Шмот 28:12 Комментарий: Mei HaShiloach, Rashi, Chizkuni & Sforno

Place the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod—stones of remembrance for the children of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before God on his two shoulders as a remembrance (Exodus 28:12). The idea here is that God is called “learned in mysteries” in the Talmud (Berakhot 58a:3) for creating many souls (see Mishnah Berakhot 6:8) with different minds, which contradict one another. So it ever is with Israel among themselves, that the children of Leah say that the children of Rachel constrict themselves more than is appropriate, not according to what God commanded, and the children of Rachel say that the children of Leah expand themselves more than is appropriate. If they oppose one another, how can it be that they are all good? Indeed, Aaron the priest bore them on his shoulders as one who bears a load on his shoulders, because this load is his particular load, because Aaron the priest had a good heart, which discerned and clarified for each soul in Israel that each one acts according to its own character, even beyond their own understanding, and in their season and in their time orients toward God’s will, and “these and those are the words of the living God” (Eruvin 13b:10).

לזכרון FOR A MEMORIAL — so that the Holy One, blessed be He, will see the names of the tribes written before Him and He will remember their righteousness (cf. Exodus Rabbah 38:8).

ושמת את שתי האבנים על כתפות האפוד, “you are to place the two gemstones firmly on the two epaulettes;” this was to be done at the highest point of the High Priest’s shoulders.