In most years, Parshat Tetzaveh is associated with Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat preceding Purim, when we remember the attack perpetrated by the nation of Amalek immediately after our Exodus from Egypt. However, since this year is a leap year, Tetzaveh is read around the time of the minor celebratory day of Purim Katan instead, as Purim and Parshat Zachor only occur in the next month, the second Adar. So Tetzaveh doesn't have the same connection to Purim this year as it usually does.
Nonetheless, it’s important to understand the link between Parshat Tetzaveh and the Purim story. What is the connection between a parsha that describes the garments of the Kohanim who served in the Temple and the holiday of Purim?
One connection is the party that Achashverosh held for his kingdom. The sages tell us that Achashverosh used the party as an opportunity to mock the Jews. The partygoers drank and ate from the vessels of the Temple, and they donned the priestly garments featured in Parshat Tetzaveh to ridicule the Jews’ aspirations to return to Israel and rebuild the Beit Hamikdash. These events occurred within the Persian Empire, which had recently conquered the Babylonians who destroyed our Temple.
The garments of the kohanim provide another link between Purim and our parsha. In one of the verses about Mordechai that we recite aloud during the Megillah reading, the megillah alludes to the garments of the kohanim. Achashverosh had ordered Haman to honor Mordechai by dressing him in royal clothing, placing him on a horse, prancing through the streets, and declaring to the crowds that this is what happens when you do favors for the king. The Ramban points out that this famous verse tells us that the clothing Mordechai wore was designed with details similar to the garb worn by the Kohanim and made with the same material.
Some commentators are troubled by the Torah’s characterization of the Kohanim’s garments, which are said to reflect both Kavod/honor and Tiferet/beauty. These commentators take issue with the latter description because beauty can seem to connote superficiality. In this understanding, beauty constantly changes with the trendy, fashion senses of the time. When we think of Avodah, it seems more appropriate to consider what type of clothing would help us perform the service. For example, in the military, soldiers wear uniforms to maintain discipline through uniform adherence to standards which can perhaps help them blend into their surroundings. Beauty doesn’t usually play a part in the clothing used during service.
But the concept of beauty should not be viewed simplistically, as I often explain in my discussions about Joseph. Yosef was, for good reason, a symbol of beauty, as the Torah makes clear when he receives the beautiful coat of many colors from his father, Jacob. He represented a kind of beauty that is vital in Torah and Judaism. As we know in Kabbalah, the phenomenon of Tiferet is the third sefira/emanation of God. As such, it is a complex attribute that incorporates the concepts of balance -- the relationship between unique elements -- resulting in symbiosis and synthesis. Specifically, Tiferet harmonizes the universal with the personal, Chesed (kindness), and Din (judgment).
Therefore, beauty, as an expression of Tiferet, incorporates both the universal notions of beauty, such as a lovely sunset, as well as our own more subjective, personal ideals of what is aesthetically pleasing to us, as it is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
In this way, the priestly clothing connects the Beit Hamikdash to this concept of Tiferet and exemplifies both elements of Tiferet: the generic forms of Avodah followed by everyone, but also the unique, individual forms of Avodah, the individual contributions that don’t fit the mold.
As I frequently emphasize, a shul, particularly one in Chutz La’aretz (outside of Israel), symbolizes the Mishkan (Desert Tabernacle), and it is our goal to reflect this sacred ideal. Our services maintain a consistent ritual framework, yet they are enriched by the unique contributions and insights of our members, guided by the concept of Tiferet, which represents harmony and beauty. I look forward to joining everyone at the Mekor Gala to honor and celebrate the beauty of our shul and the remarkable individuals who contribute to making it a vibrant and meaningful place to serve Hashem.
Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch