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This week's parsha (28:17-20) describes the design of the twelve jewels of
the Choshen, that they are to be in four "turim" of three jewels each.
Onkelos translates "tur" as "sidra" - an orderly arrangement. This will
ensure that we keep the sequence of the specified jewels, but it does not
help me visualize what the end result will look like.
On the one hand, [almost?] every English translation of these pesukim
renders "tur" as "row". On the other hand, the major halachic code prior to
the Shulchan Aruch was named "Arbaa Turim" (presumably named for these
pesukim), which is not only universally translated as "Four Columns", but
the Tur's title page seems to deliberately illustrate this by showing the
four architectural columns surrounding an Aron Kodesh.
So, chevra, does anyone have a clue whether these jewels were arranged in
four rows of three jewels across, or in four columns each being four jewels
tall? I looked in the Rambam, Hilchos Klei Hamikdash 9:6-7, but did not see
him address this point. No idea where else to look. Thanks in advance!
(My concordance shows me that the word "tur" does appear elsewhere in
Tanach, and "row" does seem like a reasonable translation in those cases.
However, all those cases involve three-dimensional architecture, and that
translation might not be relevant to a two-dimensional chart such as the
Choshen.)
Akiva Miller
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I had asked:
This week's parsha (28:17-20) describes the design of the twelve
jewels of the Choshen, that they are to be in four "turim" of
three jewels each.
...
... does anyone have a clue whether these jewels were arranged
in four rows of three jewels across, or in four columns each
being four jewels tall?
I found the answer. As I somewhat expected, it is a machlokes, but at least
they expressed an opinion and weren't silent on the question. I found it in
the Encyclopedia Talmudit, volume 1, article titled "Avnei Choshen v'Ephod".
At the top of column 93, they write: "The order of the turim according to
the Pesikta Zutresa (Parshas Tetzaveh, and Chizkuni there) is from right to
left." (Meaning that the four turim are horizontal rows, and the three
jewels of each tur are placed in the Choshen with the first being the
rightmost.) And there is a diagram showing four rows of three jewels each,
Tur 1 being on top, and Tur 4 being on bottom.
Then they write: "Some acharonim (see Minchas Chinuch 99) pictured it from
top to bottom, like this:" And there is a diagram showing four columns of
three jewels each, Tur 1 being on the right, and Tur 4 being on the left.
(Meaning that the four turim are vertical columns, and the three jewels of
each tur are placed in the Choshen with the first being the on top.)
Akiva Miller
In Avodah V42n14, RAMiller noted:
I found the answer. As I somewhat expected, it is a machlokes.... <
...and I can read M'lachim Aleph 7
<https://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09a07.htm>'s "tur[im/ei]" as referring to
columns, but unless I misunderstood the commentators I looked at this past
Shabbos, at least some interpreted "row(s)" rather than "column(s)."
Checking MG AlHatorah <https://mg.alhatorah.org/Full/Melakhim_I/7.1#e0n6>
now, seems like commentators interpret "turei amudei" (verse 2ff.) as
columns and "turim" (verse 12ff.) as rows -- if so, a "tur" is basically a
straight line [of something] that could be horizontal or vertical,
depending on the context; and thus re the Choshen, either row or column
could apply (except that by the time of Yirm'yahu haNavi, a columnar "tur"
would have an "amud" modifier to distinguish it :)).
P.S. RAM, were you going to 'reply to Avodah' with the answers you heard at
the Hashkama Kiddush re *k'lavim* (and other animals) being 'reward'ed? 
All the best from
*Michael Poppers* * Elizabeth, NJ, USA
So, later research showed -- machloqes rishonim.
I am wondering what this does to Qabbalah that associates shevatim with
particular stones and their color. Do the rishonim who define "tur" as
column also expect the named of the shevatim to be written in columns?
:-)BBii!
-Micha