ויקרא, פרק ח׳, פסוק ג׳

The consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood was not a private ceremony but a highly public, national event. Gathering the people together served to firmly establish the status of the priests and publicly show their divine selection. Although the Tabernacle was only officially and permanently set up on the eighth day of the dedication, the gathering was possible because during the preceding seven days, Moses would erect the structure each morning to offer sacrifices and dismantle it each evening [פענח רזא, בכור שור]. The designated meeting place was the courtyard area located just in front of the sanctuary [ביאור יש״ר].

Regarding who attended and how they fit into this specific location, commentators offer different perspectives. The primary approach among commentators is that the entire nation of Israel was present, as the call to gather was directed at the whole public [מלבי״ם, פירושי רד״צ הופמן]. This interpretation naturally raises a practical question of how hundreds of thousands of men could fit into such a confined area. To resolve this, it is explained that God performed a miracle; just as He stretched out the heavens and will expand physical space in the future for the resurrection of the dead, He expanded the courtyard so that a small area could hold a massive crowd [רא״ש, רש״י, ביאור יש״ר, פרדס יוסף, ברכת אשר על התורה].

In contrast, other commentators reject the necessity of a miracle, suggesting that the gathering consisted only of the tribal leaders and elders rather than the general masses [שד״ל, אבן עזרא, תורה תמימה על התורה]. In this view, a representative portion of the people stood in for the entire nation [פרדס יוסף]. There is also a practical legal reason for the elders' presence: appointing a High Priest requires the attendance of a high court of seventy-one judges, a role fulfilled by the gathered elders [תורה תמימה על התורה, מלבי״ם, פירושי רד״צ הופמן].

Regardless of the exact attendance, commentators agree that the primary goal of the gathering was to inspire deep respect for the priesthood and to sanctify their new role [תורה תמימה על התורה, חזקוני, אדרת אליהו, פענח רזא]. Simply observing the festive ceremony showed the Israelites that God Himself had chosen Aaron to wear the holy garments. This established the priests as God's messengers to the people, and the people's messengers to God [חומת אנך, ברכת אשר על התורה, ביאור שטיינזלץ, פירושי רד״צ הופמן]. Furthermore, the gathering held a profound educational purpose. During the ceremony, Moses performed certain actions that differed from the original written instructions. By watching Moses act upon verbal instructions he received directly from God, the people learned to recognize the truth and authority of the oral tradition [העמק דבר].