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Tredje Mosebog 23

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1 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

2 Tal til Israeliterne og sig til dem: Hvad angår HE ENs Festtider, hvilke I skal udråbe som Højtidsstævner, da er mine Festtider følgende:

3 I seks Dage skal der arbejdes, men den syvende Dag skal være en fuldkommen Hviledag med Højtidsstævne; I må intet Arbejde gøre, det er Sabbat for HE EN, overalt hvor I bor.

4 Følgende er HE ENs Festtider med Højtidsstævner, som I skal udråbe, hver til sin Tid:

5 På den fjortende Dag i den første Måned ved Aftenstid er det Påske for HE EN.

6 På den femtende Dag i samme Måned er det de usyrede Brøds Højtid for HE EN; i syv Dage skal I spise usyret Brød.

7 På den første Dag skal I bolde Højtidsstævne, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

8 I skal bringe HE EN Ildoffer i syv Dage. På den syvende Dag skal der holdes Højtidsstævne, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

9 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

10 Tal til Israeliterne og sig til dem: Når I kommer til det Land, jeg vil give eder, og høster dets Høst, skal I bringe Præsten Førstegrødeneget af eders Høst.

11 Han skal udføre Svingningen med Neget for HE ENs Åsyn for at vinde eder Guds Velbehag; Dagen efter Sabbaten skal Præsten udføre Svingningen dermed.

12 Og på den Dag I udfører Svingningen med Neget, skal I ofre et lydefrit, årgammelt Lam som Brændoffer til HE EN,

13 og der skal høre to Tiendedele Eta fint Hvedemel, rørt i Olie, dertil som Afgrødeoffer, et Ildoffer for HE EN til en liflig Duft, og ligeledes en Fjerdedel Hin Vin som Drikoffer.

14 Brød, ristede Aks eller nyhøstet Horn må I ikke spise før denne Dag, før I har frembåret eders Guds Offergave. Det skal være eder en evig gyldig Anordning fra Slægt til Slægt, overalt hvor I bor.

15 Så skal I fra Dagen efter Sabbaten, fra den dag I bringer Svingningsneget, tælle syv Uger frem - det skal være hele Uger -

16 til Dagen efter den syvende Sabbat, I skal tælle halvtredsinds tyve bage frem; da skal I frembære et nyt Afgrødeoffer for HE EN.

17 Fra eders Boliger skal I bringe Svingningsbrød, to Brød, som skal laves af to Tiendedele Efa fint Hvedemel og bages syrede, en Førstegrødegave til HE EN.

18 Og foruden Brødet skal I bringe syv lydefri, årgamle Lam, en ung Tyr og to Vædre, de skal være til Brændoffer for HE en med tilhørende Afgrødeoffer og Drikoffer, et Ildoffer for HE en til en liflig Duft.

19 Og I skal ofre en Gedebuk som Syndoffer og to årgamle Lam som Takoffer.

20 Og Præsten skal udføre Svingningen med dem, med de to Lam, for HE ENs Åsyn sammen med Førstegrødebrødet, de skal være HE EN helligede og tilfalde Præsten.

21 På denne Dag skal I udråbe og holde et Højtidsstævne; I må intet Arbejde gøre. Det skal være eder en evig gyldig Anordning, overalt hvor I bor, fra Slægt til Slægt.

22 Når I høster eders Lands Høst, må du ikke høste helt hen til Kanten af din Mark, ej heller må du sanke Efterslætten efter din Høst; til den fattige og den fremmede skal du lade det blive tilbage. Jeg er HE EN eders Gud!

23 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

24 Tal til Israeliterne og sig: Den første dag i den syvende Måned skal I holde Hviledag med Hornblæsning til Ihukommelse og med Højtidsstævne;

25 I må intet Arbejde gøre, og I skal bringe HE EN Ildofre.

26 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

27 På den tiende Dag i samme syvende Måned falder Forsoningsdagen; da skal I holde Højtidsstævne, faste og bringe HE EN Ildofre;

28 I må intet Arbejde gøre på denne Dag, thi det er Forsoningsdagen, den skal skaffe eder Soning for HE EN eders Guds Åsyn.

29 Thi enhver, som ikke faster på denne Dag, skal udryddes af sin Slægt;

30 og enhver, der gør noget som helst Arbejde på denne Dag, det Menneske vil jeg udslette af hans Folk.

31 I må intet Arbejde gøre. Det skal være eder en evig Anordning fra Slægt til Slægt, overalt hvor I bor.

32 Den skal være eder en fuldkommen Hviledag, og I skal faste; på den niende Dag i Måneden om Aftenen, fra denne Aften til næste Aften skal I holde eders Hviledag.

33 HE EN talede fremdeles til Moses og sagde:

34 Tal til Israeliterne og sig: Den femtende Dag i samme syvende Måned skal Løvhyttefesten fejres, den skal fejres i syv Dage for HE EN.

35 På den første Dag skal der holdes Højtidsstævne, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

36 Syv dage skal I bringe HE EN Ildofre; og på den ottende Dag skal I holde Højtidsstævne og bringe HE EN Ildofre; det er festlig Samling, I må intet Arbejde gøre.

37 Det er HE ENs Festtider, hvilke I skal udråbe som Højtids stævner, ved hvilke der skal bringes HE EN Ildofre, Brændofre og Afgrødeofre, Slagtofre og drikofre, hver Dag de for den bestemte Ofre,

38 foruden HE ENs Sabbater og foruden eders Gaver og alle eders Løfteofre og alle eders Frivilligofre, som I giver HE EN.

39 Men den femtende Dag i den syvende Måned, når I har indsamlet Landets Afgrøde, skal I fejre HE ENs Højtid, og den skal fejres i syv Dage. På den første Dag skal der holdes Hviledag, og på den ottende Dag skal der holdes Hviledag.

40 Den første Dag skal I tage eder smukke Træfrugter, Palmegrene og Kviste af Løvtræer og Vidjer fra Bækkene og i syv Dage være glade for HE EN eders Guds Åsyn.

41 I skal fejre den som en Højtid for HE EN syv Dage om Året; det skal være eder en evig gyldig Anordning fra Slægt til Slægt; i den syvende Måned skal I fejre den.

42 I skal bo i Løvhytter i syv Dage, alle indfødte i Israel skal bo i Løvhytter,

43 for at eders Efterkommere kan vide, at jeg lod Israeliterne bo i Løvhytter, da jeg førte dem ud af Ægypten. Jeg er HE EN eders Gud!

44 Og Moses kundgjorde Israeliterne HE ENs Festtider.

   


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Arcana Coelestia # 9296

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9296. 'And the feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in [the fruit of] your labours from the field' means the worship of a thankful mind on account of the implanting of good after that, and so on account of regeneration and complete deliverance from damnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'the feast' as worship of the Lord and thanksgiving, dealt with above in 9286, 9287, 9294, and so the worship of a thankful mind; from the meaning of 'ingathering', when speaking of the implanting of truth in good, as the implanting of good itself; from the meaning of 'the end of the year' as the end of labours; and from the meaning of 'when you have gathered in [the fruit of] your labours from the field' as the enjoyment and use of all that has been planted in good. For not only products of the field are meant by 'labours' but also those of the vineyard and the olive-grove, so that the fruits of the earth are meant, as is evident from the description of this feast in Moses,

You shall celebrate the feast of tabernacles seven days, when you gather in from your threshing-floor, and from your winepress. And Jehovah your God will bless you in all your produce, and in all the labour of your hands. Deuteronomy 16:13, 15.

And elsewhere,

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the earth, you shall keep the feast of Jehovah seven days. Leviticus 23:39.

[2] Since this feast means worshipping the Lord with a thankful mind on account of the implanting of good, and so on account of complete deliverance from damnation, what the implanting of good is must first be explained here. It has been shown in various places already that a person has two powers of life - the understanding and the will - and that the understanding is dedicated to receiving truth and the will to receiving good. For there are two realities to which all things throughout creation, both in heaven and in the world, have connection, namely truth and good. From this it is also evident that these two realities compose a person's life, that the truth of faith and the good of charity compose his new life, and that unless they have both been implanted in the person he has no new life. In what way the truth of faith is sown and implanted in a person is well known in the Church, but in what way the good of charity is, is not as yet so well known. When a person is a young child he receives good from the Lord, that good being the good of innocence as it exists with young children. This good composes the first beginnings of a new will with a person, and it develops in the next period of life in the measure that he leads an innocent life among those of his own age, behaves properly in life and does what he is told by parents and teachers. It develops more fully however with those who subsequently allow themselves to be regenerated. This the Lord foresees, and according to the state of their subsequent life He makes provision for it. For in every present moment the Lord foresees what is bad and provides what is good; He does so from the moment the person is conceived even into eternity. At a later stage, when the person has grown up and starts to think from self, then to the extent that he is carried away by the delights of self-love and love of the world that new will, that is, first beginnings of a new will, is closed, and to the extent that he is not carried away by those delights it is opened and also perfected.

[3] But in what way it is perfected through the implanting of truth must be stated next. That new will, which is formed from the good of innocence, is the dwelling-place by means of which the Lord comes in and resides with a person, rousing the person to will what is good, and from willing good to doing it. This influx is effective with a person to the extent that he refrains from evils. It gives him the ability to know, see into, reflect on, and have an understanding of truths and forms of good. The truths and forms of good occur on the level of both private and public life, and he receives that ability according to his delight in service. After this the Lord flows by way of that good into the truths the person knows from the teachings of the Church; He then summons from his memory the kinds of truths that may help him serve usefully in life, implanting those truths in the good and perfecting it. So it is that the good present with a person depends entirely on his service in life. If that service is rendered for his neighbour's benefit, that is, for the good of fellow-citizen, country, Church, heaven, and for the Lord, then that good is the good of charity. But if his service in life is rendered solely for the sake of self and the world, then those first beginnings of a new will are closed. Below them a will is formed from the evils of self-love and love of the world, and arising from this an understanding from falsities. This will is closed above and open below, that is, it is closed in heaven's direction and open in the world's. All this shows in what way truths are planted in good and give it form. It also shows that when a person is governed by good he is in heaven with the Lord; for as stated above, the new will, where the good of charity resides, is the Lord's dwelling-place and is therefore heaven with a person. And the new understanding extending from it is so to speak a tabernacle or booth through which people pass in and out.

[4] These kinds of things in general and in particular were represented by this feast, which was a feast of ingathering of the fruits of the earth, and was called the feast of tabernacles. The establishment of this feast, spoken of in Moses as follows, shows that this is so,

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the earth, you shall keep the feast of Jehovah seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day a sabbath. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a fine tree, 1 fronds of palm trees, and the bough of a thick tree, and willows of the powerful stream; and you shall be glad before Jehovah your God seven days. You shall dwell in tabernacles seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in tabernacles, that your generations may know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in tabernacles when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. Leviticus 23:39-44.

And elsewhere,

You shall celebrate the feast of tabernacles seven days, when you gather in from your threshing-floor, and from your press. You shall be glad in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male slave and your female slave and the Levite and the sojourner and the orphan and the widow who are within your gates. And you will be altogether glad. Deuteronomy 16:13-15.

[5] The state when good has been implanted by the Lord through truth, thus the state when heaven resides with a person, was represented by this feast. This is evident from the internal sense of all that is mentioned in these passages, which is this: The fifteenth day of the seventh month means the end of the former state and the beginning of a new state. (That this is the meaning of the fifteenth, see 8400, and also of the seventh, 728, 6508, 8976, 9228.) The fruit of the earth, which had been gathered in by then, means the good of charity, 43, 55, 913, 983, 2846, 2847, 3146, 7690, 7692. Gathering in from the threshing-floor and from the press has a similar meaning. For grain, which is a product of the threshing-floor, is the good of truth, 5295, 5410; wine, which is a product of the press, is truth derived from good, 6377; and oil, which is also a product of the press, is good which is a source of truth, 886, 3728, 4582, 4638. A sabbath on the first day and a sabbath on the eighth day mean the joining of truth to good, and in a reciprocal manner the joining of good to truth, the sabbath meaning truth and good joined together, 8495, 8510, 8890, 8893, 9274. The reason why the eighth day too was called a sabbath is that eighth meant the beginning of a new state, 2044, 8400 (end).

[6] The fruit of a fine tree which they were to take on the first day meant festivity and joy because good had been implanted, which is why the words you shall be glad before Jehovah follow; fronds of palm trees meant internal truths of that good, 8369; the bough of a thick (or tangled) tree meant relatively external truths of good, or known facts, 2831, 8133; and willows of the powerful stream meant rather more external truths, which belong to impressions received by the bodily senses. The tabernacles in which they were to dwell seven days means the holiness of love received from the Lord and offered in return to the Lord, 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312, 3391, 4391, 4599, also the holiness of union, 8666. Native Israelites means those governed by the good of charity, and therefore also means - in the abstract sense - that good, 3654, 4598, 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 6426, 7957. The rejoicing of all at that time meant the joy such as that felt by those who are governed by good received from the Lord, thus such as that felt by those in heaven. For one who is governed by the good of charity received from the Lord is in heaven with the Lord. These are the things on account of which that feast was established.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, a tree of honour

  
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Arcana Coelestia # 4581

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4581. 'And he poured out a drink-offering onto it' means the Divine Good of Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a drink-offering' as the Divine Good of Truth, dealt with below. But first one must say what the good of truth is. The good of truth is that which elsewhere has been called the good of faith, which is love towards the neighbour, or charity. There are two universal kinds of good, the first being that which is called the good of faith, the second that which is referred to as the good of love. The good of faith is the kind of good meant by 'a drink-offering', and the good of love the kind meant by 'oil'. The good of love exists with those whom the Lord brings to what is good by an internal way, while the good of faith exists with those He brings to it by an external way. The good of love exists with members of the celestial Church, and likewise with angels of the inmost or third heaven, but the good of faith with members of the spiritual Church, and likewise with angels of the middle or second heaven. Consequently the first kind of good is called celestial good, whereas the second kind is called spiritual good. The difference between the two is, on the one hand, willing what is good out of a will for good and, on the other, willing what is good out of an understanding of it. The second kind of good therefore - spiritual good or the good of faith, which is the good of truth - is meant by 'a drink-offering'; but the first - celestial good or the good of love - is meant in the internal sense by 'oil'.

[2] Nobody, it is true, can see that such things as these were meant by 'oil' and 'a drink-offering' unless he does so from the internal sense. Yet anyone may see that things of a holy nature were represented by them, for unless those holy things were represented by them what else would pouring out a drink-offering or pouring oil onto a stone pillar be but some ridiculous and idolatrous action? It is like the coronation of a king. What else would the ceremonies performed on that occasion be if they did not mean and imply things of a holy nature - placing the crown on his head; anointing him with oil from a horn, on his forehead and on his wrists; placing a sceptre in his hand, as well as a sword and keys; investing him with a purple robe, and then seating him on a silver throne; and after that, his riding in his regalia on a horse, and later still his being served at table by men of distinction, besides many other ceremonies? Unless these represented things of a holy nature and were themselves holy by virtue of their correspondence with the things of heaven and consequently of the Church, they would be no more than the kind of games that young children play, though on a grander scale, or else like plays that are performed on the stage.

[3] But all those ceremonies trace their origin back to most ancient times when ceremonies were holy by virtue of their representation of things that were holy and of their correspondence with holy things in heaven and consequently in the Church. Even today they are considered holy, though not because people know their spiritual representation and correspondence but through the interpretation so to speak they put on symbols in common use. If however people did know what the crown, oil, horn, sceptre, sword, keys, purple robe, silver throne, riding on a white horse, and eating while men of distinction act as the servers, all represented and to what holy thing each corresponded, they would conceive of those things in an even holier way. But they do not know, and surprisingly do not wish to know; indeed that lack of knowledge is so great that the representatives and the meaningful signs included within such ceremonies and within every part of the Word have been obliterated from people's minds at the present day.

[4] The fact that 'a drink-offering' means the good of truth, or spiritual good, may be seen from the sacrifices in which drink-offerings were used. When sacrifices were offered they were made either from the herd or from the flock, and they were representative of internal worship of the Lord, 922, 923, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519. To these the minchah and the drink-offering were added. The minchah, which consisted of fine flour mixed with oil, meant celestial good, or what amounted to the same, the good of love - 'the oil' meaning love to the Lord and 'the fine flour' charity towards the neighbour. But the drink-offering, which consisted of wine, meant spiritual good, or what amounted to the same, the good of faith. Both these therefore, the minchah and the drink-offering, have the same meaning as the bread and wine in the Holy Supper.

[5] The addition of a minchah and a drink-offering to a burnt offering or to a sacrifice is clear in Moses,

You shall offer two lambs in their first year, each day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second you shall offer between the evenings; and a tenth of fine flour mixed with beaten oil, a quarter of a hin, and a drink-offering of a quarter of a hin of wine, for the first lamb; and so also for the second lamb. Exodus 29:38-41.

In the same author,

You shall offer on the day when you wave the sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest a lamb without blemish in its first year as a burnt offering to Jehovah, its minchah being two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil, and its drink-offering wine, a quarter of a hin. Leviticus 23:12-13, 18.

In the same author,

On the day when the days of Naziriteship are completed he is to offer his gift to Jehovah, sacrifices and also a basket of unleavened [loaves] of fine flour, cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, together with their minchah and their drink-offerings. Numbers 6:13-17.

In the same author,

Upon the burnt offering they shall offer a minchah of a tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil, and wine as the drink-offering, a quarter of a hin - in one way upon the burnt offering of a ram, and in another upon that of a bull. Numbers 15:3-11.

In the same author,

With the continual burnt offering you shall offer a drink-offering, a quarter of a hin for a lamb; in the holy place pour out a drink-offering of wine to Jehovah. Numbers 28:6-7.

Further references to minchahs and drink-offerings in the different kinds of sacrifices are continued in Numbers 28:7-end; 29:1-end.

[6] The meaning that 'minchah and drink-offering' had may be seen in addition from the considerations that love and faith constitute the whole of worship, and that in the Holy Supper 'the bread' - described in the quotations above as fine flour mixed with oil - and 'the wine' mean love and faith, and so the whole of worship, dealt with in 1798, 2165, 2177, 2187, 2343, 2359, 3464, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217.

[7] But when people fell away from the genuine representative kind of worship of the Lord and turned to other gods and poured out drink-offerings to these, 'drink-offerings' came to mean things that were the reverse of charity and faith, namely the evils and falsities that go with the love of the world; as in Isaiah,

You inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree. You have also poured out a drink-offering to them, you have brought a minchah. Isaiah 57:5-6.

'Inflaming oneself among the gods' stands for cravings for falsity - 'gods' meaning falsities, 4402 (end), 4544. 'Under every green tree' stands for the trust in all falsities which leads to those cravings, 2722, 4552. 'Pouring out a drink-offering to them' and 'bringing a minchah' stand for the worship of those falsities. In the same prophet,

You who forsake Jehovah, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Gad, and fill a drink-offering for Meni. Isaiah 65:11.

In Jeremiah,

The sons gather pieces of wood, and the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 7:18.

[8] In the same prophet,

We will surely do every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, as we did, we and our fathers, and our princes in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 44:17-19.

'The queen of heaven' stands for all falsities, for 'the hosts of heaven' in the genuine sense means truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, and so in the same way do 'king' and 'queen'. 'Queen' accordingly stands for all [falsities] and 'pouring out drink-offerings to her' means worshipping them.

[9] In the same prophet,

The Chaldeans will burn the city, and the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense to Baal and poured out drink-offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 32:29.

'The Chaldeans' stands for people whose worship involves falsity. 'Burning the city' stands for destroying and laying waste those whose doctrines teach falsity. Upon the roofs of the houses burning incense to Baal' stands for the worship of what is evil, 'pouring out drink-offerings to other gods' for the worship of what is false.

[10] In Hosea,

They will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah. Hosea 9:3-4.

'Not dwelling in Jehovah's land' stands for not abiding in the good of love. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the Church when its understanding will come to be no more than factual and sensory knowledge. 'In Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for impure and profane desires that are the product of reasoning. 'They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah' stands for no worship based on truth.

[11] In Moses,

It will be said, Where are their gods, the rock in which they trusted, who ate the fat of the sacrifices, [who] drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help them! Deuteronomy 32:37-38.

'Gods' stands for falsities, as above. 'Who ate the fat of the sacrifices' stands for their destruction of the good belonging to worship, '[who] drank the wine of their drink-offering' for their destruction of the truth belonging to it. A reference to 'drink-offerings of blood' also occurs in David,

They will multiply their pains; they have hastened to another, lest I pour out their drink-offerings of blood, and take up their names upon My lips. Psalms 16:4.

By these 'drink-offerings' are meant profanations of truth, for in this case 'blood' means violence done to charity, 374, 1005, and profanation, 1003.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.