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.
846. Come and see, the Congregation of Yisrael, THE NUKVA, is called a cup of blessing. Since it is a cup of blessing, we need both the right and left hands to receive it, for the cup is given between the right and left hands, CHASSADIM AND CHOCHMAH, AS HAS BEEN EXPLAINED. It should be filled with wine, because of the wine of the Torah, THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT, which comes from the World to Come, BINAH.
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.
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.
849. They all rose and kissed his hands and said, Blessed be the Merciful One who brought us here to hear these words. They came out of the cave and went. When they reached the town, they saw dead men, upon whom a house fell. They sat and saw people who mourned those who died along with the Roman, FOR THE HOUSE COLLAPSED UPON JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE.