R. Simeon further discoursed, citing the verse: “And they made the plate (ziz) of the holy crown of pure gold”, etc. (Ex. 39, 30). ‘Why was the plate called ziz (lit. gaze, peep)? Because it was a reflector, mirroring the character of any man gazing at it.
For in that plate were graven the letters of the Divine Name, and when a righteous man appeared before it the letters so engraved bulged out and rose luminous from their sockets, from which a light shone on the man’s face
with a faint sparkling. For a moment the priest would notice the reflection of the letters on the man’s face; but when he looked more closely he would see nothing more than a faint light, like the reflection of shining gold. But the first momentary glimpse that the priest caught was a sign to him that that man was pleasing to the Holy One, blessed be He, and that he was destined for the world to come, inasmuch as that light was an illumination from on high and a mark of divine favour.
On the other hand, if a man’s face failed to show any such sacred sign when he stood before the plate, then the priest knew that that man was an evildoer, and in need of atonement and intercession.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שמות כ״ח:י״ד) וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת צִיץ נְזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ זָהָב טָהוֹר וְגוֹ'. אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי צִיץ. אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין דְּהֲוָה קַיְּימָא עַל אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, אִקְרֵי צִיץ. וְכָל מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא צִיץ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בֵּיהּ.
R. Simeon further discoursed, citing the verse: “And they made the plate (ziz) of the holy crown of pure gold”, etc. (Ex. 39, 30). ‘Why was the plate called ziz (lit. gaze, peep)? Because it was a reflector, mirroring the character of any man gazing at it.
בַּצִיץ הֲווֹ אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא גְּלִיפָן בְּגִלּוּפָא, וּמְחַקְּקָן בֵּיהּ. וְאִי זַכָּאָה הֲוָה הַהוּא דְּקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ, אִינּוּן אַתְוָון דִּמְחַקְּקָן בֵּיהּ גּוֹ דַּהֲבָא, הֲווֹ בַּלְטִין מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא, וְסַלְּקִין מֵהַהוּא גְּלִיפוּ בִּנְהִירוּ, וַהֲווּ נָהֲרִין בְּאַנְפִּין דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ.
For in that plate were graven the letters of the Divine Name, and when a righteous man appeared before it the letters so engraved bulged out and rose luminous from their sockets, from which a light shone on the man’s face
נָצִיץ נְצִיצוּ בֵּיהּ, וְלָא נַצְצִין. בְּשַׁעֲתָא קַדְמִיתָא דְּאִסְתָּכַּל כַּהֲנָא בֵּיהּ, הֲוָה חָמֵי נְהִירוּ דְּאַתְוָון כֻּלְּהוּ בְּאַנְפִּין. וְכַד הֲוָה מִסְתַּכְלָּא לְעַיְינָא בֵּיהּ, לָא הֲוָה חָמֵי מִדִי, אֶלָּא נְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפּוֹי דְּנָהִיר, כְּאִילּוּ נִיצוֹצָא דְּדַהֲבָא הֲוָה נָצִיץ בֵּיהּ, בַּר דְּכַהֲנָא הֲוָה יָדַע חֵיזוּ דְּאִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא קַדְמָאָה, דְּהֲוָה חָמֵי לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא, דְּהָא רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וְיָדַע דְּאִיהוּ זַמִּין לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, בְּגִין דְּחֵיזוּ דָּא נָהֲרִין עָלֵיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ. וְכַד מִסְתַּכְּלִין בֵּיהּ לָא חָמָאן מִדִי, בְּגִין דְּחֵיזוּ דִּלְעֵילָּא לָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא אֶלָּא לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא.
with a faint sparkling. For a moment the priest would notice the reflection of the letters on the man’s face; but when he looked more closely he would see nothing more than a faint light, like the reflection of shining gold. But the first momentary glimpse that the priest caught was a sign to him that that man was pleasing to the Holy One, blessed be He, and that he was destined for the world to come, inasmuch as that light was an illumination from on high and a mark of divine favour.
וְאִי קַיְּימָא בַּר נָשׁ קַמֵּי הַהוּא צִיץ, וְאַנְפּוֹי לָא אִתְחַזְיָין לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא, חֵיזוּ קַדִּישָׁא. הֲוָה יָדַע כַּהֲנָא דְּהָא אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף מִצְחָא, וּבָעֵי לְכַפְּרָא עָלֵיהּ, וּלְמִבָּעֵי עֲלוֹי רַחֲמִין.
On the other hand, if a man’s face failed to show any such sacred sign when he stood before the plate, then the priest knew that that man was an evildoer, and in need of atonement and intercession.’