Urim and Tummim
Name of HaShem
The Urim and Tummim were an inscription of the proper name of HaShem (or perhaps several names of HaShem) inserted into the folds of the Choshen.
SOURCES: Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Rashi, Ramban, Ralbag #1, Abarbanel
No description in Shemot 28 and no execution in Shemot 39 – Ramban points to these omissions as support for this approach, explaining that since the Urim and Tummim were an inscription of the Divine name and not the work of artisans or the product of Israelite donations, it is logical that there is no command and no description of their creation. He posits that either Moshe himself wrote the name via Divine secret, or that the inscription was heavenly made.
Definite article – Ramban points to this as further proof of his position, suggesting that the Urim and Tummim are referred to with a definite article, as "the" Urim and Tummim, due to their holy status and/or Divine creation.
"םיִּמֻּתַה תֶאְו םיִּרוּאָה תֶא ןֶשֹחַה לֶא ןֵּת יַו" (Vayikra 8:8) – Ralbag and Abarbanel note that this verse, too, supports this approach, for it implies that Moshe placed a distinct object into the Choshen. The fact that the Choshen was folded over to form a pocket further suggests that it was meant to hold something (and not simply serve as a backing for the Choshen stones, as per the position below).
How did the divination work?
- Spell out message – Ramban suggests that when asked a question, the power from the Divine names of the Urim caused certain letters from the names on the Choshen stones to be illuminated. These, though, appeared simultaneously and were not in order, and so other Divine names from the Tummim inspired the priest so he would correctly arrange them to form a word. Abarbanel, instead, suggests that HaShem's name caused the letters to be illuminated one by one, so that the message spelled itself.
- Inspire prophecy – Ralbag, instead, suggests that focusing on the Divine name in the Urim and Tummim helped the priest attain prophecy. It was this prophecy alone which allowed him to answer the question posed. [According to him, nothing on the Choshen was illuminated or protruded, so nothing about the Urim and Tummim was supernatural or could be mistaken for magic.]
Why are they called Urim and Tummim?
- Purpose – Targum Yonatan maintains that the name derives from their function, with Urim, related to אור (light), referring to how they illuminated Israel, telling them how to act, and Tummim, from "תם" (complete), referring to the fact that the predictions made were always fulfilled.
- Technique – Ramban, alternatively, suggests that the name refers to the techniques by which the divination occurred. The Urim relates to the shining of the letters and Tummim to the perfection given to the priest which enabled him to unscramble the letters to form a message.
Relationship between Urim and Tummim – According to most of these sources, who posit that the inscription contained just the proper name of HaShem, there is no difference between the Urim and Tummim and it constitutes but one object. However, according to Ramban, who maintains that each of the Urim and Tummim refers to different names of HaShem, the two are distinct. Nonetheless, it seems that even Ramban might agree that in those cases where the text refers only to the "Urim", it is simply a shortened formulation for "Urim and Tummim" (and does not refer to the Urim alone).
Relationship between 28:29 and 28:30 – These sources might suggest that each verse is focusing on a different part of the Choshen, as each had a different role. The names on the stones were meant to be a memorial, while the Urim and Tummim were for judgment and determination. The similarity in language stems only from the fact that both were connected to the Choshen and worn on the heart.
Ephod – Ramban suggests that the secrets of the Urim and Tummim and its Divine names might have been passed on to the learned scholars of Israel. Thus, others besides the priest might have made Ephods with a Choshen and Divine names similar to that made by Moshe, and used them periodically to consult with God
Use in Second Temple period – Abarbanel suggests that the Urim and Tummim were not in use during the Second Temple period because by then the inscriptions of the Divine name that Moshe had inserted into the Choshen had been lost. As this was the essence of the Urim and Tummim, without it, divination was no longer possible.
Choshen Stones
The Urim and Tummim are identified with the stones of the Choshen on which were engraved the names of the tribes.
SOURCES: Josephus, Lekach Tov, perhaps Rambam, opinion in R. Avraham b. HaRambam
No description in Shemot 28 and no execution in Shemot 39 – The lack of description of the Urim and Tummim might be one of the factors motivating this approach. If the Urim and Tummin are identical with the stones of the Choshen which are described at length, there is no need to describe them separately. For this same reason, there is no distinct description of the Urim and Tummim being created in Shemot 39. Their creation is included in the chapter's detailing of the making of the Choshen stones.
Relationship between 28:29 and 28:30 – This approach might additionally be motivated by the similarity in language between 28:29 and 28:30. As both verses speak of the same object, the overlap is understandable. The Choshen stones "lay on Aharon's heart... before HaShem" to play two roles: they were meant to both ensure that the tribes were constantly remembered and to enable Aharon to determine the answers to their questions.
Why are they called Urim and Tumim? Haketav VeHaKabbalah suggests that the name might relate to the stones' physical properties. They were lustrous (full of "אור ") and, being unhewn, were complete and perfect ("תם ").
Why two names? This position must explain why the same object is given two distinct names:
- Rav Shrira Gaon suggests that the additional name is simply a sign of praise, highlighting the unique and important nature of the object.
- It is also possible that the Urim and Tummim is the name given to the entire framework of twelve stones in their gold settings. The Choshen, in contrast, referred to the multicolored woven fabric, or perhaps to the fabric together with the framework of stones, while the stones themselves each have individual names.
" םיִּמֻּתַה תֶאְו םיִּרוּאָה תֶא ןֶשֹחַה לֶא ןֵּת יַו" – Ibn Ezra questions that if the Urim and Tummim are identical with the Choshen stones, how is one to understand the phrase "ןֶשֹחַה לֶא ןֵּת יַו" (Vayikra 8:8), which implies that Moshe placed a distinct object into the Choshen? Moreover, he asks, were not the stones already put into the Choshen by the artisans before the days of consecration, as implied by the phrase "וַיְמַלְאוּ בוֹ אַרְ בָּעָּה טוּרֵּי אָּבֶן" (Shemot 39:10)? HaKetav VeHaKabbalah answers that 39:10 refers only to the making of hollows in which the stones were to be later set.
