출애굽기 28:4 해설: Rashi, Chizkuni, Kli Yakar & Or HaChaim

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

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.

And these are the garments that they shall make: a breastplate and an ephod. Here the breastplate is mentioned before the ephod, but later when listing them in detail, the ephod is mentioned first, and afterward and you shall make a breastplate. Similarly, at the time of construction in Parshat Pekudei, the ephod is also mentioned before the breastplate. Additionally, there is another difficulty: in all other instances it says and you shall make, but here it says and they shall make the ephod. I am surprised that all the commentators who questioned why it says and they shall make an ark regarding the Ark, here no one says a word. According to what will be explained soon regarding the purpose of the ephod, which came as atonement for idolatry, specifically for the [golden] calf that they made, which caused the breaking of the tablets that Moses carried on his shoulders — therefore the ephod was placed on his [the High Priest’s] two shoulders, and it is written two shoulder pieces shall be joined to it, corresponding to the two tablets which had five commandments opposite five. Therefore, it appropriately says and they shall make in the plural form, for the same reason that it says and they shall make regarding the Ark.

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”.