2
Vannotaan ja valhetellaan, murhataan, varastetaan ja rikotaan aviot, murtaudutaan taloihin, ja verityö verityötä seuraa.
Hosea 4:2
Arcana Coelestia # 10130
10130. 'Everyone touching the altar will be sanctified' means whoever receives what is Divine and the Lord's. This is clear from the meaning of 'touching' as an imparting, conveying, and being received, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'the altar' as that which is representative of the Lord in respect of the good of love, at this point in heaven and in the Church, dealt with above in 10129; and from the meaning of 'being sanctified' as receiving what is Divine and the Lord's, also dealt with above, in 10128. The reason why 'touching' means an imparting, conveying, and being received is that a person's inner feelings are expressed by outward means, in particular by touch, and are thereby imparted and conveyed to another; and insofar as the will of the other is in tune and at one with his they are received. Whether you say the will or the love, it amounts to the same thing; for whatever a person loves he likewise wills. From this it also follows that the inner feelings a person has as a result of what he loves and therefore thinks are expressed through touch, and by means of it are imparted and conveyed to another. And insofar as the other loves the person expressing those feelings or loves the things which that person says and does, those feelings are received.
[2] This is especially apparent in the next life, for all people's actions there flow from the heart, that is, from their will or love. They are not allowed to act with gestures separate from their will or love, nor to speak with fraudulent lips, that is, separately from the thoughts of the heart. There it is evident how inner feelings are imparted and conveyed to another by touch, and how the other's reception of them is determined by his own love. Everyone's will or love constitutes the entire person there, and the sphere of life from it flows out from him like breath or an exhalation, envelops him, and constitutes an extension of himself, so to speak, around himself, in a way scarcely different from the emission around plants in the world, which is also detected at a distance through their odours, and also that around animals, which is actually detected by a dog with its keen sense of smell. There is a like emission from every human being, as also a wealth of experience makes known. But when a person lays aside the body and becomes a spirit or an angel that emission or exhalation is not material, as it was in the world; instead it is something spiritual flowing from his love. This love produces a sphere around him, which enables other spirits to detect at a distance what he is like. See what has been shown regarding this sphere in the places referred to in 9606.
[3] Since in their world this sphere is imparted and conveyed to another, and is received by him in accordance with his love, very many wonders occur there which are unknown to people in the world, such as,
1. People's presence with one another is always due to the likeness of their loves, and their absence from one another is always due to unlikeness.
2. All are brought into association with one another on the basis of their loves. Those governed by love to the Lord received from the Lord live in association with one another in the inmost heaven; those governed by love towards the neighbour received from the Lord live in association with one another in the middle heaven; and those governed by the obedience of faith, that is, those who do the truth for its own sake, live in association with one another in the lowest heaven. But those ruled by self-love and love of the world, that is, those who do what they do with selfish and worldly ends in view, live in association with one another in hell.
[4] 3. All turn their eyes towards those they love. Those who love the Lord turn their eyes towards the Lord as the Sun; those who love the neighbour with love received from the Lord turn their eyes towards the Lord as the Moon; and those who do the truth for its own sake act in a similar way. (Regarding the Lord as the Sun and as the Moon, see what has been shown in 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321 (end), 5097, 5377, 7078, 7083, 7171, 7173, 8644, 8812.) And what is astonishing, whichever way they face, that is, whichever of the four quarters they turn towards, they still behold the Lord in front of them. The opposite is so with those in hell; the more they are ruled there by self-love and by love of the world, the more they turn from the Lord and have Him behind their back. And again this is so whichever way they face or whichever quarter they turn towards.
[5] 4. When an angel of heaven focuses his attention on others his inner feelings are imparted and conveyed to them, according to the amount and the essential nature of his love; and it is received by them according to the essential nature and the amount of their love. If therefore attention is focused by an angel of heaven on those who are good, it gives rise to gladness and joy; but if it is focused on the evil, it gives rise to pain and torment.
[6] But an imparting, conveying, and being received is also meant by touching with the hand because the whole body's capacity to act is concentrated in the arms and hands, and in the Word interior things are expressed by means of exterior ones. So it is that power is meant by 'the arms', by 'the hands', and especially by 'the right hand', see the places referred to in 10019, and what has been stated in 10023, 10076; and so it is that whatever resides with a person, thus the entire person in his capacity to act, is meant by 'the hands', see the places referred to in 10019. Furthermore all the outward senses of sight, hearing, taste, and smell are connected with touch, being varieties of touch, as is well known in the learned world.
[7] The meaning of 'touching' as an imparting, conveying, and being received is clear from a great number of places in the Word, of which let the following be brought to the fore: In Moses,
You shall anoint the tent of meeting, and the ark of the Testimony, and the table and all its vessels, and the lampstand and its vessels, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering and all its vessels, and the laver and its pedestal. Thus you shall sanctify them, that they may be the holy of holies. Everyone who touches them will be made holy. Exodus 30:26-29.
In the same author,
Everything that touches the remainder of the minchah and the remainder of the flesh from the sacrifices, which are for Aaron and his sons, will be made holy. Leviticus 6:18, 27.
In Daniel,
The angel touched Daniel 1 and raised him onto his knees; and he touched his lips and opened his mouth; and again he touched him and strengthened him. Daniel 10:10, 16, 18.
In Isaiah,
One of the seraphim touched my mouth with the burning coal; he said, Behold, this has touched your lips, therefore your iniquity has departed and your sin is expiated. Isaiah 6:7.
In Jeremiah,
Jehovah put out His hand and touched my mouth, and said, I am putting 2 My words into your mouth. Jeremiah 1:9.
In Matthew,
Jesus, stretching out a hand to the leper, touched him, saying, I am willing; be clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:3.
In the same gospel,
Jesus saw Peter's mother-in-law sick with a fever, and He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Matthew 8:14-15.
In the same gospel,
Jesus touched the eyes of the blind, and their eyes were opened. Matthew 9:29-30.
In the same gospel,
Jesus touched the eyes of the two blind men, and immediately they received sight. Matthew 20:34.
In Luke,
Jesus touched the servant's 3 ear and healed [him]. Luke 22:51.
In Mark,
They brought the sick to Jesus, that they might just touch the hem of His clothing; and as many as touched [Him] were made well. Mark 6:56; Matthew 14:36.
In Luke,
A woman suffering from a discharge of blood touched the hem of Jesus' garment; and immediately the flow of blood stopped. Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? Someone touched Me; I perceived that power had gone out from Me. Luke 8:44-48.
In Mark,
They brought young children to Jesus, that He might touch them. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13, 16.
[8] From these quotations it is evident that 'touching' means an imparting, conveying, and being received.
[9] This is similarly evident in places where uncleannesses are the subject, by which evils and falsities that come from the hells are meant in the internal sense, as in Moses,
Whoever touches the dead body of any person 4 will be unclean for seven days. Whoever touches a dead body, that of a person who has died 5 , and has not expiated himself, defiles Jehovah's dwelling-place; therefore this soul shall be cut off from Israel. Everyone who has touched on the surface of the field one slain with the sword, or one dead, or a human bone, or a sepulchre will be unclean for seven days. Whoever touches the water of separation will be unclean until the evening. Everything that the unclean person has touched will become unclean; and the soul who has touched it will be unclean until the evening. Numbers 19:11, 13, 16, 21-22.
In the same author,
He who touches unclean beasts, unclean creeping things, will be unclean until the evening. Everything onto which [any of them] falls will be unclean; whether it is a wooden vessel, a garment, water, an earthenware vessel, food, drink, an oven, a spring, a cistern, [or] a water-tank, it will be unclean. Leviticus 11:31-36.
The like occurs at Leviticus 5:2-3; 7:21.
In the same book,
[A person] who has a discharge is unclean. A man (vir) who touches that person's bed ..., if he sits on a vessel on which the person has sat ..., whoever touches that person's flesh [or] his garments ..., if someone suffering from a discharge spits on one who is clean ..., a seat 6 on which he rides ..., an earthenware vessel ..., a wooden vessel ..., he will be unclean. Leviticus 15:1-end.
So too one who touches a leper, Leviticus 22:4. In the same book,
If any of the carcass falls onto any sowing seed which is sown, it will be clean. But if water is put onto the seed, and the carcass falls onto it, it will be unclean. Leviticus 11:37-38.
[10] By these uncleannesses are meant various kinds of evils and consequent falsities coming from hell, which have been imparted, conveyed, and received. Each particular uncleanness means some specific evil; for evils are what render a person unclean, because they infect his soul. Also the evils in their hearts gush out of evil spirits and genii, and - depending on how convincing the false ideas accompanying evil are - they infect those who are present. This contagious influence is what is meant by touching uncleannesses.
[11] In Moses,
Of the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden you shall not eat, nor shall you touch it, or else you will die. Genesis 3:3.
In the same book,
The angel who wrestled with Jacob, seeing that he did not prevail against him, touched the socket of his thigh, and the socket of the thigh was out of joint. Genesis 32:25.
In the same author,
Moses said that they should not touch anything that belonged to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, lest they be consumed on account of all their sins. Numbers 16:26.
In Isaiah,
Depart, depart. Do not touch the unclean thing. Go out from the midst of her; be purified, bearers of Jehovah's vessels. Isaiah 52:11.
In Jeremiah,
They went astray blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. Depart; he is unclean. They cry out to them, Depart, do not touch [us]. Lamentations 4:14-15.
In Haggai,
Behold, if a man carries 7 holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and his skirt touches bread, or wine, or oil, or any food whatever, still it will not be made holy. If one who is unclean from a dead body 8 touches any of them whatever still he will be unclean. Haggai 2:12-14.
In Hosea,
Perjuring, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they commit robbery, and blood touches blood 9 . Therefore the land will mourn. Hosea 4:2-3.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. Swedenborg adds five words here meaning literally and restored onto his station i.e. stood him on his feet again. They appear in Daniel 8:18 but are echoed in the angel's command to Daniel in Daniel 10:11 to stand up, which comes after the words and raised him onto his knees.
2. literally, I am giving
3. Reading servi (the servant's) for surdi (the deaf man's)
4. literally, the dead, as to every soul of man (homo)
5. literally, Whoever touches the dead, as to the soul of a man (homo) who dies
6. literally, chariot or carriage
7. literally, Behold, a man (vir) will carry
8. literally, from a soul
9. literally, bloods touch bloods i.e. bloodshed comes on top of bloodshed
Genesis 24
1
Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.
2
Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.
3
I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4
But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
5
The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you came from?"
6
Abraham said to him, "Beware that you don't bring my son there again.
7
Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8
If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son there again."
9
The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10
The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
11
He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.
12
He said, "Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13
Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14
Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'--let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."
15
It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.
16
The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.
17
The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."
18
She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him Drink.
19
When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."
20
She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
21
The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not.
22
It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,
23
and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"
24
She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
25
She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
26
The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh.
27
He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."
28
The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words.
29
Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
30
It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31
He said, "Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
32
The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33
Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."
34
He said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35
Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
36
Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.
37
My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,
38
but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'
39
I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'
40
He said to me, 'Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.
41
Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don't give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'
42
I came this day to the spring, and said, 'Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go--
43
behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
44
and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"--let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master's son.'
45
Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'
46
She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a Drink.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels a Drink.
47
I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.
48
I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.
49
Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
50
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can't speak to you bad or good.
51
Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken."
52
It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh.
53
The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.
54
They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."
55
Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."
56
He said to them, "Don't hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."
57
They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."
58
They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."
59
They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.
60
They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."
61
Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62
Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South.
63
Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.
64
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.
65
She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her veil, and covered herself.
66
The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
