Komentarz do Wyjścia 28:27

על שתי כתפות האפוד מלמטה. ON THE TWO SHOULDER-PIECES OF THE EPHOD UNDERNEATH — underneath because the settings were placed on the upper ends of the shoulder-pieces of the ephod which came upon his shoulders beside his throat and which were folded over his shoulders and fell down in front of him; and the rings mentioned here He commanded to be put on the other end of each shoulder-piece which was joined on the ephod. This is the meaning of what is said לעמת מחברתו, “over against the joining thereof”, i. e. close by the spot where they were joined on to the ephod, namely, a little above the girdle, for the place of joining was over against the girdle. Thus these rings were placed a little above the place where the shoulder-straps began to rise from the girdle, and this is the meaning of what is said, “above the girdle of the ephod”. These were thus opposite (i. e. on a level with) the end (the lower edge) of the breastplate (but, of course, on the priest’s back, whilst the breast-plate lay in front of him). Now they placed a thread of blue purple in those rings and in the rings of the breast-plate and fastened them (the pair of rings) together by means of that thread on the right and on the left so that the lower edge of the breast-plate should not move forward and then return backward (should not move to and fro) and strike against his stomach. It followed, therefore, that it (the breast-plate) lay well upon the “Meil”.

ממול פניו, the letter מ at the beginning of the word ממול means that it is not to be at the level of his face but below, i.e. where the ephod’s sash is located not where the shoulder pads are located above his chest.

Where it is attached to the eiphod. . . I.e., to the belt of the eiphod.

ועשית (עוד) שתי טבעות זהב ונתת אותם על שתי כתפות למטה ממול פניו. “You are to make still another two rings and you shall put them on the two epaulettes of the ephod underneath on the front part thereof, close to the coupling thereof. This was at the rear of the High Priest’s back, at the lower end of where it was joined to the decorated band of the ephod. Some commentators claim that the ephod covered both the High Priest’s front and his back, similar to a short skirt known as korshit? They could not imagine that a garment worn beneath one’s loins could be described as “decorative.” We never find such garments except those designed to cover one’s private parts. Furthermore according to Rashi, the yarns used in these garments consisted of 28 threads each, and no one would have worn such heavy underwear. If the High Priest had had to wear such underwear it would have impeded him in carrying out some parts of his priestly duties. When he bent down they would have fallen off his shoulders. Therefore some commentators believe that they could only have covered the upper part of his torso. They would reach up to shoulder height.

ממול פניו TOWARDS THE FOREPART THEREOF — i. e. on the outer side.

לעומת מהברתו, on the level where the ephod’s sash is tied.

Above the belt. . . Explanation: the shoulder straps were joined along their width to the belt, and the rings were placed above their [point of joining], right at the [upper] edge of the belt. Consequently, the bottom of the breastplate, [which was tied to the rings,] reached the top of the belt. [Rashi knows this] because it says, “Above the eiphod’s belt.”