Tetzaveh (Command ) Sh’mot (Exodus) 27-30

Torah Portion Tetzaveh (Command ) Sh’mot (Exodus) 27-30

Haftorah Reading Ezekiel 43:10-27

This week we read a great deal about the clothes worn by the priests as they went about their functions in the Mishkan and later in the Temple. This Torah portion is always read on the Sabbath before Purim. Next week, will be Purim so we might ask what if anything do the two have to do with each other? I think one answer might be the clothes that are mentioned in the Torah portion and in the story of Purim. As I mentioned earlier, here in our portion we read of the clothes worn by the priest while in the book of Esther we read quite a bit about clothing as well. Clothing is important in many ways. It can identify someone with a certain role such as a police officer, a nun, or other jobs that require a certain uniform. Clothes can also be used to disguise a person, such as a mask or uniform used to gain entrance to a place where the person would not ordinarily be admitted.