The Breastpiece (Exo 28:8)
8 And its skillfully woven waistband [the belt] which is above it [i.e., which is on the upper edge of the ephod], shall be like its workmanship [i.e., the work of a skilled weaver, of the five varieties (of material)], emanating from it [i.e., woven together with the ephod]: gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and twisted linen.
Rashi’s Commentary
And its skillfully woven waistband—This signifies, and the girdle by means of which he bedecks it (the ephod) and puts it in order for the priest and adorns him.
Which is above it—Above on the edge of the apron: this is therefore the girdle.
Like its workmanship—As the weaving of the apron—the work of a skilled weaver and of the five materials—so the weaving of the belt, also, was the work of a skilled weaver and of the five materials.
Emanating from it—It shall be woven together with it, and one shall not weave it separately, and join its afterwards.
Rev 1:13
and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to the feet and girded across his chest with a golden sash.
9 “You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel
10 six of their names on one stone and the other six on the other stone, in order of their birth [i.e., on the first stone: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali; on the second: Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin].
11 Similar to the work of a gem cutter, [with script as clear as] the engraving of a seal shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel; you shall mount them in filigree settings of gold.
12 And you shall fasten the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial [i.e., so that the Holy One see the tribes inscribed before him and remember their righteousness].
13 And you shall make [two] filigree settings of gold
14 and two chains of pure gold at the edge [of the breastpiece]; of twisted cordage work shall you make them, and you shall attach the corded chains on the filigree settings [of the ephod].
The Breastpiece
15 “And you shall fashion a breastpiece of judgment [i.e., a breastpiece which atones for subversion of judgment]—the work of a skilled workman; like the work of the ephod shall you make it: of gold, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine twisted linen.
16 It shall be square and folded double; a span shall be its length and a span shall be its width.
17 And you shall mount on it [its indentations] with stone filling, four rows of of stones. The first row shall be a row of carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; this shall be the first row;
Rashi’s Commentary
And you shall mount on it—Because the stones fill the hollows of the settings which were specially made for them it calls them by the term of filling.
Rev 21:19-21
19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each individual
gate was of a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond;
Rev 4:3
And he who sat there was like a jasper and a ruby in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.
19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;
20 and the fourth row—topaz, onyx and jasper. Set in gold shall they [the rows] be with their [exact] fillings [i.e., they shall be surrounded by golden settings of a depth to accommodate the exact thickness of the stone].
Rashi’s Commentary
Set in gold—The rows—shall be set in gold with their fillings—surrounded by gold settings in the depth. According to the measure of the fullness of the thickness of the stones shall be the depth of the settings, neither more nor less.
21 And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a seal, each one with his name shall they be, for the twelve tribes [in order of their birth: carnelian for Reuben, chrysolite for Simeon, etc.]
22 “You shall make for the breastpiece braided chains of cordage work of pure gold.
23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and you shall fasten the two rings on the two corners of the breastpiece [on the two corners opposite the neck].
24 You shall fasten the two chains of gold on the two rings which are on the corners of the breastpiece,
25 and the other two ends of the two chains [i.e., the two heads of each one] you shall place on the two settings [the right one on the right setting, and the left one on the left], and you shall place [the settings] on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it [i.e., on the topside of the ephod].
26 And you shall make two rings of gold and you shall attach them on the two corners of the breastpiece [the two lower corners] on the edge of it, which is in the side of the ephod [i.e., the lower, apron part], inwards [(whereas the rings on top of the choshen face outwards)].
27 And you shall make two other rings of gold and attach them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on its face [i.e., on the topside of the ephod], opposite [i.e., near] where it [the shoulder piece] is attached [to the ephod] above the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod.
28 And they shall bind the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it may be upon [i.e., fastened to] the waistband of the ephod, and that the breastpiece will not be detached from the
ephod.
Rashi’s Commentary
And they shall bind—This is an expression for joining. Similar in meaning is, (Psa 31:21) “from bands of (מֵרֻכְסֵי) men,” i. e. from bands of wicked men joined together. Similar is, (Isa 40:4) “and the close mountains (וְהָרְכָסִים), a valley”—i. e. the mountains which are close (almost joined) to one another so that it is not possible to descend into the valley between them except with great difficulty, since, in consequence of their closeness to each other, the valley is precipitous and deep—these connected mountains, shall become a level valley and easy to travel upon.
So that it may be upon the waistband of the ephod—So that the breastpiece (not the ring) may be attached to the waistband of the ephod.
Will not be detached— יִזַּח is an expression for “breaking away.” It is an Arabic expression according to the opinion of Dunash ben Labrat.
29 “Aaron will bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of decision over his heart when he enters the Holy Place, as a memorial before the Lord continually.
30 And you shall put the Urim and the Thummim [the (written) Tetragrammaton, by means of which the breastpiece illuminates (מֵאִיר) and brings to perfection (מְךְתַּמֵם) its words] in the [fold of the] breastpiece of decision, so that they may be over Aaron’s heart when he comes before the Lord. And Aaron will bear the decision of the children of Israel [i.e., the breastpiece, which they consult for decision and direction] over his heart before the Lord, always.
Rashi’s Commentary
The Urim and the Thummim—This was an inscription of the proper name of God which was placed between the folds (i. e. the two pieces forming the front and back) of the breastpiece through which it (the breastpiece) made its statements clear (מֵאִיר) and its promises true (מְךְתַּמֵם) (Yoma 73b). In the second temple there was certainly the breastpiece (although other objects employed in the Temple Service were missing) for it was impossible that the High Priest should have lacked a garment, but that divine name was not within it. It was on account of the inscription which constituted the Urim and Thummim and which enabled it to give decisions that it was called “judgment,” as it is said, “and he shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim” (Num 27:21).
The decision of the children of Israel—The object by means of which they are judged and admonished whether they should do a particular thing or whether they should not do it. But according to the Midrashic statement (Zevachim 88b) that the breastpiece atoned for those who pervert decision it was called “decision” in allusion to the pardon thus given for perverse decision.
Heb 2:17
Therefore, he had to be made like his brethren in all things, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
Heb 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot empathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are—yet without sin.
Heb 9:12, 24
12 Not through the blood of goats and calves, but
through his own blood, he entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, which are mere copies of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Other Priestly Garments
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it. There shall be a woven edge all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it will not tear.
33 And you shall make on its bottom hem pomegranates [they were round and hollow] of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, all around on its hem, and bells of gold [with clappers within them] in their [the pomegranates’] midst roundabout [one bell between every two pomegranates].
Rashi’s Commentary
Pomegranates—They were round and hollow, similar to that kind of pomegranates which are made like (have the form of) a hen’s egg.
And bells of gold—Bells, together with the clappers in them.
In their midst roundabout—i. e. between them (the pomegranates) roundabout: between every two pomegranates there was one bell attached hanging from the bottom hem of the robe (cf. Zevachim 88b).
Num 27:21
He shall stand [an accession to Moses’ request that all his honor not depart from his father’s house—Joshua, too, having need of Eleazar] before Eleazar the priest and seek counsel from him [when there is a need to go out to war] by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his [Eleazar’s] command they will go out, and at his command they will come in, both he and the children of Israel with him, and the entire community [the Sanhedrin].
Psa 31:21
You hide them [those who take shelter in you] in the shelter of your presence
from bands of men;
you keep them in a secret dwelling
from the taunting of tongues.
Isa 40:4
Every valley shall be raised up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
and the close mountains a plain.
through his own blood, he entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, which are mere copies of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Other Priestly Garments
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it. There shall be a woven edge all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it will not tear.
33 And you shall make on its bottom hem pomegranates [they were round and hollow] of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, all around on its hem, and bells of gold [with clappers within them] in their [the pomegranates’] midst roundabout [one bell between every two pomegranates].
Rashi’s Commentary
Pomegranates—They were round and hollow, similar to that kind of pomegranates which are made like (have the form of) a hen’s egg.
And bells of gold—Bells, together with the clappers in them.
In their midst roundabout—i. e. between them (the pomegranates) roundabout: between every two pomegranates there was one bell attached hanging from the bottom hem of the robe (cf. Zevachim 88b).
3 Speak [today, on the first of the month] to the whole community of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth day of this month [the “taking” of the Passover sacrifice of Egypt was on the tenth, but not that of future generations] each man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father [and, in the event that the family is large and one lamb will not suffice for it], a lamb for each household [i.e., for each household within that family].
Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:3:2
Speak to the whole community of Israel—R. Achai b. R. Yoshiyah says: Now did they both speak? Is it not written (Ibid. 7:2) “You (Moses) shall speak all that I command you?” Moses accorded honor to Aaron and said “Teach me,” and Aaron did likewise with Moses, and the speech emanated from both as if both were speaking.
Pesachim 96a:7
The Gemara discusses the meaning of this difficult phrase, as obviously, the Passover sacrifice is slaughtered on the fourteenth and eaten on the evening of the fifteenth. GEMARA: The Gemara asks: From where do we conclude that the requirements of the Passover sacrifice sacrificed in Egypt do not apply to later generations? As it is written: “Speak to the whole community of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth day of this month each man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for each household” (Exo 12:3); and we derive from the superfluous word “this” that this Passover sacrifice offered in Egypt had to be taken from the tenth of Nisan, and the Passover sacrifice of later generations is not taken from the tenth of Nisan.
Rashi’s Commentary
Speak to the whole community—But did Aaron speak? Has it not already been stated, “You shall speak” (Exo 7:2)? But the explanation is: they paid respect one to the other, saying to each other, “Instruct me what to say” and the divine communication in question issued
from both of them, so that it was as though they were both speaking (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:3:2).
This work "The Breastpiece" is a derivative of "The Rashi Chumash" and "The Rashi Ketuvim" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein used under CC BY 3.0