Zevachim 88b — the Talmud in English

But if they became very soiled in such a manner that

they were stained

and required

washing with neter and ahal, even with water they are not washed

that is, they are not washed in any manner. This means that the distinction between neter and water does not concern the manner of washing, for where washing is permitted, it may be washed in any manner, and where washing is forbidden, it may not be washed in any manner. Rather, the distinction concerns the degree of soiling that permits washing.

And some say: They are not washed at all

because

there is no poverty in a place of wealth.

The Sages taught:

The robe

of the High Priest

was entirely of sky-blue wool, as it is stated: “And he made the robe of the ephod entirely of sky-blue wool”

[Exodus 39].

Its lower edge

of which it is said: “And they made upon the lower edge of the robe pomegranates of sky-blue wool, purple wool, and crimson wool, twisted”

How

was it made?

He would bring sky-blue wool, purple wool, and twisted crimson wool

together,

and make them like pomegranates whose mouths had not opened

that is, not like pomegranates that had already ripened, but as they are before their ripening, when they are still closed.

And like cones

made like a copper pouch that they make at the end of the handle of a spear, and which children take to play with, and hang at the top

of baskets

that is, their wicker caps

that are on the heads of children,

so the pomegranates appeared: circles that were suspended on the lower edge of the robe.

And the bells—how were they made?

He would bring seventy-two outer bells

which are the external part of the bell.

Within them were seventy-two clappers

which are the part suspended inside it to rattle.

And he would hang them

on the lower edge of the robe

thirty-six on this side and thirty-six on that side

that is, in front of him and behind him, in such a manner that there was one bell between two pomegranates, and as it is stated: bell and pomegranate, bell and pomegranate.

Rabbi Dosa says in the name of Rabbi Judah:

all together

there were thirty-six: eighteen on this side and eighteen on that side.

Rabbi Einini bar Sason said: Just as the dispute

that we find

here

concerning the number of bells,

so

we find

a dispute concerning the appearances of afflictions.

For we learned: The appearances of afflictions

how many are they?

Rabbi Dosa ben Horkinas says: Thirty-six. Akavia ben Mahalalel says: Seventy-two.

And Rabbi Einini bar Sason said: Why was the section of offerings juxtaposed with the section of the garments of the priesthood?

For they were juxtaposed to one another in the section of Tzav.

To tell you: Just as offerings atone, so the garments of the priesthood atone.

And for what do they atone?

The tunic atones for bloodshed, as it is stated: “And they slaughtered a he-goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood”

[Genesis 37], and this is a hint concerning the future, that bloodshed will be atoned for through the tunic, for dipping means atonement, and it is hinted by this that the tunic’s atonement is for blood, that is, bloodshed.

The trousers atone for forbidden sexual relations, as it is stated: “And make for them linen trousers, to cover the flesh of nakedness”

[Exodus 28], that is, to cover forbidden sexual relations.

The turban atones for the arrogant. From where? Rabbi Hanina said: Let something that is elevated

the priest

come and atone for elevation

of the heart.

The sash atones for thoughts of the heart,

for it atones

where it is located

that is, opposite the heart.

The breastplate atones for perversions of judgment

that is, distortion of judgment,

as it is stated: “And you shall make a breastplate of judgment”

[there], a hint that it atones for judgment.

The ephod atones for idolatry, as it is stated: “There is no ephod

and teraphim”

[Hosea 3], meaning: When there is no ephod, the sin of teraphim is revealed, and it implies that if there is an ephod, there are no teraphim.

The robe atones for slander. From where? Rabbi Hanina said: Let something that is with sound

that is, the bells on the robe,

come and atone for an evil sound.

And the forehead-plate atones for brazenness.

For

concerning the forehead-plate it is written: “And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead”

[Exodus 28],

and concerning brazenness it is written: “And you have the forehead of a harlot”

[Jeremiah 3].

And we raise an objection concerning what we found here, that bloodshed is atoned for through the tunic, and slander through the robe:

Is that so? For Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: We find two matters for which there is no atonement through offerings, but we find atonement for them from another place, and these are they: bloodshed and slander. Bloodshed through the beheaded heifer

as it is stated concerning it: “And the blood shall be atoned for them.”

And slander through the incense. For Rav Hanania taught: From where is it derived that the incense atones? As it is stated: “And he placed the incense and atoned for the people”

[Numbers 16], and this was in the dispute of Korah, which was the sin of slander, as it is stated there: “And they murmured, etc., you have killed the people of the Lord.” And likewise

the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: For what does the incense atone? For slander,

for

let something that is done secretly

that is, the incense, which the priest would prepare alone, while all the people would withdraw from the Sanctuary at the time of its preparation,

come and atone for an act done secretly

that is, slander spoken in secret.

And now,

the slander concerning slander is difficult! The bloodshed concerning bloodshed is difficult!

For here we find that their atonement comes through the garments of the priesthood, while here we find that it depends upon the beheaded heifer and the incense!?

And we answer:

Bloodshed concerning bloodshed is not difficult: Here

the tunic’s atonement is in a case

where it is known who killed him

and the tunic comes to atone for the public, so that they will not be punished.

Here

the atonement of the beheaded heifer comes in a case

where it is not known who killed him.

And we raise an objection:

If it is known who killed him,

then

he is liable to execution

the murderer, and as long as they do not execute him, the public will certainly be punished, as it is stated: “And the land cannot be atoned for, etc., except through the blood of the one who shed it.”

And we answer: Here it is referring to a case in which he killed

intentionally, but they did not warn him,

so that he is not liable to death, and therefore the public is atoned for through the tunic [and afflictions come upon the murderer himself].

And slander concerning slander is likewise not difficult: Here

the incense’s atonement for the slander that they spoke

in private

comes because the incense was prepared in private.

Here

the bells’ atonement for the slander that they spoke

in public

comes because its sin is a matter accompanied by sound, and the sound of the bells atones for it.

We have returned to you, chapter “The Altar Sanctifies.”