9155. To see whether he hath put his hand to his companion’s work. That this signifies to see whether they have entered into good, is evident from the signification of “whether he hath put his hand,” as being whether good has caused to be of its own right and power; and from the signification of “in his companion’s work,” as being the truth and memory-knowledge which have been taken away; for the silver and vessels that were given to be taken care of, and were stolen, are what are called the “companion’s work.” (That the “silver and vessels” denote truths and memory-knowledges, see above, n. 9149) From this it is evident that by “to see whether the lord of the house hath put his hand to his companion’s work” is signified whether good has caused to be of its own right and power the truths and memory-knowledges that had been taken away; thus whether these had previously entered into good (according to what was shown just above, n. 9154). (That “the hand” denotes power, see n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5296, 6292, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8153; also that “in the hand” denotes that which is with anyone and in anyone, n. 9133)

6292. Put thy right hand upon his head. That this signifies that thus it should be in the first place, is evident from the signification of “putting the right hand on the head,” as being to account in the first place (see n. 6269, 6287). That when he was blessing, Israel placed his hand on the head, was from a ritual received from the ancients; for in the head are the very intellectual and will of man, but in the body are acts according thereto, and compliance; thus putting the hand on the head was a representative that a blessing was being communicated to the intellectual and the will, thus to the man himself. From that ancient time the same ritual remains even to this day, and is in use in inaugurations, and also in the act of blessing.