You shall make holy garments for your brother, Aaron, for honor and glory.
—Exodus 28:2
A king has no shortage of men to help him run his kingdom.
Generals for the army, admirals for the navy, judges for the courts. Ministers
to oversee the police, collect taxes, and build roads and bridges. Bureaucrats
for things no one quite understands but are, apparently, very necessary.
But among them, there is one man unlike the rest: the
king’s special counsel. He commands no army, collects no taxes, and builds no
roads. He has only his wits and his words, and due to his wisdom and loyalty,
the king listens to him.
There are two key differences between the king’s counsel
and his other ministers.
First, clothing. A minister wears the uniform of his
office: the general, gleaming in full regalia, medals polished to a blinding
shine; the admiral, a walking display of gold braid and epaulettes; the chief
surgeon, donned in white coat and stethoscope; the chief justice, draped in
solemn black, looking as though he was born frowning.
The king’s counsel, by contrast, wears a plain suit. No medals,
no insignia, no grand display. He could be mistaken for a clerk. He often is.
Second, access. Ministers come when summoned: when there’s
a war to fight, laws to pass, taxes to squeeze. But the counsel? He comes and
goes as he pleases. He is never called for, because he is always there. If he
sees the king about to do something spectacularly foolish, he doesn’t wait for
an invitation. He clears his throat and says, “Majesty, perhaps a word.”
Moses’ Simple White Cloak
God commanded Moses to prepare garments of splendor for
his brother Aaron, the High Priest. Every detail reflected the sanctity of his
role.
But Moses? When he served as priest during the seven days
of Aaron’s dedication, what did he wear? The Sages tell us: a simple white
cloak. No embroidery. No gold. Not even a hem.
A High Priest without his priestly robes cannot perform
his service. So why, when Moses stood before God, did he dress as if he were no
different from anyone else?
Because Moses was not the High Priest. He was something
else entirely.
Aaron’s role was defined. He offered sacrifices, kindled
incense, blessed the people. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, he entered the Holy of
Holies, stepping into the most sacred space on earth. His garments were not
mere decoration; they were his function made visible, a mark of the sanctity he
carried.
Moses, though, was not confined to any one role. He did
not serve in the sanctuary in the way Aaron did. He served God wherever he was
needed. His mission was not tied to a place, a position, or a set of garments.
It was something larger, something that could not be embroidered in gold or
woven into fabric.
And like the king’s special advisor, Moses had access like
no other. He entered the Tent of Meeting at any time. He spoke with God “face
to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Ex. 33:11).
Moses needed no priestly robes, no symbols of office. His authority lay elsewhere. A simple white cloak was enough.
(The Wit and Wisdom of the Dubno Maggid. Adapted from Ohel Yaakov, Tetzaveh)
