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THEMES of Featured Chasidic Masters Articles
![]() Via the golden headband of the High Priest, a level of supernal love shone upon Israel.
This week's Torah portion contains a description of the sacred implements and priestly garments worn by the High Priest. The "tzitz", a thin plate of gold worn across the forehead of the High Priest,
had letters engraved into it, forming the words, 'holy unto G-d'. By wearing it upon his forehead, the High Priest atoned for iniquity and drew divine favor down upon the Jews.
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![]() The letters on the priestly breastplate expanded to reveal hidden knowledge.
The Breastplate of Judgment, described in this week's Torah
portion, was a prophetic device, worn by the High Priest, through which
questions could be asked of G-d. When the king or the High Court would ask a
question, when the priest would be
enwrapped in Divine Inspiration, he would see various letters sparkle or bulge out, then combining the letters to spell out
the answer.
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![]() Intermediate
The Kohanim were involved with the high level of divine light that was formed and then hidden during the six days of creation.
The Kohanim, whose work was to bring bringing down high levels of holiness and divine light from Above, needed to be covered with special garments as they went about their service in the Temple so as not to attract any would-be evil doers.
The Levites were not involved in bringing revelation down into the world, but in lifting the world up. Therefore it wasn’t necessary to conceal the movements of the Levites, and they didn’t need to wear any special clothes.
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![]() Beginner
In Tetzaveh we read about the unique garments of the kohanim; on Purim we dress in masquerade.
Shem miShmuel notes that
the kohanim had to wear special clothes, because their service required
that they draw down spiritual light from such a high source that their work
demanded secrecy and modesty. So too, the spiritual illumination that Esther could bring down from the hidden worlds above to heal the desperate plight of the Jews also needed concealment.
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