9959. 'And make for them linen undergarments' means an external level of conjugial love. This is clear from the meaning of 'undergarments' as an external level of conjugial love, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'linen' as external truth or natural truth, also dealt with below. The reason why an external level of conjugial love is meant by 'undergarments' is that garments or coverings derive their meaning from the part of the body they cover, 9827, and the loins and genital organs, which the undergarments clothe or cover, mean conjugial love. For 'the loins' and their meaning this love, see 3021, 4280, 4575; and for 'the genital organs' and their meaning it, 4462, 5050-5062. What truly conjugial love is will be stated below in 9960.

[2] The undergarments were made from linen because 'linen' or 'flax' means external truth or natural truth, 7601, and what constitutes the actual external is truth. The reason why truth constitutes the external is that internal things terminate in external ones and rest on them as their underlying supports, and the underlying supports of good are truths. These are like the foundations on which a house is built or on which a house rests, which is why the truths of faith springing from good are meant by the foundations of a house, 9643. Truths furthermore are what protect forms of good from and withstand evils and falsities, all the power that good possesses being exerted by means of truths, 9643. So it is also that the last and lowest part of heaven is inhabited by those who are guided by truths of faith springing from good. So it is also therefore that what is last or most external with a person, namely his external skin, corresponds to those in heaven who are guided by the truths of faith, 5552-5559, 8980, yet not to those who uphold faith separated from good, since they are not in heaven. From all this it may now be recognized why the undergarments were made from linen or flax. Aaron's undergarment however, when he was clothed with the garments which were 'for glorious adornment', and which have been the subject in the present chapter, was made of fine linen together with interwoven fine linen, as is evident from a later chapter where it says,

They made tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver, and a turban of fine linen, and attractive headdresses ¹ from fine linen, and linen undergarments with fine twined linen. Exodus 39:27-28.

But when he was clothed with the 'holy garments' Aaron's undergarment was made of linen alone, as is clear from the following in Moses,

When Aaron comes into the sanctuary within the veil he shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarment shall be over his flesh, and he shall gird himself with the linen belt, and place the linen turban on himself. These are holy garments. He shall also wash his flesh with water when he puts them on. He shall then first offer burnt offerings and sacrifices, by means of which he will expiate the holy place from uncleannesses. Leviticus 16:1-end.

[3] The reason why Aaron was to go at that time clothed in the linen garments, which were also called 'the holy garments', was that at that time he was performing the duty of expiating the tent, and also the people and himself from uncleannesses. And every expiation, which was accomplished by means of washings, burnt offerings, and sacrifices, represented purification of the heart from evils and falsities, and so represented regeneration; and purification from evils and falsities, or regeneration, is accomplished by means of the truths of faith. This was why Aaron wore the linen garments then, for the truths of faith are meant by 'linen garments', as stated above.

All purification from evils and falsities is accomplished by means of the truths of faith, see 2799, 5954 (end), 7044, 7918, 9089. So therefore is regeneration, 1555, 2046, 2063, 2979, 3332, 3665, 3690, 3786, 3876, 3877, 4096, 4097, 5893, 6247, 8635, 8638-8640, 8772, 9088, 9089, 9103.

[4] It was for the same reason also that the priest was to put on the linen robe and the linen undergarment when he carried the ash away from the altar, Leviticus 6:9-11, and also that 'the priests, the Levites, from the sons of Zadok' were to put it on, when they entered the sanctuary, regarding whom the following is stated in Ezekiel,

The priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall draw near My table to minister to Me. When they enter the gates of the inner court they shall put on the linen garments, and no wool shall come upon them. When they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within, the linen turbans shall be on their heads, and the linen undergarments shall be over their loins. They shall not gird themselves with sweat. ² Ezekiel 44:15-18.

The subject in this passage is the new temple, by which a new Church is meant. By 'the priests, the Levites' those guided by truths springing from good are meant, and by 'the linen garments' the truths of faith by means of which purification and regeneration are accomplished. 'Not girding themselves with sweat' means that the holy things of worship should not be mingled with the human self; for 'sweat' means the human self or proprium, and the human proprium is nothing but evil and falsity, 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1047, 3812 (end), 8480, 8941.

[5] The reason why the undergarment Aaron wore when he was clothed with the garments 'for glorious adornment' was made of linen together with fine twined linen, as is evident from Exodus 39:27-28, quoted above, was that Aaron in those garments represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good in the heavens, Aaron himself representing the Lord in respect of the Divine Celestial there, his garments the Lord in respect of the Divine Spiritual there emanating from the Divine Celestial, 9814, and fine linen the Divine Spiritual emanating from the Divine Celestial, 5319, 9469.

Fusnotat:

1093. That 'cursed be Canaan' means that external worship separated from internal turned itself away from the Lord is clear from the meaning of 'Canaan' and from the meaning of 'being cursed'. That 'Canaan' is external worship separated from internal is clear from what has been stated already about Canaan, also from his being called 'cursed'; and from what follows about his being 'a slave of slaves'. And being a slave both to Shem and to Japheth cannot mean anything other than something separated from the Church itself, such as worship that is wholly external. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cursed' as turning oneself away, for the Lord in no way curses anybody, or is even angry. Instead it is man who brings the curse upon himself by turning himself away from the Lord. On these points see what has been shown already in 223, 245, 592. The Lord is as far from cursing or being angry with anyone as the sky is from the earth. Who can believe that the Lord, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, who with wisdom rules the universe, and so who is infinitely superior to all [human] weaknesses, is angry with such pitifully worthless dust, that is, with human beings who scarcely know anything of what they do and who of themselves are incapable of anything other than evil? With the Lord therefore anger is never present, only mercy.

[2] That arcana are contained here can be seen merely from the consideration that even though it was Ham who saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his brothers, he was not cursed but his son Canaan, who was not his only son nor even the firstborn but the fourth in line, as is clear from Chapter 10, verse 6 later on, where the sons of Ham are mentioned as being Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. It can in addition be seen from the Divine Law that no son was to bear his father's iniquity, as is clear in Ezekiel,

The soul that has sinned will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son. Ezekiel 18:20; Deuteronomy 14:16; 2 Kings 14:6.

And the same can also be seen from the consideration that this iniquity of merely seeing his father's nakedness and pointing it out to his brothers seems too slight for all of his descendants ever to have been cursed on that account. From these considerations it is clear that arcana are contained here.

[3] The reason Ham is not mentioned here but Canaan is that Ham means faith separated from charity in the spiritual Church, which cannot be cursed because in that Church faith has holiness present within it because truth is present there. And although there is no faith when there is no charity, it is still possible - since it is by means of the cognitions of faith that a person is regenerated - for separated faith to be allied to charity, and in this way to be in some sense 'a brother' or may become one. This was why Canaan was cursed and not Ham. Furthermore the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were for the most part people such as made all worship consist in external things, the Jews there as much as the gentiles. These are the arcana contained here, but for which Canaan would never have been substituted for Ham. That external worship separated from internal turns itself away and so brings a curse on itself is quite clear from the fact that people whose worship is external have no regard for anything other than worldly, bodily, and earthly things. Thus they look downwards, and immerse their minds (animus) and life in those things; such will be dealt with a little further on.