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1 And take to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

3 And you shall speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

9 And you shall take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

12 And you shall put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

13 And you shall make ouches[a] of gold;

14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

15 And you shall make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shall you make it.

16 Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

17 And you shall set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

18 And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their enclosings.

21 And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

22 And you shall make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.

23 And you shall make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

24 And you shall put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

25 And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.

26 And you shall make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.

27 And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

28 And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.

30 And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

31 And you shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

32 And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

33 And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goes in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, that he die not.

36 And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness To The Lord.

37 And you shall put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

39 And you shall embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and you shall make the girdle of needlework.

40 And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shall you make for them, for glory and for beauty.

41 And you shall put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

42 And you shall make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

[13a] ornamental fittings, such as those used to set gemstones; such as filigree, ornamental work of fine (typically gold or silver) wire formed into delicate tracery.

h.ואתה הקרב אליך AND THOU TAKE TO THEE after the work of the Tabernacle is finished.

h.לקדשו לכהנו לי TO SANCTIFY HIM, TO APPOINT HIM AS PRIEST TO ME — to sanctify him, i. e. to instal him into the priesthood by means of the garments here specified, so that he may become priest unto Me. The expression of כהונה denotes service — serventrie in old French

h.חשן A BREAST-PLATE — an ornament borne in front of the heart.

h.ואפוד AND AN EPHOD — I have heard no tradition nor have I found in the Boraitha any description of its shape, but my own mind tells me that it was tied on behind him; its breadth was the same as the breadth of a man’s back like a kind of apron which is called pourceint in old French which ladies of rank tie on when they ride on horse-back. Such, as mentioned, was the way in which the lower part was made, as it is said, (II Samuel 6:14) “And David was girded with a linen ephod” — this informs us that the ephod was something tied on the body. It is, however, not possible to say that it consisted of a girdle only, because it is said (Leviticus 8:7) “And he put the ephod upon him”, and afterwards it is stated “and he girded him with the חשב of the ephod” and this Onkelos translated by “the girdle of the ephod.” This, therefore, informs us that the חשב is the girdle and the אפור is the name of the ornamental garment itself. Further, it is not possible to assert that it was on account of the two shoulder-straps that it was called אפוד (i. e. that the term אפוד applies to these two straps and the girdle to which they were attached) for it is said, (v. 27) “the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod” — this tells us that the ephod is a separate name, the shoulderpieces a separate name and the girdle a separate name (i. e. each of these is the name of separate articles). Consequently I say that it is called אפוד in reference to the apron-like garment which hung down and that it was so called because they bedecked him (אופדו) and ornamented him with it, as it is said, (Leviticus 8:7) “And he bedecked (ויאפוד) him with it.” The חשב was the girdle which was on the upper portion of it (the ephod), and the shoulder-pieces were attached to it. Further, my own mind tells me that there is evidence that it was a kind of garment, for Jonathan ben Uzziel translates (II Samuel 6:14) “And David was girded with a linen ephod” by “a linen כרדוט” and exactly similarly does he translate מעילים, “robes”, by כרדוטין in the story of Tamar, Absolom’s sister, (II Samuel 13:18) “For with such robes (מעילים) were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled”.

h.מעיל — This was a kind of shirt and so, too, the כתונת, except that the כתונת was worn immediately on the body and מעיל is a term for the outer shirt.

h.תשבץ A QUILTED [INNER GARMENT] — made with משבצות as ornaments. These משבצות were a kind of indentations which are made in gold ornaments as a setting in which to fix precious stones and pearls, as it is said of the stones of the ephod, (v. 11) “enclosed in settings (משבצות) of gold.” In old French they call them castons.

h.מצנפת — a kind of domed helmet which they call cofea in old French, for in another passage (v. 40) it calls them מגבעות which we translate in the Targum by כובעין, helmets.

h.ואבנט — This was a girdle upon the inner-garment, and the ephod was the girdle over the outer-garment, just as we find it stated in the description of the order in which they were donned: (Leviticus 8:7), “And he put upon him the inner-garment (כתנת) and girded him with the belt (אבנט) and clothed him with the mantle (מעיל) and put the ephod (אפוד) upon him.”

h.בגדי קדש lit., GARMENTS OF THE HOLY THING — i. e. from the heave-offering that is sanctified (מקדשת) to My Name shall they make them (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 1 10).

h.והם יקחו AND THEY SHALL TAKE — Those men, wise in heart (cf. v. 3), who are to make the garments shall receive from the donors את הזהב ואת התכלת THE GOLD AND THE BLUE PURPLE, in order to make the garments of them.

h.ועשו את האפד AND THEY SHALL MAKE THE EPHOD — If I set myself to explain the making of the ephod and the breast-plate in the order of the verses, the description of them would be fragmentary and the reader might err in piecing the details together: therefore I shall write down how they were made, just as each of them was, in order that “he who runs may read” (may have a comprehensive idea of them in their entirety), and afterwards I shall explain it in the order of the verses. The ephod was made like that kind of apron of women who ride on horse-back. He (the priest) tied it on behind him opposite (at the height of) his heart below his elbows. Its breadth was equal to the measure of a man’s back and somewhat more (cf. Rashi, end of v. 26), and it reached to his heels. The belt was attached to its top edge along the whole of its width, being of weaver’s work (i. e. woven in one piece with the ephod) and it extended on both sides beyond the width of the ephod in order that it might go right round the body and gird on the ephod by means of it. The shoulder-pieces were attached to the belt, one on the right and one the left, behind the priest, at the two ends of the width of the apron, and when they were lifted up they stood (we should say “they lay”) upon his two shoulders, so that they were like two straps made of the same material as the ephod itself, and sufficiently long to lift them up to reach to his neck on both sides, and they hung over in front of him a little below his shoulders. The onyx stones were fixed in them, one on his right shoulder and one on his left shoulder, and the settings were placed in their ends in front of his shoulders on his breast. Two cords of gold were inserted through two rings which were on the breastplate at the two ends of its upper width (edge), one on the right and one on the left, and the two ends of the chain (or cord) were fixed in the setting on the right, and similarly the two ends of the left chain were fixed in the setting which was on the left shoulder. Consequently, the breast-plate hung in front of him over his heart from the settings of the ephod. Further, there were two rings at the two ends of the breast-plate on its lower edge, and opposite them two rings below on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod on the lower edge of each where this was joined to the belt. The under two rings on the breast-plate were opposite the rings on the ephod, lying one upon the other, and they fastened them (each pair of rings) together by a blue purple thread which was inserted through the rings in the ephod and breast-plate, so that the lower edge of the breast-plate should lie close to the belt of the ephod and should not move about and come apart from it, swinging to and fro.

h.זהב תכלת וארגמן תולעת שני ושש משזר OF GOLD, OF BLUE PURPLE, AND OF RED PURPLE, OF CRIMSON AND FINE TWISTED LINEN — The five materials were intertwined in every strand: they beat out the gold into the form of thin plates and from them they cut threads, and they wove that gold thread together with six threads of blue purple and a gold thread with six threads of red purple, and similarly with the crimson and similarly with the fine linen; because all the materials had their threads sixfold and there was a gold thread with each of them. Then they intertwined them all into one thread; it followed, therefore, that their thread was 28-fold. This is how it is explained in Treatise Yoma 72a and it is derived from the following verse: (Exodus 39:3) “And they beat out the gold into thin plates and cut it into threads to work the threads of gold in the blue purple and in the red purple, etc.” — this tells us that a gold thread was intertwined with each material.

h.מעשה חשב THE WORK OF AN ARTIST — I have already explained (Exodus 26:1) that this was weaving on both sides: that is, that the designs on both sides were not similar one to the other.

h.שתי כתפת וגו׳ TWO SHOULDER-PIECES, etc. — The apron was below and the חשב of the ephod was the belt, and this was joined to it on its top edge similar to the apron of ladies who ride on horseback. On the priest’s back there were joined to the belt two pieces like two wide straps, one opposite each shoulder. He lifted these up upon his two shoulders so that they hung down in front of him before his breast, and because they were joined to the rings in the breast-plate they were held fast in front of him upon his heart so that they could not fall off his shoulders backwards, just as is explained in this section (v. 28). Thus they lay on his back in an erect position and then passed over his shoulders and the two onyx stones were fixed on them, one stone upon each shoulder-piece.

h.אל שני קצותיו AT THE TWO EXTREMITIES THEREOF — on the width of the ephod; for its width was equal only to that of the priest’s back (and did not go entirely round his body, so that one may well speak of the two extremities of the ephod), and its height was up to the elbows — which they call coudes in old French — and not higher, because it is said (Ezekiel 44:18) “they shall not gird themselves (בַּיָּזַע),” i. e. they shall not gird themselves in the place where one perspires (במקום זיעה) namely, not higher than their elbows and not lower than their loins, but only by their elbows (Zevachim 18b).

h.וחבר IT — the ephod — SHALL BE JOINED with the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod: he shall join them below the belt with a needle and he shall not weave them together with it, but he must weave them separately and join them afterwards.

h.וחשב אפדתו This signifies, and the girdle by means of which he bedecks it (the ephod) and puts it in order for the priest and adorns him (cf. Rashi on v. 4).

h.אשר עליו WHICH WAS UPON IT — above on the edge of the apron: this is therefore the girdle.

h.כמעשהו ACCORDING TO THE WORK THEREOF — as the weaving of the apron — the work of an artist and of the five materials — so the weaving of the belt, also, was the work of an artist and of the five materials.

h.ממנה יהיה IT SHALL BE OF THE SAME — it shall be woven together with it, and one shall not weave it separately, and join its afterwards.

h.כתולדתם ACCORDING TO THEIR BIRTH — in the order in which they were born: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali upon one, and upon the other Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin — the last name being written full (plene, with a י before the last letter, thus: בנימין) for that is how it is written in the passage that tells of his birth (Genesis 35:18). This gives twenty-five letters on each stone (cf. Sotah 36a).

h.מעשה חרש אבן means THE WORK OF AN ARTIFICER IN STONES. This word חרש is in close connection (i. e. in the construct state) with the word that follows it and therefore it is punctuated with Patach in its last syllable. Similar is, (Isaiah 44:13) “The חָרַשׁ עצים stretcheth out a line” i. e. the worker in wood. So, also, (Isaiah 44:12) “the worker in (חָרַשׁ) iron maketh an axe.” All these examples of חָרַשׁ are in close connection with the words that follows them and are therefore punctuated with Patach.

h.פתוחי חותם LIKE THE ENGRAVINGS OF A SIGNET — Understand this as the Targum renders it: a distinct writing like the engraving of a signet-ring: the letters were incised in them just as one incises the seals of a ring which are used to seal letters — a clear and distinct writing.

h.על שמות — This is the same as בשמות “with the names of”.

h.מסבת משבצות SURROUNDED WITH SETTINGS [OF GOLD] — Thou shalt make the stones to be surrounded by gold settings: the meaning is that they should make as a setting for each stone a kind of indentation in the gold, of the same size as the stone and sink it in the setting; thus the setting surrounds the stone on all sides. That setting they attached to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod.

h.לזכרון FOR A MEMORIAL — so that the Holy One, blessed be He, will see the names of the tribes written before Him and He will remember their righteousness (cf. Exodus Rabbah 38:8).

h.ועשית משבצת AND THOU SHALT MAKE SETTINGS — two settings, for the minimum number of settings (the plural) is two. In this section it explains to you only part of their purpose, whilst in the section dealing with the breast-plate it completes for you the explanation about them.

h.שרשרת זהב means CHAINS OF GOLD — the word being the same as שלשלאות (the letters ל and ר being interchangeable, as in ארמנות for אלמנות; cf. the Aramaic ארמלתא)

h.מגבלות means AT THE END OF THE BORDER (גבול) of the breast-plate תעשה אותם SHALT THOU MAKE THEM.

h.מעשה עבת OF CORD-LIKE WORK — made of plaited threads and not made of rings and hooks (somewhat like links) like those chains which are made for cisterns (to which the bucket is attached), but like those which are made for censers which are called encensiers in old French (cf. Rashi on Beitzah 22b).

h.ונתת את שרשרת — This means, AND THOU WILT PLACE THE CHAINS OF CORD-WORK — i. e. the chains made of cord-work — upon these settings. This is not the place where the command is laid down about making the chains nor is this the command about fixing them: the word תעשה used here does not express a command, nor does the word ונתת used here express a command, but these express the future tense. For in the chapter about the breast-plate He returns to this, and there He lays down the command about making them (v. 22) and fixing them (vv. 24—25). This is written here only to point out part of the purpose of the settings which He commanded to be made together with the ephod, and He wrote this here to tell you: these settings you will require — when you will make chains at the ends upon the breast-plate you shall put them upon these settings.

h.חשן משפט THE BREAST-PLATE OF JUDGMENT — it was so called because it atoned for any error in judgment (cf. Zevachim 88b; Jerusalem Talmud Yoma 7:5). Another explanation of why it is called “the breast-plate of משפט”, is because it makes its statements clear (definite — so that there can be no doubt about their meaning) and its promise is true; discerement in old French, (sentence of judgment). Because the word משפט is used in three senses: the contentions of the parties to the law-suit, the pronouncement of the sentence and the punishment attendant on the sentence, whether it be punishment of death or punishment of flagellation or punishment involving a monetary payment; here it is used in the sense of making its statements definite, so that this is the breast-plate with the Urim and Thummim which explains and makes its statement clear.

h.כמעשה אפד AFTER THE WORK OF THE EPHOD — the work of an artist and of the five materials.

h.זרת ארכו וזרת רחבו A SPAN IN LENGTH AND A SPAN IN WIDTH, being double (Exodus 39:9) and it lay on him in front over his heart, as it is said, (v. 30) “And they shall be upon Aaron’s heart.” It was suspended from the shoulder-pieces of the ephod which came from behind him upon his shoulders and hung over and fell down a little way in front of him, and the breast-plate was suspended from them by means of the chains and rings, as is explained in the section (vv. 22—29).

h.ומלאת בו AND THOU SHALT FILL IT [WITH FILLINGS OF STONES] — Because the stones fill the hollows of the settings which were specially made for them it calls them by the term מלואים “fillings”.

h.משבצים זהב יהיו SET IN GOLD SHALL THEY — the rows — BE במלאותם IN THEIR SETTINGS — surrounded by gold settings in depth of such a size that each shall be filled by the thickness of the stone. This is the meaning of במלאותם, “in their fillings”: of such a size as will be filled by the thickness of the stones shall be the depth of the settings, neither more nor less.

h.איש על שמו EVERY ONE WITH HIS NAME — As the order in which they were born shall be the order of the stones: a sardius for Reuben, a topaz for Simeon, and so in the case of all of them.

h.על החשן means [AND THOU SHALT MAKE] FOR THE BREAST-PLATE (not upon it), — in order to fasten them (the plaited chains) on its rings, as is explained further on in the section.

h.שרשת — This is the same expression as the roots (שֹׁרֶשׁ) of a tree which hold the tree firm so that it may be held and kept fixed in the ground. Thus, also, these roots, as it were, shall hold the breast-plate firm because from them shall it hang on the ephod. These were really the two plaited chains which are mentioned above in the section on the settings (v. 14). Indeed, Menachem ben Seruk actually explained the word שרשרות as well in the sense of roots and he said that the second ר was redundant, just as the ם in שלשם and the ם in ריקם. I, however, do not agree with his statement, but I am of opinion that שַׁרְשֶׁרֶת in the Hebrew language is the equivalent of שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת in the Mishnaic language (Mishnah Kelim 14:3) (cf. Rashi on v. 14).

h.גבלת — This is the same as מגבלות used above, (v. 14) meaning that thou shalt fix them in the rings which will be on the border (גבול) of the breast-plate. Wherever the word גבול occurs it has the meaning of end; à sommel in old French.

h.מעשה עבת means PLAITED WORK.

h.על החשן means [AND THOU SHALT MAKE] FOR THE BREAST-PLATE (not upon it), — in order to fix them on it. And it would not be correct to say that this means that they should originally be made upon it (על), for if this were so why should it again say in this verse, “And thou shall put the two rings [on the two extremities]”? Would they not already have been lying upon it if they had been made together with the breast-plate? It should rather have written at the beginning of the verse, “And thou shalt make at the ends of the breast-plate two rings of gold.” In the case of chains, also, you must explain it similarly.

h.על שני קצת החשן ON THE TWO EXTREMITIES OF THE BREAST-PLATE — on its two corners that are close by his neck, on the right and on the left, which come opposite the shoulder-pieces of the ephod.

h.ונתת את שתי עבתת הזהב AND THOU SHALT PUT THE TWO עבתת OF GOLD — These are the selfsame שרשרת גבלות “chains on the ends” which are written about above (v. 14). There, however, it did not specify the place where they were to be fixed on the breast-plate, stating only that the ends were to be put on the settings; now it tells you that one should insert them in the rings which were on the breast-plate. And you can be certain that these are identical with the former ones, because in the section אלה פקודי they are not mentioned twice (in two separate paragraphs).

h.ואת שתי קצות means, AND THE TWO EXTREMITIES OF שתי עבתת THE TWO PLAITED CHAINS — (Rashi points out that קצות is in the construct state) — i. e. the two ends of each cord

h.תתן על שתי המשבצות THOU SHALT FASTEN IN THE TWO SETTINGS — These are the selfsame settings which are mentioned above in the paragraph that is placed between the section on the breast-plate and the section on the ephod. There it did not explain their purpose and their position; now, however, it explains that he should fix into them the ends of the plaited chains which had been inserted in the rings of the breast-plate on the right and on the left near the neck. The two ends of the right chain he fixed in the setting on the right, and similarly in that on the left he fixed the two ends of the left chain.

h.ונתת AND THOU SHALT PUT the settings.

h.על כתפות האפד ON THE SHOULDER-PIECES OF THE EPHOD, one setting on this shoulder-piece and one on that. Consequently the shoulder-pieces of the ephod hold the breast-plate up so that it may not fall, and from them did it hang. But the lower edge of the breast-plate would still come and go (swing to and fro) and strike against his stomach and would not lie closely upon it; therefore two more rings were needed for its lower edge, as it goes on to explain.

h.אל מול פניו IN THE FOREPART THEREOF — i. e. in the forepart of the ephod. meaning that he should not put the settings on that surface of the shoulder-pieces which faced the מעיל, but on the upper surface which faced the outside. It is that latter surface which is called the forepart of the ephod, because the surface which is not seen, being turned towards the מעיל, cannot be called the פנים, the front.

h.על שני קצות החשן IN THE TWO EXTREMITIES OF THE BREAST-PLATE — These are its two lower corners on the right and on the left.

h.על שפתו אשר על עבר האפוד ביתה ON THE BORDER THEREOF WHICH IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EPHOD INWARD — Here you have two indications of the position of the rings: one, that he should place them on the two ends of the lower edge, for it was this which was over against the ephod, because its upper edge was not over against the ephod since it was close to the neck and the ephod was placed a little above his loins (consequently the upper edge of the breastplate which was near the priest’s neck was nowhere near the ephod which was girded round him just above the loins. See Rashi on v. 7). It gives another indication by the use of the word ביתה : that, he should not fix them on that side of the breast-plate which faced outside, but on that side which faced inward, because it is said ביתה, inward. It was that side which was turned toward the ephod, for the ends of the lower edge of that side of the breast-plate really lay upon the ephod since the priest tied the belt of the ephod around him and the apron was folded over in front of the priest upon his loins and upon a part of his stomach on both sides as far as against the ends of the breast-plate (i. e. the corners of the lower edge), the ends of which lay upon it.

h.על שתי כתפות האפוד מלמטה. ON THE TWO SHOULDER-PIECES OF THE EPHOD UNDERNEATH — underneath because the settings were placed on the upper ends of the shoulder-pieces of the ephod which came upon his shoulders beside his throat and which were folded over his shoulders and fell down in front of him; and the rings mentioned here He commanded to be put on the other end of each shoulder-piece which was joined on the ephod. This is the meaning of what is said לעמת מחברתו, “over against the joining thereof”, i. e. close by the spot where they were joined on to the ephod, namely, a little above the girdle, for the place of joining was over against the girdle. Thus these rings were placed a little above the place where the shoulder-straps began to rise from the girdle, and this is the meaning of what is said, “above the girdle of the ephod”. These were thus opposite (i. e. on a level with) the end (the lower edge) of the breastplate (but, of course, on the priest’s back, whilst the breast-plate lay in front of him). Now they placed a thread of blue purple in those rings and in the rings of the breast-plate and fastened them (the pair of rings) together by means of that thread on the right and on the left so that the lower edge of the breast-plate should not move forward and then return backward (should not move to and fro) and strike against his stomach. It followed, therefore, that it (the breast-plate) lay well upon the “Meil”.

h.ממול פניו TOWARDS THE FOREPART THEREOF — i. e. on the outer side.

h.וירכסו — This is an expression for joining. Similar in meaning is, (Psalms 31:21) “[Thou hidest them] from the רֻכְסַי of men”, i. e. from the union of companies of wicked people. Similar is, (Isaiah 40:4) “And the רכסים shall become a plain” — i. e. the mountains which are close (almost joined) to one another so that it is not possible to descend into the valley between them except with great difficulty, since, in consequence of their closeness to each other, the valley is precipitous and deep — these רכסים, connected mountains, shall become a level plain and easy to travel upon.

h.להיות על חשב האפוד THAT IT MAY BE UPON THE GIRDLE OF THE EPHOD — that the breast-plate (not the ring) may be attached to the girdle of the ephod.

h.ולא יזח SO THAT [THE BREAST-PLATE] BE NOT LOOSENED — יזח is an expression for “breaking away”. It is an Arabic expression according to the opinion of Dunash ben Labrat.

h.את האורים ואת התמים THE URIM AND THE THUMMIM — This was an inscription of the Proper Name of God which was placed between the folds (i. e. the two pieces forming the front and back) of the breast-plate through which it (the breast-plate) made its statements clear (lit., illuminated its words; מאיר from אור, light, this being an allusion to the אורים) and its promises true (מתמם from the root תמם, an allusion to תמים) (Yoma 73b). In the second Temple there was certainly the breast-plate (although other objects employed in the Temple Service were missing) for it was impossible that the High Priest should have lacked a garment, but that Divine Name was not within it. It was on account of the inscription which constituted the Urim and Thummim and which enabled it to give decisions that it was called “judgment”, as it is said, (Numbers 27:21) “And he shall enquire for him by the judgment of the Urim” (Numbers 27:21).

h.את משפט בני ישראל [AND AARON SHALL BEAR] THE JUDGMENT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — the object by means of which they are judged and admonished whether they should do a particular thing or whether they should not do it. But according to the Midrashic statement (Zevachim 88b) that the breast-plate atoned for those who pervert judgment it was called “judgment” in allusion to the pardon thus given for perverse judgment.

h.את מעיל האפוד THE ROBE OF THE EPHOD — i. e. the robe over which the ephod was placed to serve the purpose of a girdle. h.כליל תכלת signifies THE WHOLE OF IT BLUE PURPLE, meaning that there should be no other material mixed with it (Yoma 71b).

h.והיה פי ראשו AND THE HOLE IN THE HEAD OF IT SHALL BE — the hole of the Robe which is at its top — that is, the opening which serves as a receptacle for the neck,

h.בתוכו IN THE MIDST THEREOF — Understand this as the Targum renders it: כפיל לגויה “turned in towards the inside” — the turn-in shall serve as its seam. It was weaver’s work (woven as such with the Robe) and not made with a needle.

h.כפי תחרא AS IT WERE THE HOLE OF A HABERGEON — This informs us that their habergeons had the neck-opening turned in.

h.לא יקרע means SO THAT IT BE NOT RENT — Indeed, whoever rends it, transgresses thereby a negative commandment because this is among the number of the negative commands contained in the Torah. The same is the case with (v. 28) “that the breast-plate be not loosened”, and similarly, (Exodus 25:15) “they shall not depart from it”, which is said of the staves of the ark (Yoma 72a).

h.רמוני POMEGRANATES — They were round and hollow, similar to that kind of pomegranates which are made like (have the form of) a hen’s egg.

h.ופעמני זהב AND BELLS OF GOLD — bells, together with the clappers in them.

h.בתוכם סביב IN THE MIDST OF THEM ROUND ABOUT — i. e. between them (the pomegranates) all the way round the hem: between every two pomegranates there was one bell attached hanging from the hem of the Robe (cf. Zevachim 88b).

h.פעמן זהב ורמון פעמן זהב ורמון means a golden bell and a pomegranate next to it.

h.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).

h.ציץ — This was a kind of golden Plate, two fingers in breadth, going round the forehead from ear to ear (Shabbat 63b).

h.על פתיל תכלת [AND THOU SHALT PUT IT] ON A BLUE PURPLE STRING — but in another passage (Exodus 39:31) is states, “And they put upon it (upon the Plate) a string of blue purple (so that the Plate was beneath the string, not upon it as is here commanded)! Then again, it is written here, “and it (the Plate) shall be upon the mitre”, whilst further on (v. 38) it says, “And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead”! And in the Treatise on the Slaughter of the Sacrifices (Zevachim 19a) we learn: “His (the High Priest’s) hair was visible between the Plate and the mitre, whereon he placed the Tephillin”, thus informing us that the mitre was above on the crown of the head and was not so deep that the entire head went into it right down to the forehead, and that the Plate was beneath it with a space between them. Consequently the Plate was not on the mitre as seems to be stated in this verse! But I say that (cf. Rashi on Exodus 39:31 ואומר אני וגו׳) the strings were in holes and hung from it (from the Plate) at its two ends and at its middle point, six in these three places (i. e. one string in each hole, the centre of each string resting on the bottom point of the hole, the three thus forming six). Thus, at each hole, there was one string on top of the Plate — outside it, and one inside (between the Plate and the forehead). He tied the ends of the strings, the three of them, behind the neck; it follows therefore that the length of the Plate and the strings that were at its ends together encompassed his skull. The middle string which was on its top edge bound together with the ends of the two which were at the extremities of the Plate, passed over the breadth of the head above (over the crown). Consequently it (the Plate, together with the strings) formed a kind of helmet. It is with reference to the middle string that it states, “And it (the string just mentioned in the verse; not the Plate as was assumed) shall be upon the mitre”, for he placed the Plate, with the strings already tied in this manner, upon his head as a kind of helmet passing it over the mitre, and the middle string held it (the Plate) firm so that it could not fall, and thus the Plate hung in front of his forehead and did not fall lower down. In this way all these verses find their explanation — the string being on the Plate, the Plate on the string, and the string on the mitre above (cf. Chullin 138a).

h.ונשא אהרן AND AARON SHALL BEAR [THE INIQUITY OF THE HOLY THINGS] — The word נשא is an expression of forgiveness, but nevertheless it does not move from (lose) its ordinary meaning of “bearing”: Aaron bears the load of iniquity so that it follows that the iniquity is lifted off the holy things.

h.את עון הקדשים [HE SHALL BEAR] THE INIQUITY OF THE HOLY THINGS — atoning for the blood and fat of sacrifices which had been offered when they were unclean, as we have learned (Pesachim 17b; Yoma 7a): What iniquity is it that it (the Plate) bears (atones for)? If you say that it is the iniquity caused by פגול — but it is already said in reference to this, (Leviticus 19:7) “it cannot be atoned for”! If you say it is the iniquity caused by נותר — but it is said in reference to this, (Leviticus 7:18) “It shall not under any circumstances be accounted [unto him] as a sacrifice”! Nor can one say that it (the Plate) atoned for the iniquity of the priest who offered a sacrifice when he was unclean because it is stated here, “[shall bear] the iniquity of the holy things” and it does not state “the iniquity of those who offer the sacrifices” — thus it (the Plate) atones only in so far as to make the sacrifice a fitting one if there had been anything irregular about it.

h.והיה על מצחו תמיד — It is not possible to say that this means that it should be on his forehead continually because, as a matter of fact, it was on it only at the time of the sacrificial service. But the word תמיד is to be connected with the words that follow: “continually to make atonement for them”, even if it be not then upon his forehead, i. e. when the High Priest was not officiating, and therefore was not wearing the Plate, at that time when the unclean animal was being sacrificed by an ordinary priest. But according to the opinion (if we adopt the opinion) of him (Rabbi Judah) who says that only whilst it was on his forehead did it atone and effect pardon, and that if it was not on his forehead it did not effect pardon, the following inference must be derived from the phrase על מצחו תמיד: it informs us that he must constantly touch it whilst it is on his forehead, so that he should not divert his attention from it (Yoma 7b).

h.ושבצת means make them with many checkered figures, and entirely of fine linen.

h.ולבני אהרן תעשה כתנת AND FOR AARON’S SONS THOU SHALT MAKE INNER GARMENTS — these four garments and no more; viz., the three mentioned in this verse, — the inner garment, the girdle and the מגבעות which are identical with what is elsewhere called the mitre, — and the breeches prescribed later in this section (v. 42).

h.והלבשת אתם את אהרן AND THOU SHALT PUT THEM ON AARON — i. e. those which are mentioned in connection with Aaron: the breast-plate, the ephod, the Robe, the inner garment of checker-work, the mitre, the girdle and the Plate, and the breeches which are prescribed later for all of them (for all the priest’s and therefore for Aaron also).

h.ואת בניו אתו [AND THOU SHALT PUT THEM ON AARON …] AND ON HIS SONS WITH HIM — i. e. put on them those garments which are prescribed for them.

h.ומשחת אתם AND THOU SHALT ANOINT THEM — viz., Aaron and his sons, with the oil of anointing.

h.ומלאת את ידם AND THOU SHALT CONSECRATE THEM (more lit., fill their hand) — wherever the term “filling the hand” is used it denotes the installation ceremony performed when one enters for the first time into an office, as a sign that he is entitled to it from that day and henceforth. And in the old French language — when a person is appointed to the charge of a matter, the Prince puts into his hand a leathern glove which they call “gant” in old French and by that means he gives him a right to the matter, and they term that transmission of the glove and the office, revestir in old French This is the connection between the literal and the metaphorical meaning of “filling the hand”.

h.ועשה להם AND MAKE FOR THEM — for Aaron and his sons —

h.מכנסי בד LINEN BREECHES — this makes eight garments for the High Priest and four for the ordinary priest.

h.והיו על אהרן AND THEY SHALL BE UPON AARON — “they” means all these garments (not only the breeches which are the last-mentioned garments); upon Aaron shall be those which are proper to him,

h.ועל בניו AND UPON HIS SONS, those prescribed for them.

h.בבאם אל אהל מועד WHEN THEY COME INTO THE APPOINTED TENT — into the Temple, and similarly when they come into the Tabernacle.

h.ומתו AND THEY DIE — thus you may learn that he who officiates lacking any of these garments is liable to death (Midrash Tanchuma, Achrei Mot 6).

h.חקת עולם לו AN ORDINANCE TO HIM FOR EVER — Wherever it is said “an ordinance forever” it is an enactment for the immediate present time and for future generations, and the phrase is used to make invalid thereby (through the fact that this phrase is used) any rite where the details prescribed are not fully carried out (cf. Menachot 19a).