The cup of blessing

Synopsis

Rav Hamnuna Saba expounds upon the significance of a wine cup, the table, and the blessings made over the wine. The sage equates the cup to the receptive nature of Malchut and the wine to the supernal blessings that light our world. It is explained that both hands are used to receive the cup, signifying the Right and Left Columns which are required to create a circuit of spiritual energy. We're told that one should also bless the table to ensure sustenance, signified by the bread and wine that sit upon it.

Relevance

The tremendous Light that is awakened and drawn to this world through the blessing of wine is summoned forth, bringing us Light, balance, and sustenance.

Blessing Bread Cup Cup of Salvation Hands Table Wine

845. Rav Hamnuna Saba (the elder) gave his cup of blessing to no one, but hastened to receive it with both hands and say the blessing. We have said that it should be received by both right and left. Even though others have explained it, and we agree with it. But the secret thereof is that for a cup of blessing we need a cup, as it is written "I will raise the cup of salvation" (Tehilim 116:13), NAMELY THE NUKVA CALLED THE CUP. By means of this cup blessings are drawn from the salvations above, AND THE CUP, THE NUKVA, receives and gathers them to it. There the supernal wine is preserved, THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT FROM BINAH, and gathered in the cup, hence we need to bless it with both right and left; and the wine which is gathered in the cup will be blessed together, THAT IS, THE WINE WHICH IS THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT FROM BINAH, TOGETHER WITH THE CUP, BEING THE NUKVA. We should also bless the table, THE NUKVA, that it will not be without both bread and wine.

845. רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, כַּסָּא דְבִרְכָתָא לָא יְהֵיב לֵיהּ לְב"נ אָחֳרָא לְבָרְכָא, אֶלָא אִיהוּ אַקְדֵּים וְנָטֵיל לֵיהּ בִּתְרֵי יְדוֹי וּמְבָרֵךְ. וְהָא אֲמָרָן, דְּבָעֵי לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא וּבִשְׂמָאלָא, וְאע"ג דְּכֹלָּא אִתְעָרוּ בֵּיהּ, שַׁפִּיר הוּא, אֲבָל כַּסָּא דִּבְרָכָה הָכֵי אִצְטְרִיךְ כּוֹס, דִּכְתִיב כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא, דְּהָא בְּהַאי כּוֹס, אִתְנְגִידוּ בִּרְכָאן, מֵאִינוּן יְשׁוּעוֹת דִּלְעֵילָא, וְהוּא נָטֵיל לוֹן, וְכָנֵישׁ לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְתַמָּן אִתְנְטֵיר חַמְרָא עִלָּאָה, וְאִתְכְּנֵישׁ בְּהַהוּא כּוֹס, וּבְעִינָן לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא, וּבִשְׂמָאלָא, וְחַמְרָא דְּאִיהוּ בְּהַאי כּוֹס כָּנֵישׁ, דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן כַּחֲדָא, וּבְעִינָן לְבָרְכָא פָּתוֹרָא, דְּלָא תְהֵא רֵיקַנְיָא מִנַּהֲמָא וְחַמְרָא כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא.

Blessing Chassadim Congregation Cup Hands Torah Wine World to Come, The

846. תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה אִקְרֵי, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִיהוּ כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, בְּעִינָן יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ, וְהַהוּא כּוֹס אִתְיְיהֵיב בֵּין יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא, וּבָעֵי דְּאִתְמַלְיָא חַמְרָא, בְּגִין חַמְרָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהוּ נָפֵיק מֵעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי.

Blessing Body Caves Chariot Cup East Eyes Faith North Solomon South West

847. Come and see, supernal things have been revealed here concerning the cup of blessing, while we stayed in the cave; here was revealed the secret of the Holy Chariot, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. For the cup of blessing should be received with both right and left, which are north and south, CHESED AND GVURAH, and the cup of blessings receives its blessing from them. What is this cup of blessing? It is "his litter, that of Solomon" (Shir Hashirim 3: 7), NAMELY MALCHUT, which should be placed between north and south, CHESED AND GVURAH, but CLOSER to the right. The body OF HE WHO BLESSES, TIFERET, should be prepared with them, and one should fix his eyes upon the cup and bless it with four blessings, since it says, "The eyes of Hashem your Elohim are always upon it" (Devarim 11:12). Thus there is a secret of faith in the cup of blessing; NAMELY north and south, east and west, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. Here is a Holy Chariot worthy of it.

847. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, בְּהַאי אִתְגַּלְיָין מִלִּין עִלָּאִין, הָכָא דַּאֲנַן בִּמְעַרְתָּא, אֵימָא הָכָא אִתְגַּלְּיָיא רָזָא דִרְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא, כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה בָּעֵי לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא, דָּא צָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם, וְכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה דִּיהֵא נָטֵיל בְּרָכָה מִנַּיְיהוּ. מַאן כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, דָּא מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה, דִּבְעִינָן דְּאִתְיְיהֵיב בֵּין צָפוֹן לְדָרוֹם, וּבָעֵי לַאֲנָחָא לָהּ בִּימִינָא, וְגוּפָא דְּיִתְתַּקֵּן בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וְיַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא כּוֹס, לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ בְּאַרְבַּע בִּרְכָאן, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ וגו.' אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, צָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם וּמִזְרָח וּמַעֲרָב, הָא רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא כִּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ.

Blessing Bread Chassadim Congregation Cup David Patriarchs Table Wind

848. There is bread upon the table, so that the lower bread, THE NUKVA, will be blessed, and the bread of poverty, THE NUKVA WHEN WITHOUT CHASSADIM, will be blessed and become millet bread WHEN HER CHOCHMAH IS CLOTHED IN CHASSADIM, AND SHE IS CALLED MILLET BREAD, as has been explained. The Congregation of Yisrael, THE NUKVA, is thus blessed above by the four directions of the world, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, and above and below, NETZACH AND HOD. The cup of blessing brings the union between King David, THE NUKVA ABOVE THE CHEST, with the Patriarchs, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, WHENCE CHOCHMAH TAKES. And it is blessed below BY NETZACH HOD YESOD, AND THUS HAS CHASSADIM AS WELL, so that man's table be blessed that there will always be bread upon it.

848. וּפָתוֹרָא בְּנַהֲמָא, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכָא הַהוּא לֶחֶם דִּלְתַתָּא, וְיִתְבָּרַךְ לֶחֶם עוֹנִי, וִיהֵא לֶחֶם פַּנַּג, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. וְיִשְׁתַּכַּח דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָא בְּד' סִטְרֵי עַלְמָא, לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא. וְכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא בַּאֲבָהָן, וְיִתְבָּרַךְ לְתַתָּא, דְּיִתְבָּרַךְ פָּתוֹרָא דְּב"נ, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בֵּיהּ מְזוֹנָא תָּדִיר.

Caves Hands

849. קָמוּ כֻּלְּהוּ וּנְשָׁקוּ יְדוֹי, אֲמָרוּ בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּאָעֵילְנָא הָכָא, וּשְׁמַעְנָא מִלִּין אִלֵּין. נָפְקוּ מִן מְעַרְתָּא, וַאֲזָלוּ, כַּד עָאלוּ בְּמָתָא, חָמוּ עִיטְרָא דִבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְמִיתוּ, דְּנָפַל בֵּיתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ, יָתְבוּ וְחָמוּ דְּקָא סַפְדֵי לְאִינוּן דְּמִיתוּ, עִם אִינוּן רוֹמָאֵי.