Parashat Tetzaveh

By Rabbi Shlomo Zargari

Shalom,

In parashat תצוה (כח, לג) the pasuk talks about the glorious garments that the Kohen Gadol must wear. Among them is the מעיל which is a garment similar to a long Talit Katan. It has embroidered pomegranates and bells on the bottom:

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־שׁוּלָ֗יו רִמֹּנֵי֙ תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י עַל־שׁוּלָ֖יו סָבִ֑יב וּפַעֲמֹנֵ֥י זָהָ֛ב בְּתוֹכָ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃

On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around:

The Talmud in Hulin 89b teaches us the following:

אמר רבי יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים × ×—, ב) האמנם אלם צדק תדברון מישרים תשפטו בני אדם מה אומנותו של אדם בעולם ×”×–×” ישים עצמו כאלם יכול אף לדברי תורה תלמוד לומר צדק תדברון יכול יגיס דעתו ת”ל מישרים תשפטו בני אדם

Rabbi Yitzḥak says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Do you indeed [ha’umnam] speak as a righteous company [elem]? Do you judge with equity [meisharim] the sons of men” (Tehilim 58:2)? The verse is interpreted as follows: What should be a person’s occupation [umanut] be in this world? He should render himself silent as a mute [ilem]. If so, one might have thought that he should render himself as a mute even with regard to words of Torah. Therefore, the verse states: “Speak as a righteous company,” indicating that one should speak the righteous words of Torah…

We learn from here, says the holy חפץ חיים, that anytime one has a moment, he should not sit idle but study the Torah. If for any reason he cannot study, he should make himself like a mute that can’t open his mouth. That’s why on the bottom of this garment there were pomegranates and the bells. The bells make sounds, alluding to Torah study. The pomegranate is silent and that’s a hint for us to keep silent when we aren’t learning Torah. When one behaves in such manner, the Torah promises us:

וְנִשְׁמַ֣ע ק֠וֹלוֹ בְּבֹא֨וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֜דֶשׁ לִפְנֵ֧י ×”…

…so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before HaShem …

His prayers and Torah will be heard by The Almighty. Amen