The priestly undergarments ( hbo, מִכְנְסֵי־בָד, miḵnəsē-ḇāḏ) were "

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

breeches" ( KJV) worn by the

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...

and the

High Priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious caste. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many gods rever ...

in ancient Israel. They reached from the waist to the knees and so were not visible, being entirely hidden by the priestly tunic.

Hebrew Bible

The biblical

commandment Commandment may refer to: * The Ten Commandments * One of the 613 mitzvot of Judaism * The Great Commandment * The New Commandment * ''Commandment'' (album), a 2007 album by Six Feet Under * ''Commandments'' (film), a 1997 film starring Aidan Qui ...

instituting their use is found in the Book of Exodus 28:42:

You shall also make for them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; they shall extend from the hips to the thighs.

Unlike the other priestly vestments which were "for glory and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2), the purpose of the () was for modesty, "to hide their nakedness". In the Book of Leviticus when

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

consecrate Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

and his sons as High Priest and priests, respectively, the linen undergarments are not mentioned (Leviticus 8:7, Leviticus 8:13), though their use is obviously presumed. There were four holy garments worn by both the priests and the High Priest alike: * Linen breeches to cover their nakedness when they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to officiate in the sanctuary. * Priestly tunic, a fringed tunic made of fine linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered (Exodus 28:39). * Priestly sash of the High Priest was of linen with "embroidered work" (Exodus 28:39); sashes were made for other priests also. * Priestly turban, according to Rabbinic literature that of the High Priest was much larger than that of the priests and wound so that it formed a broad, flat-topped turban; that for priests was wound so that it formed a cone-shaped turban, called a .

Talmud

The Talmud records the worn out undergarments and priestly sashes were used for torch wicks in the Temple. The linen undergarments symbolized the abolition of the distinction between the heavenly and the mortal part of man, as contrasted with the divine nature, which is absolutely holy and living. According to the Talmud, the undergarments atone for the sin of sexual transgressions on the part of the

Children of Israel The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

(B. Zevachim 88b).

Hebrew Bible

Talmud

References

See also