Two Minute Torah Podcast

Tetzaveh 5768 by Rabbi Paul Drazen

Shalom, my name Rabbi Paul Drazen of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s Program Department. Welcome to Koach’s two minute Torah, a project of the United Synagogue’s College Department.

In Tetzaveh, the parasha for this week, one of the topics addressed is the clothes to be worn by the High Priest. The Israelites were told, in Exodus 28: “Aaron shall wear the robe while officiating, so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before the Lord and when he goes out - that he may not die.”

The question I will consider is relatively simple: Why did Aaron need to wear the bells on his clothes? What was their purpose? As we might expect, classic commentaries have offered a range of answers.

Ibn Ezra, a commentator from 12^th century Spain, claimed the bells were to let God know that the high priest was heading into the holiest place in the world. That answer leaves something lacking. Does God need prompting? Does that make sense?

Hizkuni, of thirteenth century France on other hand, suggested that the reason for the bells was to attract attention; the sound of the bells on the robes was to focus the people on Aaron’s worship. The bells were like a telephone ringing, to attract attention, to be sure the people were listening. Why did the high priest have bells on his robe? To focus the people on listening for God.

So much for Bible days, but does God speak to us today? How would we know, today, that God is trying to speak to us? What are we waiting for? An e-mail? A phone call? A message in a dream? How do we know when God is speaking to us?

I believe God is already speaking to us, through our studies, through our thinking, through our prayer. The robe bells are ringing constantly, we simply fail to notice. The purpose of the bells for the high priest was to be sure the people were ready to listen to God’s message. These days, when we don’t have the high priest’s robe, we need to be ready to listen. But, sadly, most of us are not aware when God speaks to us. I think we need to ask, "Are we paying attention when God speaks to us?" We can be, if we put forth the effort to do so.

This section of Torah reminded me of a section of poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I first heard many many years ago:

For us, really, it's not does God speak to us. Rather are we attuned God’s speaking, for God’s presence, which goes on around us at all times.