The food of the souls

Synopsis

The mule-driver from previous sections says that the merit gained from a person's table in this world enables him to eat at another table of delight in the world to come. There is a table there because food and pleasure are eaten by the souls in that world just as the ministering angels eat. The supernal angels eat manna, the food that comes from the dew of the world above, a food from the light of the Holy Anointing Oil itself. The souls of the righteous are nourished from thence in the Garden of Eden, and there also they become clothed. During Shabbat and Festivals, the souls take off their garments and ascend to see the glory of their Master. He next explains the meaning of, "And it shall come to pass, that every new moon, and every Shabbat, shall all flesh come to bow down to the ground before Me,' says the Creator."

The rabbis ask the mule-driver his name, which is Chanan. Finally, they all stop at the next village, which is also named Chanan, and they sit down at table blessed with the words of Torah.

Relevance

The spiritual foundation upon which we build our life determines our place of standing in the world to come. A life devoted to the procurement of spiritual assets, as opposed to the material kind, reaps untold pleasures in the world to come.

This simple truth holds true in this world as well. Indulging our avaricious impulses, while neglecting the needs of our soul, spawns a future of difficulty, a tomorrow built of despair, a destiny born of darkness. The building blocks of spirituality are erected here, ingrained into our being, so that we eat foods of indescribable delights in the Garden of Eden.

David Food Samuel Soul, The Table World to Come, The

556. פָּתוֹרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, מְזַכֵּי לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל עַל פָּתוֹרָא אָחֳרָא, בְּעִדּוּנָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, כד"א כִּי עַל שֻׁלְחָן הַמֶּלֶךְ תָּמִיד הוּא אוֹכֵל. וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה אָמַר, תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן נֶגֶד צוֹרְרָי, וְדָא אִיהוּ אִתְסַדְּרוּתָא דְּפָתוֹרָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, דְּהָא כְּדֵין אִיהוּ עִדּוּנָא וְכִסּוּפָא, דְּנִשְׁמְתָא אִתְהֲנֵי בְּהוּ, בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

Angels Dew Eden Flow Food Light Manna Righteous Soul, The Table World to Come, The

557. HE QUESTIONS, Is there a table for the souls in that world? HE ANSWERS, Yes, because food and the supply of pleasure are eaten by the souls in that world just as the ministering angels eat. HE QUESTIONS, Do the supernal angels eat? HE ANSWERS, Yes, and similar to that eating did the children of Yisrael eat in the desert, NAMELY THE MANNA. That food is the secret of the dew that flows and is drawn from above from the secret of the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH. It is a food from the light of the Holy Anointing Oil. The souls of the righteous are nourished from there in the Garden of Eden and they gain pleasure there, because the souls of the righteous are clothed there in the Lower Garden of Eden just as they WERE CLOTHED in this world.

557. וְכִי פָּתוֹרָא אִית לוֹן לְנִשְׁמָתִין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. אִין. דְּהָא מְזוֹנָא וְסִפּוּקָא דְּעִדּוּנָא, אַכְלֵי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי אַכְלֵי. וְכִי מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי אַכְלֵי. אִין. כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְהוֹן אָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַדְבְּרָא. וְהַהוּא מְזוֹנָא, רָזָא אִיהוּ לְטַלָא, דְּנָגִיד וְאִתְמְשָׁךְ מֵעֵילָּא, מֵרָזָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְאִיהוּ מְזוֹנָא דִּנְהִירוּ מְשַׁח רְבוּת קֻדְשָׁא, וְנִשְׁמָתֵהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא אִתְּזָנוּ מִתַּמָּן בְּגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, וְאִתְהֲנוּן תַּמָּן. דְּהָא תַּמָּן נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, מִתְלַבְּשָׁן בְּגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא.

Body Flesh Garments Ground Likenesses Shabbat Soul, The Wisdom Zeir Anpin

558. During Shabbat and Festivals, THE SOULS take off THEIR GARMENTS and ascend to see the glory of their Master and to delight with the supernal Delight properly, as it is written, "'And it shall come to pass, that every new moon, and every Shabbat, shall all flesh come to bow down to the ground before Me,' says Hashem" (Yeshayah 66:23). HE QUESTIONS, Will all flesh come? It must not be so, instead it should have been written, 'Every spirit or every soul.' What is the meaning of "all flesh?" HE ANSWERS, The Holy One, blessed be He, has made for Man in this world the likeness of the honor of the supernal glory above, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF WISDOM OF THE 32 PATHS, AS MENTIONED ABOVE. That supernal glory is a spirit to spirit, AS IT ILLUMINATES UPON ZEIR ANPIN WHICH IS CALLED 'SPIRIT,' and a soul to soul, AS IT ILLUMINATES TO BINAH THAT IS CALLED 'SOUL,' until it reaches a place below that is called 'body,' NAMELY MALCHUT. It inserts in it one spirit of the source of life that is called 'all,' WHICH IS YESOD. This is the secret of, "Moreover, land has an advantage for everyone (lit. 'all')." (Kohelet 5:8). 'All' is a spirit for that body.

558. וּבְשַׁבָּתֵי וּבִזְמַנֵּי, מִתְפַּשְּׁטָאן, וְסַלְּקִין לְמֵחֱמֵי בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וּלְאִתְעַדְּנָא בְּעִדּוּנָא עִלָּאָה כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, דִּכְתִּיב וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חָדָשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתוֹ יָבֹא כָּל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לְפָנַי אָמַר יְיָ.' וְכִי כָּל בָּשָׂר יֵיתֵי, לָאו הָכִי הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִכְתַּב, אֶלָּא כָּל רוּחַ אוֹ כָּל נְשָׁמָה, מַהוּ כָּל בָּשָׂר. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֲבַד לֵיהּ לְב"נ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּיקָרָא דְּכָבוֹד עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא. הַהוּא כָּבוֹד עִלָּאָה, אִיהוּ רוּחַ לְרוּחַ, וְנִשְׁמְתָא לַנְשָׁמָה, עַד דְּמָטֵי לְחָד אֲתָר לְתַתָּא דְּאִקְרֵי גּוּף, וּבְהַאי עָיֵיל חַד רוּחַ דִּמְקוֹרָא דְּחַיִּים, דְּאִקְרֵי כֹּל, בְּדָא אִיהוּ כָּל טוּבָא, וְכָל מְזוֹנָא, וְכָל סִפּוּקָא, דְּהַהוּא גּוּף. וְרָזָא דָּא, וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל הִיא הַאי כָּל אִיהוּ רוּחַ לְהַהוּא גּוּף.

Body Eyes Flesh Ground

559. Similarly, man in this world is a body and the spirit that rules over him resembles that Supernal Spirit called 'all' that rules over the body above, WHICH IS MALCHUT. This spirit, THAT IS IN THE BODY OF MAN, is called 'all flesh' as it is written, "'Shall all flesh come to bow down to the ground before Me,' says Hashem" (Kohelet 5:8). In reference to this delight, it is written, "Neither has the eye seen, that an Elohim beside You, should do such a thing for him that waits for him" (Yeshayah 64:3).

559. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אִיהוּ גּוּף, וְרוּחַ דְּשַׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחַ עִלָּאָה, דְּאִקְרֵי כֹּל, דְּשָלַט עַל גּוּפָא לְעֵילָּא, וְדָא הוּא דְּאִקְרֵי כָּל בָּשָׂר, וְע"ד כְּתִיב, יָבֹא כָל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לְפָנַי אָמַר יְיָ.' עַל הַהוּא עִדּוּנָא כְּתִיב, עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ.

Food Likenesses Mountains Sun Table Torah World to Come, The

560. The friends rejoiced on the way. When they reached a certain mountain, Rabbi Chiya said to this donkey-driver, What is your name? He said to him, "Chanan." He said to him, May the Holy One, blessed be He, be gracious unto you (Heb. yechonencha) and hear your voice when you need Him. Rabbi Yosi said, For certain the sun is setting and past this mountain there is a village named after you, for it is called 'Village of Chanan.' Let us lodge there in honor of your name. When they arrived there, they came to their lodging and prepared before them the table with many kinds of food. Rabbi Chiya said, This table is in the likeness of the World to Come, and it is incumbent upon us to elevate this table and adorn it with words of Torah.

560. חֲדּוּ חַבְרַיָּיא בְּאָרְחָא. כַּד מָטוּ לְגוֹ טוּרָא חַד אָמַר ר' חִיָּיא לְהַהוּא טַיְּיעָא, מָה שְׁמֶךָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ חָנָן. א"ל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְחֹנֵנְךָ, וְיִּשְׁמַע לְקוֹלֵךְ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּתִצְטְּרִיךְ לֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסִי, וַדַּאי הָא נָטֵי שִׁמְשָׁא, וְהָכִי בָּתַר טוּרָא דָּא, אִית כְּפַר חַד עַל שְׁמָךְ, דְּאִקְרֵי כְּפַר חָנָן, נָבִית תַּמָּן בְּגִין יְקָרָא דִּשְׁמֶךָ. כַּד מָטוּ לְהָתָם, עָאלוּ לְבֵית אוּשְׁפִּיזַיְיהוּ, וְסִדְרוּ קָמַיְיהוּ פָּתוֹרָא, בְּכַמָּה זִינִין לְמֵיכַל. אָמַר ר' חִיָּיא, וַדַּאי פָּתוֹרָא דָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְאִית לָן לְסַלְּקָא הַאי פָּתוֹרָא, וּלְאַעְטְּרָא לֵיהּ בְּמִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.