"Out of Asher his bread shall be fat"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yisa go to visit Rabbi Shimon to discover the meaning of "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat."We learn that Asher is one of the pillars that support the world. It is the supernal gate of the righteous that, when blessed, gives blessings to the world. The meaning of the verse, we are told, is that when the two Columns are joined, the bread of poverty is rectified by Asher.

Relevance

The Light that shines from the supernal gate of the righteous radiates into our lives, helping to remove poverty from the landscape of human civilization, while bringing readers of this passage the blessing of sustenance.

Asher Bread Chariot Jacob Wisdom

541. Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yisa were walking along the road. Rabbi Yisa said, We have surely learned that all of Jacob's sons were put in a perfect order, BY BECOMING A CHARIOT TO THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SUPERNAL SFIROT. They were blessed each according to his worth. What then is the meaning of this verse, "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat..." (Beresheet 49:20)? He said to him: I do not know, for I have not learned it from the Holy Luminary, WHICH IS RABBI SHIMON. Let us go, you and I, to the Holy Luminary. When they came before him, they spoke and raised that question. He said to them, Surely this is the secret of Wisdom.

541. ר' יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי יֵיסָא הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, אֲמַר ר' יֵיסָא הָא וַדַּאי תָּנִינָן, כָּל בְּנוֹי דְיַעֲקֹב אִתַּקָּנוּ בְּסִדּוּרָא שְׁלִים, וְאִתְבָּרְכוּ כָּל חַד וְחַד כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת לֵיהּ, מַאי קָא נֵימָא בְּהַאי קְרָא, דִּכְתִיב מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ וגו.' א"ל לָא יְדַעְנָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא שָׁמַעְנָא בֵּיהּ מִבּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, אֶלָּא אַנְתְּ וַאֲנָא נֵיזֵיל לְגַבֵּי בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא. אָזְלֵי כַּד מָטוּ לְגַבֵּי דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֲמָרוּ מִלָּה, וְשָׁאִילוּ שְׁאִילְתָּא, אֲמַר לוֹן, וַדַּאי רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא הוּא.

Asher Blessing Eden Gates Mochin Pillar Righteous Seas

542. He opened the discussion saying, "Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode by his bays" (Shoftim 5:17). HE ASKS, Why did he dwell there? HE ANSWERS, For whoever dwells by the sea shore, YESOD OF MALCHUT CALLED SEA, has access to luxuries of the world, NAMELY MOCHIN FROM EDEN. Here, Asher is the supernal gate of the Righteous, YESOD, which, when blessed, pours blessings upon the world. This is the gate which sends blessings to the world, and is called Asher. It is one of the pillars upon which the world is supported.

542. פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, אָשֵׁר יָשַׁב לְחוֹף יַמִּים וְעַל מִפְרָצָיו יִשְׁכּוֹן, אַמַּאי יָתֵיב תַּמָּן. אֶלָּא מַאן דְּיָתֵיב בְּשִׂפְתָא דְיַמָּא, אִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתַפְנוּקֵי עַלְמָא, וְהָכָא אָשֵׁר דָּא פִּתְחָא עִלָּאָה דְצַדִּיק כַּד אִתְבָּרְכָא לַאֲרָקָא בִּרְכָאן בְּעַלְמָא. וְהַאי פִּתְחָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע תָּדִיר בִּרְכָאן דְּעַלְמָא, וְאִקְרֵי אָשֵׁר, וְדָא הוּא עַמּוּדָא מֵאִינוּן דְּקָאֵים עַלְמָא עֲלַיְיהוּ.

Asher Blessing Bread Congregation Curtain Nukva

543. The place called bread of poverty, THE NUKVA WHILE RECEIVING FROM THE LEFT COLUMN ALONE, is rectified by the place ASHER, WHICH BECOMES A CURTAIN TO THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH JOINS THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT COLUMNS. The meaning of, "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat," is that what was previously bread of poverty became once more, AFTER THE TWO COLUMNS WERE JOINED TOGETHER, millet bread, since he poured and gave it blessings and delicacies, as shown by the end of the verse, "and he shall yield royal delicacies (lit. 'dainties of the King')." Who is the King? It is the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT, from which THE WORLD is nourished by royal delicacies. It is he ASHER who gives the King, MALCHUT, all blessings, joy and goodness. He gives MALCHUT, and from her it pours down upon THE LOWER BEINGS. They said, were we to come into the world only to hear this, it would have sufficed.

543. וְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי לֶחֶם עוֹנִי, מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר אַתְקֵין, הה"ד מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ, מַה דַּהֲוָה לַחְמָא דְמִסְכֵּנָא, אִתְהַדַּר לֶחֶם פַּנַּג. בְּגִין דַּאֲרֵיק וְאַרְמֵי בֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן וְתַפְנוּקִין, וְסוֹפָא דִקְרָא אוֹכַח, וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַעֲדַנֵּי מֶלֶךְ. מַאן מֶלֶךְ, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּמִנָּהּ אִתְּזָן בְּתַפְנוּקֵי עַלְמָא, וְדָא יָהֵיב לְהַאי מֶלֶךְ כָּל בִּרְכָאן, כָּל חֵידוּ, וְכָל טִיבוּ, הוּא יָהֵיב, וּמִנָּה נַפְקֵי. אֲמָרוּ, אִי לָא אֲתֵינָא לְעַלְמָא, אֶלָּא לְמִנְדַע דָּא טַב לָן.