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Why does Aharon as Kohen Gadol require clothing while Moshe served without bigdei kehuna? The shiur develops a fundamental distinction: tzelem reflects God's presence (avodah), requiring kavod through clothing, whereas damus is man's actualized contribution (Torah (תורה)), embodied in the person himself. Aharon represents Adam's tzelem; Moshe represents the damus of Avrohom, each embodying Klal Yisroel differently.
The shiur explores a series of puzzles surrounding the appointment of Aharon as Kohen Gadol in Parshas Tetzaveh. The Midrash states that the Kohen Gadol corresponds to Adam HaRishon in creation, yet Chazal say a gentile who studies Torah (תורה) is "like a Kohen Gadol," and a Jewish talmid chacham is "greater than a Kohen Gadol." How can these statements be reconciled? Furthermore, the halacha (הלכה) is clear: a Kohen Gadol cannot perform the avodah without wearing all eight bigdei kehuna—without them, he is considered a zar (non-Kohen). Yet Moshe Rabbeinu served as Kohen Gadol during the seven days of miluim, and according to some opinions, throughout the forty years in the desert, and the Vilna Gaon holds that Moshe could enter the Kodesh HaKodashim whenever he wished. Where were Moshe's bigdei kehuna? Rabbi Zweig introduces a fundamental yesod distinguishing between tzelem and damus. Tzelem means a shadow or reflection—something that points to a reality elsewhere but is not the reality itself. Damus means a model or miniature—a complete reality on a smaller scale, like a precisely detailed scale model of a car. At creation, Hashem (ה׳) said, "Na'aseh adam b'tzalmenu kidmusenu"—let us make man in our tzelem and our damus. But the pasuk in Bereishis 1 says only, "Vayivra Elokim es ha'adam b'tsalmo"—man was created in His tzelem. The damus is not mentioned until Bereishis 5: "Beyom bara Elokim adam bidmus Elokim asah oso."
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Parshas Tetzaveh - Bigdei Kehuna; Bereishis 1:26-27, 5:1
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