6064. 'My father and my brothers' means spiritual good within the natural and the truths of the Church there. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good within the natural, as in 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812 from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as the truths of the Church within the natural, dealt with in 5414, 5879, 5951. The influx and perception spoken of immediately above in 6063 have regard to these - to spiritual good and to the truths of the Church within the natural.

4792. Because food and nourishment correspond to spiritual food and nourishment, taste consequently corresponds to a perception of and an affection for this food. Spiritual food consists in knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. These are what quicken and also sustain spirits and angels, who desire them and have an appetite for them as men desire and have an appetite for food when they are very hungry. Therefore appetite corresponds to that desire for them. And what is amazing, spirits and angels also grow to maturity on that spiritual food, for those who die as young children do not in the next life look like any but young children, and they are young children too as far as their understanding goes. But as they grow in intelligence and wisdom they cease to look like young children. They now look like those who are coming of age, and at length like adults. I have talked to some who died when they were young children and who looked to me like youths, for by then they had grown in understanding. From this one may see what spiritual food and nourishment are.