Commento su Esodo 28:8

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).

וחשב אפודתו, the belt attached to the sash acted as the connecting link tying things together, as described in Leviticus 8,7 which we already quoted.

V. 8. חשב. Grundbedeutung: Verbinden, jedoch so, daß auch in der Verbindung die Teile noch in ihrer Gesondertheit erscheinen. Dadurch unterscheidet es sich von חבר, das eine völlige Vereinigung ausdrückt, und wird zugleich Ausdruck für Gedankenkombination und Rechnen. Daher auch: חצב mit צ: gewaltsame Trennung, durchhauen. חֵשב, der die beiden Seiten eines Gewandes um den Körper, zeitweilig beim Tragen, verbindende Latz.

וחשב אפדתו, “and its skillfully woven band;” this was an integral part of the ephod, looking like a belt; this is why it was described in Leviticus 8,7: ויחגור אותו בחשב האפד, “he girded him with the girdle.”

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

אשר עליו, “which is upon it;” all around the circumference of the ephod this woven band was visible and protruding as if a single belt looking (its woven pattern) like the cloth parts of the ephod. It looked similar to the workmanship of the robe over which it was worn. In other words: the word עליו, refers to the ephod.

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.

ממנו יהיה, “it shall be of the same piece.” (verse 8) Compare my explanation on verse 25, until the word: ויורדות, “and hanging down slightly on both sides of his neck, facing the front of the ephod. ”You are to make two additional rings which you will attach to the two lower extremities of the breastplate pointing to the inner part of the ephod, underneath in its forepart of, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that they were on a level with the lower edge of the breastplate. כמעשהו ממנו יהיה, “it shall be of one piece with it.” This is a reference to the woven patterns of the ephod. It shall not be woven as a separate piece of cloth. Afterwards it will be attached to the edge of the ephod. The ephod would have two epaulettes at its two extreme edges and these would be joined, (tied). They would be joined by means of a pin or needle (type of safety pin) so that they would be seen to protrude as if standing, this being the reason why the Torah called them כתפות, “shoulder pieces,” prominent like shoulders. According to a different opinion, these epaulettes were very wide, hence they were compared to shoulders. According to that opinion, this is why they were described as חוברות, for if they had been narrow like thin belts, they could not have been properly attached to the breastplate which would have been in danger of falling down.

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.