9996. 'And you shall put them in one basket' means the level of the senses, containing them. This is clear from the meaning of 'a basket' as the level of the senses. It has this meaning because the senses constitute the last and lowest level of a person's life, and the last and lowest conceals all inward levels in sequence within itself, see 9828, 9836; also external things that hold more internal ones are meant in the Word by vessels of any kind, 3079. This now explains why it says that the unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers should be put into and brought in a basket. Regarding the level of the senses, that it is the last and lowest of a person's life, see 9212, 9216. The implications of all this are that there are two powers of mind that compose a person's life - understanding and will. The lowest level of the understanding is called sensory knowledge, and the lowest level of the will is called sensory delight. Sensory knowledge, the lowest level of the understanding, is drawn in through two senses, those of hearing and sight; and sensory delight, the lowest of the will, is also drawn in through two senses, those of taste and touch. And the lowest level of perception belonging to both powers of mind is the sense of smell.

[2] Sensory knowledge, the lowest level of the understanding, is meant in the Word by 'cup', for the wine within it, or the water, is the truths that belong to the understanding part of the mind; but sensory delight, the lowest level of the will, is meant in the Word by 'basket'. And since what is last and lowest is the container of all more internal things, the interior things are also meant by those vessels. Truths in the understanding, and in the contrary sense falsities, are meant by 'cup', and forms of good in the will, and in the contrary sense evils, by 'basket'; for forms of good belong to the will, and truths to the understanding. 'Cups' are truths present all together in the understanding, see 5120, 9557, and 'baskets' are forms of good present all together in the will, 5144. Whether you say forms of good in the will or kinds of celestial good, it amounts to the same thing; likewise whether you say truths in the understanding or spiritual truths. Regarding the things which were put in the basket, that they mean kinds of celestial good, see immediately above in 9992-9994. And since the sensory level is the last and lowest of them and so contains them all it says that all those things should be put in a basket.

9216. 'In which he may sleep' means resting on them. This is clear from the meaning of 'sleeping' as resting, in this instance on the external and sensory level, meant by 'clothing', 9212; for it says that it is clothing 'in which he may sleep'. How the explanation that more internal things find rest on the sensory level should be understood must be stated. The sensory level is the last and lowest of a person's life, as has been shown above. What is lowest contains all the more internal levels and is general to them all; for they terminate in it and accordingly rest on it. It is like the skin, for example, which is the outermost covering of the body. The body and all things in it terminate in the skin, because it contains them and they accordingly rest on the skin. In a similar way it is like the peritoneum within the body. Because it contains the abdominal organs, these rest on it and are also linked to it all round. Or equally it is like the pleura's relationship to the organs in the chest.

[2] A similar situation exists with all the things that compose a person's actual life, with those for instance that are connected with his understanding and those that are connected with his will. These too follow one another in order from more internal things to relatively external ones. The relatively external ones are factual knowledge together with its delights, while the outermost things are those of the senses, which are in contact with the world through sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. The more internal things rest on them since they terminate in them. These are the matters that are meant in the spiritual sense by 'the covering' or 'the clothing in which he may sleep'. The reason why things on the level of the senses are meant by 'the clothing' or 'the covering' lies in correspondences; for as stated above in 9212, spirits and angels appear dressed in garments in keeping with their truths of faith. Those governed by truths springing from good appear in shining ones, as for instance those at the Lord's tomb did, Luke 24:4; Matthew 28:3, and also in ones of fine, white linen, as for instance those referred to in Revelation 19:14 did; and others appear in garments of various colours.

[3] Furthermore it should be realized that all things without exception proceed in successive stages from their first or inmost level to their terminations on the last and lowest and rest on them. Each thing at a prior or more internal stage in order has its own connection with terminations on the lowest level. Therefore if things on the lowest level are dispelled those on interior levels are also scattered. This also explains why there are three heavens. The inmost or third heaven flows into the middle or second heaven; the middle or second heaven flows into the first or lowest heaven, which in turn flows into and resides with mankind. Consequently the human race constitutes the lowest level of order; in it heaven terminates and on it heaven rests. This being so, the Lord in His Divine [Love and Care] always provides for the presence among the human race of a Church in which truth revealed by God exists; such truth on our planet is the Word. By means of this a continuous link exists between the human race and the heavens. This is why every detail of the Word has within it an internal sense which exists for heaven's benefit and whose nature is such that it joins angels' minds to those of people on earth in so firm a bond that they act as one. All this goes to show yet again the nature of a situation in which interior things rest on those at the lowest level.