"Eat, O dear ones, and drink; drink deep, O loving companions"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Aba give their interpretations of the verse, but Rabbi Shimon tells them that the secret meaning is that "Eat, O dear ones" refers to those above, and "drink deep, O loving companions" to those below. Those above are Eden, Aba, and the river, Ima - thus the source and the flow are never parted. Those below are male and female, who unite occasionally but not constantly as do Aba and Ima. The eating and drinking are the completion of all.

Judgment

35. Rabbi Yehuda said, "Eat, O dear ones, and drink; drink deep, O loving companions" (Shir Hashirim 5:1). These are all those who sob and wail, FOR THEY ARE DRAWN FROM THE LEFT COLUMN AND THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT PREVAIL OVER THEM, WHEREFORE THEY CONSTANTLY SOB AND WAIL. This is because they were all sated and blessed together ON THE DAY THAT THE TABERNACLE WAS ERECTED, for they all enjoyed the King's feast, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN. When do they all eat? When the King comes joyously. Therefore, the King is made happy and He first gladdens the Queen. Then, they all eat and rejoice.

35. ר' יְהוּדָה אָמַר, אִכְלוּ רֵעִים שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים, אִלֵּין כָּל מָארֵי דִּיבָבָא וִילָלָה, דְּאִתְבְּסָמוּ כֻּלְּהוּ וְאִתְבְּרָכוּ כַּחֲדָא. דְּהָא מִסְּעוּדָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא מִתְהַנְיָין כֹּלָּא. וְאֵימָתַי אַכְלֵי כֻּלְּהוּ. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַלְכָּא אָתֵי חַדֵי. וְעַל דָּא מַלְכָּא אִתְחַדֵי, וְחַדֵּי לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, לְבָתַר כֻּלְּהוּ אַכְלָן וְחַדָּאן.

Angels Briyah Chambers Soul, The Wine Worlds Zeir Anpin

36. Rabbi Aba said, "Eat, O dear ones, and drink; drink deep, O loving companions" These are the six EXTREMES OF ZEIR ANPIN, which we have stated. Regarding these, it states, "The king has brought me into his chambers" (Shir Hashirim 1:4). "Drink deep, O loving companions" ALLUDES TO that wine which satiates all. THIS IS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS CALLED WINE. Rabbi Elazar says about all the lower beings, THE ANGELS AND SOULS OF BRIYAH, once these six EXTREMES OF ZEIR ANPIN are blessed, all the lower beings are blessed.

36. ר' אַבָּא אָמַר, אִכְלוּ רֵעִים שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן שִׁית דְּקַאמְרָן, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ, הֱבִיאַנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲדָרָיו וְגוֹ.' שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ, מֵהַהוּא יַיִן דְּרַוֵּי לְכֹלָּא. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, כָּל אִינּוּן דִּלְתַתָּא, דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִינּוּן שִׁית אִתְבָּרְכָאן, כֻּלְּהוּ דִּלְתַתָּא מִתְבָּרְכָאן.

Aba and Ima Eden Prayer Rivers Shabbat Unity

37. Rabbi Shimon said, All this is fine, but the secret meaning is "Eat, O dear ones" above and "drink deep, O loving companions" below. Rabbi Elazar said to him: Who are those above and who are below? Rabbi Shimon said to him: You asked well. ABOVE refers to a lofty place where they are in unity and joy and they never part from each other, SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, and these are called "dear ones." Thus, it is written, "And a river went out of Eden" (Beresheet 2:10). Eden, ABA, and that river, IMA, never part. They are always in goodwill, unity and joy. "Drink deep, O loving companions" refers to those below, who are called "loving companions," MALE AND FEMALE, WHICH UNITE at certain times DURING PRAYER, ON SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS, BUT NOT CONSTANTLY AS DO SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA. This has been explained.

37. ר' שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר, אֲבָל רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, אִכְלוּ רֵעִים לְעֵילָּא, שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים לְתַתָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מַאן אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא, וּמַאן אִינּוּן לְתַתָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ יָאוּת שָׁאִילְתָּא, דָּא אֲתַר עִלָּאָה דְּאִינּוּן בְּאַחֲדוּתָא בְּחֶדְוָותָא דְּלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁן לְעָלְמִין, אִלֵּין אִקְרוּן רֵעִים. הה"ד וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן, וְעֵדֶן וְהַהוּא נָהָר לָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁן לְעָלְמִין, וְאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ לְעָלְמִין בִּרְעוּתָא בְּאַחֲדוּתָא בְּחֶדְוָותָא. שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן לְתַתָּא, דְּאִקְרוּן דּוֹדִים, לְזִמְנִין יְדִיעָן וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא.

Aba and Ima Rivers Wine

38. Come and see: With regard to those above, ABA AND IMA, we find written only eating but not drinking. What is the reason? It is because one who has bottles of wine needs to eat. And since there BY SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA is the preserved wine, therefore, eating is mentioned by them. Yet in regard to those below, MALE AND FEMALE, who are in need of irrigation, drinking is mentioned, for all the plantings need irrigation from the Deep River, WHICH IS BINAH. Therefore, in regard to 'the ones' IT IS WRITTEN eating and 'the others' drinking. SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA are CALLED "dear ones" while MALE AND FEMALE are CALLED "loving compnions."

38. ת"ח בְּאִינּוּן עִלָּאֵי כְּתִיב בְּהוּ אֲכִילָה בְּלָא שְׁתִיָּה. מ"ט. מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ גַּרְבֵּי דְּחַמְרָא, אֲכִילָה בַּעְיָא. וּבְגִין דְּתַמָן שַׁרְיָא חַמְרָא דְּמִנְטְרָא, כְּתִיב בְּהוּ אֲכִילָה. וּבְאִינּוּן תַּתָּאֵי דְּבַעְיָין שַׁקְיוּ, כְּתִיב בְּהוּ שְׁתִיָּה, דְּהָא כָּל נְטִיעָן שַׁקְיוּ בַּעְיָין מִנַּחֲלָא דְּעָמִיקָא. וְעַל דָּא, בְּאִלֵּין אֲכִילָה, וּבְאִלֵּין שְׁתִיָּה. אִלֵּין רֵעִים וְאִלֵּין דּוֹדִים.

Aba and Ima Congregation Love Unity

39. Rabbi Elazar said to him: It appears that the loving companions are in love, so why are they below? Rabbi Shimon said, MALE AND FEMALE, WHICH ARE LOWER THAN ABA AND IMA, desire one another but are not always together. Therefore, they are called loving companions. SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, who are constantly TOGETHER and are never concealed or parted from each other, are called dear ones. Therefore, the dear ones are in goodwill and unity constantly and the loving companions are in desire at times, BUT NOT CONSTANTLY. THE EATING AND DRINKING STATED IN THE VERSE are the completion of all, in order that the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, be blessed. Then, joy prevails throughout the worlds.

39. אָ"ל רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אִתְחֲזֵי דְּהָא דּוֹדִים חֲבִיבוּתָא אִינּוּן, אֲמַאי אִינּוּן תַּתָּאֵי. אָ"ל, אִינּוּן דְּתָאֲבִין דָּא לְדָא, וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין תָּדִיר, אִקְרוּ דּוֹדִים. וְאִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי תָּדִיר, וְלָא מִתְכַּסְּיָין וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁן דָּא מִן דָּא, אִקְרוּ רֵעִים. וְעַ"ד, אִלֵּין דּוֹדִים, וְאִלֵּין רֵעִים, אִלֵּין בִּרְעוּתָא בְּאַחֲדוּתָא תָּדִיר, וְאִלֵּין בְּתִיאוּבְתָּא לְזִמְנִין. וְדָא הוּא שְׁלֵימוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, בְּגִין דְּתִתְבָּרַךְ כ"י, וּכְדֵין חֶדְוָותָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין.

Judgment Sacrifice

Blessing Bride Canopy Wedding (Chupah) Chupah (Wedding Canopy) Earth Marriage Sanctuary Shechinah

41. Rabbi Acha explained the verse: "EAT, O DEAR ONES..." as referring to when the Shechinah entered the tabernacle, where there was blessing and joy everywhere. The Shechinah entered THE TABERNACLE like a bride to the Chupa (marriage canopy), and Yisrael then achieved perfection below and were united with the Holy One, blessed be He, on earth. Thus, it is written, "And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" (Shemot 25:8). Then the higher beings and the lower beings were sated.

41. רִבִּי אֲחָא אוֹקִים הַאי קְרָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָאלָת שְׁכִינְתָּא לְמַשְׁכְּנָא, דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בִּרְכָאן וְחֶדְוָון בְּכֹלָּא, וְעָאלַת שְׁכִינְתָּא כְּכַלָּה לַחוּפָּה, וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא, וְאִתְאַחֲדוּ בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא. הה"ד וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם, וּכְדֵין עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי אִתְבְּסָּמוּ.