Comentário sobre Êxodo 28:25

ואת שתי קצות means, AND THE TWO EXTREMITIES OF שתי עבתת THE TWO PLAITED CHAINS — (Rashi points out that קצות is in the construct state) — i. e. the two ends of each cord

Of the eiphod. . . As opposed to “toward the robe.” [Rashi knows this because if “Toward its face” meant toward the face of the kohein, what would it be as opposed to? The shoulder-straps of the eiphod are necessarily toward the face of the kohein who wears them.]

ואת שתי קצות העבותות, “and the other two ends of the wreathen chains, etc.;” this somewhat cumbersome formulation is also found in Exodus 15,16, where we read: עד יעבור עמך ה', עד יעבור עם זו קנית, “until Your people of Hashem has passed, until this people You have acquired has passed;” a similar construction is also found in Psalms 93,3: נשאו נהרות ה' נשאו נהרות קולם, “the ocean raises its voice o Lord, the oceans sound their thunder.” These are just a few examples of this type of construction. The meaning of the verse is as follows: the two ends of the two wreathen chains shall be attached to the two golden frames, משבצות, mentioned in verse 13, between the ephod and spread across the breastplate.

תתן על שתי המשבצות THOU SHALT FASTEN IN THE TWO SETTINGS — These are the selfsame settings which are mentioned above in the paragraph that is placed between the section on the breast-plate and the section on the ephod. There it did not explain their purpose and their position; now, however, it explains that he should fix into them the ends of the plaited chains which had been inserted in the rings of the breast-plate on the right and on the left near the neck. The two ends of the right chain he fixed in the setting on the right, and similarly in that on the left he fixed the two ends of the left chain.

ונתת, you are to place these two golden frames at the edge of the epaulettes of the ephod which are folded over and hanging down on either side of the High Priest’s neck, slightly protruding forward towards the face of it, i.e. opposite the upper edge which was at his back. It will be partially folded at the front of the High Priests due to the belt and the decorated band which he is tightening with his belt. In the earlier part of this paragraph the construction of these garments was described, whereas here the Torah describes how they were to be worn. [At the end of volume 4, I hope to attach illustrations of all this. Ed.]

ונתת AND THOU SHALT PUT the settings.

על כתפות האפד ON THE SHOULDER-PIECES OF THE EPHOD, one setting on this shoulder-piece and one on that. Consequently the shoulder-pieces of the ephod hold the breast-plate up so that it may not fall, and from them did it hang. But the lower edge of the breast-plate would still come and go (swing to and fro) and strike against his stomach and would not lie closely upon it; therefore two more rings were needed for its lower edge, as it goes on to explain.

אל מול פניו IN THE FOREPART THEREOF — i. e. in the forepart of the ephod. meaning that he should not put the settings on that surface of the shoulder-pieces which faced the מעיל, but on the upper surface which faced the outside. It is that latter surface which is called the forepart of the ephod, because the surface which is not seen, being turned towards the מעיל, cannot be called the פנים, the front.