5670. 'And he gave fodder to their asses' means instruction regarding good. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving fodder' as providing instruction in good; for 'fodder' means the good that goes with known facts that are factual truths, 3114; and 'giving fodder', which is feeding, means providing instruction in that good, for the reason that 'feeding' means providing instruction, see 5201, while 'asses' means factual knowledge, 5492. From this it is evident that 'giving fodder to asses' means instruction regarding the good that goes with known facts. The good that goes with known facts is the delight gained from factual truths. Factual truths are very general truths which are seen in natural light received from the light of the world. But if they are to be seen as truths, a general influx from the internal must take place, 5668; and this is an enlightenment received from the light of heaven.

5615. Verses 11-14 And Israel their father said to them, If this therefore has to be, do it. Take some of the much-sung-about produce ¹ of the land in your vessels, and cause a gift to go down to the man - a little resin and a little honey, wax and stacte, pistachio nuts and almonds. And take a double amount of silver in your hands. And the silver that was put back in the mouth of your pouches you are to take back in your hand; perhaps it was a mistake. And take your brother; and rise up, return to the man. And may God Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, and may he release ² to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, even as I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved.

'And Israel their father said to them' means a perception received from spiritual good. 'If this therefore has to be, do it' means if it cannot be done in any other way, let it be done in that way. 'Take some of the much-sung-about Produce of the land in your vessels' means the choicer things of the Church among the truths of faith. 'And cause a gift to go down to the man' means to obtain favour. 'A little resin and a little honey' means the truths of exterior natural good, and the delight that goes with these. 'Wax and stacte' means the truths of interior natural good. 'Pistachio nuts and almonds' means forms of the good of life that agree with those truths. 'And take a double amount of silver in your hands' means truth received by the powers. 'And the silver that was put back in the mouth of your pouches you are to take back in your hand' means that through the truth freely given and present in the exterior natural they were to make themselves submissive as far as was possible. 'Perhaps it was a mistake' means lest he becomes unfriendly. 'And take your brother' means that by that self-submission they would receive the good of faith. 'And rise up, return to the man' means the life received from spiritual truth. 'And may God Shaddai' means the comfort that follows hardships. 'Grant you mercy before the man' means so that spiritual truth may accept you favourably. 'And may he release to you your other brother' means so that it may grant the good of faith. 'And Benjamin' means so that interior truth may be granted also. 'And I, even as I have been bereaved, I shall be bereaved' means that before these things take place the Church must be so to speak deprived of its own truths.

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