This week’s Parasha

Mar 3, 2007 — You shall command

Ex 27:20-30:10

Ezek 43:10-27

Matt 9:18-34

II Cor. 9:1-15
Text Box: This week’s parasha speaks of the high priest’s and priestly garments. I am amazed at the level of emotion that the wearing of a kippa brings about in people. When people see me wearing a kippa, it symbolizes something. That is clear to everyone. But what does it signify? Let’s look at what this parasha has to say. Aaron was to wear a turban. It was a special garment reserved just for him. It was to have plate of pure gold engraved upon it with the words “Holiness to the L-rd”. The plate was to be put on a blue cord that it may be on the turban and hang upon Aaron’s forehead. It is described in great detail in the Biblical account and thus is fairly easy to visualize what it looked like. What of the priesthood? Aaron’s sons were to wear hats for glory and beauty. The scripture very specifically uses a different word than “turban” to describe the headdress of Aaron’s sons. It does not give us much to go on as to what they looked like. It does say that of the attire for Aaron and his sons that they were to wear the specified garments whenever coming to the tabernacle of meeting or when they came near the altar to minister in the Holy place so that they do not incur iniquity and die. That’s right, failure to wear the required garments while in service to the L-rd could result in death. Some people tell me that they think it is fine to wear the same type of attire to church or synagogue as they wear the whole week. Cut offs and t-shirts are becoming more and more common among people when they go to worship G-d. It does seem from this parasha that G-d does care about what we wear when we come to His place of meeting. Back to the headdresses of Aaron’s sons. There is one whole website that spends its full length trying to show why it is wrong to wear a kippa and tries to tie it to the worship of the sun G-d. There is so little known for fact now 4000 years later. To try to state that the sun G-d worshipers’ practice of shaving the head in a circular way was the crown of the head shaved or the sides of the head shaved from the temples around the back (this is what some say the Biblical command to not shave the corners of your beard or your temples comes from) is stretching to make history fit what you have already determined. We have to admit there are many things we just will not know. The headdresses of Aaron’s sons were clearly called hats, not turbans. They were to bring glory and beauty to the person wearing it. The word for hat in Hebrew is megba-at. Some say this word has its construct from givaht, which means hill. There is also the word gahvia which means cup or bowl. If this is correct, it would follow that the hats of Aaron’s sons were likely to resemble hills or bowls. Looking at a kippa, that description seems to fit what we have. And with the many colors and designs there is great room to bring glory and beauty to those wearing it. But why would everyone wear a kippa and what of Paul’s comments about a man disgracing his head praying with his head covered? Unless G-d is contradicting himself there appear to be problems. Paul stated it was wrong for a man to pray with his head “covered down”. This indicates a veil, a feminine item. In Corinth many sins were common, including cross-dressing associated with sexual perversions. But why have everyone wear a kippa and not just those who are ordained? Exodus 19:6 states “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Selah Dr. Bristol will be bringing a copy of his co-authored new booklet on head coverings with him on his trip to the United States in April. Click here to see the schedule of events and to contact him to speak in your area.

Standing Strong

A Messianic Jewish Congregation with an outreach to Believers in Israel