Commentary for Sotah 71:14

רבי חנינא בן גמליאל אומר

SIX TRIBES ASCENDED THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT GERIZIM etc. What means and the half of them?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. VIII, 33. The Hebrew has the definite article which seems superfluous. ');">⁹</span> — R. Kahana said: As they were divided here [on the mounts]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin on Mount Gerizim, and Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali on Mount Ebal, v. Deut. XXVII, 12-13. ');">¹⁰</span> so were they divided on the stones of the ephod.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Six tribes in the same order on each stone; v. Ex. XXVIII, 9ff. ');">¹¹</span> An objection was raised: The High priest had two precious stones on his shoulders, one on this side and one on the other side; upon them were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes, six on one stone and six on the other, as it is said: Six of their names on the one stone, [and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 10. ');">¹²</span> [This indicates that] the second six were to be according to their birth, but the first six were not to be according to their birth; because [the name of] Judah came first, and there were fifty letters, twenty-five on each stone. R. Hanina b. Gamaliel says:

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