K. That the word judgment is also so called because of the word-production and in accordance with what is contained in the heart and womb; For the heart and the womb serve as the dwelling place of our rational faculty, and in our rational faculty, as it were, the right and irreproachable judgment is established and naturally established, that is, justice and that which is proper to each. Does not our rational faculty weigh the nature of actions and separate the unpleasant and useless from the most excellent?

P. Of course it is.

K. And the inspired Scriptures are in the habit of calling justice and justice judgment. Thus the divine David sings: "Blessed are they that keep judgment and do righteousness at all times!" (Psalm 105:3). And again he said: "The power of the king loveth judgment" (Psalm 98:4): for the honor and glory of the king is beautiful, if he loves righteousness. Thus, the word of judgment placed on the heart and the forehead is so called because it lay in the place of the rational faculty, in which justice and truth consist. In it were also twelve stones set in gold, bearing the inscription of the tribes: they can serve as an image of holy men, who are glorious and honest, and as if the chosen stones are almost contained in the mind and heart of Christ. And they are truly worthy of remembrance, but because of glory in virtue and dignity in sanctification. At the word of the judge, chains of gold were also hung, which circumstance, I think, indicates that a long and innumerable string of valiant deeds seems to hang from the assembly of saints. In the same way, Blessed David says that the adornment of the Church also consists in chains (Psalm 44:14).

P. Interpretation is probable.

K. From the word of the judge, as we have said, a multi-colored and beautiful chain threaded through gold rings stretched upwards, and, passing through both shields, reached the very top of the frame, on which there were stones with inscriptions. And what does this mean, is it not worthy of consideration? It seems to me that this riddle again means something like this: the honest, like stones, and abiding in the understanding and remembrance of Christ, flowing to the writing in heaven, acquire it "with the weapon of righteousness in their right and left hand," as the divine Paul clearly writes (2 Corinthians 6:7). Likewise, in another place He says: "Put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11). The golden weapons of the king; gold shields are also golden, and covertly they indicate the whole armor of God. Thus, we will not be otherwise in the memory and record of God than by taking up the weapons of righteousness and actively marching with them. And that the word of judgment touched the shoulder cloth, this, I think, may indicate that the earthly touches the heavenly, through the mediation of Christ; "He is our peace, which made of both one," according to the Scriptures (Ephesians 2:14), and by the union of love bound the human with the host of holy Angels. It should also be known that Blessed Ezekiel also says that the prince of Tyre put on all kinds of precious stones, and then enumerates the very ones that, according to the divine Moses, were placed in the word of judgment. These were: ruby (sardia), topaz, emerald (smaragd), carbuncle (anthrax), sapphire, jasper, yakhont (lygyrium), agate, amethyst, chrysolite, diamond (virillium), onyx (cf. Exodus 28:17-20 and Ezekiel 28:13). There are three of them in four rows, which arrangement gives us the firmness in the faith of those who abide in the heart and memory of Christ: the symbol of faith is their arrangement in threes and as it were in the Trinity, and the firmness is in a quadrangular and equilateral figure. Thus was made the word of judgment, on which were also those twelve stones.

P. I agree.

K. In addition, he commands that something else be added to the twelve stones, saying: "On the breastplate of judgment put the Urim and Thummim, and they will be in the heart of Aaron when he enters [into the sanctuary] before the Lord; and Aaron shall always bear the judgment of the children of Israel in his heart before the Lord" (Exodus 28:30). Therefore he calls this manifestation and truth, but he did not clearly indicate whether they were stones, or whether He commanded that such a writing be made on a small tablet. I will also remember the prophet who says: "For for a long time the children of Israel shall remain without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, without an altar, without an ephod and without a teraphim" (Hosea 3:4). But whether these were also stones, or whether the names were written on a tablet of gold, it will not be very important for us to investigate; we will only know that all this was placed in the image of Christ, who was present with the saints; for He says: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20). But the truth and manifestation is Christ, because in Him we have come to know the Father, and He has revealed to us His will, "good, acceptable, and perfect," according to the Scriptures (Romans 12:2); for he said somewhere: "I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have told you all that I have heard from My Father", I have declared it to you (John 15:14-15). And in another sense, Immanuel is the truth, because He alone is the Son by nature, God from God, one Holy, one Lord; but the creature by communion and imitation is what He thinks He is. Thus, Christ is present with the saint, implied in manifestation and truth, and He also brings our needs before the face of the Father, "being always alive to intercede" for us (Heb. 7:25). This, I think, is meant by the words: "And Aaron shall always bear the judgment of the children of Israel in his heart before the Lord" (Exodus 28:30).

P. Pravda.

K. And he also commands to prepare a certain sacred and wonderful garment, saying: "And make the upper robe for the ephod all blue [of color]; there should be a hole for the head in it; the hole around it should have a woven plating, like the hole in the armor, so that it does not fight; And thou shalt make apples of blue, blue, purple, and scarlet in the hem thereof, and round about the hem thereof. the golden vertebrae are in a circle between them: a golden vertebra and an apple, a golden vertebra and an apple, along the hem of the upper robe in a circle; she shall be upon Aaron in service, that a sound may be heard from him, when he shall enter into the sanctuary before the Lord, and when he shall go out, that he may not die" (Exodus 28:31-35). Thus, the inner robe and undergarment is clearly called a long chiton, very convenient for clothing and reaching from the neck to the extremities of the legs; blue, because it serves as an image of heavenly incorruption, that is, Christ. The divine David also foretold this, speaking as if on behalf of God about the priests in the churches: "I will clothe his priests for salvation" (Psalm 131:16); "Put on our Lord Jesus Christ," writes the all-wise Paul in his Epistle (Romans 13:14). And this, I think, is our heavenly dwelling, with which we desire to put on: the garment of gladness, the robe of salvation, according to the word of the prophet (Isaiah 61:10). The blue colour is an image of the sky, as has been clearly stated. This word is also true in relation to us, for we are clothed with incorruptibility from above. If we understand Christ Himself, as having in the image of Aaron an inner robe, nevertheless this word is true; for the Only-begotten, being God by nature, makes His body incorruptible, and, having clothed it with life above, has placed it above all predominance of death. And that in Christ incorruption and life abide by nature and together by communion, you will understand from the following. He said, being God by nature: "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25); but being quickened according to human nature, He says: "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He gave the Son to have life in Himself" (5:26). Thus, if we understand Christ Himself, of Whom it is said that He is clothed with incorruption from above, then in this case our speech would not deviate from the proper meaning. The lower parts were adjoined by apples and bells alternately, the apples woven and the bells golden, so that they were actually bells, and also so that when Aaron entered the Holy of Holies, they would make the entrance very noticeable. And this serves as an image of the salvific and all-wise dispensation, that is, the Divine and Gospel preaching, which, one might say, proclaims every city from the time when for our sake "once entered into the sanctuary, and obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12); "By one offering He made perfect forever those who are sanctified" (10:14). At the same time, the bells made of gold serve as a clear indication of the salvific sermon, and the apples of the cities.

P. In what way?

K. As a city is surrounded by a single wall, and within itself contains innumerable dwellings; In the same way, I think, the substance of the pomegranate apple is surrounded by a single shell, and inside the grains are separated from each other as if by walls, thin tissues, and are almost collected in dwellings. Isn't that so?

P. I agree.

K. There was a bell at every apple: in every city there is a teacher who, by loud and euphonious proclamation of Divine dogmas, makes manifest to all the entry of our Saviour into the Holy of Holies. Even the fear of death threatened those appointed to officiate in the holy tabernacle, even to Aaron, if the noise of the bells had not been heard loudly around them: silence is a dangerous thing for teachers; and this is what Paul clearly said: "Woe is me, if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16).

P. It seems so; for you point out very rightly.