5698. 'And said, Set on bread' means a perception of a joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as perceiving, often dealt with already; and from the meaning of 'setting on bread' as a joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural. 'Setting on bread' is used to mean an actual meal; and meals and feasts mean a joining together, in particular the introductory stage to a joining together, 3596, 3832, 5161. A joining, through the intermediary, to the truths in the natural follows from the train of thought - 'Benjamin' being the intermediary, and 'the ten sons of Jacob' the truths in the natural, as shown already. And since the intermediary is the one through whom the joining together is effected, Joseph gave the command, on seeing Benjamin, that they should eat with him,

And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one who was over his house, Bring the men to the house, and slaughter and prepare [an animal]; for the men will eat with me at midday. Verse 16.

5161. 'That he made a feast for all his servants' means the introduction and joining to the exterior natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'a feast' as the introduction to a joining together, dealt with in 3832, and also as a joining together through love and a making one's own, 3596; and from the meaning of 'servants' as the things which belong to the exterior natural. For when a person is being regenerated lower things are made subordinate and subject to higher ones, that is, exterior things are made so to interior ones. When this happens the exterior things become servants, and the interior become masters. This is the meaning 'servants' has in the Word, see 2541, 3019, 3020. But the kinds of people who become 'servants' are those who are loved by the Lord, for it is mutual love which joins them together and leads them to see their service to Him not as bondage but as whole-hearted allegiance, since good enters from within to produce that kind of delight there. In former times feasts were held for various reasons; and they meant an introduction into mutual love and so meant a joining together. Feasts were also held on birthdays; these represented the new birth or regeneration, which is a joining, through love, of a person's interiors to his exteriors, consequently a joining together in him of heaven and the world. For what is worldly or natural in a person is joined to what is spiritual and celestial.