Tetzaveh

The beginning of this Parsha mentions the special garments of the Kohen Gadol. There were eight different garments that were worn when the Kohen Gadol performed the avodah in the Mishkan. I’d like to discuss one of these special garments – the Choshen.

We find different words used by the Choshen than we do by the other garments. The Torah states three times “the Choshen on the heart of Aharon.” By the other garments the Torah only states where they are worn, one time. Why does the Torah say so many times that the Choshen rested on Aharon’s heart and what is the significance of “upon his heart”?

Chazal send us to Parshas Shemos where Hashem asked Moshe to lead Bnei Yisroel. Moshe said, “שלח נא ביד תשלח, send in the hands of someone else who is more fitting to send.” Rashi explains, send my older brother Aharon instead of me. Hashem replied “Aharon will come to meet you and he’ll be happy in his heart!” The Yalkut explains, Aharon was happier in his heart than in his mouth. Aharon was so happy that he couldn’t even express his extreme happiness! Rashi writes that this happiness was because Moshe was chosen to be the leader of Bnei Yisrael. Aharon did not have the slightest ill feeling towards Moshe, that Moshe was chosen, and he – Aharon, the older one, wasn’t. Because of Aharon’s happiness, he merited to wear the Choshen on his heart!

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz writes that there is a direct connection between the Choshen and the heart. The Choshen relayed messages through the Urim V’Tumim. These were Sheimos of Hashem that was placed inside the Choshen which lit up letters on the Choshen. The Kohen Gadol then had to interpret the message, as we see by Eli HaKohen. When Chana came to the Mishkan to daven for a child, Eli thought the Choshen said שכרה, drunk, when it really meant כשרה, befitting, proper. If Eli had felt Chana’s pain he would have understood the message correctly. We see that the Choshen needed the heart to interpret its messages. Hashem chose Aharon to be the one to wear the Choshen on his heart, since his whole heart was happy for his brother Moshe. Aharon was able to feel another’s simcha and pain, and therefore merited the Choshen on his heart!

May we feel another person’s simcha and pain, and care about others!