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Parashat HaShavuaפרשת צוAliyah 4 — רביעי

פרשת צו — רביעי (Aliyah 4)

Parashat Tzav | Leviticus 8:1–8:13 | Aliyah 4 of 7

קלאוד על הפרשה

The fourth aliyah of Parashat Tzav marks a dramatic shift from legislative instruction to historical narrative. After seven chapters detailing the laws of the various sacrifices, the Torah now turns to the inauguration ceremony (miluim) itself — the moment when the entire sacrificial system transitions from theory to practice. God commands Moses to “take Aaron” (qach et Aharon), an expression that Rashi, drawing on the Sifra, interprets not as a physical act but as a persuasive one: Moses is to “win him over with fine words and draw him on,” reassuring Aaron that the priesthood is divinely ordained rather than a product of nepotism or favoritism. This nuance is significant, for the Or HaChaim observes that Moses first taught Aaron and his sons every detail of the sacrificial laws before initiating the consecration rites, ensuring that the priesthood would rest on knowledge and commitment, not merely on appointment.

The opening verses establish a threefold preparation: the gathering of the sacred materials (garments, anointing oil, sin-offering bull, two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread), the assembly of the congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and Moses’ public declaration that “this is what the Lord has commanded to be done.” Rashi emphasizes that Moses made this declaration precisely so that no one could later claim he acted on his own authority — a pointed foreshadowing of Korah’s future rebellion. The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 10:9) adds a miraculous dimension to the scene: the entire congregation fitting at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting is described as one of those occasions when “the lesser comprised the greater,” a small space miraculously accommodating a multitude. Ibn Ezra takes a more pragmatic reading, identifying “the entire congregation” as the heads of the tribes and the elders who served as representatives.

The heart of the aliyah is the elaborate vesting of Aaron in the eight priestly garments, described with deliberate, ritualistic precision. Moses places upon Aaron the ketonet (tunic), the avnet (sash), the me’il (robe), the ephod with its decorated band, the choshen (breastpiece) containing the Urim and Thummim, the mitznefet (headdress), and finally the tzitz hazahav (golden frontlet) — the nezer hakodesh, the “holy diadem” — inscribed with the words “Holy to the Lord.” The sequence follows the order prescribed in Exodus 29 and mirrors the account in Exodus 40, yet here the Torah reports the actual performance rather than the command. Ibn Ezra draws attention to the distinction between the breastpiece and the Urim and Thummim housed within it, comparing their relationship to that of the Ark and the Tablets it contained — the vessel and the sacred object it holds are not identical. Rashi explains that the golden frontlet was attached to the headdress by threads of tekhelet (blue-purple wool), so that it hung upon Aaron’s forehead, suspended between heaven and earth in a posture of perpetual sanctity.

Following the investiture, Moses turns to the anointing of the Tabernacle, the altar, and all their vessels with the sacred shemen hamishchah (anointing oil). Rashi candidly admits that he does not know where Moses received the specific command to sprinkle the oil upon the altar seven times, a striking moment of interpretive humility. The anointing of the Tabernacle precedes the anointing of Aaron, an order that the Or HaChaim analyzes at length by comparing the sequence in our passage with that in Parashat Pekudei (Exodus 40:9-15). He concludes that the Torah intentionally placed the anointing of the Tabernacle between Aaron’s dressing and his personal anointing to preserve the chronological order implied by God’s command in verse 2, which lists Aaron before the oil. The pouring of oil upon Aaron’s head, followed by drawing it between his eyebrows with a finger (as described in Keritot 5b and Horayot 12a), consecrates him as the Kohen Gadol and inaugurates the hereditary priesthood.

The aliyah closes with the vesting of Aaron’s sons in their simpler garments — tunics, sashes, and migba’ot (turbans) — “as the Lord had commanded Moses.” The repeated refrain “as the Lord commanded Moses” (appearing in verses 9, 13, and echoed throughout the chapter) underscores that every detail of the ceremony, down to the order in which garments were placed, was divinely choreographed. The Or HaChaim raises a remarkable question about this entire scene: Moses held the status of a king (as Deuteronomy 33:5 attests, “He was king in Yeshurun”), and a king may not waive the honor due him; yet here Moses performs the most menial of tasks — washing, dressing, and anointing another man. The answer, the Or HaChaim explains, is that only the One who appointed Moses as king had the authority to ask him to set aside royal dignity. In this act of humble service, Moses models the principle that true leadership consists not in being served but in serving the sacred purpose that transcends all human rank.

Leviticus 8:1–8:13 · ויקרא ח:א–ח:יג

פסוק ח:א · 8:1

Hebrew:

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

English:

יהוה spoke to Moses, saying:

פסוק ח:ב · 8:2

Hebrew:

קַ֤ח אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ הַבְּגָדִ֔ים וְאֵ֖ת שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֑ה וְאֵ֣ת ׀ פַּ֣ר הַֽחַטָּ֗את וְאֵת֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הָֽאֵילִ֔ים וְאֵ֖ת סַ֥ל הַמַּצּֽוֹת׃

English:

Take Aaron along with his sons, and the vestments, the anointing oil, the bull of sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;

God instructs Moses to take Aaron and his sons along with the priestly garments, the anointing oil, the sin-offering bull, two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread -- assembling everything needed for the inauguration ceremony. Rashi notes that this command was actually given seven days before the Tabernacle was erected, illustrating the principle that the Torah does not always follow chronological order.
רש״יRashi
קח את אהרן. פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים קֹדֶם הֲקָמַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה: קח את אהרן. קָחֶנּוּ בִדְבָרִים וּמָשְׁכֵהוּ: ואת פר החטאת וגו'. אֵלּוּ הָאֲמוּרִים בְּעִנְיַן צַוָּאַת הַמִּלּוּאִים בִּוְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה, וְעַכְשָׁיו בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן לַמִּלּוּאִים חָזַר וְזֵרְזוֹ בִשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶֹה:
קח את אהרן TAKE AARON — This section was spoken seven days before the final erection of the Tabernacle and so should have been placed before Exodus XL., but a transposition of this kind is quite customary in the Bible, because there is no "earlier" or "later" (no chronological order) in the Torah. קח את אהרן means win him over with fine words and draw him on (cf. Rashi on Exodus 14:6) (Sifra, Tzav, Mechilta d'Miluim 1 2)). ואת פר החטאת וגו'‏‎‎‎‎‎ AND THE BULLOCK FOR THE SIN OFFERING [AND THE TWO RAMS] etc. — These are the sacrifices mentioned in the section containing the command about the installation ceremony — in the Scriptural Reading beginning with the words, ואתה תצוה (see Exodus 29) and now, on the first day of the installation ceremony He again admonished him (Moses) regarding this when the time for performing the command arrived.
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ואת פר החטאת. בה״א כי כבר הזכירו וכן האלים וכן המצות:
AND THE BULLOCK OF THE SIN-OFFERING. The word chattat (sin offering) has a heh1Indicating the definite article. prefixed to it because the sin offering2Referred to in our verse. is mentioned earlier.3In Ex. 29:1. The same applies to the heh prefixed to elim (rams) and matzot (unleavened bread).4The words elim (rams) and matzot (unleavened bread) have a heh prefixed to them because they refer to the rams and matzot mentioned in Ex. 29:1,2.
ספורנוSforno
ואת פר החטאת ואת שני האילים. הקדים פר החטאת, כאמרם ז"ל כל חטאת קודמת לעולה הבאה עמה כי עד אחר שיכופר החטא אין מקום כלל לעולה כאמרו עולה וחטאה לא שאלת, והיתה חטאתו אחר המשחו פר כמשפט כהן משיח, אבל לא נכנס דמו לפנים כי לא היה חטאו במדרגת רוע שיצטרך לזה כמו שהיה צריך בהוראת כהן משיח והוראת בית דין שהחטיאו ופר ושעיר של יום הכפורים שמכפרים על טומאת מקדש ועל חטאים עונות ופשעים כמו שמבואר בענין. והקדים העולה למלואים, כי גם בעולה תהיה איזו כפרה כאמרו ונרצה לו לכפר עליו, ואחר שלמות הכפרה נעשו ראוים למלא את ידם להשלימה לעבודה.
ואת פר החטאת ואת שני האילים, the bull as a sin offering is mentioned first, in accordance with the statement of our sages that whenever both a sin offering and a burnt offering have to be brought the sin offering is brought first. (Pessachim 59) The reason is simple; how could the person offering the burnt offering expect it to be welcome in the eyes of G'd if he still required atonement for a sin in order to be in G'd's good graces? David paraphrases this in Psalms 40,7 עולה וחטאת לא שאלת, "You do not ask for burnt offerings and sin offerings." This bull became a "sin offering" after having been anointed, a procedure similar to the anointing of the High Priest for his office. However, in this instance the blood of this sin offering was not brought into the sanctuary, seeing that the sin of Aaron and his sons had not been of such a severity as would require this additional procedure. Severe errors by the High Priest are the ones listed in Leviticus 4,3 or 4,13 by the Supreme Court. Such errors require that the blood of their sin offerings be brought into the sanctuary itself. We explained all this at the appropriate place in chapter 16. The reason why the Torah first deals with the burnt-offering before dealing with the consecration offerings, is that there was an element of sin, i.e. need for forgiveness in connection with the burnt offering, as is evident from the Torah's concluding remark ונרצה לו לכפר עליו, "and it shall become acceptable for him to atone for him." (1,4). The reason why the Torah first deals with the burnt-offering before dealing with the consecration offerings, is that there was an element of sin, i.e. need for forgiveness in connection with the burnt offering, as is evident from the Torah's concluding remark ונרצה לו לכפר עליו, "and it shall become acceptable for him to atone for him." (1,4) whereas in all other שלמים offerings the priest receives the right thigh, in the case of the mandatory שלמים offering of the Nazir at the end of his term, the priest received both the right thigh and the foreleg, זרוע. As to the ram of the consecration offering שלמים, even the thigh is offered on the altar. When a non priest offers a שלמים, generally speaking, he will donate the thigh together with the lower leg, to the priest who enters inside the holy domain out of bounds to the owner of the sacrifice. The Nazir donates also the יד, i.e. the foreleg, symbolically handing the priest the work of his hands, which until the termination of the period of his vow as Nazir had all been dedicated to G'd. On the other hand, the rites of the consecration offerings required that the offering itself was a preparatory offering enabling the priest henceforth to enter the holy domains of the Temple. To symbolise this the thigh was presented on the altar.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
קח את אהרן וגו'. פרשה זו נאמרה קודם הקמת המשכן, וטעם שנאמרה כאן, לומר לך שקדמו כל משפטי הקרבנות ופרטיהן ודקדוקיהן קודם מילואיו, כי לעשות כולן נתכהנו הוא ובניו, ולא נתכהן עד שלמדו משה כל פרטי דיני כל הקרבנות וקיים וקבל עליו לעשות ככל הכתוב ואז אמר לו קח את אהרן שעל מנת כן נתכהן, ועוד שזולת זה משכחת שיביא אדם מישראל קרבן מיד בקרבתו לפני ה' ולא ידע מה לעשות:
קח את אהרון, "take Aaron, etc." This paragraph was revealed to Moses before the Tabernacle was erected, and the reason it was not recorded up until now is to tell us that all the laws pertaining to the various sacrifices were revealed before the details of the consecration rites were revealed. Aaron and his sons had to become priests in order to perform any of the other services in the Tabernacle; this did not happen until Moses had taught him all the details about the various sacrifices and he had undertaken to perform every rite in accordance with what the Torah demanded. Only after he undertook to do this did G'd tell Moses to anoint him and his sons as priests. If this had not been the case, some Israelite might have decided to offer a sacrifice to G'd on the altar in front of the Tabernacle and he would not have known how to proceed.

פסוק ח:ג · 8:3

Hebrew:

וְאֵ֥ת כׇּל־הָעֵדָ֖ה הַקְהֵ֑ל אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

English:

and assemble the community leadership*community leadership Heb. kol ha-‘edah, lit. “whole congregation,” which here denotes the part (“leadership”) that acts on behalf of the whole (“congregation”). See the Dictionary under ‘edah. at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

Moses is told to assemble the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to witness the inauguration. The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 10:9) considers this a miraculous event in which a small space held a multitude, while Ibn Ezra identifies the congregation here as the tribal heads and elders.
רש״יRashi
הקהל אל פתח אהל מועד. זֶה אֶחָד מִן הַמְּקוֹמוֹת שֶׁהֶחֱזִיק מֻעָט אֶת הַמְרֻבֶּה (ויקרא רבה י'):
הקהל אל פתח אהל מועד AND ASSEMBLE THOU [THE WHOLE CONGREGATION), UNTO THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING — This is one of the instances where the lesser comprised the greater (the small area accommodated the whole congregation) (Leviticus Rabbah 10 9).
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ואת כל העדה. ראשי השבטים והזקנים:
ALL THE CONGREGATION. The heads of the tribes and the elders.

פסוק ח:ד · 8:4

Hebrew:

וַיַּ֣עַשׂ מֹשֶׁ֔ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ וַתִּקָּהֵל֙ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

English:

Moses did as יהוה commanded him. And when the leadership*leadership Heb. ha-‘edah, lit. “congregation.” Cf. at v. 3. was assembled at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting,

Moses carries out God's command, and the congregation gathers at the Tent of Meeting. The Or HaChaim suggests the people may have assembled on their own initiative when they saw Moses taking Aaron, the garments, and the sacrificial materials, or alternatively that the verse confirms the miracle of the small space containing the multitude.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
ותקהל העדה וגו'. אולי כי בראותם מעשה משה שלקח אהרן ובניו והבגדים וגו' נקהלו מעצמן. או ירצה להודיע שהחזיקם המקום לכל ישראל בפתח אהל מועד, כמו שדרשו ז"ל (ויק"ר פסוק שלפני זה) בפרשת הקהל וגו', וכאן יודיע הכתוב שכן היה:
והקהל העדה, the community was assembled, etc. Perhaps when the people saw Moses taking Aaron, his sons, and the priestly garments, they assembled spontaneously. It is also possible that the verse tells us that G'd ordered the people to assemble around the entrance to the Tabernacle as explained by Vayikra Rabbah 10,9 on the word הקהל in verse 3 and that our verse reports that the people did so.

פסוק ח:ה · 8:5

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־הָעֵדָ֑ה זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

English:

Moses said to the leadership,*leadership Heb. ha-‘edah, lit. “congregation.” Cf. at v. 3. “This is what יהוה has commanded to be done.”

Moses publicly declares to the congregation that everything he is about to do has been commanded by God. Rashi explains this was to preempt any suspicion that Moses acted out of personal ambition or to honor his brother. The Or HaChaim adds that this public announcement left Korah without grounds for his later challenge, since all present heard that the appointments came directly from God.
רש״יRashi
זה הדבר. דְּבָרִים שֶׁתִּרְאוּ שֶׁאֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה לִפְנֵיכֶם, צִוַּנִי הַקָּבָּ"ה לַעֲשׂוֹת, וְאַל תֹּאמְרוּ לִכְבוֹדִי וְלִכְבוֹד אָחִי אֲנִי עוֹשֶֹׁה; כָּל הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה פֵּרַשְׁתִּי בְּ"וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה":
זה הדבר THIS IS THE THING [WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED ME TO DO] — The things you will see me doing in your presence has the Holy One, blessed be He, bidden me do, and do not think I am doing them for my own glory and for my brother's glory. — The whole of this matter treated in the present chapter I have already explained in the Scriptural Reading beginning with the words, ‎‏ ואתה תצוה ‏‎(Exodus ch. XXIX.).
אור החייםOr HaChaim
ויאמר וגו' זה הדבר וגו'. אמר כן להודיעם לבל יערערו על הדבר כקרח וכעדתו בחושבם כי מלבו ומרצונו היה עושה. ומעתה אין טענה לקרח כי שוגג היה שהרי הודיעו בשעת מעשה כי זה הדבר הוא מצות ה' ולא מלבו ומרצונו של משה. עוד ירצה על דרך אומרם ז"ל (שמו"ר פ"ב) כי משה מלך היה דכתיב (ברכה לג) ויהי בישורון מלך ותנן (כתובות יז.) מלך שמחל על כבודו אין כבודו מחול, והנה משה היה עושה מעשים שאסור לעשותם אפילו עבד עברי לאדונו לרחוץ אותם במים וכו' כל גופם וכל סדר המעשה, ואין לך זלזול גדול מזה, אשר על כן הקדים לומר זה הדבר אשר צוה ה' מפי ה' נאמר לי לעשותו, ודוקא זה ולא אחר כי המלך אסור לעשות כן הגם שיחפוץ למחול, כי דוקא זה הדבר לצד שהפה שאסר מלך שלא ימחול על כבודו הוא שהתיר וצוה לי לעשות. עוד ירצה על דרך מה שאמרו ז"ל בתורת כהנים בפסוק וירחץ אותם במים באותה שעה זכו בקידוש ידים ורגלים ובטבילת יום הכפורים ע"כ. והוא אומרו זה הדבר אשר צוה ה' לעשות לדורות, כי בזה יזכו בקידוש ידים ורגלים וטבילה ביום הכיפורים לדורות:
ויאמר משה …זה הדבר, Moses said:…"this is the word, etc." Moses informed the people of what G'd had said so that they would not register a protest at a later date claiming he had made all these appointments of his own accord. Seeing that the Torah reported here that everything was done at the command of G'd, Korach had no basis for the claim that he had acted inadvertently when he challenged Aaron's position seeing he had been present at this time and had not challenged Moses when the latter presented these appointments as having been made at the direct command of G'd. It is also possible to explain this verse along the lines of Shemot Rabbah 2,6 and Zevachim 102 that Moses' position was equivalent to that of a king seeing the Torah wrote in Deut. 33,5: "He was king in Yeshurun." We have learned in Ketuvot 17 that even if a king is willing to waive the honour due him he is not allowed to do so. We observe that Moses did things (waived his claim to honour) which even a Jewish servant is not allowed to perform for his master, such as bathing him, etc. In our paragraph Moses is bidden to wash the entire body of Aaron and his sons. There is no more demeaning task that anyone can be asked to perform. This is why the Torah had to introduce this paragraph with the words: "G'd said to Moses to say." Moses explained to the people that if he was seen to perform such a demeaning task it was because G'd had told him to; it did not mean that by doing so he relinquished his claim to the position of king. This was the only demeaning task ever performed by Moses as all others were forbidden to him by his very status. Only G'd who was the One who had appointed Moses as king was in a position to ask him to perform a service not in keeping with a king's dignity. Furthermore, we may understand what happened in terms of a comment by Torat Kohanim on verse 6: "he washed them in water." They say that the High Priest (and the ordinary priests when required) acquired the merit accompanied by ritual immersion and his washing his hands and feet before each act of service in the Temple on the Day of Atonement. The words זה הדבר אשר צוה ה׳ לעשות, "this is the thing which G'd has commanded to be done," means that these rites were to be performed also in the future, seeing performance of this command granted them the privilege of ritual immersion in the future. [According to ראב׳ד quoted by Malbim the ritual immersion referred to is the the ritual baths the High Priest underwent during the seven days he prepared himself for the Day of Atonement. Ed.]

פסוק ח:ו · 8:6

Hebrew:

וַיַּקְרֵ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיִּרְחַ֥ץ אֹתָ֖ם בַּמָּֽיִם׃

English:

Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.

Moses brings Aaron and his sons forward and washes them with water, the first physical act of the consecration. Ibn Ezra clarifies that Moses brought them to the laver (kiyyor) and that the washing was done by his command rather than necessarily by his own hand. This ritual washing established the precedent for the priestly requirement of sanctifying hands and feet before Temple service.
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ויקרב משה את אהרן. אל הכיור: וירחץ אותם. בצווי:
AND MOSES BROUGHT AARON. To the laver (kiyyor).9See Ex. 30:17-21. AND WASHED THEM. By command.10Moses commanded that they be washed, or he commanded them to wash themselves. The point is Moses did not personally wash them.

פסוק ח:ז · 8:7

Hebrew:

וַיִּתֵּ֨ן עָלָ֜יו אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֗נֶת וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אֹתוֹ֙ בָּֽאַבְנֵ֔ט וַיַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ אֶֽת־הַמְּעִ֔יל וַיִּתֵּ֥ן עָלָ֖יו אֶת־הָאֵפֹ֑ד וַיַּחְגֹּ֣ר אֹת֗וֹ בְּחֵ֙שֶׁב֙ הָֽאֵפֹ֔ד וַיֶּאְפֹּ֥ד ל֖וֹ בּֽוֹ׃

English:

He put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him, girding him with the decorated band with which he tied it to him.

Moses dresses Aaron in the priestly garments in precise order: first the tunic (ketonet), then the sash (avnet), the robe (me'il), and the ephod with its decorative band. Each layer of clothing corresponds to a specific aspect of the High Priest's sacred role, and the careful sequence follows the divine instructions given in Exodus 28-29.
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ויאפד. כמו ויחגור וכאשר ציץ הזהב איננו המצנפת כן האורים והתומים אינם אבני החושן וכן הלוחות בארון על כן כתוב ויתן אל החשן:
AND BOUND IT UNTO HIM.5This comment appears to be misplaced. The word va-yepod means and girded. Just as the golden plate (tzitz) (v. 9) is not the mitre (mitznefet) (Ibid.),6It is clear from verse 9 that the golden plate (tzitz) and the mitre (mitznefet) are not one and the same, for the verse states, and upon the mitre…did he set the golden plate. so the Urim and the Thummim (v. 8) are not the stones of the breastplate (Ex. 28:15-21).7For Scripture states, And in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim. See I.E. on Ex. 28:5, Vol 2, pp. 591-598. Similarly, the Tablets were placed in the ark.8The relation of the breastplate to the Urim and the Thummim was like that of the ark to the tablets; that is, both served as receptacles. Scripture therefore reads, And in the breastplate he put in the Urim and the Thummim (v. 8).

פסוק ח:ח · 8:8

Hebrew:

וַיָּ֥שֶׂם עָלָ֖יו אֶת־הַחֹ֑שֶׁן וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶל־הַחֹ֔שֶׁן אֶת־הָאוּרִ֖ים וְאֶת־הַתֻּמִּֽים׃

English:

He put the breastpiece on him, and put into the breastpiece the Urim and Thummim.*Urim and Thummim See note at Exod. 28.30.

Moses places the breastpiece (choshen) on Aaron and inserts the Urim and Thummim into it. Rashi identifies the Urim as an inscription bearing the ineffable Name of God. Ibn Ezra (on the previous verse) distinguishes the Urim and Thummim from the twelve stones of the breastpiece itself, comparing their relationship to that of the Tablets placed within the Ark.
רש״יRashi
את האורים. כְּתָב שֶׁל שֵׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ:
את האורים THE URIM — an inscription bearing the Proper Name of the Lord (cf. Rashi on Exodus XXV 3:30).

פסוק ח:ט · 8:9

Hebrew:

וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הַמִּצְנֶ֖פֶת עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיָּ֨שֶׂם עַֽל־הַמִּצְנֶ֜פֶת אֶל־מ֣וּל פָּנָ֗יו אֵ֣ת צִ֤יץ הַזָּהָב֙ נֵ֣זֶר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃

English:

And he set the headdress on his head; and on the headdress, in front, he put the gold frontlet, the holy diadem—as יהוה had commanded Moses.

Moses sets the headdress (mitznefet) on Aaron's head and affixes the golden frontlet (tzitz) -- called the holy diadem (nezer hakodesh) -- to the front of the headdress. Rashi explains that threads of blue-purple wool (tekhelet) attached the tzitz to the mitznefet so that it hung upon Aaron's forehead. The phrase 'as the Lord had commanded Moses' punctuates the completion of the vestment process.
רש״יRashi
וישם על המצנפת. פְּתִילֵי תְכֵלֶת הַקְּבוּעִים בַּצִּיץ נָתַן עַל הַמִּצְנֶפֶת, נִמְצָא הַצִּיץ תָּלוּי בַּמִּצְנֶפֶת:
וישם על המצנפת UPON THE MITRE … DID HE PUT [THE GOLDEN PLATE] — Threads of blue purple that were: fastened on the Plate he put over the mitre, consequently the Plate hung from the mitre mid would be "against his face" (upon his forehead) as stated here (cf. Rashi on Exodus 28:37).

פסוק ח:י · 8:10

Hebrew:

וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶת־שֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וַיִּמְשַׁ֥ח אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן וְאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־בּ֑וֹ וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹתָֽם׃

English:

Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and all that was in it, thus consecrating them.

Moses takes the anointing oil and anoints the Tabernacle and everything within it, consecrating them for sacred service. Ibn Ezra notes that this anointing actually preceded the anointing of Aaron himself, and the Or HaChaim offers an extended analysis of why the Torah placed this act between Aaron's dressing and his personal anointing, reconciling the order here with the sequence in Parashat Pekudei (Exodus 40).
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ויקח משה את שמן המשחה. טעמו וכבר לקח קודם משיחת אהרן:
AND MOSES TOOK THE ANOINTING OIL. It means that Moses had taken the oil11And anointed the tabernacle and its furniture. before the anointing of Aaron.12Scripture tells of the dressing of Aaron in the priestly vestments in verses 7-9. I.E. assumes that Aaron was anointed as soon as the garments were placed upon him (see Ex. 40:15). The Torah then goes on to tell of the anointing of the tabernacle and its furniture in verses 10-12. It then tells of the dressing of Aaron's sons (v. 13). However, Ex. 40:9-12 tells us that the anointing of the tabernacle took place before the anointing of Aaron. Hence I.E.'s interpretation.
אור החייםOr HaChaim
וימשח את המשכן וגו'. הטעם שהפסיק בין לבישת אהרן למשיחתו במשיחת המשכן וכליו, לצד שמצינו שצוה ה' במשיחת המשכן וכליו קודם למשיחת אהרן כרשום בפרשת פקודי (מ' ט'), ומן הראוי היה להקדים משיחת המשכן גם ללבישת בגדי אהרן כרשום שם, וטעם שלא עשה כן לצד שדקדק מאמר ה' כאן בפרשה זו (פסוק ב') שאמר לו קח את אהרן וגו' ואת שמן המשחה וגו', ואם משיחת המשכן קודמת גם ללבישת בגדי אהרן היה לו לומר קח את שמן המשחה שהוא דבר שיעשה ממנו המצוה הראשונה שהיא משיחת המשכן ואין מקום לטעות מאומרו קח את שמן המשחה ראשונה שימשח אהרן קודם לבישת בגדיו, שהרי כבר אמר והלבשת את אהרן וגו' ומשחת אותו, אלא ודאי שכוונתו הוא להקדים לבישת הבגדים קודם למשיחת המשכן, ומה שהקדים משיחת משכן בפרשת פקודי ללבישת בגדי אהרן ולמשיחתו אינו אלא למשיחתו דוקא, אלא לצד שלא רצה הכתוב להפסיק בין מצות הבגדים למצות המשיחה של אהרן לזה אמר כל דיני אהרן יחד, ולעולם לא תקדים משיחת המשכן וכליו אלא למשיחת אהרן ולא לבגדים כמו שגילה כאן כנזכר:
וימשח את המשכן, He anointed the Tabernacle, etc. Why did the Torah interrupt the report of clothing Aaron in the priestly garments and his being anointed with the report of the Tabernacle being anointed? The reason is presumably that the Torah had reported that Moses was commanded to anoint the Tabernacle before it reported that he had been commanded to anoint Aaron (compare Exodus 40,9). You may argue that it would have been appropriate then for the Torah to report the anointing of the Tabernacle before reporting the dressing of the priests in their garments in order to conform with the order in which the Torah reported the commands as being issued by G'd. The reason Moses did not do so may be found in a detail in verse 2 where G'd had said to Moses: "take Aaron, his sons, the garments, and the oil of anointing." If the anointing of the Tabernacle had been intended to precede the sons of Aaron being dressed in their priestly garments, the Torah should have written as follows: "take the oil of anointing, etc." seeing the Torah wanted the first command to be carried out first. If the Torah had written verse 2 in that order we could not possibly have mistaken its intention. Seeing the Torah first mentioned Aaron, it is clear he was to be anointed first before he was to put on the priestly garments. It was not possible to misinterpret what G'd wanted because the Torah had already said in Exodus 28,41: "dress your brother Aaron and his sons in them and anoint them." It is clear therefore that the Torah intended to have the priests put on the priestly garments prior to anointing the Tabernacle with the oil of anointing. Why is it then that in פרשת פקודי the Torah reported the anointing of the Tabernacle before it reported Aaron being dressed in his priestly garments? We may answer that seeing the Torah did not want to interrupt between the act of Aaron's' getting dressed and being anointed, it wrote all the laws pertaining to Aaron consecutively; this did not mean however, that the anointing of the Tabernacle was to be preceded by anything but the anointment of Aaron himself. This is the point we learn from the sequence of the Torah's report in our chapter.

פסוק ח:יא · 8:11

Hebrew:

וַיַּ֥ז מִמֶּ֛נּוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וַיִּמְשַׁ֨ח אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֜חַ וְאֶת־כׇּל־כֵּלָ֗יו וְאֶת־הַכִּיֹּ֛ר וְאֶת־כַּנּ֖וֹ לְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃

English:

He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, anointing the altar, all its utensils, and the laver with its stand, to consecrate them.

Moses sprinkles anointing oil on the altar seven times, then anoints the altar, all its utensils, and the laver with its stand to consecrate them. Rashi candidly admits that he does not know where Moses received a specific command for these seven sprinklings, a notable moment of interpretive humility from the great commentator.
רש״יRashi
ויז ממנו על המזבח. לֹא יָדַעְתִּי הֵיכָן נִצְטַוָּה בַּהַזָּאוֹת הַלָּלוּ:
ויז ממנו על המזבח AND HE SPRINKLED THEREOF UPON THE ALTAR — I do not know where he was given any command about these sprinklings (cf., however Nachmanides).

פסוק ח:יב · 8:12

Hebrew:

וַיִּצֹק֙ מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ אַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיִּמְשַׁ֥ח אֹת֖וֹ לְקַדְּשֽׁוֹ׃

English:

He poured some of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him.

Moses pours the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, consecrating him as the High Priest (Kohen Gadol). Rashi, based on Keritot 5b and Horayot 12a, describes the two-step process: first the oil was poured upon Aaron's head, then a drop was placed between his eyebrows and drawn with a finger from one side to the other, forming the shape of the Greek letter chi (resembling the Hebrew letter kaf).
רש״יRashi
ויצק, וימשח. בַּתְּחִלָּה יוֹצֵק עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹתֵן בֵּין רִיסֵי עֵינָיו וּמוֹשֵׁךְ בְּאֶצְבָּעוֹ מִזֶּה לָזֶה (הוריות י"ב):
וימשח … ‎‏ ויצק‎ AND HE POURED [THE ANOINTING OIL UPON AARON'S HEAD] AND ANOINTED |HIM| — First he poured some oil upon his head and afterwards he put a drop between his eyebrows, and he drew the oil with his finger from this place to that (this drawing the oil from one place to the other was the anointing here spoken of) (Keritot 5b; Horayot 12a; cf. also Rashi on Exodus 29:7).

פסוק ח:יג · 8:13

Hebrew:

וַיַּקְרֵ֨ב מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁ֤ם כֻּתֳּנֹת֙ וַיַּחְגֹּ֤ר אֹתָם֙ אַבְנֵ֔ט וַיַּחֲבֹ֥שׁ לָהֶ֖ם מִגְבָּע֑וֹת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃

English:

Moses then brought Aaron’s sons forward, clothed them in tunics, girded them with sashes, and wound turbans upon them, as יהוה had commanded Moses.

Moses brings Aaron's sons forward and dresses them in their priestly garments: tunics, sashes, and turbans (migba'ot). Their vestments are simpler than Aaron's eight garments, reflecting the distinction between the High Priest and the ordinary priests. Ibn Ezra explains that the Torah mentions Moses bringing the sons forward again because the narrative had digressed to discuss Aaron's investiture and the anointing of the Tabernacle.
רש״יRashi
ויחבש. לְשׁוֹן קְשִׁירָה:
ויחבש — This is a term meaning binding.
אבן עזראIbn Ezra
ויקרב משה את בני אהרן. פעם שנית בעבור שארכו הדברים או טעמו כאשר הקריב משה את בני אהרן הלבישם כתנות. ומלת וילבישם יוצאה לשנים פועלים:
AND MOSES BROUGHT AARON'S SONS. Scripture notes this a second time13After stating this in verse 6. because it speaks at length.14About other things. In other words, after stating in verse 6 that Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the laver, Scripture drops Aaron's sons and goes on to speak of Aaron and the tabernacle. Hence, now that it goes on to speak of Aaron's sons, it once again mentions that Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the laver and goes on to say what followed then. On the other hand, this means that when Moses brought Aaron's sons he dressed them in tunics.15In other words, va-yakrev here does not mean and brought. Rather it means when he brought. In this case there is no repetition in our verse. The word va-yalbishem (and clothed them) is a verb that governs two actions.16It is a hifil. Moses caused them to be dressed, and they were dressed.

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