The Threads of the Priestly Garments and How Each One Atones

Our Rabbis taught: regarding the items in which "fine linen" (shesh) is stated, their thread is doubled six-fold. "Twisted" (mashzar) means eight; the robe, twelve; the curtain, twenty-four; the breastplate and ephod, twenty-eight. From where do we know that "fine linen" means thread doubled six-fold? Abaye said: five verses are written, "And they made the tunics of fine linen... and the turban-ornaments of fine linen, and the linen breeches of twisted fine linen" (Exodus 39:27-28). How many verses are there? Five: one for itself, that it be of linen; one that the thread be doubled six-fold; one that they be twisted; one for the other garments in which "fine linen" is not stated; and one to make it indispensable. How do we know that "shesh" means linen? Scripture says "bad," a thing that grows from the ground as a single stalk (bad b'bad). And say it means wool? Wool splits. Linen also splits. Linen splits only through beating. Ravina said: from here, "linen turbans shall be on their head" (Ezekiel 44:18), and so forth; it was a received tradition and Ezekiel came and supported it with a verse. "Twisted, eight," from where? As it is said, "And they made upon the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet, twisted" (Exodus 39:24), and one derives "twisted" "twisted" from the curtain: just as there it is twenty-four, here too twenty-four, each strand being eight. And let us derive it from the breastplate and ephod, that just as there twenty-eight, here too twenty-eight. We derive a thing in which gold is not mentioned from a thing in which gold is not mentioned, and we do not derive it from a thing in which gold is mentioned. On the contrary, derive a garment from a garment, to exclude the curtain which belongs to the Tent. Rather, from the sash, deriving a garment in which gold is not mentioned from a garment in which gold is not mentioned. Rav Mari said: "you shall make it" (Exodus 28:32), for this and not for another. Rav Ashi said: "and you shall make" teaches that all its makings be equal. How shall we do it? Three threads of ten each is thirty; shall we make two of nine and one of ten? "You shall make," said the Merciful One, that all its makings be equal. The robe, twelve, from where? As it is written, "and you shall make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue" (Exodus 28:31), and one derives "blue" "blue" from the curtain: just as there six, here too six (so that each strand is twelve). And let us derive from its hem, that just as there eight, here too eight. We derive a vessel from a vessel and we do not derive a vessel from an ornament of a vessel. The curtain is twenty-four, four of six each, neither subject to law nor judge. The breastplate and ephod, twenty-eight, from where? As it is written, "and you shall make a breastplate of judgment... like the work of the ephod you shall make it" (Exodus 28:15), four of six each, that is twenty-four, and gold four, that is twenty-eight. And say the gold is also six? Scripture says, "and he cut threads" (Exodus 39:3): "thread," "threads," four. Rav Ashi said: Scripture says "and you shall make," that all its makings be equal; therefore it is impossible. Rabbi Elazar said: one who detaches the breastplate from upon the ephod, or who removes the staves of the Ark, is flogged, as it is said, "the breastplate shall not be loosened" (Exodus 28:28), "they shall not be removed from it" (Exodus 25:15). And perhaps the Merciful One means thus: fasten them and make them well so that they not loosen and not be removed? Is it written, "that it shall not be loosened"? Rabbi Yehuda said: one who tears the priestly garments is flogged, as it is said, "it shall not be torn" (Exodus 28:32). And perhaps the Merciful One means thus: make a hem so that it not tear? Is it written, "that it shall not be torn"? Is that so? But Rabbi Anani bar Sason said: why was the section of the priestly garments placed next to the section of the offerings? To tell you: just as the offerings atone, so the priestly garments atone. The tunic atones for bloodshed, as it says, "and they dipped the tunic in the blood" (Genesis 37:31). The breeches atone for forbidden relations, as it says, "make for them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness" (Exodus 28:42). The turban atones for arrogance, as Rabbi Hanina said: let a thing worn high come and atone for an act of haughtiness. The sash atones for the thoughts of the heart, from where it lies. The breastplate atones for the judges, as it is written, "breastplate of judgment." The ephod atones for idolatry, as it is written, "and without ephod or teraphim" (Hosea 3:4). The robe atones for slander; Rabbi Hanina said: let a thing of sound come and atone for an act of sound. The frontlet atones for brazenness; it is written here, "and it shall be upon Aaron's forehead" (Exodus 28:38), and it is written there, "and you had the forehead of a harlot" (Jeremiah 3:3). It is not difficult: this one is where his deeds had effect, that one where his deeds had no effect. If his deeds had effect, plagues come upon him; if his deeds had no effect, the robe atones. But Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: two things we do not find atonement for through offerings, yet we find atonement for them through another means: bloodshed and slander. Bloodshed through the broken-necked heifer, and slander through the incense.