Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 28:36/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ח:ל״ו
אועשית ציץ. תרגמה הגאון עצאבה, והיא נתונה על המצנפת ואיננה כדמות כתר, כי הוא על המצח לבדו, כי על דרך הפשט אין המגבעות כדמות מצנפת כי המגבעות כדמות אלה שישימו הזכרים באלה הארצות על הראש שיכסו הראש והם גבוהים והמצנפת היא בגד דק ארוך צנוף סביב הראש לבדו מעט תדמה לה המצנפת שיש בראש הנשים באלה המקומות, כי בארץ ישמעאל ובספרד ואפריקא ומצרים, ובבל ובאגדד, המצנפת היא על הראש מן הזכרים הנכבדים, ולא על ראש אשה, והשרים הגדולים עושים ציץ זהב על המצנפת על מקום המצח, וכבר הזכרתי לך, כי מנהג א"י ותכשיטיהם אינו כמנהג אלה המקומות, והוצרך רבינו שלמה לתקן המקראות בשלש פתילות תכלת ועל דרך הפשט אין צורך רק לפתיל אחד שיעמוד הציץ על פני המצנפת שהיא על המצח:
1AND THOU SHALT MAKE A PLATE. The Gaon renders tzitz (plate) atzabah. It143 is masculine but I.E. uses the feminine pronoun (hi) because he is referring to atzabah, the Arabic equivalent of tzitz. was placed on the mitre. It was not shaped like a crown, as the plate144. It is rather strange that I.E. first employs pronouns which refer to the Arabic form of the word and then employs a pronoun which refers to the Hebrew form of the word. It should be noted that Vat. Ebr. 38 has a totally different reading. It reads: “The Gaon renders tzitz (plate) atzabah. It is placed on the mitre. The mitre does not have the shape of head-tires, for the head-tires are similar to the high hats which men in this and surrounding countries place upon their heads as a head covering. However, the mitres are made out of long thin material which is twisted only around the head.” There is no inconsistency in the tenses in this reading. was placed only on the forehead.145 According to the plain meaning of the text, the migba’ot (head-tires) (Lev. 8:13)146 (mitre) worn by the high priest. were not shaped like the mitre (mitznefet). The head-tires are similar to the high hats which men in this and surrounding countries place upon their heads as a head covering. [37.] THE MITRE. The mitre147 is made from long thin material which is twisted only around the head.148 The turbans worn by women in these areas are somewhat similar. In Spain, Africa, Egypt, Babylonia, and Baghdad and in the land of the Ishmaelites, only men of respect, not the women, wear turbans on their heads.149 The important officials place a golden plate on the turban over the forehead. I have already noted that the ornaments in the Land of Israel and the customs practiced there differ from those in these areas. Rabbi Solomon150 found it necessary to harmonize Scripture151 (the plate) on a thread of blue. However, it goes on to say, and it (the plate) shall be upon the mitre. This implies that the plate was on the mitre, not upon the thread. Furthermore, Ex. 39:31 states, And they tied unto it [the plate] a thread of blue. In other words, verse 37 implies that the plate was placed upon the thread, but Ex. 39:31 implies that the thread was placed on top of the plate. by explaining that three blue threads were attached to the plate.152 top.” The first refers to the threads on the outer side of the plate, the second to the threads on the inner side of the plate, and the third to the threads that passed through the middle perforation. However, according to the plain meaning of the text only one blue thread153 was necessary to keep the plate, which was on the face of the mitre on the forehead, in place.