בית המקדש · Beit HaMikdach

Azara

Kohanim in their service garments

בגדי כהונה

Bigdei kehuna

See it in the tour

An ordinary kohen serves in four garments of white linen: the kutonet, the mikhnasayim, the migba'at and the avnet. The kutonet falls to just above the heel and its sleeves to the wrist; the mikhnasayim reach from above the navel to the knee; the migba'at is a strip of linen that the sons of Aharon wind “like a hat”; the avnet, thirty-two amot long, is wound turn over turn at the height of the elbows. The kohen serves barefoot: nothing may come between him and the pavement. The tamid tour dresses its six kohanim this way: at the Kiyor, on the kevesh, at the altar's corner, on the altar and in the Heikhal — each has his own entry.

Dimensions

  • kutonet: to just above the heel; sleeve to the wrist, as wide as the hand
  • mikhnasayim: from above the navel to the knee
  • migba'at: sixteen amot of linen, wound like a hat
  • avnet: three fingers wide, thirty-two amot long, wound turn over turn
  • avnet worn at the height of the elbows
  • linen thread twisted sixfold; only the avnet embroidered with wool
  • barefoot on the pavement
  • the figures: 1.71 to 1.77 m, about 3.6 amot

Sources

  • Exodus 28:40-42“וּמִגְבָּעוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם לְכָבוֹד וּלְתִפְאָרֶת”
  • Exodus 39:29“וְאֶת הָאַבְנֵט שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי מַעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵם”
  • Rambam, Hilchot Klei HaMikdash 8:1-2“וּבָנָיו צוֹנְפִין בָּהּ כְּכוֹבַע”
  • Rambam, Hilchot Klei HaMikdash 8:17-19“אֹרֶךָ הַכֻּתֹּנֶת עַד לְמַעְלָה מִן הֶעָקֵב”
  • Rashi on Exodus 28:7“לֹא לְמַעְלָה מֵאֲצִילֵיהֶם וְלֹא לְמַטָּה מִמָּתְנֵיהֶם”
  • Zevachim 24a“לֹא יְהֵא דָּבָר חוֹצֵץ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין הָרִצְפָּה”
  • Yoma 6a“אַבְנֵטוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל זֶהוּ אַבְנֵטוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט”
  • Rambam, Hilchot Bi'at HaMikdash 5:16“מַנִּיחַ יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית עַל גַּבֵּי רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית וְיָדוֹ הַשְּׂמָאלִית עַל גַּבֵּי רַגְלוֹ הַשְּׂמָאלִית וְשׁוֹחֶה וּמְקַדֵּשׁ”

Project decisionAdopted: an ordinary kohen's avnet is embroidered with wool, like the Kohen Gadol's — Yoma 6a discusses it, and the Rambam rules so (Klei HaMikdash 8:1-2). Tour's choice: the pattern of the embroidery, in stripes of blue-violet, purple and scarlet, which the sources do not describe, the exact shape of the migba'at and the figures' gestures.