The Color Purple

וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָהַב אֶת־יוֹסֵף מִכל־בָּנָיו כִּי־בֶן־זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ וְעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים׃

​

Now Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons—he was his “child of old age”; and he had made him an ornamented tunic.

​

On this passage the Midrash Tanchuma states: 

​

וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר בְּיוֹסֵף, וַיִּרְאוּ אֶחָיו כִּי אֹתוֹ אָהַב אֲבִיהֶם, עַל יְדֵי לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל אַרְגָּמָן שֶׁעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים,. 

And when his brethren saw that his father loved him … they hated him (Gen. 37:4). It was because of the cloak he had made for him out of (royal) purple wool.

​

And when his brethren saw that his father loved him … they hated him (Gen. 37:4). It was because of the cloak he had made for him out of (royal) purple wool. 

Purple is a color that represents royalty. Purple is the seventh color on the rainbow spectrum. That seventh position is connected to the seventh and last sefirah that represents kingship, Malchut. Yaakov had seen that Yosef would rule over his brothers.

The tailoring of the מעיל (robe) and other clothing of the Kohen Gadol at times consisted of 4 strands. 3 woolen and one made of linen. The three strands were colored red, blue and purple respectively. The linen string was white.

Each one of these strands represents the three crowns (Avot 4:13). The crowns of Torah, Kingship and the priesthood. 

Blue Represents the crown of torah as the color of wisdom. Blue is the color of the  covering on top of the ark of the covenant that contained the tablets.

Purple Represents the Kingship as seen as the color of the cloak given to Yosef

Red Originally the first born were  the ones chosen to serve in the Mikdash, if it was not for the sin of the Golden calf, the service in the Holy Temple would have been performed by the first born. Because of that sin of the Golden Calf , that service transferred to the tribe of Levi. Red is the color that represents the first born. Reuvein, son of Yaakov, his color on the breast plate of the Kohen Gadol and flag in the desert, was red. Zerach, the son of Tamar, had a red string tied around the wrist to represent the first born. 

White the color white represents keter the highest level of the sefirot, removed from our understanding. To us mortals, Hashem existence and ways are removed from our understanding. This string is linen and normally not mixed together with wool, but within the area of the Holy Temple the Kohen is allowed to have this mixture.

Together, these colored strings are embroidered into one bigger string and then threaded together to make the clothing of the Kohen Gadol. Each one strand representing different groups that exemplify greatness. The Kohen, the Scholar of Torah and the King of the nation of Israel, each one fulfilling their potential. Separate strings that come together forming something bigger.

In life, each person has their own potential given by Hashem.  We can actualize our potential and fuze together with those around us. Creating a beautiful tapestry called life.🌟