Commento su Esodo 28:37

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).

AND THOU SHALT PUT IT ON A BLUE-PURPLE STRING. “But in another place in Scripture it states, And they put upon it a string of blue-purple¹⁴³Further, 39:31. [which indicates that the frontplate was beneath the string, not upon it as is here commanded]! Moreover, here it is written, and it shall be upon the mitre, and further on it says, And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead!¹⁴⁴Verse 38. In the Tractate on the Slaughtering of Sacrifices¹⁴⁵Zebachim 19 a-b. we have been taught: ‘The High Priest’s hair was visible between the frontplate and the mitre, whereon he placed the phylacteries.’ From this we learn that the mitre was above on the crown of the head [and was not so large that it covered the entire head right down to the forehead], and the frontplate was beneath it [with a space between them], and the strings were in holes and hung from the frontplate at its two ends and in its middle — six in these three places:¹⁴⁶For, as the center of each string rested at the bottom point of the hole, the three strings became six. one string on top [of the frontplate], one outside and one inside [between the frontplate and the forehead]. He tied the ends of the three strings behind the neck, and thus it came to be that the length of the frontplate and the strings at its ends encompassed his whole skull. The middle string which was on top was tied together to the ends of the two strings [at the extremities of the frontplate], and passed over above the breadth of the head. Thus it came to be that [the frontplate with the strings] formed a kind of helmet. Now it is with reference to the middle string that Scripture states, and it shall be upon the mitre, for he placed the frontplate [together with the strings tied in the above manner] upon his head [as a kind of helmet, passing it over the mitre], and tightened it through the middle string so that it would not fall. Thus the frontplate hung in front of his forehead. All these verses are thus reconciled: the string was on the frontplate, and the frontplate upon the string, and the string on the mitre above.” All this is Rashi’s language.
But I wonder concerning Rashi’s words, for Scripture commands the making of only one blue-purple string, and he makes six! Moreover, Rashi combined the verses which tell of the command to make [the frontplate] with those which tell of the making thereof,¹⁴⁷The verse mentioned by Rashi [And they put upon it a string of blue-purple] is found further (39:31) in connection with the actual making thereof. So how can the string mentioned in that verse be added to the one that is stated in the verse commanding the making of the frontplate? increasing the strings with the number of verses! One could count in such manner in the case of the ark, the table, and the candelabrum [two of each, since they are mentioned once in the command to make, and again in the narrative when they were actually made]! Furthermore, if Scripture commanded that they put the frontplate on a blue-purple string, how did they [do the opposite and] put a blue-purple string on it? Where were they commanded to do so? And why did they need the strings in the middle, since the frontplate was tied behind the neck, as are all frontplates which are worn by men and women?
Indeed, the matter is not as the Rabbi [Rashi] said. For there was only one string there; the plate reached from ear to ear and was pierced at its two ends and the blue-purple string was put through the two holes, the plate being thus tied behind the neck. Thus he wound the mitznepheth (mitre) around the head, not at all upon the forehead, but on the head where the hair grows. And according to the opinion of our Rabbis¹⁴⁸Zebachim 19a. that he also left [uncovered] part of the hair of his head towards his face for the phylacteries, he wound [the mitznepheth] high above on the crown of the head, opposite the middle of the brain, covering the whole head at the back. Thus the mitznepheth lay above on the slope of the head opposite the brain, and the frontplate rested opposite his forehead from ear to ear, there being nothing intervening between his forehead and the frontplate. Thus the mitznepheth lay on the back of his head from ear to ear, opposite the whole neck, and the string which was tied to the frontplate was upon the mitznepheth. It is with reference to this that Scripture says, And thou shalt put it on a blue-purple string, meaning that he should put the string through the holes of the frontplate; and the string shall be upon the mitre behind his ears opposite the neck; towards the front of the mitre it shall be — that is, the frontplate, which shall be upon the forehead opposite the front part of the mitre. This is Scripture’s intent in stating, And thou shalt set the mitre upon his head,¹⁴⁹Further, 29:6. that is to say, above on the crown of the head, unlike the migba’oth of which it is said, and thou shalt bind head-tires upon them,¹⁵⁰Ibid., Verse 9. binding the head like one whose head hurts and he binds it for the purpose of strengthening the head. It further states, and thou shalt put the holy crown upon the mitre,¹⁴⁹Further, 29:6. for it was upon the mitre that [the frontplate] was tied at the back. This is so stated: And they put upon it a string of blue-purple, to fasten it upon the mitre above,¹⁴³Further, 39:31. for there upon [the mitre] the string [of the frontplate] was tied. Similarly, and upon the mitre, in front, did he set the golden plate,¹⁵¹Leviticus 8:9. means that he tied upon the front of the mitre the golden frontplate. Thus the term “placing” in all the verses refers to putting [the string of the frontplate] upon the mitre, for it was there that it was tied; the frontplate itself, however, was on the forehead opposite the mitre. There is then no difference between the expression And they put upon it a string of blue-purple,¹⁴³Further, 39:31. and [in the verse before us] and thou shalt put it on a blue-purple string [unlike Rashi who distinguished between them], for in both cases it is as if it said, “and thou shalt place it with a blue-purple string,” “and thou shalt put a blue-purple string,” similar in usage to the expression, and thou shalt put them ‘on’ one basket,¹⁵²Further, 29:3. which means “in” the basket. Likewise, escape ‘on’ thy life¹⁵³Genesis 19:17. [which means “with your life,” as long as your life is in you, or “escape for your life”]. Or it may be that the word al (‘on’ — on a blue-purple string) here serves as el (to), thus stating: “and you shall put it to a blue-purple string,” “and they put a blue-purple string to it,” for the string was put [to the frontplate, and the frontplate was put] to it, for it rested on it for support. In essence, the meaning of the verses is only that they should place a string in the holes of the frontplate, and in that way it also came about that the frontplate was upon the string and the string upon the frontplate. Similarly, And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof to the rings of the ephod with a string of blue-purple,¹⁵⁴Above, Verse 28. from which Rashi brought a proof¹⁵⁵In Rashi’s exposition of the frontplate he had explained (as mentioned above) that there were three double strings attached to it. To answer the question why Scripture speaks only of “a thread of blue-purple” in the singular, Rashi wrote (further 39:31). “Do not be puzzled because it does not say ‘threads of blue-purple,’ for we find the same thing in the case of the breastplate and the ephod, of which it is said, And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof with a string of blue-purple (above, Verse 28), and you must admit that there could not have been less than two strings, for at the two ends of the breastplate were the two rings of the breastplate, and on the two shoulder pieces of the ephod were two rings opposite them. Now according to the way the breastplate was tied on, there were four threads, and under any circumstance it could not have been less than two [and yet Scripture speaks only of ‘a string’ of blue-purple]!” — To this proof of Rashi, Ramban answers that reference is only to one string, as explained in the text. [that there were three double strings in the frontplate], also refers to only one string, which they put through the rings of the breastplate and the rings of the ephod opposite them; so also on the other side there was one string, for these were two [separate] places, and in each place they tied [the breastplate by the rings thereof] with one string [of blue-purple to the rings of the ephod].

ושמת אותו על פתיל תכלת, there was a single strand of blue wool at either end of the tzitz which extended from ear to ear so that the head-band could be tied by means of it. There were also three strings above the tzitz which crossed the High Priest’s head (linking up with the woolen strand and attached to the מצנפת, the turban like shaped headgear worn by the High Priest.

ושמת אותו על פתיל תכלת, “you shall fasten it to a cord made of blue wool.” Rashi points out that instead of the verb שים, i.e. ושמת, used by the Torah here, the Torah uses the verb נתן, i.e. ויתנו, in Exodus Not only that, but here the ציץ. is to be fastened to Aaron’s מצנפת, turban, though worn on his forehead, מצח, whereas in Parshat Pekudey it is described as being worn over the Turban. [Rashi, in discussing the implications at length, something that Nachmanides assumes the reader has already familiarised himself with, therefore comes to the conclusion that there were three locations on the ציץ to each of which a blue cord was attached in order to securely place the ציץ in such a way that there was room for Aaron to put on his phylacteries on the skin of his forehead. Ed.] Nachmanides expresses his amazement at Rashi’s interpretation, claiming that clearly the Torah mentions only a single blue wool cord in connection with the headband. According to Rashi, in Nachmanides’ view, there would have been six such cords. Furthermore, he accuses Rashi as unjustifiably lumping together verses that describe the instruction to make the headband, with verses (Parshat Pekudey) that describe the manner in which the directive was actually carried out. If indeed there were as many blue wool cords as described by Rashi, what would have been the purpose of the blue cord mentioned here which was in the center of the ציץ? According to Rashi, the headband had already been firmly secured in place behind Aaron’s head, at the nape of his neck! We must conclude that there was only a single such cord made of blue wool, this cord was stretched on Aaron’s forehead from one ear to the other and the headband itself had two holes in it at either of its two extremities, the cord being threaded through these holes so that the headband was securely tied together by means of this cord at the nape of Aaron’s neck. Simultaneously, the turban Aaron wore on his head covered this blue cord at the level of Aaron’s brain; whereas at the back of his head the turban covered this cord down to the level of the nape of the neck. In the front, the ציץ was worn so that it covered a major part of Aaron’s forehead, from ear to ear. The result of all this was that the rear of Aaron’s head was enclosed by the turban from ear to ear, whereas the front was covered by the golden headband from ear to ear. This is the meaning of the line: ושמת המצנפת על ראשו, i.e. “on the upper part of his head,” not like the מגבעות, the caps worn by the ordinary priests that enclosed the entire head, as we know from 29,9 וחבשת להם מגבעות, “you shall wrap the headdresses on them.” The meaning is that the entire head be covered by these מגבעות, headdresses, caps. As to what the Torah writes ונתת את נזר הקודש על המצנפת, “you are to place the crown of sanctity on the turban,” (29,6) the meaning is that that the ציץ is to be connected, tied, to the turban. There is no need to belabour the switch from the word ושמת to ונתת, and vice versa, as the Torah did not choose these two expressions for such interpretations, just as once the Torah writes that ויתנו עליו פתיל תכלת, whereas another time it writes ושמת אותו על פתיל תכלת. The variations of the wording teach that as long as the principal purpose of fastening the headband both to the forehead and to the turban was accomplished, minor changes in the procedure did not matter. We find similar variations in language of the Torah in connection with the consecration offerings in chapter 29, where the Torah writes in verse 3: ונתת אותם על סל אחד והקרבת, “you are to place them on one basket (the loaves of bread) and present them as an offering, etc.,” where the word על does not mean “on,” but “inside.” Similarly, there are numerous occasions when the preposition על actually is used instead of the preposition אל. Here too it is quite in order to understand the words ושמת אותו על פתיל תכלת, as if the Torah had written ונתת אותו אל פתיל תכלת, “you are to fasten it to a cord of blue wool.” The fact is that the cord was fastened to the headband, ציץ. Inversely, the headband was also fastened to the cord made of blue wool. The result was that the cord was on the headband.

At these three places. . . Since the threads were inserted through holes, each was doubled, and three threads became six. The middle thread was in the middle of the diadem. One of its strands was on top of the diadem, on the outside, and the other strand was under the diadem, opposite the first thread. Therefore it says here, “Set it on a greenish-blue cord,” but elsewhere it says, “Put over it a greenish-blue cord.” The middle thread holds it so it does not fall; otherwise it would slip downward.

אל מול פני המצנפת יהיה, “upon the forefront of the mitre (liturgical, pointed headdress) on his forehead it shall be.”

אל מול פני המצנפת יהיה, the headband was to be worn immediately below the lower rim of the mitznefet.