On many occasions we have pondered over the question, what holiness is there in these priestly garments? We have, however, been taught that there is holiness in every place, and that these garments are after the supernal pattern, as we have learnt:
“There is a High Priest above and a high priest below, raiment of honour above and raiment of honour below.” As for the omission of silver and copper, these were assigned to another place, as it is written, “All the pillars of the court round about shall be filleted with silver”, and again, “and their sockets of brass” (Ex. 27, 17). These were the instruments for the service of the Tabernacle;
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (חגי ב׳:ח׳) לִי הַכֶּסֶף וְלִי הַזָּהָב נְאֻם ה', הַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב, (תהילים קט״ו:ט״ז) הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁמַיִם לַה'.
He then discoursed as follows. ‘It is written: “Mine is the silver and mine is the gold, saith the Lord” (Haggai 2, 8).
בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּאִלֵּין מָאנֵי דְּקוּדְשָׁא, דִּכְתִיב, (ויקרא טו) בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ הֵם, וּכְתִיב, (שמות כ״ח:ד׳) וְעָשׂוּ בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ. מַאי קְדוּשָּׁה הָכָא. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנִינָן, קְדוּשָּׁה אִינוּן בְּכָל אֲתַר. וּכְתִיב בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ הֵם. וְעָשִׂיתָ בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ, כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא.
On many occasions we have pondered over the question, what holiness is there in these priestly garments? We have, however, been taught that there is holiness in every place, and that these garments are after the supernal pattern, as we have learnt:
דְּתַנְיָא כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל לְעֵילָא, כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל לְתַתָּא, לְבוּשִׁין דִּיקָר לְעֵילָא, לְבוּשִׁין דִּיקָר לְתַתָּא. וּמַה דְּלָא אָמַר כֶּסֶף וּנְחשֶׁת, לְאֲתַר אָחֳרָא אִסְתַּלִּיקוּ. דִּכְתִיב (שמות כ״ז:י״ח) כָּל עַמּוּדֵי הֶחָצֵר סָבִיב מְחוּשָׁקִים כָּסֶף וְגו', וּכְתִיב וְאַדְנֵיהֶם נְחשֶׁת. דְּאִינוּן מָאנֵי שִׁמּוּשָׁא, לְאִשְׁתַּמָּשָׁא מַשְׁכְּנָא בְּהוּ.
“There is a High Priest above and a high priest below, raiment of honour above and raiment of honour below.” As for the omission of silver and copper, these were assigned to another place, as it is written, “All the pillars of the court round about shall be filleted with silver”, and again, “and their sockets of brass” (Ex. 27, 17). These were the instruments for the service of the Tabernacle;
אֲבָל הָכָא בְּאִלֵּין לְבוּשִׁין דִּיקָר, לָא בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּמָּשָׁא בְּהוּ בַּר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא, בַּר מִכַּהֲנָא רַבָּא, דִּרְבוּ מְשַׁח קוּדְשָׁא עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ. דִּכְתִיב (שמות כ״ח:ב׳) וְעָשִׂיתָ בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ לְכָבוֹד וּלְתִפְאָרֶת. דִּבְאִינוּן לְבוּשִׁין דָּמֵי לְגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא.
but this raiment of honour was only to be used by the High Priest and by no other.’