Nowhere in the Torah do we find a description of women’s clothing. Descriptions of men’s clothing, on the other hand, appear early and often. Parashat Tetzaveh contains detailed descriptions of the Temple uniform worn by ordinary kohanim who serve in the Mishkan (and, ultimately, in the Temple) on a daily basis.
The first thing that is noteworthy is the very existence of a uniform dress code. A kohen could not enter the holy precincts (of the Mishkan or the Mikdash) in ordinary clothing. According to the simple reading of the verses in Parashat Tetzaveh, there are actually two types of clothing worn by the kohanim – some clothes are “for dignity and adornment,” while others serve “to cover their nakedness.” The difference between them is clear – it is the difference between underclothes and service vestments. Regarding the clothing worn by Aharon and his sons, the Torah says: “Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment” (28:2), and “And for Aaron’s sons also you shall make tunics, and make sashes for them, and make turbans for them, for dignity and adornment” (28:40). This stands in contrast with the pants that they were commanded to wear, about which the Torah says: “You shall also make for them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs” (28:42).
This distinction leads to a difference in practice. A kohen cannot enter the Temple precincts without wearing linen breeches. The service vestments, however, he puts on only once he is in the Temple. Similarly, a kohen who enters the Temple without the breeches is liable to be punished with death, as the Torah writes: “They shall be worn by Aaron and his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting…so that they do not incur punishment and die” (28:43). Regarding the service vestments, the punishment is not clearly stated in the Torah, as we find in the Gemara in Zevahim (17b):
“And you shall gird them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind mitres on them; and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute” (Exodus 29:9). The verse indicates that when their vestments are on them, their priesthood is upon them, but if their vestments are not on them, their priesthood is not upon them.”
If the kohen performs the Temple service without the unique priestly vestments, he is considered an “outsider” who has entered the Temple, and an outsider who serves in the Temple is punished with death.
At first glance it appears that the punishment is identical – in each case the kohen will be punished with death for not being properly dressed. There is, however, a tremendous difference between the two. The breeches make the kohen into a person; the service vestments make him into a priest. Thus, the uniform required of the kohen serves as an essential lesson about appropriate dress. There is a need for modest and respectful clothing – layers of dress that both serve to cover one’s nakedness, but also to elevate the person wearing it. This also points to the Torah’s requirement for modest dress on the part of a man, as we see that the kohen’s breeches must cover his body “from the hips to the thighs.”
Another layer of clothing can be seen in the requirement for the kohen gadol – the High Priest – to wear a robe upon entering the Holy, as the Torah says: “Aaron shall wear it 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” (28:35). The Malbim explains: “The sages taught that when the priests are without their vestments, their priesthood is not upon them, and they are like outsiders…so when the Torah mentions that without the robe and its bells the High Priest is liable to die, it is because these allow him to enter with permission. For someone who enters the king’s presence in the inner court without having been summoned, there is but one law for him—that he be put to death” (Malbim Shemot 28:43).
According to the Malbim, the bells on the High Priest’s robe serve as a request for permission to enter – like the bell on our front door. This is much to say about this request for permission, and the Malbim hints to this by quoting a verse from Megillat Esther that describes Esther’s fear that she would be put to death for entering into the king’s presence without permission.
Still, if we are examining the High Priest’s robe as another unique article of clothing, we can suggest yet another layer of meaning – the interaction between people. We must recognize that beyond modesty and giving honor to the person, clothing also allows a person to recognize where he or she is situated, how they appear to others and whether they are entering a place that is not appropriate for them. Such behavior can lead even to a death sentence – as a consequence of a lack of civility and courtesy.