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Okay, let's break down this sicha (talk) by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The Rebbe is delving into a comment by Rashi, the foundational commentator on the Torah, regarding the High Priest's service on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). The goal is to understand the depth of Rashi's seemingly simple words and derive a meaningful life lesson. **1. The Context: Yom Kippur and the High Priest's Garments** * **The Setting:** The sicha begins by quoting a verse from the Torah portion *Acharei Mos* (Leviticus 16:3-4). This portion describes the unique and awesome service performed by the *Kohen Gadol* (High Priest) on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. A central part of this service was entering the *Kodesh HaKodashim* (Holy of Holies), the innermost chamber of the Temple, a place normally off-limits to everyone, even the High Priest himself, except on this one day. * **The Verse:** The Torah states that when the High Priest, Aharon (or his successors), enters this sacred space, he must wear specific garments: "He shall wear a holy linen tunic..." (`כתונת בד קודש ילבש`). The verse goes on to list four specific garments, all made of simple white linen (`בד` - *bad*). * **Background - Priestly Garments:** Usually, the High Priest wore a magnificent set of eight garments, some of which included gold and vibrantly colored threads. These were called garments "for honor and glory" (`לכבוד ולתפארת`). An ordinary priest (*Kohen Hedyot*) wore only four simpler garments, made primarily of linen. **2. Rashi's Comment and the Initial Question** * **Rashi's Explanation:** Rashi comments on the words "a holy linen tunic..." (`כתונת בד`). He explains: > "This teaches (`מגיד` - *maggid*) that he does not serve inside (`לפנים` - *lifnim*, referring to the Holy of Holies) in the eight garments he wears outside (`בחוץ` - *bachutz*), which contain gold, because an accuser cannot act as a defender. Rather, [he serves] in four [garments] like an ordinary priest, and they are all of linen (`בוץ` - *botz*, another word for linen)." * **What Rashi is Saying:** Rashi clarifies that on Yom Kippur, for the special service inside the Holy of Holies, the High Priest swaps his usual glorious eight golden garments for a simpler set of four linen garments. * **The Reason:** The reason given is profound: "An accuser cannot act as a defender" (`אין קטיגור נעשה סניגור`). Gold, Rashi implies (based on Talmudic sources, Rosh Hashanah 26a), is reminiscent of the sin of the Golden Calf. Since the High Priest is entering the holiest place on the holiest day to seek atonement (acting as a "defender" or advocate) for the Jewish people, it would be inappropriate to wear something that recalls a major past sin (an "accuser"). * **The Rebbe's First Point (Implicit Question in Rashi):** The Rebbe notes that Rashi isn't just stating a fact. Rashi seems to be answering a question: Why is the Torah telling us *here* about wearing priestly garments? We already learned about the obligation for priests to wear special garments during their service back in the Torah portion *Tetzaveh* (Exodus 28). What's new? * **Rashi's Answer (According to the Rebbe's Initial Understanding):** Rashi is explaining the *difference* for this specific Yom Kippur service. The point isn't *that* he wears garments, but *which* garments. It's *only* these four linen ones, *not* the usual eight golden ones he wears outside, even on Yom Kippur for other parts of the service. **3. The Rebbe's Deeper Questions about Rashi's Language** Now, the Rebbe probes Rashi's specific word choices, sensing there's more to understand: * **Question 1: Why "Maggid" (`מגיד`)?** Rashi usually uses the word `מגיד` ("This teaches" or "It indicates") when the verse *implies* something not explicitly written. But here, the verse *explicitly lists* only the four linen garments. It seems plain! Why does Rashi need to say the verse *teaches* us he wears only these four, isn't that obvious from the text itself? * **Question 2: Why "Like an Ordinary Priest" (`ככהן הדיוט`)?** * The verse lists four garments. We can count them. Why does Rashi need to tell us it's four? * We already know from *Tetzaveh* that an ordinary priest wears four garments. What does comparing the High Priest to an ordinary priest add to our understanding here? What's the relevance? * **Question 3: Why "And they are all of linen" (`וכולן של בוץ`)?** The verse explicitly states each of the four garments is made of linen (`בד`). What is Rashi adding by saying "and they are all of linen"? It seems redundant. **4. A Potential (But Ultimately Incomplete) Explanation** The Rebbe explores a possible way to understand Rashi: * **A Possible Misinterpretation Rashi Might Be Preventing:** Someone might think: The High Priest normally wears eight garments "for honor and glory." Entering the Holy of Holies is the pinnacle of holiness! Surely, he should wear *all eight* garments for maximum glory, perhaps even more so than usual! Maybe the verse *only lists* the four linen garments because *those specific four* undergo a *change* for Yom Kippur – normally they might be made of fancy, multi-ply linen (`שש משזר` - *shesh mushzar*), but on Yom Kippur they must be simple, single-ply linen (`בד`). Perhaps the verse is just detailing this change in the four linen garments, *without* meaning he *doesn't* wear the other four golden ones. * **Rashi's Role (in this theory):** Rashi uses `מגיד` to counter this potential misunderstanding. He teaches us, *no*, the verse isn't just about a change in *material* for the four linen garments while implying he still wears the gold ones. The verse's core message is that he does *not* serve inside ("lifnim") with the usual eight, but *only* with the four, "like an ordinary priest." **5. Critiquing the Potential Explanation** The Rebbe finds this potential explanation lacking: * The use of `מגיד` still feels slightly off. Even in this scenario, Rashi is primarily clarifying the *plain meaning* against a possible (though perhaps less likely) misreading, not revealing something hidden *beyond* the explicit text. * More significantly, Rashi's ending, "and they are all of linen" (`וכולן של בוץ`), seems to *emphasize the nature* of the four garments (being linen). This emphasis would actually *support* the rejected interpretation (that the change in *material* is the focus), undermining the idea that Rashi's main point is the *number* of garments (four, not eight). **6. The Rebbe's Core Explanation: The Significance of Placement** The Rebbe offers a more satisfying explanation, focusing on *why this verse appears where it does*: * **The Real Question Rashi Addresses:** Why does the verse about the linen garments (Lev. 16:4) appear immediately *after* the verse specifying the sacrifices Aharon must bring to enter: "With this (`בזאת`) Aharon shall enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin-offering and a ram for a burnt-offering" (Lev. 16:3)? * **The Potential Misunderstanding Caused by Placement:** Reading these verses sequentially, one might naturally assume the four linen garments are *specifically* for offering *these two sacrifices* (the bull and the ram) mentioned right before. * **The Problem with that Assumption:** Later verses in the chapter clarify: 1. The ram offering (`עולתו`) is actually brought later, and the High Priest changes *back* into his regular ("golden") garments for it ("and he shall put on his garments" - v. 24, which Rashi interprets as the eight garments). 2. Other crucial parts of the Yom Kippur service performed *inside* (or for the purpose of the inside service), like sprinkling the blood of the communal goat offerings and burning the incense, which are mentioned *after* our verse about linen garments, are also done wearing the four linen garments. * **Rashi's Solution:** This is what Rashi clarifies with `מגיד`. Despite the verse's placement right after the bull and ram are mentioned, its message is broader. "This teaches (`מגיד`) that he does not serve inside (`לפנים`) in the eight garments he wears outside (`בחוץ`)." The rule isn't tied *only* to the bull mentioned just before. It's a general rule for *any service performed "inside"*. * The ram offering? That's ultimately offered "outside" (`בחוץ`), so it's done in the eight garments. * The goat's blood, the incense? Those relate to the service "inside" (`לפנים`), so they require the four linen garments. * **The Significance of Placement Explained:** The Torah places the verse about the garments immediately after "With *this* (`בזאת`) Aharon shall enter the Holy Place" to teach us something fundamental. The requirement for the four linen garments isn't tied to the *specific sacrifices* of the day, nor even just to the *day* itself. It's tied to the act of *entering the Holy Place* – the service "inside" (`לפנים`). The unique sanctity of the *inner sanctum* demands these specific garments. The service "inside" cannot be done with the garments used "outside" (which, in this context, primarily means the golden garments, whether worn year-round or for the "outside" portions of the Yom Kippur service). **7. Why is Gold Permitted "Outside" on Yom Kippur?** This understanding helps resolve another potential question that Rashi doesn't explicitly ask but his commentary implicitly addresses: * **The Question:** If gold is an "accuser," reminding G-d of the Golden Calf, why is the High Priest allowed to wear his golden garments *at all* on Yom Kippur, even for the services performed "outside" the Holy of Holies? Shouldn't the entire day, the Day of Atonement, be free of any hint of accusation? * **The Rebbe's Answer (based on Rashi):** The Torah structure provides the answer. By placing the discussion of the garments immediately after "With *this* Aharon shall enter the Holy Place...", the Torah emphasizes that the *core* of Yom Kippur's unique power and atonement stems from this entry into the innermost sanctity (`לפנים`). The various services and sacrifices ("with *this*...") are necessary prerequisites and components, but the focal point is the entry. Therefore, the special precaution against the "accuser" (gold) is most critical specifically *there*, in the place where the ultimate atonement is achieved – "inside." **8. Addressing the Issue of Diminished Glory ("Like an Ordinary Priest")** Now the Rebbe returns to the questions about Rashi's specific phrases, showing how they fit this understanding: * **The Problem:** If the only reason for wearing the four linen garments is the *negative* reason of avoiding gold ("accuser cannot be defender"), doesn't this diminish the High Priest's status on this holiest day? The Torah emphasizes the "honor and glory" of his garments, even stating that serving without the proper garments is a capital offense! How can we justify *removing* four of his garments simply because of this restriction? It sounds like he is "lacking garments" (`מחוסר בגדים`). This problem is especially sharp because Rashi presents it as a *prohibition* on gold, not as a *positive commandment* to wear a special Yom Kippur set. * **Rashi's Solution ("Like an Ordinary Priest"):** This is precisely why Rashi adds "like an ordinary priest" (`ככהן הדיוט`). The Rebbe explains Rashi's intent: It's *not* that the High Priest is simply wearing an incomplete set (four out of his eight). Rather, for the specific service "inside," he adopts a different status, the status *of* an ordinary priest. And for an ordinary priest, a set of four linen garments is the *complete*, proper, and prescribed attire. He isn't lacking anything; he is fully outfitted for the role he assumes when entering "lifnim." This reframes the situation from one of lack to one of appropriate, complete attire for a specific function. **9. Explaining the Final Phrase ("And They Are All of Linen")** The Rebbe explains the necessity and brilliance of Rashi's final words: * **Rashi's Intent ("And they are all of linen" - `וכולן של בוץ`):** This phrase serves two crucial purposes: 1. **Reinforces the "No Accuser" Point:** It emphasizes that these garments are purely linen, completely devoid of the problematic gold element. 2. **Provides Proof for the "Like an Ordinary Priest" Status:** This is a subtle but powerful point. How does it prove this? * We know from elsewhere in the Torah (Exodus 39:29, in *Parshas Pekudei*) that the High Priest's regular sash/belt (`אַבְנֵט` - *avnet*) was not pure linen; it was a colorful weave including blue, purple, and scarlet wool along with linen. * However, the verse here in *Acharei Mos* explicitly states, "and he shall gird himself with a *linen* sash" (`וּבְאַבְנֵט בַּד יַחְגֹּר`). There's a discrepancy! * The Rebbe explains that Rashi understands (based on a careful reading of the verses describing the making of the garments in *Pekudei*) that while the High Priest's *regular* sash was multicolored, the sashes of the *ordinary priests* (Aharon's sons) were indeed made only of plain linen. * Therefore, when the verse here specifies that *all* the garments worn "lifnim," *including the sash*, must be simple linen (`בד`), it serves as textual proof that the High Priest is not wearing his usual High Priestly sash. He is wearing a set of garments identical to those of an *ordinary priest*. This supports Rashi's assertion that he serves "like an ordinary priest." **10. A Halachic Distinction: Rashi vs. Rambam (Maimonides)** The Rebbe points out that this detailed analysis of Rashi reveals a fundamental difference in *halacha* (Jewish law and perspective) between Rashi and the great codifier Maimonides (the Rambam): * **Rambam's View:** Rambam (Laws of Klei HaMikdash 8:3, Laws of Avodat Yom HaKippurim 1:5) categorizes the priestly garments into *three* distinct sets: 1. Garments of an Ordinary Priest (4 linen items). 2. Golden Garments of the High Priest (8 items, worn year-round and for "outside" service on Yom Kippur). 3. White Garments of the High Priest (4 linen items, worn "inside" on Yom Kippur). For Rambam, the "White Garments" are a unique, *positive* requirement for the *special services of Yom Kippur*. It's a distinct category. * **Rashi's View (as understood by the Rebbe):** Rashi doesn't seem to view the Yom Kippur white garments as a third, distinct category. Instead, it's a consequence of the prohibition: because the High Priest cannot wear gold "inside" (`לפנים`), he defaults to functioning "like an ordinary priest," wearing *their* standard set of four linen garments. The requirement is tied fundamentally to the *place* ("lifnim") and the avoidance of the "accuser," not necessarily a positive definition of special garments for the day's services. * **Implications:** * **Rambam's Challenge:** If the white garments are for the *special services* of the day, why are some special Yom Kippur services (like the ram offerings) performed in the golden garments? * **Rashi's Coherence:** Rashi's view avoids this issue. The white garments are required for service *inside* (or directly facilitating it). Since the ram offering is performed *outside*, it uses the golden garments. This aligns perfectly with Rashi's focus on the *place* ("lifnim") as the determining factor, stemming from the idea that the core atonement happens there. * **Connecting the Dots (Paragraph Yud):** The Rebbe suggests these two points of difference are linked. If you see the white garments as a *positive* requirement (like Rambam), it makes sense to link them to the *special services* of the day. If you see them arising from a *negative* restriction (no gold, like Rashi), it makes sense to link the restriction to the *place* ("lifnim") where gold is inappropriate. **11. The Practical Life Lesson (Hora'ah)** Finally, the Rebbe derives a powerful message for our own spiritual lives (`עבודת ה׳` - service of G-d): * **The Goal:** We all strive for purification and closeness to G-d – "Before Hashem, you shall be purified" (`לִפְנֵי ה׳ תִּטְהָרוּ`). We want this for ourselves and want to help others achieve it, bringing everyone closer to G-d, His Torah, and His Mitzvos. * **The Prerequisite: Entering "Lifnim":** To achieve this deep level of connection and purification, we must first "enter inside" (`לפנים`). This means delving into our own inner selves, our soul's core – our `פנימיות` (*pnimiyus*, inwardness). True transformation and the ability to positively affect others comes from this place of inner truth and connection. * **The Method: Removing the "Golden Garments":** How do we access this inner space? By removing the "golden garments" of "honor and glory." As long as we are preoccupied with our ego, our external image, our status, our accomplishments ("gold"), we cannot truly enter our "inside," our `פנימיות`. These external trappings block the path. * **The Necessary State: Simplicity and Humility:** We need to feel like an "ordinary priest" (`כהן הדיוט`). We need to wear the "white garments" (`בגדי לבן`), which are "all of linen" (`כולן של בוץ`). This symbolizes adopting a state of simplicity, purity, and humility. It means setting aside the ego, the need for recognition, the attachment to external honors. * **The Result:** It is precisely this state of inner focus, simplicity, and humility that makes us worthy to "enter inside." And from that inner connection, we can achieve true atonement and purification (`כפרה וטהרה`), not only for ourselves but also for our families and the entire community ("And he shall atone for himself, for his household, and for the entire congregation of Israel" - Lev. 16:17). **In Summary:** The Rebbe takes a seemingly straightforward comment by Rashi and reveals its intricate depth. By analyzing Rashi's precise wording and the context of the verses, the Rebbe shows how Rashi is addressing fundamental questions about the Yom Kippur service, highlighting the centrality of entering the Holy of Holies ("lifnim"). This analysis reveals a subtle but significant halachic difference between Rashi and Rambam. Most importantly, the Rebbe extracts a timeless and practical lesson: true spiritual connection and the ability to elevate ourselves and others requires us to shed our ego ("golden garments") and cultivate inner simplicity and humility ("white linen garments"), allowing us to access the deep, transformative power within ("lifnim").