20. The Symbolism of the Priestly Vestments (The Life of
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symbol implied in the dyed skin), and the rough life of asceticism, for these are the finest flower of the Church's
Tabernacle. For the skins do not by themselves have life, but rather take on a living appearance because of the red dye. So too the grace that flourishes through the Spirit does not arise in men until they have made themselves dead to sin. Whether or not the sacred text symbolizes in the red dye the modesty of chastity, I shall leave to the reader to decide. The texture of hair forms a material that is rough and unpleasant to the touch, and thus it signifies the life of asceticism, which is austere and destroys the passions with which it struggles. In all of these details we may see the life of virginity which conquers the flesh of those who practice it.
Finally, the fact that the interior, which is called the Holy of Holies, is forbidden to the multitude is completely in ac cord with the spiritual meaning of the text. For the ultimate truth of the universe is indeed a holy thing, a Holy of Holies, inaccessible and incomprehensible to the majority. For it dwells in the secret and hidden part of the Tabernacle of mystery. We must not search after a knowledge of things which are beyond our comprehension; rather we must be lieve that what we seek really exists, even though it is not obvious to the eyes of all, but remains hidden in the secret recesses of the spirit.
20. The Symbolism of the Priestly Vestments (The Life of Moses, 388A-392A; ed. Danielou, ii. 189-201)
Instructed in these and like truths by the vision of the tabernacle, the eye of Moses' soul, purified and elevated by this contemplation, rises even further towards the heights of
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spiritual reality. He understands the meaning of the priestly vestments, that is, the tunic, the ephod, the breast-piece shining with the rays of all manner of precious stones, the fillet for the head and the golden plate, the breeches, the pomegranate-shaped tassels, the bells; then over all these are placed the rational and the judgment (and the truth that is reflected in both) and the rings that are attached to these on both sides, together with the inscribed names of the patri archs. Now the very names of these garments should keep the majority from too literal an interpretation. For what sort of garments would be called judgment, rational, and truth? This shows us clearly that the text is not concerned with actual vestments, but rather with the adornment of the soul woven by the exercise of the virtues.
The tunic is to be dyed blue. And some of those who have interpreted this passage before have said that this color repre sents the air.29 Whether or not the color is connected with the color of the sky, I cannot clearly say. I do not however reject it; for it can lead to the other interpretation, which concerns virtue. In this the meaning is that the person who wants to consecrate himself to God must bring his body to the altar and become a living sacrifice, by offering his life in a reasonable service (Rom. 12.1); he must not weigh down his soul with the thick and heavy garment of a sensuous life, but he must make all the actions of his life as thin as a spider's web by the purity of his conduct. Thus reweaving his bodily nature in this way, he will draw nearer to that which is without mass and as light as air. And so on that day when the last trumpet will sound we will be able to re spond to His call without weight or matter, carried high in the air with the Lord, and not dragged down to earth by
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any burden. The man who, with the Psalmist, has made his soul to waste away li\e a spider (Ps. 38.12), has put on this tunic of air. And it extends from head to foot, for the Law does not wish virtue to be foreshortened.
The golden bells alternating with the tassels stand for the brilliance of our good works. Perfect virtue consists indeed of two things, having faith in God and living our lives ac cording to our conscience. Thus the great Paul fastens bells and tassels to the garment of Timothy when he says that he must have faith and a good conscience (1 Tim. 1.19). Faith, then, should sound strong and clear in its preaching of the Trinity; and our lives should imitate the form of the pome granate. For on the outside it is covered with a hard and bitter rind which is inedible; but on the inside the brightness and regularity of its fruit makes it very pleasant to see and even more pleasant to taste. So too the life of wisdom is bitter and difficult and unpleasant to the senses, but full of good expectations when it has produced fruit in due season. For when the gardener opens the pomegranate of our lives in due time and reveals the beauty hidden there, sweet indeed will be the taste of that fruit to those who share in it. The divine Apostle somewhere says: All chastisement for the present indeed seemeth not to bring with it joy, but sorrow
(and so it seems for those who first come in contact with the pomegranate): but afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of justice (Hebr. 12.11), that is, the sweetness of spiritual nourishment.
As for the tunic, the Word commands that it be decorated with tassels. Tassels are round pendant ornaments for no other purpose than decoration. And the lesson here is that perfection is not merely measured by obligation; rather it is
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left up to us to discover what we can do over and above this.
In this way we add further beauty to our garment, just as Paul did, attaching to his fulfilment of the commandments the tassels of his own good works. Thus, the Law com manded that those who serve the altar should live by the altar, and allows those who preach the Gospel to live by this; yet Paul preached the Gospel gratuitously, going hungry, thirsty and naked. These are the fine tassels that lend an extra beauty to the tunic of the commandments.
Next above the tunic are placed two pieces of material that come down from the shoulders and cover the breast and the back, and are attached to the shoulders by two brooches; the brooches are made of stone with the names of the patriarchs inscribed, six and six, on each. The material of these pieces is of different colors: blue is woven with violet, and scarlet dye is mingled with the white linen, and among them all is woven thread of gold, in such wise that the combination of the various colors makes the material shine with remarkable beauty. Now the upper part of the costume rightly symbol izes the inner man, and we are taught by the text that this inner beauty is composed of many different kinds of virtues.
Blue is mingled with violet: that is to say, royal dignity is united with purity of life. Scarlet is mixed with the white linen: because it is only natural that the bright chastity of our lives should be mingled with the red of modesty. The gold that gleams amidst all the other colors symbolizes the treasure that is hidden within such a life. And the names of the patriarchs inscribed upon the brooches are very important for our general adornment: for the example of good men who have gone before add not a little to the beauty of a man's life.
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I4I On top of this ornamental clothing there is put another piece of ornamentation. They are the golden bosses hanging from each shoulder, and supported by them is a square object of gold, into which are set twelve precious stones set in rows; thus there are four rows of three stones each. Of these stones no two are alike, but each one shone with its own brilliance.
This was the way this ornament was made. And its meaning is as follows. The two bosses suspended from the shoulders symbolize the double aspect of our armor against the adver sary. For, as we said earlier, virtue works in two ways, by faith and by a life lived according to one's conscience; in this way we are protected on both sides by the bulwark of the bosses and remain untouched by the darts of the enemy, by the armor of justice on the right hand and on the left (2
Cor. 6.7).
As for the rectangular object suspended from the bosses, on which are inscribed the names of the patriarchs who gave their names to the twelve tribes, this is the veil that protects the heart. By this the text teaches us that the man who has repelled with the two bosses the arrows of the enemy, will adorn his soul with the virtues of the patriarchs, and each stone will shine with its own brilliance on the garment of virtue. The rectangular shape of the rational should represent constancy in good: for figures of this shape are difficult to alter, since they are constituted by equal angles arising from four straight lines.
Now the little chains by which these objects are attached to the arms teach us, I think, that the life of perfection must combine the exercise of speculation with a practical way of life, for the heart is the symbol of speculation, and the arms of action.