Commentaire sur L’Exode 28:23

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.

'ועשית על החשן וגו, at the outer ends of the upper edge you will fasten rings in order to thread the two thick rope-like chains through them. There were matching rings at the front of the shoulder pads corresponding to these rings at the upper end of the choshen to which the other end of the avatot (ropes) would be fastened. As a result of this, the breastplate would hang down on the chest of the High Priest, suspended from the ephod, but it would still be able to move sideways rather freely. In order to prevent this from happening it also had to be fastened to the ephod as will be explained later where we are told that there would be two rings, one from each side at the upper end of the ephod in the region of the sash (belt). The chains would be fastened to the upper edge of the ephod through these rings, but the אזור the sash, belt, would be tied over it around the High Priest’s waist.

We should have written at the beginning. . . Perforce, it means “for the breastplate,” and “you must also interpret it this way regarding the chains.”

ועשית על החשן שתי טבעות זהב, ונתת את שתי הטבעות האלה על שני קצות החושן, “you shall attach two rings to the two edges of the breastplate;” to the upper edges of the breastplate.

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.