וּפָשַׁט אֶת בְּגָדָיו וְלָבַשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים וְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַדֶּשֶׁן אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה אֶל מָקוֹם טָהוֹר
(ויקרא ו:ד)
This week’s parsha begins by describing the first avodah (service) performed daily in the Mishkan, and later in the Bais Hamikdash. A kohen would put on the designated bigdei kehuna (priestly garments) and remove a small portion of the ashes that had accumulated on the Mizbeach (altar), placing them beside the Mizbeach. The remaining ashes were then gathered together in the middle of the Mizbeach.
When the pile of ashes on the Mizbeach grew very large, the Kohanim would remove all the ashes. During the time of the Bnei Yisroel’s journey in the desert, they would bring the ashes outside the camp. Later, in the era of the Bais Hamikdash, the ashes were taken outside of Yerushalayim.
The Gemara infers from a pasuk that the garments worn by the Kohen for the task of removing the ashes were of a lesser quality compared to the garments worn during the performance of other avodah in the Mishkan or Bais Hamikdash.
The Gemara in Shabbos (114a) cites Rabbi Acha bar Aba—speaking in the name of Rabbi Yochanan—who explains the reason behind the Kohanim wearing designated, inferior garments when removing the ashes from the Bais Hamikdash and bringing them outside of Yerushalayim. The purpose of these less expensive clothes was to ensure that the Kohen’s clothing worn during other avodah (services) to Hashem would not become soiled. By wearing these inferior garments for ash removal, the Kohen maintains the cleanliness of the more significant garments worn during other services, thereby showing honor to the Almighty.
According to the Maharsha, the students of Rabbi Yishmael interpret this pasuk as imparting a broader principle of derech eretz (proper conduct). They understand that the lesson of wearing appropriate clothing extends beyond the realm of service in the Bais Hamikdash and applies to the performance of all mitzvos. For example, one should not wear the same clothes in which he will make kiddush on Friday night when he bakes and cooks in preparation for Shabbos. Instead, he should wear inferior clothing while engaged in food preparation to keep his Shabbos clothes clean and presentable for Shabbos.
Zera Shimshon asks: If maintaining clean clothes is a matter of derech eretz and is, therefore, an obvious principle, why did the Gemara find it necessary to derive this lesson from a pasuk? Since it is common sense and self-evident that one should do the avodah with clean clothing, there should be no need for the Torah to explicitly teach us this!
Secondly, Zera Shimshon cites the Iyun Yaakov, who questions the strength of Rabbi Yochanan’s proof. Rabbi Yochanan derived the principle that garments worn when preparing to perform a mitzvah should be of lesser quality than those worn during the actual performance of the mitzvah, based on the practice observed in the Bais Hamikdash. However, the Iyun Yaakov suggests that, perhaps, the requirement to keep clothes clean only applies to the priestly garments themselves, as they are kodesh and used for the service of Hashem in the Bais Hamikdash. As such, they must be kept immaculate in honor of the kedusha of the garment and in the presence of the Shechina that is there. This being so, we shouldn’t be able to extrapolate from this specific instance a general principle that any person performing a mitzvah outside of the Bais Hamikdash—while wearing their own ordinary clothes—must follow the same protocol.
Zera Shimshon answers the second question—raised by the Iyun Yaakov—by pointing out that even though the Gemara established that the garments worn by the Kohen while removing the ashes were of inferior quality, they were still kodesh (sacred). This demonstrates that, in essence, there is nothing wrong with even sacred working clothes becoming soiled during the performance of a holy task.
Think about this for a moment, and I think that it’s evident that wearing soiled work clothes or uniforms in the presence of a person you are serving or working for is not really considered disrespectful. In fact, it can be seen as a sign of dedication and professionalism. When individuals wear clothing appropriate for their job or task, it demonstrates their commitment to their responsibilities and their readiness to perform their duties.
For example, when the prime minister or president of a country visits soldiers on the front lines, it would be entirely appropriate for the soldiers to remain in their uniforms. These uniforms symbolize the soldiers’ readiness to defend their country and their allegiance to the leadership they serve. The soldiers’ uniforms are a testament to their service and sacrifice and wearing them in the presence of the prime minister shows their dedication to their mission and their respect for the office he holds. In such cases, requiring soldiers to change into formal attire would be impractical and unnecessary, as their uniforms are a fitting representation of their role and the respect they accord to their country and its leaders.
Even though that it would be completely rational to act like this—to wear the soiled garments with which he took out the ashes out of the encampment—the Torah instructs the Kohen to wear “other garments” when removing the ashes in order that the garments that he is currently wearing should be kept clean. The reason for this is to show honor to Hashem.
Since the removal of the ashes is performed while wearing bigdei kehuna (priestly garments) and the task begins within the Bais Hamikdash—even though the garments may become soiled during the process—we can see that being in the presence of the Shechina is not a reason to avoid wearing soiled garments when performing a necessary task, and the argument of the Iyun Yaakov is groundless.
Therefore, since even in such a situation the Torah teaches us that the Kohen should be careful to use other garments, we can infer that the principle of maintaining clean clothes—to the greatest extent possible—applies to the garments worn by all people, not just those wearing kodesh clothing within the Bais Hamikdash. This concept extends beyond the avodah in the Bais Hamikdash and applies to all of our mitzvos, as a means of showing honor to Hashem in all our actions.
According to the above explanation, we can now understand that the students of Rabbi Yishmael did not intend to derive from the pasuk that it is derech eretz to use only clean clothes when serving Hashem. This concept is self-evident, and there is no need for the Torah to explicitly teach it.
Rather, they are explaining the rationale behind this halacha. Even though it might appear that one may serve Hashem while wearing soiled garments that became dirty during the service itself, it is still considered derech eretz to serve Hashem only with clean garments as a means of showing honor to the Almighty.
What does this mean to us?
Often, especially during the summer months or when we are on vacation, we might be less diligent in dressing appropriately for davening. We may rationalize that our attire doesn’t really matter to Hashem, and that the main focus should be on davening with kavana (proper intention and concentration).
However, the Zera Shimshon teaches us that we must dress properly and appropriately even when the untidiness of our clothing is a result of serving Hashem, such as when the Kohen removes the ashes from the Mizbeach. All the more so, it certainly applies when our inappropriate attire is simply a result of laziness or negligence.
