How does the Temple Institute choose among disagreeing interpretations on Temple construction?

Question

I was looking over R. Aryeh Kaplan's Chumash and I think he lists ... six different possible layouts of which tribe's name went on which stone in the breastplate (choshen).

Similarly -- is the mor in the incense an herb called myrrh in English, or is it an animal product? Different commentaries have different approaches.

So what does the Temple Institute (Machon HaMikdash) do when they plan on re-creating garments? What's their overall process of deciding like whom to pasken?

(I guess a broader question would be -- when Mashiach comes, will we be told from on high how to do it, or will the rabbis of the time just have to make their own judgment call?)

Answer 1

The Temple Institue has apparently chosen one of the opinions for the Choshen Mishpat. The web site statement does not say who determined this particular psak. However, the research page states that this was examined by a team of experts in halacha as well as gemologists.

The stones of the breastplate - recently created - were investigated with the help of professional gemologists, geologists and other experts. The wide range of material necessitated the examination of over 30 differing viewpoints for establishing the criteria for identifying the stones.

The story of the Avtinas family implies that the method of making the incense is still not known.