Midrash sobre Êxodo 28:12

The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Go and appoint a High Priest for Me.’ [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, from which tribe?’ He said to him: ‘From the tribe of Levi.’ [Moses asked:] ‘With what will I anoint him?’ He said to him: ‘With the anointing oil.’ At that moment, Moses was joyful; he said: ‘My tribe is so beloved before the Holy One blessed be He.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘By your life, it is not your tribe, but it is your brother’ – that is what is written: “And you, bring [Aaron your brother] near to you” (Exodus 28:1). His anointing with the anointing oil, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “You shall take the anointing oil […and anoint him]” (Exodus 29:7). However, his service is not service and he has liability unless the names of the tribes are engraved on his heart, as it is written: “Aaron will bear the names…[of the children of Israel…upon his heart]” (Exodus 28:29). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘The names of the tribes are dearer to me than the anointing oil with which priests and kings are anointed.’
Rabbi Neḥemya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Go and appoint a High Priest for Me.’ [Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, from which tribe?’ He said to him: ‘From the tribe of Levi.’ [Moses asked:] ‘With what will I anoint him?’ He said to him: ‘With the anointing oil.’ At that moment, Moses was joyful; he said: ‘My tribe is so beloved before the Holy One blessed be He.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘By your life, it is not your tribe, but it is your brother; that is what is written: “And you, bring [Aaron your brother] near to you” (Exodus 28:1). His anointing with the anointing oil, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “You shall take the anointing oil […and anoint him]” (Exodus 29:7). However, his service is not service and he has liability unless the names of the tribes are engraved on his two shoulders, as it is written: “Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders as a remembrance” (Exodus 28:12). “Six of their names [on one stone and the names of the six that remain on the other stone]” (Exodus 28:10). Rav Beivai said: Had they been missing one letter they would not have served their purpose. Rabbi Oshaya taught: Even one dot.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: There are three crowns; the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship. The crown of priesthood, Aaron merited it and took it. The crown of kingship, David merited it and took it. The crown of Torah is available for [all] generations. Anyone who acquires Torah it is as though he acquired [all] three of them. Anyone who did not acquire Torah, it is as though he did not acquire any of them.
Rabbi Bon said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani: We found that the Holy One blessed be He went a distance that takes five hundred years to traverse to make a name for Himself, as it is written: “[Who is like Your people, like Israel…] whom God went to redeem to Himself for a people and to make a name for Himself […nations and their gods]” (II Samuel 7:23). Rabbi Yosei HaGelili said: A nation and its gods.⁷He interprets the end of the verse to mean that God redeemed Israel despite the fact that there were idolaters among them who took their gods with them. Rabbi Akiva said to him: You have rendered the sacred profane. The Israelites said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You redeemed Yourself, as it were, as it is stated: “Whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, nations and their God”’ (II Samuel 7:23).⁸According to Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, this would be translated as “their gods.” It is written: “Whom God went [halakh] [to redeem] for Himself [a people]” (I Chronicles 17:21), and later it says: “Whom God went [halekhu] [to redeem for Himself for a people]” (II Samuel 7:23). Halakh, this is the Holy One blessed be He; halekhu, this is Moses and Aaron.⁹The term halekhu is plural, and therefore the midrash interprets it as referring to Moses and Aaron. Thus, the verse means that Moses and Aaron were emissaries God sent to accomplish this objective.

7) Because it is written of the ephod (Shemoth 28:12) "And Aaron shall bear their names (on the ephod) before the L–rd on his two shoulders as a remembrance," I might think that he could enter with it (even) into the holy of holies; it is, therefore, written "linen" — and not with the ephod.