5200. 'And fat-fleshed' means which are embodiments of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'fat' or 'fatness' as that which is celestial and which is used here to refer to good which flows from love and charity, dealt with in 353; and from the meaning of 'flesh' as the will part of the mind when made living by good received from the Lord, 148, 149, 780, 999, 3812, 3813, and thus also good which flows from love and charity. From this it follows that 'fat-fleshed' means matters of charity, while 'beautiful in appearance' means matters of faith. Thus the truths belonging to the natural, meant by 'the cows', are described here - what they are so far as form is concerned and what they are essentially. In form they are matters of faith, in essence they are matters of charity. The truth of this cannot be seen from the sense of the letter.

9921. 'And bells of gold' means all aspects of religious teachings and of worship springing from good which come across to those who belong to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'bells' as all aspects of religious teachings and worship which come across to those who belong to the Church, dealt with below. Springing from good is meant by the bells' being made from gold; for 'gold' means good, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510, 9874, 9881, 9884. The reason why all aspects of religious teachings and of worship which come across to those who belong to the Church are meant by 'bells' is that by means of those bells the people heard and recognized the presence of Aaron engaged in his ministry; for those who belong to the Church are meant by 'the people', and all aspects of religious teachings and of worship by 'Aaron's ministry'. Therefore it says in what follows, And they shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and his voice will be heard when he goes into the holy place before Jehovah, and when he comes out. From all this it is evident what is meant by 'bells'. The reason why those bells were placed on the hem was that the holiness which religious teachings possess resides on the most external levels, and on these levels and from these levels the hearing and understanding of them takes place, see 9824, 9905.