These are the vestments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a fringed tunic, a headdress, and a sash. They shall make those sacral vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons, for priestly service to Me;
(6) They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen, worked into designs.
(7) It shall have two shoulder-pieces attached; they shall be attached at its two ends. (8) And the decorated band that is upon it shall be made like it, of one piece with it: of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.
(9) Then take two shoham stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: (10) six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. (11) On the two stones you shall make seal engravings—the work of a lapidary—of the names of the sons of Israel. Having bordered them with frames of gold,
(12) attach the two stones to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, as stones for remembrance of the Israelite people, whose names Aaron shall carry upon his two shoulder-pieces for remembrance before the LORD.
The idea of wearing stones on the shoulder with certain names engraved on them.
When Aaron wore this garment, he would be extraordinarily mindful of who he represents, who he carries with him, for whom he is responsible.
Imagine if you had two stones on your shoulders, one on each side. Whose names are engraved there? Who do you carry with you? Who do you represent in the world? For whom are you responsible?
Remember there are two stones. Who is on which shoulder? Do these two lists of names balance out? Is one heavier than the other?
What do they help Aaron remember?
Or bibliodrama. You are one of these two stones on Aaron shoulder.
1. What do you help Aaron remember?
2. How do you help Aaron remember?
(21) The stones shall correspond [in number] to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, corresponding to their names. They shall be engraved like seals, each with its name, for the twelve tribes.
(29) Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of decision over his heart, when he enters the sanctuary, for remembrance before the LORD at all times.
The Choshen. Worn over the heart. Instead of two stones, twelve stones, with each name of a tribe on one stone.
Each name engraved like an engraving for a seal. What is that like? How does a seal work?
Imagine you are the choshen/one of the stones.
1. What do you help Aaron remember?
2. How do you help Aaron remember?
3. How is your remembering different than the remembering of the stones on the shoulders? (over the heart vs. on the shoulders)
Let me be a seal upon your heart,
Like the seal upon your hand.
For love is strong as death,
Passion is mighty as Sheol;
Its darts are darts of fire,
A blazing flame.
Vast floods cannot quench love,
Nor rivers drown it.
If a man offered all his wealth for love,
He would be laughed to scorn.
(17) Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt— (18) how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear. (19) Therefore, when the LORD your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the zecher/memory (or name) of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!
Before, we had names engraved, names to help/make someone remember.
In stark contrast, here, Moses commanding us to do the exact opposite, to blot out, erase, remove a name from our world.
This commandment is spoken to us in the past, with a command to erase the name of Amalek in the future. Moses warns us not to forget to erase/remove/blot out this name from our world.
In the haftarah, Saul is asked to fulfill this commandment, and fails, because he lets the king, Agag, live, whom Samuel kills, ending the Amalekites as a people.
But the memory of Amalek lived on, as we know from the fact that we have not forgotten about Amalek.
- Megillat Esther
- Pesach seder (v'hi she'amdah)
Imagine you are the memory (the name) of Amalek.
1. Why are you so hard to blot out from this world?