Vayak'hel: Chapter 37

"And they made the Head plate"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon opens with: "And they made the plate (tzitz) of the holy crown of pure gold..." 'Tzitz' means 'to peek' and that is because the plate is to be looked at, for the plate reflects immediately the level of righteousness of the person looking at it. In the plate the letters of the Holy Name were engraved; when a righteous person stood before it the light would come from the plate and shine upon his face. The priest would notice this only the first time but not later. The reflection is because the mirror shines on him from above as an indication that God wants him. If a person stands before that plate and his face never shows the holy reflective light, the priest knows that he is an evildoer.

446. He opened and said "And they made the Head plate (Heb. tzitz) of the holy crown of pure gold..." (Shemot 39:30). HE ASKS: Why is it called 'Tzitz' (lit. 'to peep')? AND ANSWERS: IT IS meant to be looked at. And since it is there for men to see, it is called 'tzitz'. And whoever glances at that glint, it is reflected at once on him WHETHER HE IS RIGHTEOUS OR NOT.

446. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת צִיץ נֶזֶר הַקֹּדֶשׁ זָהָב טָהוֹר וְגוֹ'. אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי צִיץ. אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין דַּהֲוָה קַיְּימָא עַל אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, אִקְרֵי צִיץ. וְכָל מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא צִיץ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בֵּיהּ.

447. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS. In the Head plate were the letters of the Holy Name, ornamentally engraved in it. If a righteous man stands before it, the letters engraved in gold would shine in relief and their lights would go from below upward protruding from the engraving, and shine in the face of that person.

447. בַּצִיץ הֲווֹ אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא גְּלִיפָן בְּגִלּוּפָא, וּמְחַקְּקָן בֵּיהּ. וְאִי זַכָּאָה הֲוָה הַהוּא דְּקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ, אִינּוּן אַתְוָון דִּמְחַקְּקָן בֵּיהּ גּוֹ דַּהֲבָא, הֲווֹ בַּלְטִין מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא, וְסַלְּקִין מֵהַהוּא גְּלִיפוּ בִּנְהִירוּ, וַהֲווֹ נָהֲרִין בְּאַנְפִּין דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ.

448. AT ONE TIME, the sparkling would shine in him, and AT ONE TIME it would not. HE EXPLAINS, when the priest looked first at the person, he saw the illuminations of all the letters on his face. But when he looked closely, he would see nothing but the light of his face, TO THE EXTENT of the sparkling coming from gold, shining on him, AND NO MORE. Only the priest understood what he saw at first glance, which he saw for a while, AND THE SAME WITH EVERYONE ELSE. IT IS because the Holy One, blessed be He, favors that man, WHO REGARDS THE HEAD PLATE, and knows that he is destined for the World to Come, as the sight THAT ILLUMINATED WITH THE LETTERS OF THE HEAD PLATE, shines on him from above, to say that the Holy One, blessed be He, is pleased with him. But when they look at him closely, later, TO EXAMINE HIM they would see nothing, since the upper mirror is seen in him only for a while.

448. נָצִיץ נְצִיצוּ בֵּיהּ, וְלָא נֹצְצִין. בְּשַׁעֲתָא קַדְמֵיתָא דְּאִסְתָּכַּל כַּהֲנָא בֵּיהּ, הֲוָה חָמֵי נְהִירוּ דְּאַתְוָון כֻּלְּהוּ בְּאַנְפִּין. וְכַד הֲוָה מִסְתַּכְלָּא לְעַיְינָא בֵּיהּ, לָא הֲוָה חָמֵי מִדִי, אֶלָּא נְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפּוֹי דְּנָהִיר, כְּאִילּוּ נִיצוֹצָא דְּדַהֲבָא הֲוָה נָצִיץ בֵּיהּ, בַּר דְּכַהֲנָא הֲוָה יָדַע חֵיזוּ דְּאִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא קַדְמָאָה, דַּהֲוָה חָמֵי לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא, דְּהָא רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא ב"ה הֲוָה בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא ב"נ, וְיָדַע דְּאִיהוּ זַמִּין לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, בְּגִין דְּחֵיזוּ דָּא נָהֲרִין עָלֵיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה אִתְרְעֵי בֵּיהּ. וְכַד מִסְתַּכְּלִין בֵּיהּ לָא חָמָאן מִדִי, בְּגִין דְּחֵיזוּ דִּלְעֵילָּא לָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא אֶלָּא לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא.

449. And if a person stands before that Head plate and his face does not show, NOT EVEN for a short time, the holy reflective sight, then the priest knows that he is brazen, and in need of atonement and mercy.

449. וְאִי קַיְּימָא ב"נ קַמֵּי הַהוּא צִיץ, וְאַנְפּוֹי לָא אִתְחַזְיָין לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא, חֵיזוּ קַדִּישָׁא. הֲוָה יָדַע כַּהֲנָא דְּהָא אִיהוּ תַּקִּיף מִצְחָא, וּבָעֵי לְכַפְּרָא עָלֵיהּ, וּלְמִבָּעֵי עֲלוֹי רַחֲמִין.

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