104. Cleave ye unto the cord of refinement
Abdu'l-Baha refers to the effect of "purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement" on the exaltation of "the human condition" and "the development of man's inner reality". He states: "The fact of having a pure and spotless body exercises an influence upon the spirit of man." (See also note 74.) (212:2)

105. Wash ye every soiled thing with water that hath undergone no alteration in any one of the three respects
The "three respects" referred to in this verse are changes in the colour, taste or smell of the water. Baha'u'llah provides additional guidance concerning pure water and the point at which it is considered unsuitable for use (Q and A 91). (212:3)

106. God hath ... abolished the concept of "uncleanness", whereby divers things and peoples have been held to be impure.
The concept of ritual "uncleanness", as understood and practised in some tribal societies and in the religious communities of certain earlier Dispensations, has been abolished by Baha'u'llah. He states that through His Revelation "all created things were immersed in the sea of purification". (See also notes 12, 20, and 103.) (212:4)

107. first day of Ridvan
This is a reference to the arrival of Baha'u'llah and His companions in the Najibiyyih Garden outside the city of Baghdad, subsequently referred to by the Baha'is as the Garden of Ridvan. This event, which took place thirty-one days after Naw-Ruz, in April 1863, signalized the commencement of the period during which Baha'u'llah declared His Mission to His companions. In a Tablet, He refers to His Declaration as "the Day of supreme felicity" and He describes the Garden of Ridvan as "the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of His Name, the All-Merciful". Baha'u'llah spent twelve days in this Garden prior to departing for Istanbul, the place to which He had been banished. (212:5)

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