A major topic in this week’s Torah portion of Tetzave is the design of the bigdei kehuna, the priestly garments; in particular the garments of the high priest. Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu, “You shall make vestments of sanctity for Aharon your brother, for honor and glory” (Shemos 28:2). Rabbeinu Bachye in his simple explanation of the last two words of the pasuk, “for honor and glory,” explains that Aharon “should be honored and glorified through them. And because the kohen gadol (high priest) is an ‘angel’ of the G-D of Legions by individuals in regards to The Service, he was commanded now to be dressed in royal vestments and to be a glorified and splendid king for the populace, and then he will be complete in everything because these garments were royal garments. The robe, as it writes ‘for such robes were worn by the maidens among the king’s daughters’ (Shmuel Beis 13:18). The tunic of box-like knit is similar to the striped tunic Yosef wore, as it says, ‘and he made for him a striped tunic’ (Breishis 37:3). The Turban is a custom for the rulers and kings in the Arab world to adorn around their neck and head. According to kabbalah ‘for the honor and glory’ refers to ‘and you shall make holy vestments for Aharon your brother’ that he should serve in them for honor and glory, meaning the honor of Hashem who rests among them and the glory of the Jews.”
Rabbeinu Bachye says that the simple explanation for why the Kohen Gadol dressed in such fancy clothes “for his honor and glory” is referring to his own honor and glory. However, the Kabbalistic explanation is that it is referring to being dressed up for the honor of Hashem and the glory of the Jewish People. But how does the simple understanding make sense? Doesn’t it say in Orchos Tzadikim, in the gate of haughtiness, that a person should dress elegantly conservative and not too fancily, in order not to become too haughty? The Kohen Gadol wasn’t even the king; so why should he wear royal vestments for his own sake, at the risk of becoming haughty?
We must say that the Kohen Gadol would not have become haughty by wearing these royal vestments. We therefore learn from here that when a person acknowledges the responsibility he has, and the role he plays, then that will serve to humble him and allow him to act with humility, even if he is wearing clothing that would normally illicit haughtiness.
The Kohen Gadol was the spiritual leader of the Jewish People and represented all of humankind in this world before Hashem. Therefore he had to dress optimally, for his own sake, to emphasize what this position actually represented. In that way he would realize his responsibility and the subjugating job he has to represent everyone in front of the Power Of All Powers, the Almighty Hashem, and that would keep him humble.