וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ אֶת־מְעִ֥יל הָאֵפ֖וֹד כְּלִ֥יל תְּכֵֽלֶת׃

You shall make the robe of the ephod entirely of sky - blue wool. The ephod would be placed above the robe and would fasten it in place. The High Priest’s robe was somewhat similar to the modern robe. However, since the verse makes no mention of sleeves, it would seem that this robe resembled a cloak that covered the back and sides of one’s body. In front, the robe was open from the neck downward; the ephod and its belt held its front parts together so that they would not spread too far apart.

וְהָיָ֥ה פִֽי־רֹאשׁ֖וֹ בְּתוֹכ֑וֹ שָׂפָ֡ה יִֽהְיֶה֩ לְפִ֨יו סָבִ֜יב מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֹרֵ֗ג כְּפִ֥י תַחְרָ֛א יִֽהְיֶה־לּ֖וֹ לֹ֥א יִקָּרֵֽעַ׃

The opening for his, the High Priest’s, head shall be within it, in its center. There shall be a hem , the craftsmanship of a weaver, around its opening, like the opening of a coat of mail it shall be for it, folded slightly inward so that it should not harm the wearer or obstruct him. This will ensure that it, the robe, shall not be rent . Alternatively, this is an instruction, that it is prohibited to tear the robe.

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־שׁוּלָ֗יו רִמֹּנֵי֙ תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י עַל־שׁוּלָ֖יו סָבִ֑יב וּפַעֲמֹנֵ֥י זָהָ֛ב בְּתוֹכָ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃

You shall fix on its hem ornaments in the shape of pomegranates of sky-blue, purple, and scarlet wool, and they shall be placed all around its hem; there shall be bells of gold among them all around.

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן זָהָב֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן פַּֽעֲמֹ֥ן זָהָ֖ב וְרִמּ֑וֹן עַל־שׁוּלֵ֥י הַמְּעִ֖יל סָבִֽיב׃

They shall be placed as follows: a golden bell and then a pomegranate, a golden bell and then a pomegranate , on the hem of the robe all around. Alternatively, a golden bell was placed inside each pomegranate. According to tradition, there were seventy-two pomegranates on the High Priest’s robe.

וְהָיָ֥ה עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לְשָׁרֵ֑ת וְנִשְׁמַ֣ע ק֠וֹלוֹ בְּבֹא֨וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֜דֶשׁ לִפְנֵ֧י יְהוָ֛ה וּבְצֵאת֖וֹ וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת׃ (ס)

It, the robe, shall be on Aaron when he comes to serve, and its sound shall be heard upon his entry into the Sanctuary before the Lord and upon his emergence, and he will not die. Although gold is a relatively soft metal, such that the sound produced by a golden bell would be quite gentle, the large quantity of bells on the High Priest’s robe ensured that a sound would be heard as he walked.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ צִּ֖יץ זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וּפִתַּחְתָּ֤ עָלָיו֙ פִּתּוּחֵ֣י חֹתָ֔ם קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָֽה׃

You shall make a diadem of pure gold, which will be positioned at the front of his head. This diadem is also called “the holy crown,” and the Sages refer to it as the crown of the priesthood. And you shall engrave upon it the engravings of a signet, in decorative and elegant writing, the phrase Holy to the Lord.

וְשַׂמְתָּ֤ אֹתוֹ֙ עַל־פְּתִ֣יל תְּכֵ֔לֶת וְהָיָ֖ה עַל־הַמִּצְנָ֑פֶת אֶל־מ֥וּל פְּנֵֽי־הַמִּצְנֶ֖פֶת יִהְיֶֽה׃

You shall place on it a thread of sky blue, in order to tie the diadem, which did not extend around the whole head. And it shall be upon the mitre, adjacent to the mitre on the High Priest’s forehead. According to Rashi, threads were inserted into holes situated at the edges of the diadem and in the center of the diadem on top; the threads were wrapped around the head of the High Priest and over the mitre, and all of the threads were tied together in the back. It, the diadem, shall be toward the forefront of the mitre.

וְהָיָה֮ עַל־מֵ֣צַח אַהֲרֹן֒ וְנָשָׂ֨א אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַקְדִּ֙ישׁוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכָֽל־מַתְּנֹ֖ת קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם וְהָיָ֤ה עַל־מִצְחוֹ֙ תָּמִ֔יד לְרָצ֥וֹן לָהֶ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

It shall be on Aaron’s forehead and Aaron shall bear, atone for by means of the diadem, the iniquity of the sacraments that the children of Israel shall consecrate, for all their sacraments. This refers to ritually impure sacred gifts that were brought into the Sanctuary; the diadem and the words engraved upon it shall serve as an atonement for this transgression. It shall be on his forehead always, for propitiation for them, the Israelites, before the Lord.

וְשִׁבַּצְתָּ֙ הַכְּתֹ֣נֶת שֵׁ֔שׁ וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ מִצְנֶ֣פֶת שֵׁ֑שׁ וְאַבְנֵ֥ט תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה רֹקֵֽם׃

The Torah turns to the less complex of the High Priest’s vestments, which are similar to those worn by the other priests: You shall quilt the linen tunic. The tunic, which is worn against the body, is woven with quilted patterns. And you shall make a mitre of linen, a long piece of linen cloth to be wrapped around the head. And you shall make a sash, the craftsmanship of an embroiderer, which will be tied around the tunic. The Sages teach that the sash was 32 cubits long, or 15–19 m. The materials from which the sash shall be made are discussed below (39:29).

וְלִבְנֵ֤י אַהֲרֹן֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה כֻתֳּנֹ֔ת וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לָהֶ֖ם אַבְנֵטִ֑ים וּמִגְבָּעוֹת֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם לְכָב֖וֹד וּלְתִפְאָֽרֶת׃

The sacred vestments of Aaron’s sons were fewer and simpler than those worn by Aaron and the High Priests who followed him: You shall make tunics for the sons of Aaron and you shall make for them sashes, and tall, brimless headdresses you shall make for them, for glory and for splendor. These special uniforms will distinguish them from the rest of the people.

וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֤ אֹתָם֙ אֶת־אַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖יו אִתּ֑וֹ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֨ אֹתָ֜ם וּמִלֵּאתָ֧ אֶת־יָדָ֛ם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ אֹתָ֖ם וְכִהֲנ֥וּ לִֽי׃

You shall dress them with these garments, Aaron your brother and his sons with him; you shall anoint them with the anointing oil (see 29:21) and you shall invest them, and you shall sanctify them, and they shall be fit to serve as priests for Me.

וַעֲשֵׂ֤ה לָהֶם֙ מִכְנְסֵי־בָ֔ד לְכַסּ֖וֹת בְּשַׂ֣ר עֶרְוָ֑ה מִמָּתְנַ֥יִם וְעַד־יְרֵכַ֖יִם יִהְיֽוּ׃

Make them linen trousers, which will serve as an undergarment to cover the flesh of their nakedness. These trousers are not listed together with the other garments listed in verse 40 since they are not visible, and their purpose is entirely practical, neither for splendor nor for beauty. Indeed, when the Torah describes the donning of the priestly vestments below, the trousers are not mentioned. They shall be worn from waist to thighs, until the knee, or perhaps to some other point along the thigh.

וְהָיוּ֩ עַל־אַהֲרֹ֨ן וְעַל־בָּנָ֜יו בְּבֹאָ֣ם ׀ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד א֣וֹ בְגִשְׁתָּ֤ם אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לְשָׁרֵ֣ת בַּקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְלֹא־יִשְׂא֥וּ עָוֺ֖ן וָמֵ֑תוּ חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם ל֖וֹ וּלְזַרְע֥וֹ אַחֲרָֽיו׃ (ס)

They, the trousers, or all the priestly vestments, shall be on Aaron and on his sons, upon their entry into the Tent of Meeting, or upon their approach to the altar to serve in sanctity, that they will not bear iniquity and die. It, the donning of the garments, is an eternal statute for him and for his descendants after him. It is prohibited for a priest who is not wearing these garments to serve in the Sanctuary.