Ring Before You Enter

Rav Azriel Rosner (arosner@tiferetcenter.com)

Parashat Tetzave

Parashat Tzetzave describes the eight begadim of the Kohen Gadol, which he would wear when performing the avoda in the Beit Hamikdash. One of these eight is the me'il, a long garment which had a row of bells around the bottom hem. The pasuk says about these bells (פרק כ"ח פסוק ל"ה ):

"ונשמע קולו בבאו אל הקדש לפני ה' ובצאתו ולא ימות"

"And his sound will be heard when he comes into the Holy before G-d, and when leaves, and he will not die."

It is clear from the pasuk that if the Kohen Gadol did not wear these bells, then he might be killed when entering the Beit Hamikdash. Why? What is so critical about these bells?

Rabbeinu Bechayei compares this situation to the story in Megillat Esther, when Esther is nervous about entering Achashverosh's throne room without permission. Esther understood that entering the king's chamber without permission would have been a sign of disrespect to the king, treating the king as one's equal, and the king's chamber like any other location. She ultimately overcame this natural hesitation, but the danger in her act was still there.

The same idea is stressed by the bells around the me'il. It was vital for the Kohen Gadol to understand that entering the Beit Hamikdash was not a casual event, but an awe-inspiring one. The Kohen Gadol was privileged to have such regular access to this holy place, and he had to guard himself from entering without the requisite seriousness.

This should certainly teach us a lesson about how we treat out Batei Kneset and Batei Midrash. Even though we want to be in places of Torah and Tefilla as often as possible, we have to guard ourselves about feeling too "at home" there. A sense of respect for a "mikdash m'at" is definitely called for.

Perhaps we can take this a step further and use this idea to explain a halacha from the gemara in Nidah, daf 16a. The gemara there teaches that even when one enters one's own home, he or she should knock first. Why?


Rashi explains that this is because of "milei d'tzniuta" – private matters that we don't want to walk in on. And definitely we should have a sense of tzniut, even in our own homes, with our own families.

But maybe we can explain otherwise by noting that a Jewish home is also a "makom kadosh." In the gemara in Sota, daf 17a, Rabbi Akiva writes, "איש ואשתו זכו – שכינה ביניהם" , if a man and a woman merit, the Divine Presence is with them. With the proper intent and behavior, we can make our homes into a "mikdash me'at" as well. And just like the Beit Hamikdash, we should "ring first" before entering.

May this week's parsha inspire us to bring the Shechina into all of our homes and lives!