The Finer Things…

Yesterday I couldn’t help but smile and walk a little quicker as I enjoyed a warm day, feeling the sun on my skin and noticing the blooms on the trees. G!d has given us ornate decorations in the most normal aspects of nature. There are a few good reasons to be excited: Next week is one of my spring breaks, so I’ll be going to New Orleans (jazz, sun, pottery, family!); this weekend is Purim!

“How glorious he was when he came out of the Most Holy Place! He was like the morning star shining through the clouds, like the full moon, like the sun shining on the Temple of the Most High, like the rainbow gleaming in glory against the clouds, like roses in springtime, like lilies beside a stream, like the cedars of Lebanon in the summer, like burning incense, like a cup made of hammered gold and decorated with all kinds of jewels, like an olive tree loaded with fruit, like a cypress tree towering into the clouds.” -Sirach 50:5-10

These words describe the high priest’s garments, the largest portion of instructions given in this week’s parsha. While Parashat Tetzaveh describes many other aspects of the Tabernacle (we began to read about its construction and implements last week), G!d spends plentiful time describing to Moses what he wants his priests to wear. The details are astounding, including the types of cloth and gems, the details along the hems, and the way the garments should be worn. The worship of G!d demands true and lasting beauty, both in the space and in those who serve G!d and the place where he dwells. The priests become a reflection of the splendor of the true king, representing the fineness of serving, sacrificing, adoring, and knowing him.

The priests are also instituted in a special way. They must be consecrated and confirmed to enter the Tabernacle and serve G!d. Leading the people into worship and sacrifice requires more than a simple intermediary, but someone who is ready to honor G!d with his or her life. They are dressed for their role and commissioned to act as a priest throughout their lives.

This parsha has always been one of my favorites, because I find it impossible to read the description of the priestly garments without imagining their magnificence. I need to be reminded that G!d desires my best, my finest – and in return he constantly shows me the splendor of his creation.