Community Torah Corner - February 27, 2026 - Parashat Tetzaveh

ABBY: This week’s parasha is Parashat Tetzaveh. Parashat Tetzaveh talks about how to carefully assemble and create the clothing for the Kohanim, as well as showing how what you wear can reflect who you are and what your position is in society. In this parasha we see the quote, “עָשִׂ֥יתָ בִגְדֵי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֑יךָ לְכָב֖וֹד וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת׃,” which means, “Make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for dignity and for beauty.”

Aaron was the Kohen HaGadol; in other words, he was the head Kohen. The Kohanim were Israelites who would bring sacrifices and perform holy tasks in order to serve and honor God. They needed to wear special clothes so they could be differentiated from the other Israelites when performing the service. The Kohanim wore these garments so they could stand out in a crowd as holy people with authority.

NOA: Rashi explains that the garments the priests wore weren’t just for honor and beauty, but that they were essential in order for them to serve properly. According to Rashi, everything the Kohanim wore had a purpose, and not all of it was just for beauty and glory. His explanation shows that what people wear can have a functional purpose, and that you can sometimes tell a lot about a person based on what they are wearing.

We think that Parashat Tetzaveh is teaching that what you wear can show who you are as a person, but it can also say a lot about the society you live in. People often form opinions about you depending on what you're wearing and how you look. They may automatically place you into a certain social group. The uniform of a Kohen symbolized authority and holiness, so when the Israelites saw the Kohanim around the Mishkan, they knew to respect not only the Kohanim, but God as well.

Parashat Tetzaveh also talks about how Aaron and his sons went through a seven-day initiation process in order to officially enter the priesthood. In order to be a Kohen, you needed to be dedicated to the job. This shows that not just anyone could become a Kohen, you had to be chosen and go through a process to prove you were ready. This also tells us a lot about the Kohanim as people: they were dependable and reliable when an Israelite needed guidance or help.

REMY: A way we can apply this to modern life is by thinking about a police officer wearing a uniform and a badge. When you see a police officer, you immediately understand that they have authority. Their uniform reminds people to follow the law and behave responsibly. Another way we see this in everyday life is when we notice someone wearing very worn or simple clothing. People may automatically make assumptions about that person and think they know who they are. However, without talking to them or getting to know them, you can’t truly know anything about them. Making assumptions is not fair because you are not giving that person a chance to show who they really are.

The way we dress can also affect how we act. For example, when we wear pajamas or sweatpants, we might feel more relaxed or tired. But when we wear nicer or more put-together clothing, we may feel more confident, focused, and ready for the day.

To conclude, Parashat Tetzaveh teaches us that the clothes we wear and that others wear serve a purpose and can say something about who a person is and what they do. At the same time, we should be careful not to judge people only based on what they are wearing. We should not assume we know someone’s story just from the outside.