What is written previously? “He crafted the curtain of sky blue, purple [and scarlet wool]” (Exodus 36:35). Our Rabbis taught that the thickness of the curtain was one handbreadth, and it was woven on seventy-two heddles and had no knots. They would craft two each and every year, and three hundred priests would immerse it.
The priests would descend and immerse it outside,4In a ritual bath on the Temple Mount outside the Temple courtyard. and they would ascend and spread it atop the rampart. You find that the entire Tabernacle was crafted in order. Initially, he crafted the beams and connected them; then, the tapestries and he spread them upon it, as it is stated: “He crafted tapestries of goats’ hair as a tent over the Tabernacle” (Exodus 36:14).
Then he crafted the curtain that would be spread before the Ark. Then he crafted the Ark and the Ark cover that would be placed upon the Ark. Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Yosei said: ‘I saw the curtain in Rome and there were several drops of blood on it. I asked and they said to me that it was from the blood of the Yom Kippur service that the priest would perform.’
Why is it called kaporet? It is because it would atone [mekhaper] for Israel. After he crafted the Ark cover, he crafted the table upon which the showbread was placed, which was positioned before the Ark. Then he crafted the candelabrum that was positioned above the table.