aaron was to serve as a vestment for G’d, Who, when on earth, must garb Himself in a manner that prevents harm coming to the people among whom He “dwells.” We have a concept according to which the souls of the righteous serve as vessels harboring celestial attributes. This is the meaning of: ועשית בגדי קודש לאהרן אחיך, that Aaron’s soul was to serve as sacred vestments for celestial attributes. The words: לכבוד ולתפארת, refer to these celestial attributes of G’d. However, the people described as חכמי לב, “endowed with wisdom,” were employed to construct garments for Aaron’s body. This is why in this connection (verse 3) we have the word אהרן, whereas previously in verse 2 the Torah spoke of לאהרן, “for something that was part of Aaron,” referring to Aaron’s soul rather than to his body.