Holy Inclusivity

A gentile once walked past a synagogue as the congregation read this week’s parsha describing the beautiful uniform the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) wore while serving in the Holy Temple. Impressed with the beauty of those glorious vestments, he decided to become Jewish and do whatever it takes to become a Kohen Gadol.

He approached the great sage Shammai and expressed his desire to convert to Judaism to achieve the rank of Kohen Gadol and was understandably rejected. Not to be dissuaded easily, the fellow approached the sage Hillel with the same request. Hillel agreed on condition he would first study the Holy Temple service laws thoroughly before embarking on such a life changing journey.

While studying the relevant chapters in the Torah the gentile noticed the warning “a stranger who performs the service shall die.” He asked Hillel about the definition of “stranger” in the context of the Holy Temple service. “I am a stranger,” said Hillel. “Like most Jews not descended from the Priestly lineage of Aaaron Kohen Gadol.” He got the message and converted to Judaism without conditions.

Although the privilege of performing the Holy Temple service was exclusive to a certain family, they represented every single Jew in their holy work. Here is an interesting example of how this inclusivity played out in the most exclusive element of the service.

While all the Kohanim wore the same white uniform of four garments, only the Kohen Gadol wore an extra pair of four exquisite garments which included a beautiful robe of blue wool. On its bottom hem there were pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and golden bells. Everything about the uniform was extremely important but few details got the same attention as the noisy bells. Here’s what the Torah says about them: “It shall be on Aaron when he performs the service, and its sound shall be heard when he enters the Holy before the L-rd and when he leaves, so that he will not die.”

What do these noisy bells represent that makes them so crucial to the service, to the point that failure to wear them deserves a direct warning of the death penalty?

There are two types of Jews: those who struggle with Judaism and those who take to it naturally. The naturally pious types approach their divine service with calm, serene silence, impervious to the distractions of the world around them, while those who wrestle with the highs and lows of living Jewishly in a spiritually hostile world typically generate much noise in their battle for religious clarity.

That’s why these noisy bells were so crucial. The holiest Jew could not serve G-d in the holiest place on earth without representing every segment of our nation - even the noisiest strugglers. Because we can only achieve our loftiest goals as a community if we have everyone on board.