Commentaire sur L’Exode 28:12

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).

על שתי כתפיו לזכרון, in order to attract the attribute of Mercy to be invoked by their merit. (the merit of wearing the shoulder pads)

על כתפות האפוד. These shoulder pads of the ephod extended from his shoulder on either side up to the neck of the High Priest, from which point they curved and descended towards the breastplate he wore on the chest. There were chains which linked the ephod to the breastplate, and the two major gemstones known as אבני זכרון (as well as אבני שהם) that had the names of the tribes engraved on them and which he wore like epaulettes on his two shoulders. The breastplate was suspended from these chains, apart from being fastened additionally to the ephod.

As a remembrance. In Tehillim (115:12) it is written, “Ad-noy has remembered us; He will bless.” This teaches us that when God “remembers” the B’nei Yisrael it is in order to bless them.

The tribes written before Him. . . [Meaning:] not that Aharon should bear them in order to remember Hashem. This is because the engraved names make the tribes to be remembered, not Hashem to be remembered. Why did Rashi not explain this on, “As remembrance stones for the B’nei Yisrael”? Because there, “remembrance” is connected to “stones.” But here it is written, “Their names before Adonoy. . . as a remembrance,” which implies that God will remember. . . (Nachalas Yaakov)

ושמת את שתי האבנים על כתפות האפוד, “you are to place the two gemstones firmly on the two epaulettes;” this was to be done at the highest point of the High Priest’s shoulders.

אבני זכרון, as I will explain in connection with the golden plate ציץ worn on the forehead which had the words קדש לה' recessed into it. (compare verse 36).