In this week’s פרשה we learn about the ציץ, which was made of gold, and had the words קודש לד' engraved on it.
In the גמרא we find two opinions about this.
The חכמים said that these words must be engraved in two lines; קודש ל on the lower line, and Hashem’s name on the upper line.
But רבי אליעזר the son of רבי יוסי said that he had seen the ציץ in Rome, and that it had the words קודש לד' engraved on one line.
Still, the חכמים maintained that these words must be engraved in two line.
Question
Since רבי אליעזר the son of רבי יוסי said that he actually saw the ציץ in Rome, why did the חכמים not accept his testimony, and agree that the words on the ציץ be engraved on one line?
Answer
The חכמים had a tradition passed down to them that the words on the ציץ were written in two lines. Therefore, they maintained their opinion that this is the way it must be written.
Of course, they were not disputing what רבי אליעזר saw.
Rather, they maintained that while he did, in fact, see a ציץ, it was not necessarily the ציץ that had been worn by the כהן גדול.
Life Lesson
We must remain faithful to our מסורה, as it has been passed down generation to generation.
Further discussion
If there was a tradition that the words were written on two lines, why did רבי אליעזר ברבי יוסי think that what he saw was, indeed, the actual ציץ? (See אות ג in the שיחה)
