Pekudei (literally “accounts”), the final parsha in the book of Exodus, completes the chronicles of the building of the Sanctuary, with Moses accounting for all of the materials utilized in its construction. Within and through the intricate details of building the Sanctuary, the Torah revealed important moral and life lessons. For if Moses needed to demonstrate that his hands were clean, how much more so does any individual, charitable institution, or business that receives funds from others need to scrupulously justify all expenditures as well as make its records public.
The text then segued into a detailed description of the fashioning of the ordinary priest’s and high priest’s uniforms, consisting primarily of linen and wool, commencing with a listing of dyed wool. (For more on clothing and the priestly garments, see Tetzaveh 2 in Exodus.) “And of the techeilet (blue) and the argaman (Tyrian purple) and to’laat ha-sha-nee (crimson) they made plaited (knit) garments to minister in the Holy Place (the Tent of Meeting), and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded Moses (Exodus 39:1).” All of the garments were woven as a whole, not sewn together. Pointedly, none of the dyes for the priestly garments were culled from the hundreds of vegetable-based coloring agents known in the ancient world. Rather all three of the dyes were, as is wool, derived from animals: techeilet was extracted from the chilazon, an aquatic invertebrate, possibly the Murex trunculus snail; argaman came from another sea snail, the Murex brandaris; and to’laat ha-sha-nee (crimson worm) was pressed from the cochineal (Kermes biblicus), an insect also called shield louse. (The bright red color of the jackets of 18th century British officers came from the expensive cochineal dye.)
In addition to the dyed wool, only two other substances were utilized in the fabrication of the priests’ garb -- linen and gold. Thus the elements utilized to manufacture the high priest’s ensemble each represent the three different parts of Creation: dyed wool, the animal world; linen, the plant world; and gold, the mineral world. Furthermore, the individual color of each of the materials possesses its own symbolism: blue, the heavens and the infinite; purple, royalty and majesty, crimson, blood and transgression; white, purity and forgiveness; and gold, wealth and position. All of these substances and colors were used and frequently intertwined in the functioning of the priesthood. Ibn Ezra quoted Saadia Gaon that the Sanctuary embodies both the universe as well as human beings. Thus the construction of the Sanctuary and its vessels parallels that of the universe in Genesis. Saadia recognized eighteen features of the Sanctuary, including the high priest, that correspond to the universe in general and human beings in particular, noting, “In the world is humanity (the heart of creation), in the Sanctuary is the high priest, and in the human being is the heart.” Thus the high priest is not a surrogate or intermediary for God, but rather, dressed in his official uniform, representative of Israel, humanity, and the universe, the purpose of all of which is to serve God.
The common priests, while officiating in the Sanctuary and later the Temple, wore only four garments, donned in a prescribed order: michnesei bad (linen underpants that reached to the knees), kutonet (an individually-fitted long-sleeved, floor-length white linen robe), avneit (a sash woven from the three colors of wool and linen), and migbaat (a linen turban). Thus the common priest was clad all in white linen, the symbols of purity and forgiveness, with the exception of the colorful sash. The Torah cited the reasons for the first three articles -- “for honor and for splendor (Exodus 28:40)” and “to sanctify them that they may serve Me (28:41) -- as well as for the underclothing -- “to cover the flesh of nakedness (28:42).” The high priest wore the four standard garments of the other priests, but his uniform was more elaborate, consisting of eight components (Exodus 28:4; Leviticus 8:7-9). Eight is the signifier of the covenant (Genesis 17:10) and brit milah (17:12); having passed through a natural cycle, including one Sabbath, the baby is then prepared for a higher level as part of the covenant. Eight is the number of threads of tzitzit (fringes), including seven white fringes and one of techeilet (blue), on each corner of a four-cornered garment (Numbers 15:37-40). The induction of the priests and the conclusion of the inauguration of the Sanctuary were on the eighth day (Leviticus 9:1). Eight musical instruments accompanied the Levites singing in the Temple. On Yom Kippur the high priest changed his garments eight times in order to reach the highest spiritual level. The number seven, a complete week, represents the completeness of nature, while the number eight (shemoneh) denotes the transcending of the physical world to reach a spiritual state above regular human existence.
Thus eight is the number of garments of the high priest. The tunics, sashes, and pants of the high priest were the same as those of the common priest, while the turbans differed; the high priest’s mitznefet being rounded on top and the common priest’s migbaat was pointed (Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Klei Hamikdash 8:2). The four additional articles of the high priest were the me’il (“tunic,” prescribed in Exodus 28:31-35); the eiphod (“apron”), an embroidered overgarment of colored wool, linen, and gold); the choshen (bejeweled breastplate) suspended over his heart; and the tzitz (golden forehead plate), inscribed with “Holy to God,” part of the mitznefet, fastened in the back with a ribbon of blue wool. (For more on the mitznefet and tzitz, see Tetzaveh 2 in Exodus.)
The Torah (Exodus 39:22-26) recounted, “And he made the me’il of the ephod of woven work, all of techeilet (blue wool). And the opening (for the neck) of the me’il was in the middle (at the top), as the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding all around the opening, so that it should not tear. And they made upon the lower hem of the me’il, rimonim (pomegranates) of blue, Tyrian purple, and crimson, twined together. And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the me’il all around, between the pomegranates. A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the me’il all around, to minister in; as the Lord commanded Moses.”
The me’il (from the root “to ascend” or “go up,” hence an upper garment or tunic) consisted of a simple blue sleeveless woolen poncho-like garment worn on the outside of the kutonet (linen robe) and under the eiphod (apron) and choshen (breastplate). As Rashi explained, “since the eiphod was worn over it (the me’il) as a girdle,” it is sometimes referred to (Exodus 28:31, 29:5, 39:22) as “me’il ha-eiphod” (“tunic of the apron”). Thus the me’il was barely visible except for the bottom section, the part containing the woolen pomegranates and golden bells.
Besides the pure blue color, what distinguished the me’il from the other pieces of the high priest’s ensemble, visually and audibly, was the distinctive ornamentation on the shol (“hem,” from the root “to hang down”). The hem was adorned with tiny pa'amonim (bells), constructed from gold, and multi-colored rimonim (pomegranates) made from dyed wool (Exodus 28:33-35; 39:24-26). A small calyx on each woolen pomegranate pointed downward. Interestingly, the decree for making the bells simply directed “gold (Exodus 28:24)”, while the Israelites in implementation utilized “pure gold (39:25),” bespeaking the people’s special appreciation for this particular artifact. Perhaps this zeal reflected the people’s guilt over the golden calf as well as their insight into the me’il’s significance.
The text left unspecified the number of bells and pomegranates on the me’il, for the Torah was never intended as a guidebook for constructing priestly garb, but rather a way of understanding and finding God. The Talmud (Zevachim 88b and Leviticus Rabbah 21:7) cited a dispute as to whether the number was 36 or 72 each (twice or four times chai), the bells and pomegranates alluding to the seventy two sacred names of God as well as the holiest of God’s names consisting of 72 letters, the name associated with redemption, and to the number of letters on the choshen (breastplate). (Spelling out the four letters of the Tetragrammaton (Shem ha-Mephoresh) –- yud (20), heh (15), vav (22), and heh (15) -- attains the numerical value of seventy two.) In Kabbalah, 72 is associated with the sefira (level) of chochma (wisdom). Seventy two is also the numerical value of chesed (mercy).
There is also a disagreement how the bells were attached. The Torah (Exodus 28:33) instructed, “and bells of gold b’tochamsahviv (in their midst, all around),” while the recounting of its application (39:25) stated, “and they put the bells b’toch (in the midst) of the pomegranates on the hems of the tunic sahviv b’toch (all around, in the midst of) the pomegranates.” The term b’toch can mean either “inside” or “in the midst of.” Thus some authorities (i.e. Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Chizkuni) posited that the bells were appended “inside” the hollow pomegranates. However, the majority of the commentators concur with Rashi that the bells were arranged on the hem “between them (the pomegranates) round about – between two pomegranates one bell was attached.” Josephus, himself a priest who actually witnessed the service in the Second Temple, described (Antiquities 3:7:4) the me’il as reaching down to the high priest’s feet (only a little portion of the white robe being visible below) and “to the bottom of which garment are hung fringes in color, like pomegranates, with golden bells by a curious and beautiful contrivance; so that between two bells hangs a pomegranate, and between two pomegranates a bell.” Thus the bells alternated with the pomegranates, but were hung in an unusual way.
The golden bells may even have been in the shape of pomegranate flowers and the high priest’s linen turban that of the inverted calyx of the flower, amplifying the connection between the priestly garb and this fruit. The pomegranate theme carried over from the Sanctuary to Solomon’s Temple, where four hundred brass pomegranates constituted a conspicuous part of the two pillars standing at the building’s portal, the striking sight of hundreds of pomegranates adorning each column met anyone entering the Temple (I Kings 7:42). Interestingly, the only known surviving archaeological relic attributed to the First Temple is a small carved ivory pomegranate, originally the head of a priestly scepter, inscribed with the words, “sacred donation for the priests of the house of the Lord.” Of all the plants in the world, the pomegranate was designated for the symbol on the high priest’s tunic, obviously conveying much meaning.
Pomegranates play a significant role in Jewish literature and lore, serving as a symbol of fertility, prosperity, and beauty. It is one of the seven agricultural products representative of the bounty of the Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 8:8), capable of growing throughout most of the country. Not surprisingly, therefore, it was among the fruits, along with grapes and figs, brought back from Canaan by the spies sent by Moses (Numbers 13:23). It was spoken of in glowing terms six times in Song of Songs. The pomegranate’s crown represents kingship, a Rosh Hashanah theme, thus their image adorned Hasmonean coins as well as numerous ancient Israelite mosaics. Being a Hasmonean, Hyrcanus was reflecting his priestly background as well as his claim to the monarchy through the use of pomegranates on his coins.
Pomegranates are also associated with Torah and mitzvot (commandments). The Talmud (Berachot 57a) stated that “even the empty ones of Israel are as full of mitzvot as a pomegranate is full of seeds,” whence the widespread notion that each pomegranate contains 613 seeds, corresponding to the number of commandments in the Torah. The Malbim (Shir Hashirim 8:2) noted that the number is symbolic, as not every pomegranate contains 613 seeds. The ornaments for Torah scrolls, decorative knobs on top of the wooden staves, were originally shaped like pomegranates and, consequently, today, both Torah ornaments (many of which have bells) and finials (the wooden staves) are called rimonim. The wooden spindles of the Sephardic Torah scrolls and the rollers and handles of the Ashkenazic scrolls are called Eitz Chaim (“Tree of Life”). In the Talmud (Eruvin 21b), the blooming pomegranate symbolizes those fitting to lead the Jewish people in the wisdom of Torah, “Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has budded, if the grape blossoms have opened. If the pomegranates are in flower; there I will give you my love (Song of Songs 7:13).”
The pomegranate, probably originating in Persia, may be the oldest continuously cultivated tree. Early on, caravans brought it westward to the Levant and Egypt; its pits found in caves in the Judean and Negev deserts and its rinds at urban excavations at Gezer dating back to the Early Bronze Age (nearly 6,000 years ago). Phoenician sailors subsequently spread it throughout much of the Mediterranean. The mistaken Roman belief that its home was North Africa, reflected in its botanical name Punica granatum, derived from the Romans' initial exposure to pomegranates through their dealings with Carthage, a Phoenician colony. The pomegranate was a sacred fruit of the ancient Egyptians, who placed it at graves. The Greeks made pomegranates a symbol of spring and rebirth in the myth of Persephone. After the Talmudic period, the arrival in the Middle East of citrus fruits, plums, and peaches as well as improvements in apples, all of which come into season at the same time as pomegranates and are much easier to eat, led to a marked loss of popularity for the venerable thick-skinned fruit. More recently, attacks by various pests decimated many of Israel’s pomegranate orchards. Thus the pomegranate no longer retains a significant place in the Jewish diet. Nonetheless, although the fruit itself lost much of its prominence, after 3,500 years the symbolism of the pomegranate endures in Jewish life.
The Hebrew name rimon is derived from the root rahmam (“to be raised up” or “to exalt”). The English word pomegranate comes from the Middle French for "seeded apple," a reference to the fruit’s contents and apple-like shape. In botanical terms, pomegranates are not technically a fruit, but rather a member of the berry family consisting of a tough, leathery, reddish-brown skin covering a mass of small, shiny, translucent seeds. The plant itself, a member of the Lythraceae family and the solitary species of its genus, is a small many-branched deciduous tree/shrub, reaching 15 to 26 feet (6 to 8m) high. The korban Pesach (Paschal lamb) was roasted on a spit made of pomegranate wood, because it does not exude water, which would steam the interior meat (Pesachim 74a). Although the tree can survive drought, regular irrigation is necessary for good fruit production.
From the middle of April until the end of May, roughly the period between Passover and Shavuot, large fiery scarlet flowers (Song of Songs 7:13), bloom from the tips of the spinescent branchlets. The concave flowers, solitary or in a group of up to five, consist of five to nine 2-inch long petals in the form a with a fleshy bell-shaped calyx, filled with numerous stamens and pistils that persist on the fruit. In early June, miniature red pomegranates with large calyxes begin dotting the trees. The fruit, growing larger and rounder, ripens six to seven months after flowering, around the beginning of August until the end of September, yielding a plentiful supply in time for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. Pomegranates do not ripen further after harvest and, therefore, must be picked fully matured. The fruits are ready to eat as soon as they make a metallic sound when tapped and must be picked before passing this point, as the skin tends to crack when overdeveloped, which allows the entry of decay organisms.
According to the Talmud (Zevachim 88b), the woolen ornaments on the hem of the me’il (tunic) were “made in the form of pomegranates whose mouth had not opened,” so that the seeds were not shown, but would be concealed within the fruit. Rashi (in Zevachim) explained, “it is the way of pomegranates to open up if they remain on the tree after having ripened.” Thus the Torah specified that the shape of the ornaments was that of the unopened stage. Rashi (in Exodus) noted that the woolen pomegranates were “round and hollow, in the shape of pomegranates which are made like a hen’s egg.” Some authorities posited that the woolen pomegranates were actually egg-shaped, reflecting an immature state of growth.
The mature pomegranate is a 3-4 inch red octahedral sphere surmounted by a hard crown-like calyx. A sphere is the most efficient container in nature, enclosing the largest volume with the least surface, thereby losing less moisture and heat as well as deflecting potentially damaging winds. The pomegranate fruit and its seeds as well as the stones in the high priest’s breastplate are all octahedral, the arrangement of molecules and polyatomic ions, the building blocks of the universe. Thus the pomegranate’s shape adds to its mystical dimensions.
The pomegranate’s thick, spongy skin keeps the inner fruit cushioned and moist for an extended period, a particular benefit in a warm climate with no refrigeration and for travelers. An inedible white membrane divides the interior of the pomegranate into six compartments containing the edible parts, an abundance of tiny seeds. The seeds constitute only slightly more than half the weight of the whole pomegranate. Each edible kernel consists of a pip surrounded by a sweet-acidic juice that ranges in color from red to pink to clear. The sweetness/tartness of the fruit varies according to the different varieties and degree of ripeness. The numerous individual kernels of the pomegranate, which in turn are assembled into a few larger compartments, connote the masses of Israelites, Levites, and Cohanim (Priests), who as a whole constitute a nation protected by the mantle of the Torah. In Kabbalah (Pri Eitz Hadar), the pomegranate, surrounded by an inedible peel that must be discarded, is emblematic of the world of Asiyah (Action), the area closest to the realm of impurity. The three other worlds are Beriyah (Creation), the realm farthest from impurity and the highest level in the created world; Yetzira (Foundation), the area between Beriyah and Asiyah; and Atzilut (Emanation), the pure realm, the world of Spirit. The hard shell of the pomegranate represents how the vulnerable interior is protected, which is necessary for humans as well, in order to function in the realm of Asiyah (Action).
In biblical times, the fruit was primarily eaten fresh, a favorite snack was to mix the seeds with date honey. The seeds were also commonly pressed into a juice (Song of Songs 8:2), the latter sometimes fermented, mixed with wine to create a special sweet-tart beverage, or boiled down to make a longer-lasting molasses. Workers and travelers would roll the unpeeled individual fruit on a hard surface to crush the kernels, then poke a hole in the skin from which to drink the juice. The biblical towns (Joshua 21:24,25; I Chronicles 6:54) of Gat-Rimon (literally “vat of pomegranates”) reflect large-scale juicing enterprises. For longer storage, the seeds were dried to use like raisins (Tosefta Sheveit 6:29) and as a flavoring agent in various legume and vegetable dishes. Pomegranates have also long been revered for their therapeutic properties; besides being high in vitamin C and potassium, the fruit also possesses among the greatest antioxidant activity of any food, reducing symptoms of aging and disease. Lightly boiled pomegranate juice was a traditional Sephardic folk cure for a stomachache. In addition, a bright yellow dye and tanning agent are obtained from its bark, a dark brown coloring from the peel of the fruit, and a red one from the seeds, the latter prevalent in Persian carpets.
Notwithstanding all of its repute, the pomegranate’s status in Jewish tradition was always unusual. Pointedly, it is not, unlike grapes and figs, a common object in the Torah. Indeed, the first mention of the pomegranate was in regards to the priest’s garments. Even among the Seven Species, the pomegranate ranked as the least important of that grouping in ancient Israel. The pomegranate tree is rather undistinguished, as the Jerusalem Talmud (Sukkot 3:5, 53d) noted, “its fruit is beautiful but not its tree.” The pomegranate is an exceedingly striking object. Yet for all of its beauty, the outer layer cannot be eaten, as it is much too bitter. The pomegranate differs from the other prominent Israeli fruits – grapes, figs, dates, and olives – in that the inedible outer layer must be tediously removed in order to reach the luscious seeds, truly a bit of work. This plant’s real value, like a human being, lies within. Pomegranates are the most laborious of fruit, demonstrating that anything genuinely worthwhile requires an effort. The service of God, although sweet to those who understand it, is not a theology of mere platitudes or convenience. Judaism is not a religion of easy answers and quick solutions. It is a matter of devotion and struggle to reach the sweet rewards.
The Torah did not choose the most important or bountiful Israeli fruit for the symbol on the me’il, but the most opulent one. This is in line with the Talmud’s (Zevachim 88b) statement that if the priests’ garments became soiled “you may not wash them at all, because there is no poverty in the place of wealth.” Similarly, “And Abel he also brought, from the firstborn of his flock and from the fat (choicest) thereof; and the Lord turned to Abel and to his offering (Genesis 4:4).” Only the very best was good enough for the service of God, in this instance, pomegranates. The Sanctuary -- unlike the edifices of Egypt, typified by the pyramids and mammoth statues, or Sumeria, Assyria, and Babylon, with their lofty ziggurats -- was not expenditure for the sake of ostentation or an expression of the exalted status of the builders (an edifice complex). The wealth inherent in the Sanctuary and the high priest’s attire were all designed to inspire awe in and induce a sense of the majesty of the Creator. And in biblical times, both gold and pomegranates were emblematic of affluence, splendor, and success.
The bells produced a pleasant chiming as well as added a degree of festiveness to the proceedings. Yet the bells and pomegranates were no mere ornamentation or novelty, which does not endure. On the contrary, these objects represented an integral part of the high priest’s duties, their absence meriting the severest penalty. The Torah specifically noted by the me’il that “And it shall be upon Aaron to minister; and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place (Sanctuary) before the Lord, and when he comes out, that he not die (28:35).” The explicit warning of death was mentioned in regards to the absence of only one other garment, the underpants, a matter of modesty -- “And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons, when they go into the Tent of the Meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the Holy Place; that they bear not iniquity and die (28:43).” Aaron and his descendants could only officiate in the Sanctuary/Temple while wearing their designated outfits, for the priestly garments transformed them from laymen into those “invested with their priesthood (Sanhedrin 83b and Zevachim 17b).” The priestly garments were indivisible from the holiness of the priests. Thus the bells and pomegranates of the me’il constituted a requisite component of the divine service.
The blue of the me’il represents the heavens, the color associated with the Divine Presence, while the bells and pomegranates at its bottom symbolize the earth. The priest’s function was to connect the upper and lower regions. Every thread used to knit the pomegranates of the me’il consisted of three strands, each strand made from eight filaments of a particular color of wool -- blue, purple, and crimson. Consequently, the colors of the woolen ornaments intertwined the majesty of God, the permanency of the Covenant, and the imperfection of the people. Since humans are imperfect by definition, the Torah built within the system a means of rectification, the Sanctuary, of which the bells and pomegranates played a conspicuous part. The white strip of linen tunic behind the colorful pomegranates vividly displayed them, for their role was a visual one. The white, on the other hand, muted the visibility of the golden bells, which would have been better evidenced against the blue cloth of the me’il, because their primary function was sound.
Each bell had a clapper inside, making them actual instruments that chimed and not simulations. Rashi explained that the sound of the bells indicated that the high priest had on the proper garments, representing the priestly garments in general. Thus Rashi noted, “he will not be punishable with death, but if he should enter (the Holy Place) lacking one of these garments, he will be subject to death at the hands of Heaven.”
Ramban (Exodus 28:35) offered an explicit rationale for the bells. "Therefore He said that He so commanded that they be made in order that the sound be heard in the Holy Place, so that the priest enters before his Master, as it were, only with His permission. For whoever enters the hall of the king unexpectedly incurs the death penalty, as in the case of Ahasuerus (see Esther 4:11)." Every morning and evening, except on Yom Kippur, Aaron, clad in full regalia, passed through the screen of the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 26:36-37), entering the Holy Place to burn incense (ketoret ha-sammim) on the golden altar situated in front of the veil (Exodus 30:7-8). At dusk, he also lit the menorah standing to the south. The chiming of the bells was the method by which the high priest sought permission to enter the Holy Place. If he was unfocused, the sound reminded him, although the highest of priests, of his actual position in the universe as well as the awesomeness of his task. If he was too focused as to forget even common courtesy, the bells remind him of that. The Sages extended this into a moral lesson, directing that a person must announce himself (or knock) upon entering any room, privacy being a basic right of every person (Pesachim 112a and Rashbam).
Abarbanel took an entirely different approach, explaining that the bell sounds were intended for the people outside of the Holy Place as a means to determine the health status of the high priest while on duty. Ministering in the Sanctuary always bore a heavy responsibility, as witnessed by the episode of Nadav and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2), and entering either the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies always carried with it a sense of danger if the priest’s concentration or spirit were not right. If improperly prepared, the priest would not survive the avodah (service). Thus as long as the bells continued to chime, the people knew that the high priest was alive. If they stopped sounding, however, that meant he had died.
Chizkiyah Chizkuni (13th century France) considered the sounds of the bells as directed not only toward the high priest, but to the people as well. The high priest performed his duties behind the screen of the Tent of Meeting, out of sight of the nation. Without this visual connection, the people’s diligence and reflection might begin to wane. The bells, however, meant that the priest would not be out of their hearts and thoughts. Just as the blasting of the shofar induced introspection and repentance, so too the pealing (or appealing) of the bells allowed the assembly to identify with the actions of the high priest. The people might not be able to smell the savor of the incense or see the light of the menorah behind the screen, but through the sounds of the bells they could imagine and participate. By focusing their thoughts on the rites being preformed and their meaning, the people would pray for the priest’s welfare. That the high priest was not visible and only the chiming of bells revealed the activities being executed in the Sanctuary, articulated the fact that he was not the purpose of the service, but rather God. After all, the intent of the priestly rites was not to focus on the humans enacting them, but on holiness and God. With every step the high priest took, everyone within earshot was reminded that the Sanctuary was not an end in itself but a means to reaching God. Each movement by the priest made an impact, evoking repentance and prayers in the nation, in Chizkuni‘s words, “that they will turn their hearts to their father in Heaven.”
The significance of the priestly garb went beyond symbolism and inspiration. According to the Talmud (Zevachim 88b), each of the eight garments atoned for a different transgression, a principle deduced from the juxtaposition of the laws of the offerings (Leviticus 7) to the rules of consecrating the clothes for the priests (Leviticus 8). Hence just as the offerings were brought to atone for specific transgressions, so too the high priest’s clothing atoned for eight specific transgressions: The kutonet (robe) for murder, the michnesei bad (linen pants) for immorality, the mitznefet (turban) for arrogance, the avnet (sash) for improper thoughts, the choshen (breastplate) for errors and injustice in judgment, the eiphod (apron) for idolatry, the tzitz (forehead plate) for brazenness/impudence, and the me’il (tunic) for evil speech (lashon hara) voiced in public. The Talmud (Zevachim 88b) explained the rationale for the me’il atoning for evil speech, “Let something that has a voice (the bells) atone for an evil voice.” Pointedly, the bells of the me’il, a matter of decorum announcing the priest’s entrance into a room, were an act of regard (derech eretz) atoning for a callous disregard for proper civility.
The Chofetz Chaim (Shamirat Halashon) pointed out that interspersed among the vocal bells were silent pomegranates, reflecting that there are times when a person must speak (the golden bells) and times to refrain from speaking (the woolen pomegranates). Speech can be utilized for both constructive and destructive purposes. Words brought the universe into existence and serve as the primary means of instruction and communication. Yet it was the snake’s lashon hara (evil talk) that induced Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Lashon hara descends to the lowest level, thus the bells and pomegranates were attached to the lowest part of the tunic.
According to Josephus (Antiquities, Book 5, Chapter 5, Section 7), the bells signified thunder and the pomegranates lightning. Lightning, like the woolen pomegranates, is seen but not heard. In Jewish tradition, lightning appears as a manifestation of God’s power, while thunder serves as an expression of Divine disclosure. Thus “In distress you called out, and I rescued you; I answered you from the secret place of thunder (Psalms 81:8)”. In this vein, the prescribed blessing (Berachot 54a, 59a-b) upon hearing thunder is “oseh ma’aseh bersheet (Blessed is He who makes the works of Creation),” while that of seeing lightning is “shechocho u’gevurat molei olam (Blessed is He whose strength and His might fill the world).”
Pointedly, the Torah employed the word kol (voice) for thunder (Exodus 19:16) as well as the sound of the bells (28:35), instead of ra’am (“thunder” i.e. Isaiah 29:6, Job 26:14), ra’ash (“noise,” i.e. Jeremiah 10:22, Ezekiel 3:12), sha-oan (“noise,” i.e. Isaiah 24:8, Hosea 10:14), or tza’lal/tziltzool (“tingling sound,” i.e. I Samuel 3:11, II Kings 21:12). The initial use of a word in the Torah reflects its optimal meaning and kol indicated the presence of God in Eden (Genesis 3:8). In this vein, the term v’nishma (shall be heard/understood) is found in only two places in the Torah: in reference to the bells on the me’il -- “its sound shall be heard (Exodus 28:35)” -- and at the Israelites’ response to the Revelation -- “Everything which the Lord has said we will do and v’nishma (24:7).” The first kol after Adam and Eve’s failure to understand God’s command severed their intimate relationship with their Creator. The kol of Torah at Mount Sinai and of the subsequent kol of the bells of the high priest restores that relationship.
Similarly, the term b’toch (“in the midst of”), used to describe the arrangement of the bells and pomegranates on the me’il, connects to the initial usage of the word, “the Tree of Life b’toch the garden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9).” Eve construed the prohibition as “but of the fruit of the tree which is b’toch the garden (3:3),” while in actuality God never mentioned b’toch in His command to Adam, stating only “but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat of it (2:17).” Eve viewed the forbidden tree as the center of her universe rather than considering God’s munificence “of EVERY tree of the garden you may freely eat (2:16),” except the one. Her misperception reflects the human predilection of twisting reality to fit our individual wants and needs. After Adam and Eve transgressed by eating the forbidden fruit, “they heard the kol of the Lord God moving in the garden l’ruach (“in the wind” or “toward the cool“) of the day; and the man and the woman hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God b’toch the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8).” In the me’il, the combination of the tinkling bells and swaying colored woolen orbs called out to humanity to suppress the human inclination to misconstrue and rationalize, by stressing the path of truth and substance.
Strikingly, the Midrash (Midrash Rabbah 18:4) connected the pa'amonim of the me’il to Adam’s enigmatic response on first laying eyes on Eve, “Zot ha-pa’am (this time/stirring) is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh (Genesis 2:23),” both words derived from the verb “to disquiet/trouble.” Pomegranates also possess a special connotation in Jewish tradition, as discerned from its many mentions in Song of Songs, as an aphrodisiac and symbol of fertility. The pa’am of Eden was one of sexual arousal, while the pa’am of the priest was a spiritual arousal, one protecting him from death. The sight and sound of the high priest’s bells and pomegranates provided a stimulus to the people, a reverberating racial memory of the purpose of Creation, the Revelation on Mt. Sinai and its accompaniment of “thunders and lightnings (Exodus 19:16).” The kol (voice) reverberating from the metallic bells was that of God calling the people to return to the original state of intimacy.
The Torah emphasized “a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate (Exodus 39:26),” the repetition stressing the interconnection between the two as well as the necessity of people to strive for balance. By employing pomegranates in the me’il, the Torah was emphasizing the fine line between a healthy ego and egotism, between self-love and narcissism, between zeal and obsession. The former necessary to serve God, the latter leads to a perversion of religion. The purpose of religion is to lift up oneself (rimon), but not by tearing down others. A rimon represents fullness and completeness. The related word room, on the other hand, is “haughtiness” and “pride” (Numbers 15:30, Isaiah 2:11, Jeremiah 48:29), while rahmam (II kings 7:20, Isaiah 16:4) means “to tread down” and “trample.” Loshan hara (evil talk) is a vehicle through which a person builds up his own ego at the expense of another. There are consequences and moral dimensions to our actions, in the case of evil speech it is tzorot (leprosy). The purpose of a benediction is to rouse in the reciter a sense of obligation and thankfulness to God, in the process transforming the person’s character traits in a positive manner. The bells of the me’il represent the expressions of God; the pomegranates reflect the blessings that accrue to those who heed its message. The flower leads to the fruit, the fruit to the tree.
