Me'il

The pomegranates and bells on the hem of the High Priest’s robe announces the beauty of a Baal Teshuvah. (Based on Likkutei Sichos vol. 16 Tetzaveh)

It’s obvious that one needs to respect holy items, so what deeper lesson does the Torah want to teach us when it instructs against tearing the cloak of the High Priest?

How do we reconcile the importance of publicizing good deeds with the Jewish value of modesty?

This class expounds upon the deeper dimension of the me’il; the special robe the Kohen Gadol wears in the Holy Temple.

Beyond life spans a vast stillness. But as long as we live and strive, sound denotes activity, activity denotes movement, and movement denotes a discrepancy between where we are and where we want to be . . .

The two great Torah commentaries of Rashi and Nachmanides debate the arrangement of the bells and pomegranates on the edge of the high priest’s robe. The Rebbe sees this as a discussion on the nature of noise, imperfection and superficiality.

Pomegranates represent those who are at the lowest possible level of observance.