The Aesthetic in Judaism
Family Edition

The Summary

This is an abridged version of the essay The Aesthetic in Judaism, written by Rabbi Sacks in 2012.

In Tetzaveh, the Torah is very specific and emphatic about the clothes to be worn by the Kohen and the Kohen Gadol. But why? In general, Judaism is sceptical about appearances. Shaul, Israel’s first king, looked the part. He was “head and shoulders” taller than anyone else. But when Shmuel went to anoint the next king of Israel, God told him: “Do not consider his appearance or his height… the Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Appearances deceive. In fact, the Hebrew word for garment - begged - comes from the same Hebrew word as “to betray” – like in the viduy of Ashamnu bagadnu, “We are guilty, we have betrayed.” Yaacov uses Eisav’s clothes to deceive. Yosef’s brothers do likewise with his coat. So why did God command that the Kohanim wear distinctive garments as part of their service in the Mishkan, and later in the Temple?

The answer lies in the two-word phrase that appears twice in our Parsha, defining what the priestly vestments were to represent: lekavod uletifaret, “for dignity [or honour] and beauty.” These are unusual words in the Torah, at least in a human context. The word tiferet, “beauty” or “glory,” appears only three times in the Torah. Two of those are in our Parsha. The word kavod, (dignity or honour) appears sixteen times, but almost always talking about the glory of God. Kavod is applied to a human being only twice, both times in Parshat Tetzaveh. So what is happening here?

The answer is that they represent the aesthetic dimension. This does not always figure prominently in Judaism. It is something we usually connect with cultures a world apart from the Torah. Many great empires – like, Egypt, Greece and Rome – built monumental palaces and temples. Their royal courts were marked by magnificent clothes, crowns and finery. Judaism by contrast tends to avoid pomp and display, favouring words heard rather than appearances seen.

Yet the service of the Mishkan (and the Temple) was different. Here appearances – dignity, beauty – did make a difference. Rambam explains that to those who really understand the nature of the religious life, appearances should not matter at all, but people are naturally impressed by spectacle, visible grandeur, the glitter of gold, the jewels of the breastplate, the rich pageantry of scarlet and purple and the pristine white linen robes.

An immense body of recent research into neuroscience, evolutionary psychology and behavioural economics has established beyond doubt that we are not, for the most part, rational animals. It is not that we are incapable of logical thought, but reason alone does not move us to action. For that, we need emotion – and emotion goes deeper than the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s centre of conscious reflection. Art speaks to emotion. It moves us in ways that go deeper than words.

That is why great art has a spirituality that cannot be expressed other than through art – and that applies to the visual beauty and pageantry of the service of Mishkan and Temple, including the robes and sashes of the Kohanim.   

The aesthetic in Judaism is art devoted to the greater glory of God. That is why the word kavod, “glory,” is attributed in the Torah only to God – and to the Kohen officiating in the house of God. Judaism believes in art as a service to God, giving back to Him a little of the beauty He has made in this created world. There is a place for the aesthetic in avodah. For beauty inspires love, and from love flows the service of the heart.

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Parshat Tetzaveh goes into great detail about the physical appearance of the Kohen Gadol.

Rabbi Sacks refers to Musaf on Yom Kippur, when we sing of how the Kohen Gadol concluded his service and emerged from the Holy of Holies: “As the morning star shining in the borders of the East was the appearance of the Kohen (mareih Kohen).”

He then writes that “At the risk of oversimplification, one could state the difference between ancient Israel and ancient Greece is thus:where the Greeks believed in the holiness of beauty, Jews believed in hadrat kodesh, the beauty of holiness.” The special clothes of the Kohanim, designed for “dignity and beauty,” show how visual elements do matter in the worship of God. In fact, visual beauty plays a key role in our religious experience. The power of beauty, when directed toward spiritual elevation and Divine service, can be a positive thing. It’s our job to strike a balance between appreciating beauty and staying true to spiritual values.

• When do you feel that appearances serve a higher purpose in your life? How do you ensure this remains a tool for elevation rather than a distraction?

In ancient Japan, many centuries ago, there lived an older man full of wisdom, kindness, and generosity. One day, while walking in the forest, he noticed an old, seemingly ordinary cap, hanging from a branch just above him. He reached up and placed the cap on his head, and that was the moment that he discovered something incredible... wearing the cap made him invisible!

Instead of using this power for personal gain, the man saw this as a chance to help people who were too proud to accept charity face-to-face. At night, wearing the cap, he would secretly leave food for hungry families, and deposit gifts of clothes and shoes for growing children. He would repair the homes of elderly villagers, and place coins in the paths of struggling merchants.

Soon the tales of these gifts and surprises began to spread. The villagers began whispering about the mysterious benefactor, calling it the work of a benevolent ghost! The man continued his secret acts of kindness, joyfully aware that his anonymous help allowed people to maintain their dignity while receiving the needed assistance.

Years passed, and the man decided to pass the cap onto a younger friend. When the wise man finally revealed the truth to his successor, he explained that the cap’s true magic wasn’t in making him invisible but in teaching him that the purest service comes when we set aside our own desire for recognition. The new cap-wearer promised to keep the secret, and to continue the undercover missions, understanding that sometimes, the most sacred acts are those done without seeking praise or acknowledgement.

• The cap and the priestly garments teach us very different points about when to make good deeds visible and when to keep them hidden. When is each approach more valuable?

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Parshat Zachor is the second of the four special Shabbatot that fall in the run-up to Pesach. The final two are Shabbat Parah and Shabbat HaChodesh.     

Zachor means Remember! and it relates to a most unusual command in the Torah. The special passage added to the weekly Torah reading is taken from Devarim (25:17-19) and includes the mitzva to remember the evil of the tribe of Amalek and to eradicate this people from the face of the earth.

The special Zachor Haftara (I Samuel, chapter 15) discusses God’s command to King Saul, through Samuel, to fight the people of Amalek, and avenge their actions against the children of Israel when they first escaped Egypt.

Many poskim rule that the reading of Zachor is a Biblical obligation, and therefore we should arrange to hear the passage read aloud, in the presence of a Minyan.

I Samuel 15:2-34 (Ashkenazim)
I Samuel 15:1-34 (Sephardim and Minhag Anglia)
I Samuel 14:52-15:33 (Yemenites)

The prophet Shmuel (Samuel) commands King Shaul (Saul), under God’s direction, to completely destroy the Amalekites, including their king, Agag, and all their possessions. However, Shaul later chooses to spare Agag and the best livestock, claiming he intended to offer sacrifices to God.

When Shmuel confronts Shaul, Shaul insists he obeyed the command, but Shmuel rebukes him, declaring that obedience to God is more important than sacrifices (a theme we have seen many times in this series of Haftarot!)

Shmuel tells Shaul that his disobedience has cost him his kingdom, as God has now rejected him as king, and his descendants will not reign in the future. Shaul admits his sin but still pleads for forgiveness.

Shmuel ultimately executes Agag himself, fulfilling God’s command. The chapter ends with Shmuel and Shaul parting ways as Shmuel mourns Shaul’s downfall, knowing that God has chosen another to replace him.

Ezekiel 43:10-27

This week’s regular Haftara describes God’s instructions for the design, purpose, and consecration of the Altar (also known as the Mizbe’ach) in the restored Beit HaMikdash.

The prophet Ezekiel (Yechezkel)is commanded to show the House of Israel the dimensions and details of the Temple to inspire them to repent and turn back to God. The detailed measurements of the Altar are provided, emphasising its precise construction and sacred function.

The passage outlines the purification and dedication rituals for the Altar, which span seven days. These rituals include offerings of a bull and a goat as sin offerings and sprinkling their blood on the Altar to atone for it. By the eighth day, regular burnt offerings and peace offerings can begin, signifying God’s acceptance of the Altar. The passage highlights the importance of holiness and obedience in restoring a proper relationship with God.

• Why do you think the Torah pays so much attention to the dimensions of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) and the Temple (Beit HaMikdash)?

The link between this week’s Parsha and the regular Haftara in Ezekiel is very similar to last week’s (Parshat Terumah). Both deal with the construction of the Tabernacle (in the Parsha) and the Temple (in the Haftara).

However, there is a more specific connection to be found this week. Towards the end of the Parsha we are told about the consecration of Aharon and his sons as priests (kohanim) and the sacrificial service. The Haftara also relates the consecration of the Altar and the sacrificial service.

Perhaps we can learn a lesson from the theme of consecration. As Jewish people we need to find times when it is appropriate to consecrate our lives anew in the service of God. These occasions may be both joyful and sad, they may be different life-cycle events, but it is our role to find these opportunities to (re)consecrate our lives and our relationship with God.

Rabbi Sacks also points out that “Tetzaveh is the priestly sedra par excellence. The name of Moses does not appear – the only sedra of which this is true from the beginning of Exodus to the end of Deuteronomy. Instead, the place of honour is occupied by Aaron and his sons, the priests – their tasks, their vestments, their consecration.”  

Moses led us out of Egypt, through the desert, and all the way to the holy land. He naturally plays a prominent role in every Parsha from the beginning of the book of Exodus until the Torah closes. But here, in Parshat Tetzaveh, a notable exception is made, for here the kohanim are the main players, and priestly service the key focus.

The Haftara, with its similar focus on sacrificial services at the Altar in the Temple, underlines this theme.

The prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel) has already been seen a few times this year in the weekly Haftara readings. As we have mentioned in previous weeks, Rabbi Sacks called him a “prophet of hope”, much needed by the people at a time when their future seemed almost hopeless.

The end of the book of Ezekiel includes a vision of the future Temple (over the final nine chapters). It contains much detail, including the dimensions of the physical building, land inheritance, the sacrificial order and much more. It is not clear, however, if Ezekiel’s visions relate to the Second Temple or, perhaps to the Third Temple in the World to Come (Messianic era).

Some of the classical rabbinic commentators are curious about the opening verses of the Haftara which refer to the shame of the Jewish people and their iniquities (sins). Why are we told about the shame of the Jewish people when setting out the dimensions of the Temple? It is possible that Ezekiel’s final chapters are talking about a time when the Jewish people have fully repented and will merit the building of the final Temple which will last forever.