The priestly robe ( he, מְעִיל ''me'il''), sometimes robe of the ephod ( ''meil ha-ephod''), is one of the sacred articles of clothing (''bigdei kehunah'') of the Jewish High Priest. The robe is described in . It was worn under the Ephod. Like all the priestly garments, it was to be made by 'gifted artisans ... filled with the spirit of wisdom'.

Hebrew Bible

The Hebrew noun ''meil'' occurs 30 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible, and refers not only to the robe of the high priest but also any robe worn over a tunic by men of rank, such as the robe

Jonathan Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...

gave to David, or his mantle which Job tore in desperation, and also the outer cloak of women - such as the robe worn by David's daughters. It was a sleeveless, purple-blue or violet (''techelet'') robe (''me'il''), woven in a single piece. The opening in the center for the High Priest's head to pass through was woven, not cut or torn (). The lower hem of the garment was fringed with small golden bells alternating with pomegranate-shaped tassels of blue (turquoise), purple and scarlet wool (). The golden bells were a necessity, and they must ring when the High Priest entered the

Holy of Holies The Holy of Holies (Hebrew: ''Qōḏeš haqQŏḏāšīm'' or ''Kodesh HaKodashim''; also הַדְּבִיר ''haDəḇīr'', 'the Sanctuary') is a term in the Hebrew Bible that refers to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle, where God's prese ...

on the Day of Atonement, lest he die ().

Rabbinical commentary

Rashi deduced a law for all the priestly vestments: “From the negative one can derive the positive: if he will have them he will not be liable for death; thus, if he enters lacking one of these garments he is liable for death at the hands of Heaven.” Maimonides rules likewise.Moses Maimonides, ''Laws of the Sanctuary Vessels'' 10:4. According to the Talmud, the wearing of the priestly robe

atoned Atonement (also atoning, to atone) is the concept of a person taking action to correct previous wrongdoing on their part, either through direct action to undo the consequences of that act, equivalent action to do good for others, or some other ...

for the sin of evil speech 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). In traditional Rabbinical teaching, each of the priestly robes is intended to atone for a particular sin on the part of the

. The eminent sage Rashi points out in his commentary on the Talmud that the robe was fashioned to atone for the sin of an evil tongue, speaking poorly about someone else. As the High Priest, adorned with the priestly garments, walked, the bells noisily announced his presence, and because the noise emanated from the robe, it served as a reminder for people to refrain from gossip. The Talmud also states that the tassels between each bell on the robe were made of three materials: turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool. These three materials signify to the three people who are injured when lashon hara is spoken: the speaker, the listener, and the one who is spoken about.

References

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External links

Shabbat Parshat Tetzaveh
description of the Me'il and its spiritual significance

Robe of the Ephod being constructed by The Temple Institute in Jerusalem Jewish religious clothing Robe

Hebrew Bible

Rabbinical commentary

See also

References

External links