10061. And shalt put it upon the lap of the ear of Aaron, and upon the lap of the right ear of his sons. That this signifies all perceptivity of the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine good in the heavens, is evident from the signification of the “blood” that was put upon the lap of the ear, as being the Divine truth in the heavens and in the church that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine good (see just above, n. 10060); from the signification of “the ear,” as being perceptivity (n. 9397), here perceptivity of Divine truth in the heavens and in the church, for all perceptivity therein is from this source. There is here specifically meant the perceptivity in the celestial kingdom, for truth is there perceived from good (see the places cited in n. 9277); from the signification of the “earlap,” which is the outermost of the ear, as being all or the whole, for as by what is first or highest is signified all or the whole, so also this is signified by what is last or outermost (see n. 10044); and from the signification of “the right ear,” as being perceptivity of truth from good. The “right ear” has this signification for the reason that those things which are on the right side of man correspond to the good from which are truths, and those which are on the left correspond to the truths through which is good (n. 9604, 9736). So it is in the brain, so in the face, and the organs of sense there, so in the breast, so in the loins, and so in the feet.

[2] He who does not know this secret cannot possibly know why it was commanded that the blood should be put upon the lap of the right ear, upon the thumb of the right hand, and upon the great toe of the right foot, of Aaron and his sons; and that of this ram, besides the fat, the right hind quarter should be burned upon the altar (of which below in this chapter, verses 22, 25); and in like manner that the blood of the sacrifice should be put upon the lap of the right ear of him that was to be cleansed from leprosy, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot; and that the priest should pour from the log of oil upon his left palm, and should dip his right finger in the oil which was upon his left palm, and should sprinkle it with his right finger seven times before Jehovah (Leviticus 14:14-18, 25-28). Nor can he know what is signified by what the Lord said to the disciples when they were fishing-that they should cast the net on the right side of the ship, and that when they cast they took so many that they were not able to draw the net by reason of the multitude of fishes (John 21:6).

By this was represented that to act and teach from good is to conclude innumerable things that belong to truth; but not the converse. Moreover, they who are in truths from good are meant by the sheep on the right hand, but they who are in truths not from good are meant by the goats on the left hand (Matthew 25:32).

[3] By the “right hand” are also meant those who are in the light of truth from good, in David:

The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; the world and the fullness thereof Thou hast founded; the north and the right hand Thou hast created (Psalms 89:11-12); where by “the heavens,” “the earth,” and “the world,” is signified the church (see n. 9325); by “fullness,” all truth and good, which make the church; by “the north,” those therein who are in an obscure state as to truth (n. 3708); and by “the right hand,” those who are in the light of truth from good; thus the same as by “the south” (n. 9642). From this it can be seen what is signified by “sitting on the right hand of God,” when said of the Lord (Psalms 110:1, 5 (Psalms 110:5); Matthew 26:63-64; Mark 12:36 14:61-62; Luke 2:42, 43; 22:69), namely, Divine power through the Divine truth proceeding from His Divine good (n. 3387, 4592, 4933, 7518, 8281, 9133).

[4] As most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so also have the right and the left, and in this sense “the right” signifies the evil from which is falsity, and “the left” the falsity through which is evil, as in Zechariah:

Woe to the worthless shepherd that deserteth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm withering shall wither, and his right eye darkening shall be darkened (Zech. 11:17);

here “arm” denotes the power of truth applied to confirm evil, of which power, as it is worthless, it is said that “withering it shall wither;” and the “right eye” denotes the memory-knowledge of good applied to confirm falsity, of which knowledge, as it is worthless, it is said that “darkening it shall be darkened;” a “shepherd” denotes one who teaches truths, and by means of these leads to good (n. 343, 3795, 6044); hence a “worthless shepherd” denotes one who teaches and leads to evil; “arm” denotes the power of truth from good (n. 4931-4937, 7205); but the “arm of a worthless shepherd” denotes no power; the “eye” denotes the understanding and perception of truth (n. 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 9051); but the “right eye of a worthless shepherd” denotes the memory-knowledge of good without the understanding and perception of it, because it is applied to falsity; “thick darkness” denotes the falsity that is from evil (n. 7711).

[5] Matthew:

Jesus said, If thy right eye hath caused thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. And if thy right hand hath caused thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into Gehenna (Matthew 5:29-30); where the “right eye” denotes the understanding and faith of falsity from evil, and the “right hand,” the falsity itself from evil. Everyone is able to know that by “eye” is not here meant the eye, nor by “right hand” the right hand; and that the eye that causeth to stumble is not to be plucked out, nor the hand that causeth to stumble to be cut off; for from this there would be nothing of salvation for man.

In John:

The beast gave all a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads (Revelation 13:16); where the “right hand” denotes falsity from evil, and the “forehead” the love of evil from which is falsity (that the “forehead” denotes heavenly love, and hence in the opposite sense infernal love, see n. 9936).

5688. Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spoke unto me? That this signifies the one born after all, as was also known to them, is evident from the signification of the “youngest brother,” as being the one born after all (of which in what follows); and from the signification of the words “of whom ye spoke unto me,” as being what was perceived by them. (That “to speak” denotes what is perceived, thus what is known, may be seen just above, n. 5687.) That Benjamin is here called, as he was, their “youngest brother,” that is, the one born after all or the youngest in birth, is because it is similar in the spiritual sense with the intermediate which Benjamin represents; for the intermediate is born in man last of all, because when a man is born spiritually, that is, when he is reborn, his rational, which is the internal human, is first regenerated by the Lord, and afterward his natural (see n. 3286, 3288, 3321, 3493, 4612); and as the intermediate partakes of both (of the rational made spiritual, or made new, and also of the natural), and as it cannot take anything from the natural unless this also is made new, therefore the intermediate cannot be born till afterward, and indeed according to the degree in which the natural is being regenerated.

[2] All things that are related in the Word of Jacob’s sons had so come to pass of Providence, in order that the Word might be written about them and their descendants, and might contain within it heavenly things, and in the supreme sense Divine things, which they would represent in actual life. So also was it with Benjamin, who being born last, would therefore represent the intermediate between the internal and the external, or between the celestial of the spiritual which the Lord had in the world, and the natural which the Lord also had and was to make Divine.

[3] All that is related of Joseph and his brethren represents in the supreme sense the glorifying of the Lord’s Human, that is, how the Lord made the Human in Him Divine. The reason for this being represented in the inmost sense is that the Word might be most holy in its inmost sense, and also that it might contain in every part of it what would enter into the wisdom of the angels; for it is known that angelic wisdom so far surpasses human intelligence that scarcely anything of it can be apprehended by man. It is also the happiness itself of the angels that every detail of the Word has reference to the Lord; for they are in the Lord. Furthermore, the glorifying of the Lord’s Human is the pattern of man’s regeneration, and hence man’s regeneration also is presented in the internal sense of the Word at the same time with the glorification of the Lord. Man’s regeneration together with its innumerable mysteries also enters into the angels’ wisdom, and affords them happiness according as they apply it to its uses, which are for man’s reformation.