Ringing the Birthday Bells
Today, as I enter my fifth decade of life, the adorning details of the Tabernacle continue in Parashat Tetzaveh, now describing how those who serve in the Tabernacle are to dress. On my birthday, I’m happy to see some of my favorite things in these verses:
Fashion, color, stones, music-makers, archaeology, liturgy, and community!
A few years ago during a visit to Israel (and leading into my first time digging), I learned about a fascinating discovery made several years ago, that draws back to details in this week’s parsha. Let’s start with the passage:
You shall bring near to you your brother Aaron and his sons with him from among the Israelites, (in order) to minister as priests for me – Aaron, Nadav, and Avihu, Elazar, and Itamar, Aaron’s sons.
Make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for honor and splendor.
These instructions are followed by verses describing the clothes and other elements of the priestly garments, including the breastplate, ephod, and headdress. G!d lays out details including materials, colors, stones, and embroidery for Moshe to instruct the craftspeople and priests. Toward the end of the chapter, the priestly robe continues to be described, top to bottom:
Make on the skirts [of the priestly robe] pomegranates of violet, red-purple, scarlet and crimson threads – on the skirts (all) around, and gold(en) bells between them (all) around –
A gold(en) bell and a pomegranate, a gold(en) bell and a pomegranate – on the skirts (of the priestly robe all) around.
A July 2011 Biblical Archaeology article reported the news of a bell discovered in Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem:
“A 2,000-year-old golden bell…was discovered last week by Israeli archaeologists excavating an ancient sewer line in Jerusalem’s Old City. The golden orb, which measures only half an inch in diameter, makes a faint metallic sound when shaken and has a small loop that allowed it to be sewn into the hem of a garment. According to Exodus 28:33, such ornamental bells, along with decorative pomegranates, adorned the robes of Temple priests.”
During my visit in Jerusalem, I met and heard about the experience from one of the archaeologists, Eli Shukron. The firsthand account, perhaps because the bell was part of the clothes worn for their job as priests, made me imagine ancient life in new ways. I saw many artifacts before this, but many were from other elements of life – cooking and eating, lighting a room, items used during worship rituals. Often these are very different from what we use today. Clothing, even with all the changes in styles, uses similar materials and adornments throughout history.
During previous research about messiahs, I became deeply familiar with the passages about the priests, their garments, and their roles in service – since they were the first anointed office (Aaron was the first משח according to the meaning of the word, one “smeared with oil”). This week, as I continue to learn, while building on stories I’ve heard and read for years, Parashat Tetzaveh allowed me to reflect on how I continue to build myself, growing from what I already know, and continuing to ponder what I may leave behind for future generations to excavate.
