"And he shall take off and put on" (Leviticus 6:4). I might understand this as the manner in which the High Priest acts on the Day of Atonement, that he removes the holy garments and puts on ordinary garments. Scripture therefore says "and he shall take off his garments and put on other garments." Scripture likens the garments he puts on to the garments he takes off: just as there they are holy garments, so here they are holy garments. If so, what does "other" teach? That they are lesser than the first ones. Rabbi Eliezer says: "other" and "he shall carry out" teaches concerning blemished priests, that they are fit to carry out the ashes. The master said "other" means lesser than them, as the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: garments in which one cooked a pot for his master, let him not pour a cup for his master in them. Resh Lakish said: as is the dispute concerning the carrying out, so is the dispute concerning the lifting. And Rabbi Yochanan said: the dispute is about the carrying out, but as for the lifting, all agree it is a sacred service. What is Resh Lakish's reasoning? He could say to you: if it should enter your mind that it is a service, is there a service that is valid in two garments only? And Rabbi Yochanan says: the Merciful One revealed it with the tunic and the breeches, and the same applies to the turban and the sash. And what is different about these that are mentioned? "His linen garment" must be according to his measure; "linen breeches," for that which was taught: how do we know that nothing should precede the breeches? Scripture says "and linen breeches he shall wear upon his flesh" (Leviticus 6:3). And Resh Lakish derives "his garment according to his measure" from the very fact that the Merciful One expressed it in the language of "his garment," while "nothing should precede the breeches" he derives from "upon his flesh."
The Priest Changes His Garments Before Carrying Out the Ash
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 483:5
וּפָשַׁט וְלָבַשׁ, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁכֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל עוֹשֶׂה בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, שֶׁפּוֹשֵׁט בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ וְלוֹבֵשׁ בִּגְדֵי חֹל, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "וּפָשַׁט אֶת בְּגָדָיו וְלָבַשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים". מַקִּישׁ בְּגָדִים שֶׁלּוֹבֵשׁ לִבְגָדִים שֶׁפּוֹשֵׁט, מַה לְּהַלָּן בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ אַף כָּאן בִּגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ. אִם כֵּן מַה תַּלְמוּדּ לוֹמַר "אֲחֵרִים", פְּחוּתִין מֵהֶן. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, אֲחֵרִים וְהוֹצִיא, לִמֵּד עַל כֹּהֲנִים בַעֲלֵי מוּמִין שֶׁכְּשֵׁרִין לְהוֹצִיא הַדֶּשֶׁן. אֲמַר מַר אֲחֵרִים, פְּחוּתִין מֵהֶן, כִּדְתָנֵי דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּגָדִים שֶׁבִּשֵׁל בָּהֶן קְדֵרָה לְרַבּוֹ אַל יִמְזֹג בָּהֶן כּוֹס לְרַבּוֹ. אֲמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, כְּמַחֲלֹקֶת בְּהוֹצָאָה כָּךְ מַחֲלֹקֶת בַּהֲרָמָה. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר, מַחֲלֹקֶת בְּהוֹצָאָה, אֲבָל הֲרָמָה דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל עֲבוֹדָה הִיא. מַאי טַעְמָא דְּרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ, אָמַר לְךָ אִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ עֲבוֹדָה הִיא, יֵשׁ לְךָ עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁהִיא כְּשֵׁרָה בִּשְׁנֵי כֵלִים. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן גַּלֵּי רַחֲמָנָא בִּכְתֹנֶת וּמִכְנָסַיִם וְהוּא הַדִּין לְמִצְנֶפֶת וְאַבְנֵט. וּמַאי שְׁנָא הַנֵּי, מִדוֹ בַד כְּמִדָּתוֹ, מִכְנְסֵי בַד, לְכִדְתַנְיָא, מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא דָּבָר קוֹדֵם לְמִכְנָסַיִם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "וּמִכְנְסֵי בַד יִלְבַּשׁ עַל בְּשָׂרוֹ". וְרֵישׁ לָקִישׁ מִדּוֹ כְּמִדָּתוֹ, מִדְּאַפְּקֵיהּ רַחֲמָנָא בִּלְשׁוֹן מִדּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא דָּבָר קוֹדֵם לְמִכְנָסַיִם מֵעַל בְּשָׂרוֹ נָפְקָא.