In Parshas Tetzaveh we learn of the induction of Aharon as kohen gadol and his sons as kohanim. The pasuk tells us: And you shall bring near to yourself your brother Aharon, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel to be kohanim to Me: Aharon, Nadav, and Avihu, Eleazar, and Itamar, the sons of Aharon (Shemos 28:1).
The Torah then outlines, in precise and beautiful detail, the bigdei kehunah to be worn when they serve in the Mishkan (and later, in the BHM”K). The Kohen Gadol dons eight special vestments, and the regular kohanim (kohen hedyot) don four.
The Torah tells us: וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת לְכָב֖וֹד אָחִ֑יָ ןרֹ֣לְאַֽהֲ דֶשׁקֹ֖בִגְדֵי־ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ, and you shall make garments of holiness for Aharon your brother, for honor and for glory, אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶל־כָּל־חַכְמֵי־לֵ֔ב תְּדַבֵּר֙ וְאַתָּ֗ה לְכַֽהֲנוֹ־לִֽי לְקַדְּשׁ֖וֹ ןרֹ֛אַֽהֲ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֧י וְעָשׂ֞וּ חָכְמָ֑ה ר֣וּחַ מִלֵּאתִ֖יו - And you shall speak to all the wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, and they shall make Aharon's garments to sanctify him, to be a kohen to Me (28:2-3).
Interestingly, the parsha of Tetzaveh coincides with the yomtov of Purim (in a regular, non-leap year), and will be read the Shabbos before Purim. This calendar confluence is not an accident, and there are connections between the parsha and Purim.
In the beginning of the Megillah, when Achashvairosh hosts his lavish party, the pasukim tell us: לְפָנָֽיו הַמְּדִינ֖וֹת וְשָׂרֵ֥י הַֽפַּרְתְּמִ֛ים וּמָדַ֗י פָּרַ֣ס | חֵ֣יל וַֽעֲבָדָ֑יו לְכָל־שָׂרָ֖יו מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה עָשָׂ֣ה לְמָלְכ֔וֹ שָׁלוֹשׁ֙ בִּשְׁנַ֤ת - In the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his officers and his servants, the army of Persia and Medes, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces before him, שֶׁר֙עֹ֨אֶת־ בְּהַרְאֹת֗וֹ יֽוֹם וּמְאַ֖ת שְׁמוֹנִ֥ים רַבִּ֔ים יָמִ֣ים גְּדוּלָּת֑וֹ תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת וְאֶ֨ת־יְקָ֔ר מַלְכוּת֔וֹ כְּב֣וֹד - When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the splendor of his glorious majesty, many days, one hundred and eighty days (Esther 1:3-4).
Noting that in regard to the bigdei kehunah, the pasuk says: לְכָב֖וֹד אָחִ֑יָ ןרֹ֣לְאַֽהֲ דֶשׁקֹ֖בִגְדֵי־ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת - the garments of the kohen are for honor and glory, and in the Megillah, the clothing that Achashvairosh wore to his feast were to display גְּדוּלָּת֑וֹ תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת יְקָ֔ר, the splendor of his glorious majesty, the Sages teach (Megillah 12a):
:הָכָא כְּתִיב .כְהוּנָּה בִּגְדֵי שֶׁלָּבַשׁ מְלַמֵּד :חֲנִינָא בַּר יוֹסֵי רַבִּי אָמַר ,מַלְכוּתוֹ״ כְּבוֹד עוֹשֶׁר אֶת ״בְּהַרְאוֹתוֹ וּלְתִפְאֶרֶת״ ״לְכָבוֹד :הָתָם וּכְתִיב ,גְּדוּלָּתוֹ״ תִּפְאֶרֶת ״יְקָר
“When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom,” Rabbi Yosei bar Chanina said: This teaches that Achashvairosh wore the priestly vestments. For it says here (in the Megillah): “the splendor of his glorious majesty,” and it is written there (with regard to the priestly garments): “for honor and for glory.”
Rashi (to the Gemara) teaches: מירושלים שהביאן גדול כהן בגדי שם בידו שהיו - כהונה בגדי.
Rashi explains these were the actual garments of the Kohen Gadol that were physically in his possession. They had been taken from Yerushalayim after the destruction of the first BHM”K and were now in the hands of the Persian monarchy. Achashvairosh wore those very garments at his feast!
These were the glorious and authentic priestly vestments that had once been worn by the kohen as he performed the avodah. They had been brought from Jerusalem as spoils of conquest and were now part of the royal treasury.
The message of Chazal is strikingly sad, on the one hand, and uplifting and hopeful on the other.
The bigdei kehunah were created ולתפארת לכבוד, garments designated for Divine service and sanctity. In the BHM”K and its avodah, they elevated the Kohen Gadol and the entire nation. In Shushan, in the hands of the Persian kings, R”L, they were reduced to costumes of revelry at a political celebration.
This underscores the audacity of Achashvairosh’s actions. He was not merely dressing in royal finery; he was using - and abusing - the holiest garments of the Jewish people and displaying them as evidence that Jerusalem had fallen and its sanctity was now under his control.
And yet... right here, at the beginning of the Megillah, as we read of the celebration of the wicked king, and his supposed victory over Am Yisrael, the Divine hand is moving the world stage to bring redemption to His nation. For at this very feast, the seeds for redemption are planted. Vashti refused to come, she was conveniently disposed of, Esther was chosen as queen, Haman’s plot was foiled, the nation was saved and our enemies destroyed.
How powerful a lesson for all of us: what Achashvairosh treated as spoils of a defeated nation were, in truth, eternal symbols of a covenant, a nation, and a Torah, that could never - and will never - be erased. Far from being a symbol of a defeated nation, the garments were a Divine reminder and symbol that Am Yisrael will always remain undefeated, la’netzach.
How fitting that once Haman’s plot is foiled and the Jews are saved, the pasuk tells us that it is Mordechai the Jew who goes out in the streets dressed in garments of royalty, reminiscent of the bigdei kehunah, the holy avodah, and the BHM”K that one day would stand again.
וְהָעִ֣יר וְאַרְגָּמָ֑ן בּ֖וּץ וְתַכְרִ֥יְ גְּדוֹלָ֔ה זָהָב֙ וַֽעֲטֶ֤רֶת וָח֔וּר תְּכֵ֣לֶת מַלְכוּת֙ בִּלְב֤וּשׁ הַמֶּ֗לְֶ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יָצָ֣א וּמָרְדֳּכַ֞י וְשָׂמֵֽחָה צָֽהֲלָ֖ה שׁוּשָׁ֔ן - And Mordecai went out from the before the king with royal garments, blue and white and a large golden crown and a wrap of linen and purple, and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad (Esther 8:15).
וִיקָֽר וְשָׂשׂ֖ן וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה אוֹרָ֖ה הָֽיְתָ֥ה לַיְּהוּדִ֕ים, to the Jews there was light and joy, gladness and honor (Esther 8:16). As they merited redemption, may we too merit salvation, in our days and in our time.
שמח ופורים שלום שבת בברכת
