3,919. The Kohein Gadol

Hilchos Klei HaMikdash 4:11

The leader of each watch divides his staff into families so that the kohanim of each family serve on a given day of the week, one after another. Each family has a leader appointed over it.

Hilchos Klei HaMikdash 4:12

The Kohein Gadol is appointed over all the kohanim. He is anointed with the special anointing oil that we discussed earlier and dressed in the uniform of the Kohein Gadol. This is as per Leviticus 21:10: “The kohein who was elevated over his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil was poured....” If there’s no anointing oil (as was the case in the second Temple), he is installed only by wearing the uniform of the Kohein Gadol. This is as per the aforementioned verse: “...on whose head the anointing oil was poured and whose hand was filled to wear the garments.” We see that just as the Kohein Gadol can be installed with the anointing oil, the same is true of wearing the garments of the Kohein Gadol.