Should the first words of the Torah be understood as “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” or “When God began to create the heaven and the earth”?
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Parashat Tetzaveh describes the bigde kahuna, the sacred garments of the Kohanim and in particular, of Aharon, the High Priest. The significance of clothing is noteworthy. Clothing is so overdetermined with meanings. Often those meanings evoke strong emotions. When a medical practitioner approaches us wearing a white coat, many people become passive. The uniform of a police officer evokes a range of powerful reactions, often depending upon context and ethnicity. Rabbinic or hasidic garb easily identifies a person and often evokes many assumptions, true or unfounded. Similar experiences can be associated with military personnel, and with clergy and practitioners of many world religions. Clothes indicate socio-economic status, profession, and insider-outsider status in a peer-group.