“You shall bring forward your brother Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron. Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment. Next you shall instruct all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill, to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.” (Exodus 28)
God instructs Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests, and curiously, He focuses the commandment on preparing sacred garments, “for glory and for beauty.” Dozens of verses follow, describing in meticulous detail the garments to be made for Aaron. Why are the clothes so important?
How others see us
We all intuitively understand what numerous studies confirm: clothes affect how others perceive us. Some of us attach great importance to this; others dismiss it.
A year ago, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy arrived at a meeting with the U.S. President wearing a black knit shirt bearing the Ukrainian emblem, with matching trousers. Zelenskyy had dressed this way since Russia invaded his country, deliberately signaling solidarity with his soldiers. But President Trump and several others viewed it as a sign of disrespect, and publicly rebuked Zelenskyy on camera for not wearing a suit. By the next meeting, Zelenskyy had adjusted his dress to what was expected of him.
This is the first and most obvious reason the Torah dedicates so many verses to the High Priest’s garments – the people are watching. How Aaron is dressed will shape how the entire priesthood is perceived.
How we see ourselves
But there’s an additional, more interesting reason. Research reveals that clothing influences not only how others see us, but our self-perception and even our abilities.
Psychologists Adam and Galinsky demonstrated that cognitive abilities are influenced by what we wear. In their well-known studies, people performing tests requiring speed, concentration, and precision scored higher when wearing a doctor’s coat. Regular clothes or a painter’s coat made no difference – but the doctor's coat did.
The clothes we wear affect how we feel about ourselves. Studies show significant correlations between what we wear and feelings of confidence, happiness, or empowerment. Even color matters. Students wearing shirts with logos symbolizing bravery reported greater physical strength. Women who chose appealing clothes felt more confident – and when they wore clothes that didn’t suit them, measurable drops in self-confidence were recorded.
In fact, how clothing affects others’ perception ultimately affects our self-image. A chain of cause and effect emerges: our attire influences how we’re perceived, and how we’re perceived influences our self-image. Research even points to connections between formal attire and healthier food choices.
During COVID lockdowns, some people worked from home in pajamas while others dressed as if heading to the office. Many reported that clothing affected their productivity and focus throughout the workday.
The breastplate over the heart
The elaborate description of Aaron’s garments is almost certainly not arbitrary. It was intended to influence both how people perceived the priesthood and how the priest himself performed his duties.
This is also the reason for the choshen mishpat – the breastplate of judgment – that Aaron wore. Set into the breastplate placed over the priest’s heart were twelve precious stones corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. “Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of decision over his heart, when he enters the sanctuary, for remembrance before GOD at all times.” (Exodus 28:29).
This is a moving attempt to create a situation where the garment resting over Aaron’s heart would constantly remind him that he serves the entire people – not only his base, not only those who agree with him, not only his own tribe. Everyone.
What garments ought we to clothe today’s public servants in, so that they might always remember this?
Lior Tal Sadeh is an educator, writer, and author of “What Is Above, What Is Below” (Carmel, 2022). He hosts the daily “Source of Inspiration” podcast, produced by Beit Avi Chai.
For more insights into Parashat Tetzaveh, listen to “Source of Inspiration”.
Translation of most Hebrew texts sourced from Sefaria.org
