Arcana Coelestia # 8452
8452. 'That the selav came up' means natural delight through which good was imparted. This is clear from the meaning of 'the selav' as natural delight. The reason why 'the selav' means natural delight is that it was a bird of the sea, and 'a bird of the sea' means the natural, while its 'flesh' which was desired means delight, dealt with above in 8431. And the reason why it means that good was imparted through it is that it was given in the evening. For when in the next life the state corresponding to evening arrives good spirits, and also angels, are taken back to the state of natural affections that moved them when they were in the world. Consequently they are taken back to the delights belonging to their natural man. This is done in order that good may thereby be imparted, that is, in order that they may thereby be made more perfect, 8426. All people are made more perfect by the implantation of faith and charity in their external or natural man. Unless they are implanted there no goodness or truth can flow in from the internal or spiritual man, that is, from the Lord by way of the internal man, because they are not accepted. And if that goodness and truth are not accepted the influx of them is halted and perishes, indeed the internal man is also closed. From this it is evident that the natural must be perfectly adjusted to act as a receiver; this is done through delights, for forms of good as they exist with the natural man are called delights, since they are feelings.
[2] 'The selav' means natural delight because, as has been stated, it was a bird of the sea; for it is said in Numbers 11:31 to have been cut off from the sea - A wind set out from Jehovah, and it cut off 1 the selav from the sea, and sent them down over the camp - and a bird of the sea and its flesh mean natural delight, and in the contrary sense the delight that goes with craving. The latter kind of delight is meant by 'selav' in the following verses in Moses,
The rabble who were in the midst of the people had a strong craving, and wished to have flesh. They said, Now our soul is dry; and there is nothing at all except the man[na] for our eyes [to look] at. A wind set out from Jehovah, and it cut off the selav from the sea, and sent them down over the camp. The people rose up that whole day, and the whole night, and the whole of the next day, and gathered the selav. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers, which they spread out for themselves all around the camp. The flesh was still between their teeth, before it could be swallowed, when Jehovah's anger flared up against the people, and Jehovah struck the people with an extremely great plague. So he called the name of that place The Graves of Craving, because there they buried the people having the craving. Numbers 11:4-6, 31-34.
Here 'the selav' stands for the delight that goes with craving. It is called the delight that goes with craving when the delight belonging to any bodily or worldly love becomes dominant and takes possession of the whole person, to such an extent that the good and truth of faith residing with him are annihilated. This is the kind of delight that is being described, for the people were struck by a great plague. But natural delight, meant in the present chapter by 'the selav' which was given to the people in the evening, is not the delight that goes with craving; it is the natural or external man's delight complementing the spiritual or internal man's good. This delight holds spiritual good within itself; but the delight that goes with craving, spoken of in Numbers 11, holds hellish evil within itself. Both are called delight, and also both are experienced as delight. But the difference between them could not be greater, for the one holds heaven within itself and the other holds hell. Also the one becomes heaven to the person when he sheds his external, and the other becomes hell to him.
[3] They are like two women who both seem to outward appearances to have lovely faces and to lead beautiful lives, but inwardly are completely different from each other That is to say, the one is chaste and wholesome, the other immoral and revolting, so that the spirit of the one is with angels, the spirit of the other with devils. But their true natures are not visible except when the external is rolled away and the internal is revealed. These things have been said in order that people may know what natural delight is that has good within it, meant by 'the selav' in the present chapter, and what natural delight is that has evil within it, meant by 'the selav' in Numbers 11.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. The Hebrew may be read in two different ways - cut off or brought up. English versions of Exodus prefer the second of these.
Numbers 11
1
The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger was kindled; and Yahweh's fire burnt among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
2
The people cried to Moses; and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire abated.
3
The name of that place was called Taberah, because Yahweh's fire burnt among them.
4
The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, "Who will give us flesh to eat?
5
We remember the fish, which we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic;
6
but now we have lost our appetite. There is nothing at all except this manna to look at."
7
The manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like the appearance of bdellium.
8
The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. Its taste was like the taste of fresh oil.
9
When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
10
Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of Yahweh was kindled greatly; and Moses was displeased.
11
Moses said to Yahweh, "Why have you treated with your servant so badly? Why haven't I found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?
12
Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that you should tell me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which you swore to their fathers?'
13
Where could I get meat to give to all this people? For they weep to me, saying, 'give us meat, that we may eat.'
14
I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
15
If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in your sight; and don't let me see my wretchedness."
16
Yahweh said to Moses, "Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you.
17
I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you not bear it yourself alone.
18
"Say to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you will eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, "Who will give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt." Therefore Yahweh will give you flesh, and you will eat.
19
You will not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days,
20
but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because that you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, "Why did we come out of Egypt?"'"
21
Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand men on foot; and you have said, 'I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.'
22
Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?"
23
Yahweh said to Moses, "Has Yahweh's hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not."
24
Moses went out, and told the people the words of Yahweh; and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them around the Tent.
25
Yahweh came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders: and it happened that when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.
26
But two men remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the Spirit rested on them; and they were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp.
27
A young man ran, and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!"
28
Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered, "My lord Moses, forbid them!"
29
Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all Yahweh's people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!"
30
Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
31
A wind from Yahweh went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth.
32
The people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all abroad for themselves around the camp.
33
While the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very great plague.
34
The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted.
35
From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth.
