Man’s table enables him to attain to the delight of that other table: “he eats always at the king’s table” (2 Sam. 9, 16), and as King David said, “Thou preparest a table before me” (Ps. 23, 4), which refers to the preparation of the Table in the other world for those from below; for this is the joy and delight of the soul in the world to come.
But is there a table set for the souls in the world to come? Verily there is! In that world they eat of such food and with such satisfaction as the angels enjoy. And do the angels eat? Verily they do! Such as theirs was the food upon which the Israelites were fed in the wilderness. This food is symbolical of the Dew which emanates from above, from the mystery of the world to come. It is the food of the light of the oil of holy anointing; from it the righteous in the Garden of Eden derive their sustenance and are replete with joy. For in the Garden of Eden which is below the souls of the righteous put on a form which is like unto that which they had worn in this world;
but on Sabbaths and holy days they put off this form like a garment and ascend to those heavenly regions where they may behold the Lord in His Glory, and where they may fully enjoy the supernal delights. Concerning this it is written: “And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isa. 66, 23). Is it “flesh”, then, that will come? Ought it not to be written, “all spirits”, or “all souls”? But the fact is that the Holy One created man in this world after the pattern of the supernal Glory above. This supernal Glory expands itself into spirit after spirit, and soul after soul, until it reaches a region which it called “Body”1Malkuth. and into this “Body” the spirit from the Fountain of Life enters that is called “All”; for all the good and all the satisfaction and nourishment of the “Body” is in it. There is an allusion to this in the words: “Moreover, the advantage of the earth is in all” (Eccl. 5, 9)-which “all” refers to the spirit of that “Body”.
Similarly, man in this world consists of a body, and the spirit which dominates it is in the likeness of that supernal Spirit which is called “All” and which rules over the “Body” above, and this is designated “all flesh”; therefore does it say: “all flesh shall come”, and concerning that joy it is written, “No eye hath seen”, etc.’
The Companions went on the way rejoicing, and when they had come to a certain mountain R. Hiya turned to the traveller and asked: ‘What, then, is thy name?’ He replied: ‘Hanan’ (Merciful). Said R. Hiya: ‘May the Holy One be merciful to thee indeed, and hearken to thy voice when thou art in distress.’ Said R. Jose: ‘The sun is setting; behind this mountain there lies the village of Kephar Hanan. Let us thither and spend the night there to honour thy name.’ On their arrival they entered an inn where a table was prepared for them with many viands. Said R. Hiya: ‘Verily, this table has such a likeness to that of the world above, that it is meet for us to dignify and crown it with the words of the Torah.’
פָּתוֹרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, מְזַכֵּי לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל עַל פָּתוֹרָא אָחֳרָא, בְּעִדּוּנָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמואל ב ט׳:י״ג) כִּי עַל שֻׁלְחָן הַמֶּלֶךְ תָּמִיד הוּא אוֹכֵל. וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא הֲוָה אָמַר, (תהילים כ״ג:ה׳) תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן נֶגֶד צוֹרְרָי, וְדָא אִיהוּ אִתְסַדְּרוּתָא דְּפָתוֹרָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, דְּהָא כְּדֵין אִיהוּ עִדּוּנָא וְכִסּוּפָא, דְּנִשְׁמְתָא אִתְהֲנֵי בְּהוּ, בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
Man’s table enables him to attain to the delight of that other table: “he eats always at the king’s table” (2 Sam. 9, 16), and as King David said, “Thou preparest a table before me” (Ps. 23, 4), which refers to the preparation of the Table in the other world for those from below; for this is the joy and delight of the soul in the world to come.
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.
But is there a table set for the souls in the world to come? Verily there is! In that world they eat of such food and with such satisfaction as the angels enjoy. And do the angels eat? Verily they do! Such as theirs was the food upon which the Israelites were fed in the wilderness. This food is symbolical of the Dew which emanates from above, from the mystery of the world to come. It is the food of the light of the oil of holy anointing; from it the righteous in the Garden of Eden derive their sustenance and are replete with joy. For in the Garden of Eden which is below the souls of the righteous put on a form which is like unto that which they had worn in this world;
וּבְשַׁבָּתֵי וּבִזְמַנֵּי, מִתְפַּשְּׁטָאן, וְסַלְּקִין לְמֵחמֵי בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וּלְאִתְעַדְּנָא בְּעִדּוּנָא עִלָּאָה כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ס״ו:כ״ג) וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ 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 לְבַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּיְקָרָא 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, (קהלתה) וְיִתְרוֹן אֶרֶץ בַּכֹּל הִיא (ס"אמאי בכל היא) הַאי כָּל אִיהוּ רוּחַ לְהַהוּא גּוּף.
but on Sabbaths and holy days they put off this form like a garment and ascend to those heavenly regions where they may behold the Lord in His Glory, and where they may fully enjoy the supernal delights. Concerning this it is written: “And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isa. 66, 23). Is it “flesh”, then, that will come? Ought it not to be written, “all spirits”, or “all souls”? But the fact is that the Holy One created man in this world after the pattern of the supernal Glory above. This supernal Glory expands itself into spirit after spirit, and soul after soul, until it reaches a region which it called “Body”1Malkuth. and into this “Body” the spirit from the Fountain of Life enters that is called “All”; for all the good and all the satisfaction and nourishment of the “Body” is in it. There is an allusion to this in the words: “Moreover, the advantage of the earth is in all” (Eccl. 5, 9)-which “all” refers to the spirit of that “Body”.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אִיהוּ גּוּף, וְרוּחַ דְּשַׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחַ עִלָּאָה, (ס"א דשלטא על גופא דאקרי כל) דְּאִקְרֵי כֹּל, דְּשָלַט עַל גּוּפָא לְעֵילָּא, וְדָא הוּא דְּאִקְרֵי כָּל בָּשָׂר, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, יָבֹא כָל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לְפָנַי אָמַר יְיָ'. עַל הַהוּא עִדּוּנָא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס״ד:ג׳) עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ.
Similarly, man in this world consists of a body, and the spirit which dominates it is in the likeness of that supernal Spirit which is called “All” and which rules over the “Body” above, and this is designated “all flesh”; therefore does it say: “all flesh shall come”, and concerning that joy it is written, “No eye hath seen”, etc.’
חֲדּוּ חַבְרַיָּיא בְּאָרְחָא. כַּד מָטוּ לְגוֹ טוּרָא חַד אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא לְהַהוּא טַיְּיעָא, מָה שְׁמֶךָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ חָנָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְחֹנִנְךָ, וְיִּשְׁמַע לְקוֹלֶךָ 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 דִּשְׁמָךְ. כַּד מָטוּ לְהָתָם, עָאלוּ לְבֵית אוּשְׁפִּיזַיְיהוּ, וְסִדְרוּ קָמַיְיהוּ פָּתוֹרָא, בְּכַמָּה זִינִין לְמֵיכַל. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, וַדַּאי פָּתוֹרָא דָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְאִית לָן לְסַלְּקָא הַאי פָּתוֹרָא, וּלְאַעְטְּרָא לֵיהּ בְּמִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
The Companions went on the way rejoicing, and when they had come to a certain mountain R. Hiya turned to the traveller and asked: ‘What, then, is thy name?’ He replied: ‘Hanan’ (Merciful). Said R. Hiya: ‘May the Holy One be merciful to thee indeed, and hearken to thy voice when thou art in distress.’ Said R. Jose: ‘The sun is setting; behind this mountain there lies the village of Kephar Hanan. Let us thither and spend the night there to honour thy name.’ On their arrival they entered an inn where a table was prepared for them with many viands. Said R. Hiya: ‘Verily, this table has such a likeness to that of the world above, that it is meet for us to dignify and crown it with the words of the Torah.’