Aaron shall wear it while officiating, so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before יהוה and when he goes out—that he may not die.
וְהָיָ֥ה עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לְשָׁרֵ֑ת וְנִשְׁמַ֣ע ק֠וֹל֠וֹ בְּבֹא֨וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֜דֶשׁ לִפְנֵ֧י יהוה וּבְצֵאת֖וֹ וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת׃ {ס}
ולא ימות THAT HE DIE NOT — From what is included in this negative statement you may infer the positive: if he has these garments on him he will not incur death; consequently if he enters the Sanctuary lacking one of these garments he incurs death at the hands of God (cf. Sanhedrin 83).
ולא ימות. מִכְּלַל לָאו אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ הֵן – אִם יִהְיוּ לוֹ לֹא יִתְחַיֵּב מִיתָה, הָא אִם יִכָּנֵס מְחֻסָּר אֶחָד מִן הַבְּגָדִים הַלָּלוּ, חַיָּב מִיתָה בִידֵי שָׁמַיִם (סנהדרין פ"ג):
Rebbi Simon said, just as sacrifices atone, so the garments atone, shirt, trousers, turban, and vest. The shirt was atoning for [wearers of kilaim There are those who want to say,] for spillers of blood, as you are saying, they dipped the shirt in blood. The trousers were atoning for uncovering nakedness, as you are saying, make for them linen trousers to cover the fleshof nakedness. The turban was atoning for haughtiness, as you are saying, he put the turban on his head. The belt was atoning for [thieves; but some are saying, for] the crooked ones. Rebbi Levi said, it was 32 cubits and he wound it around on both sides. The breast plate was atoning for those who bend the law, as you are saying, you shall make a breast-plate of judgment. The vest was atoning for idol worshippers, as you are saying, without vest and household-gods. The coat. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Jonathan of Bet-Guvrin: For two things there was no atonement but the Torah established atonement for them. These are those: one who spreads slander, and the involuntary homicide. For him who spreads slander there was no atonement, but the Torah fixed atonement for them, the bells of the coat: it shall be on Aaron in service, and its sound be heard. The sound may come to atone for the sound. For the involuntary manslaughter there was no atonement but the Torah established atonement for them, the death of the High Priest. He shall dwell there until the High Priest’s death
אָמַר רִבִּי סִימוֹן. כְּשֵׁם שָׁהַקָּרְבָּנוֹת מְכַפְּרִין כָּךְ הַבְּגָדִים מְכַפְּרִין. בִּכְתוֹנֶת וּמִכְנָסַיִם מִצְנֶפֶת וְאַבְנֵט. כְּתוֹנֶת הָיְתָה מְכַפֶּרֶת [לוֹבְשֵׁי כִלְאַיִם. אִית דְּבָעֵי מֵימַר.] עַל שׁוֹפְכֵי דָמִים. כְּמָה דַאַתְּ אָמַר וַיִּטְבְּלוּ אֶת הַכֻּתּוֹנֶת בַּדָּם. מִכְנָסַיִים הָיָה מְכַפֵּר עַל גִּילּוּי עֲרָיוֹת. כְּמָה דַאַתְּ אָמַר וַעֲשֵׂה לָהֶם מִכְנְסֵי בָד לְכַסּוֹת בְּשַׂר עֶרְוָה. מִצְנֶפֶת הָיְתָה מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל גַּסֵּי הָרוּחַ. כְּמָה דַאַתְּ אָמַר וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַמִּצְנֶפֶת עַל רֹאשׁוֹ. אַבְנֵט הָיָה מְכַפֵּר עַל [הַגַּנָּבִים. וְאִית דְּבָעֵי מֵימַר עַל] הָעוֹקְמָנִים. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי. שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם אַמָּה הָיָה בוֹ וְהָיָה מְעַקְּמוֹ לְכָאן וּלְכָאן. חוֹשֶׁן הָיָה מְכַפֵּר עַל מַטֵּי הַדִּין. כְּמָה דַאַתְּ אָמַר וְעָשִׂיתָ חוֹשֶׁן מִשְׁפָּט. אֵפוֹד הָיָה מְכַפֵּר עַל עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. כְּמָה דַאַתְּ אָמַר אֵין אֵפוֹד וּתְרָפִים. מְעִיל. רִבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹנָתָן דְּבֵית גּוּבְרִין. שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים לֹא הָיְתָה בָהֶן כַּפָּרָה. וְקָבְעָה לָהֶן הַתּוֹרָה כַפָּרָה. וְאֵילּוּ הֵן. הָאוֹמֵר לְשׁוֹן הָרַע. וְהַהוֹרֵג נֶפֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה. הָאוֹמֵר לְשׁוֹן הָרַע לֹא הָיְתָה לֹו כַּפָּרָה וְקָבְעָה לֹו הַתּוֹרָה כַפָּרָה זוֹגֵי הַמָּעִיל. וְהָיָה עַל אַהֲרֹן לְשָׁרֵת וְנִשְׁמַע קוֹלוֹ. יְבֹא קוֹל וְיכַפֵּר עַל קוֹל. הַהוֹרֵג נֶפֶשׁ לֹא הָיְתָה לֹו כַּפָּרָה. וְקָבְעָה לֹו הַתּוֹרָה כַפָּרָה מִיתַת כֹּהֶן גָּדוֹל. וְיָשַׁב בָּהּ עַד מוֹת הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל.
If one steals the sacred vessel called a “kasvah” (Numbers 4:7), or cursed by the name of an idol, or has sexual relations with an Aramean (non-Jewish) woman, he is punished by zealots. If a priest performed the temple service while impure, his fellow priests do not bring him to the court, but rather the young priests take him out into the courtyard and split his skull with clubs. A layman who performed the service in the Temple: Rabbi Akiva says: “He is strangled.” But the Sages say: “[His death is] at the hands of heaven.”
הַגּוֹנֵב אֶת הַקַּסְוָה וְהַמְקַלֵּל בַּקּוֹסֵם וְהַבּוֹעֵל אֲרַמִּית, קַנָּאִין פּוֹגְעִין בּוֹ. כֹּהֵן שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ בְּטֻמְאָה, אֵין אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים מְבִיאִין אוֹתוֹ לְבֵית דִּין, אֶלָּא פִרְחֵי כְהֻנָּה מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתוֹ חוּץ לָעֲזָרָה וּמַפְצִיעִין אֶת מֹחוֹ בִּגְזִירִין. זָר שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, בְּחֶנֶק. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, בִּידֵי שָׁמָיִם:
§ In order to discuss the matter itself, the Gemara cites the Tosefta: And these are they who are liable to receive death at the hand of Heaven: One who partakes of untithed produce, and a ritually impure priest who partook of ritually pure teruma, and a non-priest who partook of teruma, and a non-priest who performed the Temple service, and a ritually impure priest who performed the Temple service, and a priest who was ritually impure who immersed that day and is waiting for nightfall for the purification process to be completed, who performed the Temple service, and a priest lacking the requisite priestly vestments, and a priest who has not yet brought an atonement offering to complete his purification process as a leper or zav, and a priest who did not wash his hands and feet before beginning the Temple service; and priests who performed the Temple service while intoxicated with wine, and priests who performed the Temple service with overgrown hair on their heads.
גּוּפָא: וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁבְּמִיתָה – הָאוֹכֵל אֶת הַטֶּבֶל, וְכֹהֵן טָמֵא שֶׁאָכַל תְּרוּמָה טְהוֹרָה, וְזָר שֶׁאָכַל אֶת הַתְּרוּמָה, וְזָר שֶׁשִּׁימֵּשׁ, וְטָמֵא שֶׁשִּׁימֵּשׁ, וּטְבוּל יוֹם שֶׁשִּׁימֵּשׁ, וּמְחוּסַּר בְּגָדִים, וּמְחוּסַּר כַּפָּרָה, וְשֶׁלֹּא רָחַץ יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם, וּשְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן, וּפְרוּעֵי רֹאשׁ.
The baraita continues: And the punishment for a priest who is lacking the requisite priestly vestments and who performed the Temple service is death at the hand of Heaven. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that this is his punishment? Rabbi Abbahu says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says, and there are those who determined that this halakha is a tradition that was cited in the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon: It is stated: “You shall gird them with a belt, Aaron and his sons, and you shall wrap the headdresses upon them; and they shall have the priesthood as an eternal statute, and you shall inaugurate Aaron and his sons” (Exodus 29:9).
וּמְחוּסַּר בְּגָדִים מְנָלַן? אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, וּמָטוּ בָּהּ מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: ״וְחָגַרְתָּ אֹתָם אַבְנֵט״.
§ The mishna teaches that a priest lacking the requisite priestly vestments disqualifies the rites he performs. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive this? Rabbi Avuh says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says, and some determined it to be stated in the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon: As the verse states: “And you shall gird them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind mitres on them; and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute” (Exodus 29:9). The verse indicates that when their vestments are on them, their priesthood is upon them, but if their vestments are not on them, their priesthood is not upon them and their rites are disqualified.
מְחוּסַּר בְּגָדִים מְנָלַן? אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבוּהּ אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, וּמָטוּ בָּהּ מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, דְּאָמַר קְרָא: ״וְחָגַרְתָּ אוֹתָם אַבְנֵט אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו, וְחָבַשְׁתָּ לָהֶם מִגְבָּעֹת, וְהָיְתָה לָהֶם כְּהֻנָּה לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם״ – בִּזְמַן שֶׁבִּגְדֵיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם, כְּהוּנָּתָם עֲלֵיהֶם; אֵין בִּגְדֵיהֶם עֲלֵיהֶם, אֵין כְּהוּנָּתָם עֲלֵיהֶם.