418. The stomach is the peeled gizzard, NAMELY IT IS LIKE THE PEELED GIZZARD OF A BIRD, and the sages taught: the gizzard grinds, for it takes everything and pulverizes THE FOOD, sending it to all the parts. If the parts are without iniquities, it is as the sages taught, that there are matters that delay the sacrifice, and the one who is sent by the Holy One, blessed be He, to receive His offering, THE PEELED STOMACH MUSCLE, does not descend to accept it. For there is A GIFT that the Holy One, blessed be He, receives through the lion, about which it is said: "and they four had the face of a lion, on the right side" (Yechezkel 1:10), and the Holy One, blessed be He, rides on him, and comes down with him to receive that gift. And there is a gift that He receives through the ox, about which it is said: "And they four had the face of an ox, on the left side" (Ibid.).

423. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). The Faithful Shepherd said TO RABBI SHIMON, Holy Luminary, it is certain that the omasum takes everything up to the sixth hour and bakes. For the gizzard, WHICH IS THE OMASUM (IS THIS THE CORRECT WORD?), is a baker. And the lung is a butler. The heart is the king, and these two, THE OMASUM AND THE LUNG, are certainly the baker and the butler who give to the king of the choicest of food and drinks, for he is the head of them all and the choicest of them all. And this is the meaning of what is written: "I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk" (Shir Hashirim 5:1). And the verse continues: "Eat, O dear ones, and drink; drink deep, loving companions" (Ibid.). THE COMPANIONS ARE the other parts of the body, WHICH ARE the hosts and camps of the king who distributes food to them by means of the chief baker, WHICH IS THE OMASUM, while the drink is by means of the chief butler, WHICH IS THE LUNG.