Commentaire sur L’Exode 28:4

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

ואלה הבגדים, And these are the garments, etc. Why does this verse list only six out of the eight priestly garments, omitting mention of the pants and the High Priest's ציץ, golden headband? Perhaps the missing garments have been alluded to already.The headband may have been alluded to in verse three as included in the line: "and they will make Aaron's garments to sanctify him." The words: "the garments of Aaron" in that verse were not really necessary; it would have sufficed to say: "and these are the garments, etc." The exclusive mention of Aaron alludes to the headband which was worn only by the High Priest. The reason it is mentioned together with the other garments is that it alone would not be able to perform any function. Aaron's (The High Priest's) eight garments performed their function only if all of them were worn by the High Priest at one time. This is also the justification for the conjunctive letter ו before the word אלה, "these." At first glance that letter appeared to have referred to other garments over and above the eight garments listed in the Torah at this stage. Actually, it only suggests that all the garments that were now being mentioned were interdependent on each other, essential. As far as the pants are concerned, we find an entirely unnecessary line at the end of verse four, i.e. "and they will make sacred garments for your brother Aaron and for his sons so that he will be a priest unto Me." Seeing that this line was unnecessary, we may see in it a veiled reference to the pants. Both Aaron and his sons are mentioned in that line as both he and his sons had to wear pants beneath their long tunics.

ואלה הבגדים, they are all listed individually.

חושן ואפוד ומעיל וכתונת תשבץ ואבנט, “a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a tunic of chequer work, a turban, and a sash.” All the vestments have been mentioned here with the exception of the ציץ, the golden headband, and the trousers. It is possible that seeing that the Torah wrote that Moses was to address כל חכמי לב, “all the wise-hearted people,” there was no need to mention the two last mentioned garments, as making them did not involve any special skill.

ואלה הבגדים אשר יעשו, “These are the garments they are to make, etc.” Our sages in Erchin 16 say that just as the sacrifices themselves were instruments of atonement for the Jewish people, so the priestly garments (when worn at the right time in the right place by the right people) were also instruments helping the Jewish people to achieve atonement. This is the reason that the section dealing with the priestly garments was written right next to the section dealing with the sacrifices themselves (the consecration offerings 29,18). The breastplate would atone for sins committed erroneously by judges, as is written: ועשית חושן משפט, “you are to make the breastplate of judgment” (verse 15). The ephod would secure atonement for the sin of idolatry committed inadvertently as we are reminded by Hoseah 3,4: “and there will be no ephod and no teraphim.” It is also written in Judges 8,27 that Gideon converted gifts of gold given to him into a garment called ephod, something that was accounted a sin for him [seeing he did not treat it as a garment but as a sort of monument. Ed.]. The robe called מעיל secured atonement for loose use of one’s tongue, לשון הרע; this is symbolized by the bells at the lower hem of that tunic, מעיל. This robe had a number of bells at the lower edge of which could be heard when the High Priest wearing it was approaching. Just as the evil tongue is something that was spread in public, so the atonement procedure was by means of a garment heard in public. When evil was spoken in private by someone, (who was unaware that he was guilty of unfair comments) the means of atonement for this was the incense. The checkered tunic, כתונת תשבץ, would secure atonement for blood spilled inadvertently. This has been alluded to in Genesis 36,31: “they dipped the tunic in blood.” This tunic resembled a type of shirt and was worn next to the skin (like a T-shirt with sleeves). It was embroidered with gold threads designed in a checkered manner so that it appeared to have “stripes” through it. This is what is meant by (28,39) “you shall make the tunic of a box-like knit of fine linen.” The word תשבץ is the same as משבצות זהב (compare Maimonides Hilchot Klei Hamikdash 9,19). The headgear worn by the High Priest, i.e. the מצנפת, would obtain forgiveness for haughty bearing and deportment. It was appropriate that something worn high on top of one’s head should be the symbol by means of which haughtiness could be atoned for. The אבנט, belt, would secure atonement for lewd fantasies and other sinful thoughts. Our sages in Jerusalem Talmud Yuma 7,3 claim that the length of this belt was 32 cubits (about 20 meters) The golden head band, ציץ, worn by the High Priest on his forehead would atone for effrontery. We have a verse in Jeremiah 3,3 describing effrontery as associated with the forehead. The prophet speaks of the “brazenness of a harlot,” using the word מצח to define brazenness. Aaron had a total of eight garments of which the Torah lists only six. The Torah did not mention his linen trousers as only the garments Moses was to dress him in qualified for this paragraph. The headband, being made of pure gold, is also not enumerated as one of the garments, as, strictly speaking, it was an ornament rather than a garment. The instruction for Aaron to wear linen pants was given only in verse 42 after Moses had already been instructed to dress him in his garments. Had Moses been meant to dress Aaron in his pants the instructions to dress Aaron would not have been written only at the end of verse 42 The function of the pants as a means of securing atonement extended to sins of a sexual or incestuous nature as man is perceived as using his legs to run after chances to obtain sexual gratification.

It is thus made for the lower. . . I.e., toward his feet, and not toward his head. Rashi’s explanation, “Its width being the same as the width of the back of a man,” should not be to be taken literally, because Rashi explains in v. 6 that its width was “somewhat more” on each side.

V. 4. חשן kommt nur als Bezeichnung dieses Kleidungsstückes des Hohepriesters vor. Nach V. 16 war es eine Quadratspanne groß und hatte nach VV. 22.— 29 seine Stelle auf der Brust, deshalb übersetzt man es gewöhnlich: Brustschild. Lautverwandt ist damit ןoח, welches das Bewahren wertvoller Güter und Kräfte, und mit חצן, das den zum Festhalten und Tragen gebogenen Arm bedeutet. Demgemäß dürfte חשן, das nach V. 16 doppelt war und nach V. 30 die Bestimmung hatte, zwischen seiner Doppellage die Urim und Tumim zu bewahren, vielmehr einen solchen bewahrenden Behälter, etwa Brusttasche, bedeuten. (Das lautverwandte עשן, Rauch, dürfte diesen also bezeichnen, weil Rauch eben die unverbrannten, der Feuersgewalt gegenüber erhalten gebliebenen Teile fortführt. Rabbinisch heißt עשן geradezu wie חסן: stark).

ואלה הבגדים, “and these are the vestments “ Our author is stymied by the omission in this list of the “golden headband,” ציץ, listed in verse 36 of this chapter.

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”.

חשן, something resembling a sheath, containing a pocket. Its precise nature depends on its use at the time.

We learn from this that the eiphod is a kind of belt. I.e., that the eiphod is a garment [which is belted on].

The question which remains is why the Torah did not list these two garmennts together with the list of the six garments listed in verse four so that the allusions which we just mentioned need not have been recorded at all? We may have to look at these two garments as being in a category by themselves, the headband because of its special significance, and the pants because of their being of inferior status as a garment symbolising the priest's holiness. This is why each of these is alluded to separately and is not lumped together with the other six priestly garments. The six garments mentioned in a row in our verse are basically of equal worth as far as their symbolising the status of their wearers as priests is concerned.

אפוד. Aus VV. 5—7 erkennen wir als wesentliche Bestandteile des Ephods: ein Rückenteil, von welchem zwei Achselblätter über die Schultern nach vorne hingehen und mit dem Rückenteil jederseitig unterhalb des Armes verbunden sind, und das ferner durch einen Latz (שבn) von beiden Seiten vorne unterhalb der Brust zugeknöpft oder sonst auf irgend eine Weise befestigt worden. Wir wissen ferner aus V. 31. מעיל האפוד, und Wajikra 8,7: ויתן עליו את הכתנת ויחגר אתו באבנט וילבש אתו את המעיל ויתן עליו את האפוד ויחגר אתו בחשב האפוד ויאפר לו בו, dass die wesentliche Bestimmung des Ephod in dem festen Anschluss an den Körper bestand, den dadurch der מעיל, das Obergewand, der Mantel, erhielt, dass sich somit אפוד zum מעיל, wie das אבנט, Gürtel, zum כתנת, zum Rock verhielt. Ja, wir wissen aus dieser letzteren Stelle sowie aus: ואפדת לו בחשב האפוד (Kap. 29, 5) dass die Wurzel אפד selbst ein Umgürten, einen festen An- und Zusammenschluss um den Körper bedeuten müsse, und müssen somit, da das Ephod hiervon seinen Namen hat, seine wesentliche Bedeutung als eine Umgürtung begreifen. Nach Raschi und auch nach Maim. הל׳ כלי המקדש IX , 9 ging auch noch vom Rückenteil ein Stück Gewand bis zu dem Fuße hinab. Im Texte ist jedoch davon keine Andeutung. Das: ויתן עליו את האפוד ויחגר אתו בחשב האפוד (Schmot 8, 7), woraus Raschi schließen zu müssen glaubt, dass der Ephod außer der Umgürtung noch einen Bestandteil gehabt haben müsse, dürfte dies, wie uns scheint, nicht notwendig erweisen. Der Ephod war allerdings mehr als ein gewöhnlicher Gürtel. Ein Gürtel umschließt nur die Lenden. Der Ephod fasste aber Rücken, Schultern, Brust und Lenden zusammen. Er tat dies aber eben nur dann, wenn er durch den Latz, חשב, vorne zugeknöpft war. Mit diesem חשב wurden zugleich Rücken und Schulterteile fest angeschlossen. Durch die Schließung des חשב wurde er eben אפוד, daher: ויאפר לו בו

חשן ואפוד, “a breastplate attached to an ephod.” At this point, linen trousers are not mentioned, as they were not constructed as a sign of distinction of the individual who wore them.

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.

ואפוד, a garment which is at one and the same time decorative and protective, covering the chest of a person, worn as an outer garment.

“And he put the eiphod on it”. . . I.e., on the coat, as we see later.

An additional reason for listing only the six garments here may be that the Torah wanted us to know that the priestly garments needed to be constructed for that specific purpose. This is why the Torah emphasised: "they shall make holy garments." Even Aaron's pants had to be made especially for him to wear when performing his duties. If so, we would realise that the same rule applied in even greater measure to the making of the garments which were holier than the pants by definition. The first verse which we explained contained the allusion to the headband, also speaks of לקדשו, "to sanctify him;" in the case of the ציץ, it was not only sacred, but it was inscribed with the words: קדש לה׳ "Holy unto G'd."

Suchen wir die Bedeutung der Wurzel אפד, so stellt sich uns zunächst die Lautverwandtschaft mit אות ,אוד ,עבד ,עבת dar. Wie עבד ,אות ,אוד, die mechanische, geistige und soziale Vermittlung eines Zweckes bedeuten, so ist auch עבת vorwiegend kein beschränkendes, hemmendes Bindemittel, sondern ein die Dienstbarmachung der Kräfte für einen Zweck bewirkendes Sammeln und Binden derselben. So: קצץ עבות רשעים (Ps. 129, 4), עבות העגלה (Jes. 5, 18), חלם עבתות (Job 39, 10), עבתות (Hosea 11,4). Und so scheint auch אפד, das Zusammennehmen der Kräfte in den Dienst eines Höhern zu bedeuten und auszudrücken, sowie das Gegürtetsein überhaupt: bereit sein für eine Tätigkeit anzeigt. אפד ist somit innig verwandt mit עבד und das Tragen eines אפד ist der sprechendste Ausdruck für einen עבד לעבוד עבודה, für einen zur עבודה Gegürteten. Daher שאת אפד לפני ד׳ identisch mit Priestersein vor Gott (Sam. 1. 2, 28). Daher sich Gott als Diener darstellen durch das Tragen eines אפד ausgedrückt ward (Sam. I. 2, 18; Sam. II. 6, 14). Daher, während der hier angeordnete leinen-wollen-goldene Ephod zur Kleidung des Hohepriesters beim "Dienste" gehörte, die Priester überhaupt wohl außer dem Dienste, ebenso wie in den zuletzt zitierten Stellen Samuel und David, einen leinenen Ephod trugen (Sam. I. 22, 18).

ועשו בגדי קדש, “they (the artisans) shall make holy garments.” Other garments, such as the headband for Aaron and the trousers for his sons, are not mentioned at this stage.

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.

תשבץ, a knitted one (tunic). This garment, being knitted, has small holes all over it, as do most such knitted garments when made from wool.

Because it adorns him and ornaments him. . . Rashi is saying that eiphod means an ornament. [Here,] it adorns the kohein. The term חֵשֶב that is written dealing with the priestly garments means a belt.

מעיל. Aus VV.31.—33 ersehen wir, dass מעיל ein Gewand war, das eine geschlossene runde Halsöffnung hatte, somit über den Kopf wie ein Hemd angezogen wurde, und, den ganzen Körper umgebend, von den Schultern bis auf die Füße hinabging. Aus allen Stellen, in denen sonst noch מעיל vorkommt, erkennt man es als ein Obergewand, das den Körper umhüllte, weshalb wiederholt davon עטה gebraucht wird, und das nur von den Vornehmen getragen wurde. Der מעיל war nach V. 31 ganz aus himmelblauer Wolle. —

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.

מצנפת, a kind of hat, cap, worn on the head. We encounter the word describing Royal headgear in Isaiah 62,3 וצניף מלוכה, “a royal diadem.”

While he likewise translated מעילים (robes). . . Robes are surely a garment. So the eiphod, too, is a garment.

כתנת ,כתנת תשבץ ist ein Gewand, das, wie wir aus Wajikra 8, 7 ersehen, unmittelbar auf den Leib angezogen wurde. Es war nach V. 39 von Byssus. Es erhält seinen besonderen Charakter durch die Beifügung תשבץ. Diese Beifügung kann keine bloße Verzierung desselben bedeuten, da die ganze Anfertigung V. 19 ושבצת הכתנת שש lautet. תשבץ muss somit eine Eigentümlichkeit des Stoffes selbst bezeichnen. V. 11 und V. 20 kommt שבץ als Fassung von Edelsteinen vor. Sam. II. 1, 9 lässt der Amalekite den sterbenden Saul sagen: אחזני השבץ und scheint dies dort Krampf, Todeskampf zu bedeuten, eine Bedeutung, die der fest umklammernden Fassung von Edelsteinen sehr verwandt ist. Nach Raschi und Maim. הל׳ כלי המקדש VIII. 16 bildete das Gewebe des כתנת lauter Kästchenvertiefungen, wie die Kästchen zur Einfassung von Steinen. כמו בית הכוסות fügt Maimonides erläuternd hinzu, wie der Netzmagen oder die Haube der Wiederkäuer, dessen innere Fläche lauter rautenförmige Vertiefungen bildet. Wir haben daher תשבץ: Kassettenarbeit übersetzt.

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.”

ואבנט, a belt or sash of sorts. According to the plain meaning, this is the place where the trousers should have been mentioned. They were not mentioned as only garments of a distinctive character enhancing a person’s stature are listed here.

This was a type of shirt. . . Rashi is referring to the word מעיל in the verse, and explains it.

מצנפת. Aus Jesaias 22, 18 ergibt sich, dass צנף eine Kreisbewegung um einen Mittelpunkt bedeutet. Es kommt dort von dem Rollen eines Balles vor. Dem entspricht die Maim. הל׳ כלי המקדש VIII., 19 gegebene Erklärung, dass מצנפת aus einem sechszehn Ellen langen um den Kopf gewundenen Zeuge gebildet wurde. Aus V. 39 wissen wir, dass es aus Byssus verfertigt war.

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).

A kind of a domed hat. Rashi is explaining that we should not think מצנפת is what is called hoiben in Yiddish, which lies flat on the head. For a hoiben does not have a dome. The verse’s מצנפת is rather a type of hat that is hard, with a dome-like space inside.

אבנט war ein nach Maim. das. drei Finger breiter und zweiunddreißig Ellen langer Gürtel, der, wie aus Wajikra 8, 7 ersichtlich, über den כתנת gegürtet wurde. Es war Vorschrift, ihn nicht höher, als unmittelbar über die Hüfte dem Ellenbogengelenke gegenüber zu gürten (das. 10, 1 u. 2). Er war nach V. 39 מעשה רקם, somit wie der Tür- und Torvorhang (Kap. 26, 36 u. 26, 16) von den drei wollenen Stoffen auf weißem Byssusgrunde (siehe das.).

Which Onkelos translates for us as “hats.” Rashi is saying that the מגבעת of ordinary kohanim is also a מצנפת , as it says in Yoma 25a: “The appointee took the מצנפת off one of the kohanim. . .” Thus we see that מצנפת is called מגבעת for ordinary kohanim, and [here] it says מצנפת in place of מגבעת . Since מצנפת means מגבעת , and Onkelos translates מגבעות as “hats,” it follows that מצנפת is a kind of hat. Sometimes it is called מצנפת because it wraps the head like a צניף (turban), and sometimes [i.e., for the ordinary kohanim] it is called מגבעת because it covers their [whole] head like a hat, [however, the מצנפת of the Kohein Gadol was smaller, in order to leave room for the ציץ ]. (Re”m)

ועשו בגדי קדש וגו׳, in dieser Wiederholung werden auch die Söhne genannt; sie erscheinen auch hier, wie schon zu V. 1 bemerkt, als Aaron untergeordnet und beigegeben.

From the terumah that was sanctified for My Name. . . Rashi is answering the question: The term “sacred garments” implies that the garments are sacred as soon as they are made. But they are not sacred until they are worn, because they are made for Aharon and his sons, [not for Hashem]!? Rashi answers, “From the terumah. . .” [I.e., they are called “sacred” because they are made from the funds of terumah which was collected from the people for the sake of Hashem, so they became sacred immediately].

That is that He commanded the priests to wear special garments for glory and adornment, so they can then serve in the Temple. And that is His saying, "And make holy garments for your brother Aharon, for glory and adornment" (Exodus 28:2); "Then bring his sons forward; clothe them with tunics" (Exodus 29:8). And this is the commandment of the priestly garments - eight garments for the high priests and four for an ordinary priest. And anytime the priest serves with less than this number of special garments, or more than them, his service is disqualified and he becomes liable for death at the hands of the Heavens - meaning for the one was lacking clothes and served. And likewise did they count him in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 83b) as one of those liable for death at the hands of the Heavens. And this explanation does not appear in Scripture. But what does appear in Scripture is, "and you shall gird them with sashes [...] and they shall have priesthood" (Exodus 29:9). And the explanation appears - when their garments are upon them, their priesthood is upon them; when their garments are not upon them, their priesthood is not upon them, and they are outsiders (non-priests). Behold it has been made clear to you that an outsider that serves [in the Temple receives] the death penalty. And they said in the Sifra (Sifra, Tzav, Mechilta d'Milium 1:7), "'And he placed the breastplate upon him': This section was learned for its time and for [all the] generations; for the daily service and for the Yom Kippur service. [However] every day he serves in the golden garments; and on Yom Kippur, in the white (linen) garments. And it already appears in the [Sifra], that wearing these garments is a positive commandment. And this is their saying (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 8:10), "From where [do we know] that Aharon did not wear the garments for his aggrandizement, but only to fulfill the decree of the King? As it is stated, 'and he did as the Lord commanded Moshe' - that is to say, the wearing of the garments." And even though they are the utmost in beauty - given that they are from gold, onyx, jasper and the other precious and beautiful stones - he should not have intention [in wearing them,] for their beauty, but rather only to fulfill the command that God, may He be exalted, commanded Moshe. And that is that he always wear these garments in the Temple. And the regulations of this commandment have already been explained in Zevachim, Yoma and Sukkah. (See Parashat Tetzaveh; Mishneh Torah, Vessels of the Sanctuary and Those who Serve Therein 10.)