As Heard from Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

“And headgear you shall make for them, for honor and beauty.” (28:40)

Migbaot (headgear) is the same word as Giv’ah (a hill, an elevation), for the wearer appears taller because of the headgear. The Cohen wears a crown of honor and beauty to: 1) demonstrate his superiority as a servant of Hashem and to show the importance of the service. 2) But this crown, and the other vestments which he must wear during the service, are intended also to teach the Cohen himself that he is elevated, for thereby he becomes impressed by his function as the designated servant of Hashem. This is the principle that the garments affect the attitude of the wearer, and thus they become true Cohanim. “In the time when their garments are upon them, their Cehunah is upon them.” (Zevachim 17B) (Similarly, the Jew covers his head to make him aware of his function as the chosen servant of Hashem: “Send out My people so that they shall serve Me” - 7:16).

The principle of the influence of garments is demonstrated: when Adam and his wife made coverings of fig leaves to conceal their nakedness (Beresheet 3:7), Hashem afterward “made for Adam and his wife tunics” (ibid 3:21) in order to clothe man in dignity (”for honor”) to demonstrate his superior function of being created to serve his Creator.

In this matter, the two elements are discernable. 1) The wearing of garments is a demonstration that the wearer acknowledges that Hashem is looking, and therefore he is ashamed to expose his body, just as Adam declared to G-d. (Beresheet 3:10) Thus the decency of clothing proclaims to the world the Presence of the Creator. Similarly, when the Cohen wears the garments of service to Hashem he thereby publicly proclaims the necessity to serve Hashem and to acknowledge Him as the Creator and Benefactor. 2) When Adam and his wife (and children) put clothing upon their bodies to conceal their beastly aspects and to demonstrate Awareness of G-d to whom their lives should be dedicated in gratitude and thanksgiving for creating them and elevating them above all other creatures, a great change occurs in the minds of the wearers. They themselves are most profoundly influenced by the lessons of the garments. Similarly, the Cohen himself is the chief beneficiary of the lessons of his vestments, and he becomes more intensely aware of Hashem’s presence. This 1) demonstration of the service of Hashem and 2) this added Awareness of the Cohen himself atone for Israel.

Because of the effect of the garments upon the wearer, we understand therefrom that the wearing of the garments constitutes in itself an important form of service to Hashem. The Cohen clothes himself in the vestments which identify him as a servant devoted to the servant of the King., and he thus dedicates himself mentally to this great function. This is in itself an achievement of immense value. The donning of the vestments is in itself an act of service an atonement.

Similarly, when an Israelite dons the Tallit and the Tefilin and thereby identifies himself as dedicated to Hashem’s service, then even before he has uttered any prayer he has already achieved an important form of service to Hashem.

Quoted from “A Nation is Born” by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

Shabbat Shalom

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