Clothing has long served as an indicator of status. As the familiar adage declares, “clothes make the man.” The Torah itself appears to affirm this idea when it commands Moshe to provide his brother Aharon with the garments designated for the kohen gadol — the High Priest:

And you shall make sacred garments for your brother Aharon, for dignity and splendor (l’khavod ul’tiferet). (Exodus 28:2)

The Torah then proceeds to list and describe each of the distinctive garments prescribed for the kohen gadol:

And these are the garments that they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a headdress, and a sash. (ibid., v. 4)

Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra emphasizes the unique status conveyed by these garments:

For they shall exhibit splendor through them, for no one else shall wear anything like them. (Long Commentary to v. 2)

Similarly, Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman (Ramban)........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)