Riddle: What's the connection between one of the colours mentioned in this week's Parasha and Tzitzit? Techelet
Daniel Lowenstein (Writer)
Are the last 15 chapters of Shemot a Holy IKEA manual?!
Lengths, widths, wool dyes and wood species - why are the details so important?
Four coloured fabrics mandated by Gd to be used in the Mishkan
Why is there a specific fixation on four colours?
1) Techelet - wool dyed blue
2) Argaman - wool dyed purple
3) Tola'at Shani - wool dyed scarlet red
4) Shesh - linen (white)
All four fabrics woven together to make:
- Screen of the gate of the courtyard
- the door of the Ohel Mo'ed
- the parokhet dividing between the Holy and the Holy of Holies
- Most of Kohen Gadol's clothes
Source for the following:
Rabbi Yitzchak Levi
Lectures 102+103: The Colors in the Mishkan - VBM
https://www.etzion.org.il/en/lecture-102-colors-mishkan
https://www.etzion.org.il/en/lecture-103-colors-mishkan-part-ii
Rav Hirsch
Relationship between White Linen (flax) and Scarlet, Purple and Blue wool
Flax symbolizes the plant dimension of man, nutrition and reproduction with all the passions and lusts that are connected to them, and the actions that bring pleasure to the body…
The garments that were used in the Temple were also divided according to color…
Thus, the color of the linen symbolized plant life in particular, and the wool that appeared in three different colors symbolized the fleshly life
The thread of linen was white. The garments made of linen were called "the white garments" (Yoma 9a).
The color white describes in all places, according to human understanding, purity, as it is written: "Let your garments be always white" (Kohelet 9:8).
This color symbolizes both physical and moral purity
Lowest level:
Linen/Flax - vegetable
Next level is Scarlet and then Purple
Both of these are reds, and so these are merely two shades of the same level.
Both are wool, and the color of both shades is derived from a living creature…
Having seen that linen symbolizes the vegetative dimension, we can now say that the shades of wool symbolize the life of that which has an animated spirit.
Argaman - Purple
Purple (argaman) is mentioned only in connection with the mitzva of building the Mikdash, the priestly garments, the various screens, and the cover of the burnt-offering altar.
Chazal and modern historical scholarship concur that argaman is a dark red, the shade of blood – what we have termed purple.
Tola'at Shani - refers to fabrics, materials, or thread dyed red – shani.
Since argaman and tola'at shani are two shades of red, we must define the precise shade of each.
Red refers to health and physical perfection - like Esau
(25) The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau.
Red also symbolises blood which is the force of life
Accordingly, wool symbolizes the fleshly-beastly dimension of human life, and when the wool is red, it symbolizes healthy and animated life.
This life is at two levels - scarlet and purple
Scarlet is the baseness of man - like Adam - Dam - blood
Purple is a higher form, a richer form of red, so it has a higher status
Techelet - Blue
Rav Samson Rephael Hirsch (and others):
Blue is the fundamental color of the Mikdash and of the High Priest's garments
Blue symbolizes heaven and that which Israel received from heaven.
As Chazal said: "How is blue different from all the colors?
Because blue resembles the sea, and the sea resembles heaven, and heaven resembles the Throne of Glory
(26) Above the expanse over their heads was the semblance of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and on top, upon this semblance of a throne, there was the semblance of a human form.
(10) and they saw the God of Israel: under His feet there was the likeness of a pavement of sapphire, like the very sky for purity.
According to Many Rabbis and R. Hirsch, the blue in many ways symbolizes the presence of heaven on earth, the essence of the entire Tabernacle and Temple - God's presence on earth.
Linen, which represents the vegetative dimension.
Scarlet, which represents the animated dimension.
Purple, which represents the human dimension.
Blue, which represents the Divine dimension.
Rav Hirsch explains how the colours represented the relationship between man and Gd and were there to remind the people that they need to aspire to the highest level possible - to model themselves on Gd
Conclusion
The reasons why the details are so important are because of the Tabernacle aspired to be - a home for Gd on earth, but at the same time, was created by humans, to be a model for how people should behave.
This, according to Rav Hirsch, is the significance of the colours used and the materials that have been dyed in those hues.
A cursory glance at the colour scheme used in the fabrics gives an idea of why, perhaps Gd was so specific in his instructions as to which colours should be used in the materials. Combining the colours and materials maybe symbolised the intricate nature that comprises humankind.
We could choose to be white, or red, or purple or blue – but to be fully rounded individuals, we need to be a combination of all four colours and fibres.
Perhaps, that is why Gd was so specific in his instructions. The Mishkan, the house of Gd – the prototype for the Temple and our Synagogue is a representation of what we can aspire to be.
It behoves us to live up to this ideal.
Shabbat Shalom