One of those curious ‘coincidences’ of our calendar is that Purim, the festival where vesture plays such a prominent role, is usually enwrapped by two sidrot devoted to descriptions of apparel. In Tetsave the sacred Kohanic garments were conceived; in Pekudei they are made.

Only the kohanim (and especially the kohen gadol) are assigned special garments of splendour. Indeed, that is why they are called bigdei kodesh. Normally translated as “holiness”, kodesh actually means “separateness”. A Kohen in the mishkan and later in the Temple is marked out by his specially assigned uniform. With the exception of tsitsit and tefilin neither of which is an actual garment (although tsitsit require to be attached to a garment) the Torah does not assign to the rest of Am Yisrael any particular clothing to honour G‑D. The Leviim are not allocated any uniform.

Even Moses, leader supreme, had no authorised robes of office. A Gerer Chasid might imagine Moshe Rabenu in a spodick and bekishe, a Chabadnik will picture him in a kapoteh, a yeshivishe Jew will perceive him in a fashionable suit and a fedora, a Sephardi will depict him in a turban and flowing robe and a Modern........

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