Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 28:4/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ח:ד׳
אואלה הבגדים. הזכיר בתחלה החשן שהי' למעלה מהאפוד שהוא למעלה מהמעיל, ואחר כן הכתונת והאבנט החוגר אותו והמצנפת על ראשו וכן היה כאשר רחץ אהרן במים ולבש מכנסי בד, ואין צורך להזכירם עתה, ולא בשעת מעשה כי מנהג כל אדם ללבוש מכנסים והנה משה הלבישו הכתונת, ואחר כן שם המצנפת על ראשו ושם על המצנפת ציץ נזר הקדש ולא הזכיר בפסוק הזה שהוא סופר בגדי כהונה את ציץ נזר הקדש כי אינו בגד וקדמונינו הזכירו בעבור הרבים שמונה בגדי כהונה, ואין האורים והתומים בגדים ולא אבנים ולא קלפים, ואחר כן חגר אותו באבנט, ואחר כן הלבישו המעיל, ואח"כ האפוד, ויאפד לו בו כי החשב מהאפוד ובעבור החשב נקרא אפוד, והנה על הסדר שהוא בפסוק הזה, ואל תשתומם שתמצא כתוב באחרונה במעשה וישם את המצנפת על ראשו (ויקרא ח ט) כי פירושו וכבר שם המצנפת עם ציץ הזהב בלבשו הכתנת, וכמוהו וילבישוהו בגדים (זכריה ג ה) וכבר הלבישוהו כי בתחלה כתיב וישימו הצניף הטהור על ראשו (שם):
1AND THESE ARE THE GARMENTS. Scripture first mentions the breastplate, which was worn over the ephod, which was worn over the robe.22 It then mentions the tunic and the girdle23 which went around it24 after the mitre was placed on Aaron’s head. This is what happened25, etc. when Aaron washed26 and put on linen breeches.27 However, there was no reason to mention the breeches here nor in the description of the actual investiture of Aaron,28 for it is the manner of all men to wear breeches. Now Moses put the tunic upon Aaron.29 He then placed the mitre upon Aaron’s head,30 and He placed “the plate of the holy crown”31. upon the mitre.32 Our verse, which enumerates the priestly garments, does not mention “the plate of the holy crown” because “the plate of the holy crown” was not a garment. However, our sages mentioned the holy plate among the priestly garments33 71b. because most of the objects worn by the high priest were garments. Hence the sages speak of the eight garments worn by the high priest. The Urim and Thummim34 were not garments.35 Neither were the stones,36 nor the cards.37 After this38 Moses encircled Aaron with the girdle. Moses then placed the robe upon Aaron. He then placed the ephod upon the robe and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod and bound it unto him therewith (Lev. 8:7).39 The skillfully woven band was part of the ephod.40 [the ephod] unto him [Aaron] therewith. The ephod was so called because of the skillfully woven band.41 Moses dressed Aaron according to the order described in our verse. Do not be bothered by the fact that Scripture later states, regarding the actual investiture of Aaron, And he set the mitre upon his head (Lev. 8:9).42 Its meaning is, he had already placed the mitre with the golden plate on Aaron’s head when he dressed him in the tunic.43 (and he set) has a pluperfect meaning: and he had set. See Vol. 1, p. xvi, item 4. The meaning of and clothed him with garments (Zech. 3:5) is similar; i.e., they had already clothed him. For Scripture previously states, So they set a fair mitre upon his head (Ibid.).44. The aforementioned shows that the mitre was donned following the robes. However, when Scripture describes what actually happened it says, So they seta fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments (Zech. 3:5). The latter implies that the mitre was put on before the garments. Hence I.E.’s interpretation that and clothed him with garments (Ibid.) means, and they had already clothed him.