Ephod

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1. The Efod

   Sharón Rimón

   Why is the first garment mentioned in Parashat Pekudei the efod? What is the purpose of the Efod? Is it only a base for the Hoshen, or does it have internal significance? And why is the efod used later in the biblical text, while there is no mention of the actual use of the Hoshen?

2. The Victory Over Midyan

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   Gideon's brief but disturbing exchanges with the people of Sukkot and Pnuel highlights an ongoing problem in the book of Judges: The feeling among certain tribes or even towns within tribes that unless direct and immediate benefit was to accrue to them for their participation in the larger conflicts, they would much prefer to sit it out and leave the fighting to someone else, namely, their compatriots that were more directly threatened by the oppressor. The tribes still had a very long way to go in forging a national identity that could transcend narrow partisan concerns to address the greater issues and threats of the day.

   The Midianites raise the possibility of Gideon being a king, a possibility that the people subsequently raise, but Gideon refuses because he feels that such innovations will have the effect of shifting communal and national focus away from serving God to instead concentrate it upon man.

   The end of Gideon's life is marred by the episode of the golden Ephod, but his victories are remembered and referred to throughout Tanakh.

3. Urim and Tumim- What is their Significance?

   Rabbi Daniel Wolf

   תאריך פרסום: תשע"ב | |

   In this shiur, we take a closer look at the mysterious Urim ve-Tumim. What are they? Why do they have a double name? What is their purpose? Strangely, it appears that there is no explicit command to make them, yet their presence is assumed by the Torah, and they seem to play a significant role when leaders call for the kohanim to advise them about decisions to make.

4. Holy Garments

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman

   Rather than detailing the role and function of the priests in the Mishkan, a topic that briefly surfaces at the very beginning of Parashat Tetzave, the Torah focuses solely on the priests' attire. While outfitting the priests in honorable and beautiful garments is clearly important for the status of the sanctuary and the public perception of the priests, one wonders why the Torah describes the garments in such great detail and at such length. An analysis of the description of the high priest’s clothing allows us to gain a deep understanding into the function of the high priest- as a bridge between God and Israel.  As his garments indicate, he serves to elevate Israel and atone for their sins, to repair and maintain the God-Israel relation.

5. R. Avraham ibn Ezra

   Part 3

   Dr. Avigail Rock

   Ibn Ezra believes that it is inconceivable for the Sages’ halakhic tradition to contradict the peshat of the verses. On this point, he argues with the Rashbam, who goes as far as to explain the halakhic verses against the tradition of the Sages. As we have explained in the previous lessons, Ibn Ezra supports the view of philological pashtanut and exerts great effort to explain the verses in accordance with the rules of grammar and topical logic. However, when there is a contradiction between the peshat and the Sages’ tradition in Halakha, ibn Ezra pushes the simple meaning of the words so that it will fit with the Sages’ view, while striving to have it dovetail with the rules of grammar and language.

   Despite these words of Ibn Ezra expressing the unquestionable authority of the Sages in Halakha, many times ibn Ezra veers in his interpretation from the interpretation of the halakhic ruling.

   ·       It may be that ignorance of the halakhic ruling – due to poverty and wandering - is what causes him to interpret verses differently than the Sages.

   ·       Alternatively, while the ibn Ezra sees himself as bound by the Sages’ legal authority, the Sages themselves do not believe that this is the verse’s intent, but they tie the law to the verse.

   While ibn Ezra had a profoundly negative view of the Karaites, it is important to note that he does not hesitate to cite their interpretations if he believes they are correct. According to his view, the truth of the Oral Torah may be established not only by finding its laws in the verses of Written Torah, but by confronting the reality of the absence of many laws in the Written Torah. These exigent rules are only found in the Oral Torah, and without their existence there is no significance at all to the laws of the Written Torah.

   Ibn Ezra was aware of Rashi’s status in France. Therefore, in his commentary to the Torah, ibn Ezra keeps his silence despite the fact that he disagreed with him.

   Ibn Ezra conceals issue in his commentary; he embraces the phenomenon of "sod" with regard to deep concepts, issues regarding the authorship of Torah and sins of great Biblical figures.