Question: How do we know that the Me'il was 12-ply threads?

Answer: It is learned from combining the plural implication of "K'lil" (minimum two to braid a thread) with the link to the Paroches (which is made of six-ply threads) to yield 12.

Question: Learn the threads of the Me'il from the Shulayim and Rimonim, which are eight?

Answer: We would rather link a K'li (Me'il) with a K'li (Paroches) and not to an adornment of a K'li (Shulayim).

Question: To the contrary, keep the link within Me'il!?

Answer: This was addressed by one of the words "Sheish" above, to teach that the other garments, where Sheish does not appear, should be made of six-ply threads.

The Paroches with 24 (four types of six-ply threads) is obvious and does not need investigation.

Question: What is the source for 28-ply threads on the Choshen/Eifod?

Answer: Based on the Pasuk, we find four species of six-ply plus gold (four-ply) totalling 28.

Question: Perhaps the gold is six-ply?

Answer: "ve'Kitzetz Pesilim" means dividing each of two threads.

Answer (R. Ashi): "La'asos Besoch..." teaches that the gold must be mixed with each species, hence only four threads of gold.

Other combinations, such as two-ply gold, would result in eight gold threads, not six.

Alternately, two-ply in two materials and one-ply in two others would result in inconsistent materials and violate "ve'Asisa".

(Rachba citing R. Yehudah): One incurs Malkos for tearing Bigdei Kehunah, as we read by the Me'il, "Lo Yikarea".

Question (R. Acha b. Ya'akov): Perhaps the Pasuk only means for us to take the precaution (of making an opening) in order that it not rip, but not to prohibit ripping it!?

Answer: The Pasuk says "Do not" and does not say 'in order that it should not'.

(R. Eliezer): One who detaches the Choshen from the Eifod, or the Badim from the Aron incurs Malkos, as per the Pasuk.

Question (R. Acha b. Ya'akov): Perhaps the Pasuk is only instructing us how tight to fasten them, but not to prohibit their removal?

Answer: The Pasuk says "Do not" and does not say 'in order that it should not'.

(R. Yosi b'R. Chanina): One Pasuk refers to the Badim as immobile while another implies that they may be moved within their Taba'os!?

The explanation is that they could slide until the end of the Badim reached the Taba'os where they had been inserted with pressure, but could not subsequently be removed (as confirmed by the Beraisa).

(R. Chama b'R. Chanina): The expression "Atzei Shitim Omdim" implies that they are to stand in the Mishkan upright, as they grew.

Another explanation: that their gold-plate remains on them (either by being affixed or by being Divinely preserved).

Another explanation: They will stand forever, lest we think that once the Mishkan was interred its restoration may not be anticipated.

(R. Chama b'R. Chanina): They are called "S'rad" since, without them, not a trace of the people would remain.

(R. Shmuel b. Nachmani citing Bei R. Shimon): "S'rad" refers to the non-woven part of the garment which was otherwise woven to its complete form on the loom, not woven as sheets and sewn together to form the garment.

Question: Why did they leave this unwoven portion?

Answer (Resh Lakish): It was left to allow the woven portion to be sewn to the rest of the garment.

Question: But the Beraisa teaches that the Bigdei Kehunah were woven, and not sewn?

Answer (Abaye): The sleeve was woven entirely on the loom, and then sewn to the body of the garment.

(Rachbah citing R. Yehudah): Beztalel made three Aronos, a middle, wooden, Aron of nine Tefachim height; an inner gold Aron of eight Tefachim and an outer gold Aron of slightly (Mashehu) more than 10 Tefachim.

Question: But the Beraisa taught that the outer Aron was slightly more than 11 Tefachim tall!?

Answer: It depends on whether we learn that the base of the outer Aron was a Tefach thick or only a Mashehu thick.

Question: What was this Mashehu?

Answer: For a Zir (rim) around the Kapores.

(R. Yochanan): There are three Zirim, Aharon merited the Zir of the Mizbe'ach (Kehunah); David merited the Zir of Shulchan (sovereignty) while the Zir of the Aron (Torah) remains available for anyone to claim it.

The Pasuk "Bi Melachim Yimlochu" is taught lest a person think that the Zir of Torah is lesser than the other two.

R. Yochanan resolved the K'siv ('Zer') with the K'ri ("Zir") as saying that it is an adornment (Zir) to one who merits it, and it is a stranger (Zer) to one who does not.

R. Yochanan resolved the Pesukim, one of which implies that the Aron is to be made by Moshe, and the other in which it is made by the community, as alluding to the Melachah of the Talmid Chacham being borne by his community.

The Aron is gold inside and out to allude to the requirement that a Talmid Chacham be congruous in his sterling thoughts and behaviors.

(Abaye): One whose conduct is incompatible with his Torah study (compared to drinking water) is contemptible.

(R. Yonasan): 'Woe to the scholar lacking in Yiras Shamayim'

(R. Yanai): 'Pity the one who has no courtyard (Yiras Shamayim) but builds a door to one (study of Torah)'.

Rava pleaded with the scholars not to lose both worlds (by suffering the toil of Torah in this world, but, by not upholding the Torah, being punished in the world to come).

R. Yehoshua b. Levi learned an allusion from the word "Sam" (placed) to the word 'Sam' (elixir) that the merit of Torah makes it an elixir of life, but the lack of that merit makes it lethal (as Rava had similarly taught).

Based on the Pesukim we learn that if one merits, the Torah brings him joy, if not, it purges him with affliction.

Resh Lakish learns from that Pasuk that, depending on a person's merit, the Torah can purify him to life, or purge him to death.

"Yiras Hash-m Tehorah Omedes La'ad" refers to one who studies in Taharah by getting married and then studying Torah.

Torah is Ne'emanah, reliable to testify who among her students upheld her.

(R. Elazar): This teaches that they embroidered (Rokem) where they first thought or colored the pattern.

(R. Nechemyah): Rokem is with a needle, and results in one face, while Choshev is weaving and results in two faces.