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"How was the tabernacle covered?" "There were provided ten curtains of blue, of purple, and scarlet, and fine-twined linen." As is said, "Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle (with) ten curtains of fine-twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet." 4 "Their threads were doubled thirty-two times." The words of Rabbi Nehemiah, when R. Nehemiah said, “thread," i.e., one doubled in two, "twined,"

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i.e., to four, "fine-twined," i.e., to eight. It follows that their threads were doubled thirty-two times." But the Sages say, "thread," i.e., one doubled in two, "twined," i.e., to three, "fine-twined," i.e., to six. It follows that their threads were doubled twenty-four times.” They were coupled in two vails, one of five, and one of five. 1 As is said, "the five curtains shall be coupled together one to another: and (other) five curtains (shall be) coupled one to another," and they were coupled with loops of blue, as is said, 2 "And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of (another) curtain, in the coupling of the second." And they were coupled to fifty taches of gold, as is said, 3 "And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches; and it shall be one tabernacle." And the taches appeared in the tabernacle as stars in the firmament. The length of the curtains was twenty-eight cubits, as is said, 4 "the length of one curtain (shall be) eight and twenty cubits." Take from them ten cubits for the breadth of the tabernacle, there will remain nine cubits from the one side, and nine cubits from the other side They hung down and covered the boards till they reached the sockets. This teaches that the sockets were one cubit high. And the breadth of the curtains was forty cubits. As is said, 5 "and the breadth of one curtain four cubits." Take from them thirty cubits from the east to the west, which were on the roof of the tabernacle, and ten cubits to the west behind the tabernacle, there are forty.


336:4 xxvi. 1.

337:1 Exod. xxvi. 3.

337:2 xxvi. 4.

337:3 xxvi. 6.

337:4 xxvi. 2.

337:5 xxvi. 2.

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