Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Tetzaveh/0/he

נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת תצוה

בחירת הלויים

The directive to consecrate Aharon and his sons appears near the beginning of Parashat Tetzaveh, suggesting that they were selected to serve as priests before the Sin of the Golden Calf. אולם, מדברים י':ח' משתמע that both the Priests and Levites were chosen only in the aftermath of the sin.

• How are the these verses to be reconciled? Were the Levites and Priests chosen together or at different times? Why was the tribe of Levi selected at all? 
• רש"ידברים י':ח'אודות ר' שלמה יצחקי suggests that they merited the positions due to their loyalty to Hashem when the rest of the nation sinned with the Golden Calf.  Is it it logical, though, that Aharon, who is castigated by Moshe for his role in the making of the Calf, would receive a special promotion immediately thereafter? How could Rashi respond to this objection?
• בניגוד לרש"י, ר' יוסף בכור שורבמדבר ג':י"גאודות ר' יוסף בכור שור suggests that the choice was practical in nature. Though originally all firstborns had been designated to serve, Hashem decided that it was better that the sacrificial service be hereditary and confined to a single family line. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each model (having a single tribe serve vs. one individual from each family serve)?

להרחבה, ראו בחירת הכהנים והלויים.

Warning Bells and Uniforms

שמות כ"ח:ל"ג-ל"ד commands the placing of bells on the fringes of the priestly robes, and explains: "וְנִשְׁמַע קוֹלוֹ בְּבֹאוֹ אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ לִפְנֵי י״י וּבְצֵאתוֹ וְלֹא יָמוּת".  Though it is clear that the verse is warning against a potential fatality, who might die and why is ambiguous.

• רש"ישמות כ"ח:ל"האודות ר' שלמה יצחקי maintains that the warning is unrelated to the bells, but instead refers to the need for the High Priest to wear all of the required vestments for serving in the Tabernacle, lest he die. רלב"גשמות ביאור המילות כ"ח:ל"האודות ר' לוי בן גרשום, instead, suggests that the verse warns against serving Hashem without purity of thought.  The bells served to remind the priest to properly channel his thoughts to the worship of Hashem.
• Why was it so important that the high priest wear a uniform? What purpose do uniforms serve in general?  Is there a difference between visual and auditory aids; which one would serve as a better focal point to remind one to focus?  How might wearing tzitzit or a head covering serve a similar purpose to the high priest's garments?  For more, ראו פעמוני המעיל – "וְנִשְׁמַע קוֹלוֹ... וְלֹא יָמוּת".

עוד...

לעוד נושאים בפרשה, ראו: רשימת נושאים – פרשת תצוה.