Honor and Beauty

שמות כח, ב : לְׁכָבוֹד וּלְׁתִפְׁאָרֶת

The garments of the Kohen serve a twofold purpose. Primarily they are for the honor of HaShem and not for the Kohen. However, they are also meant to lend dignity to the office of the Kohen Gadol so that the people, who are meant to be his pupils, will revere and respect him.

In a subtle way, the Sforno indicates that reverence for a teacher is motivated not only by the inherent respect students have for their teacher but also by the concern the teacher shows for them. This is symbolized by the names of the tribes which are engraved on the breastplate worn next to his heart and on the stones worn on his shoulders.