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VaYikra 24

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1 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

2 צַו אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאֹור לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד׃

3 מִחוּץ לְפָרֹכֶת הָעֵדֻת בְּאֹהֶל מֹועֵד יַעֲרֹךְ אֹתֹו אַהֲרֹן מֵעֶרֶב עַד־בֹּקֶר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה תָּמִיד חֻקַּת עֹולָם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם׃

4 עַל הַמְּנֹרָה הַטְּהֹרָה יַעֲרֹךְ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹות לִפְנֵי יְהוָה תָּמִיד׃ ף

5 וְלָקַחְתָּ סֹלֶת וְאָפִיתָ אֹתָהּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה חַלֹּות שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים יִהְיֶה הַחַלָּה הָאֶחָת׃

6 וְשַׂמְתָּ אֹותָם שְׁתַּיִם מַעֲרָכֹות שֵׁשׁ הַמַּעֲרָכֶת עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן הַטָּהֹר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה׃

7 וְנָתַתָּ עַל־הַמַּעֲרֶכֶת לְבֹנָה זַכָּה וְהָיְתָה לַלֶּחֶם לְאַזְכָּרָה אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה׃

8 בְּיֹום הַשַּׁבָּת בְּיֹום הַשַּׁבָּת יַעַרְכֶנּוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה תָּמִיד מֵאֵת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרִית עֹולָם׃

9 וְהָיְתָה לְאַהֲרֹן וּלְבָנָיו וַאֲכָלֻהוּ בְּמָקֹום קָדֹשׁ כִּי קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא לֹו מֵאִשֵּׁי יְהוָה חָק־עֹולָם׃ ס

10 וַיֵּצֵא בֶּן־אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית וְהוּא בֶּן־אִישׁ מִצְרִי בְּתֹוךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּנָּצוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית וְאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי׃

11 וַיִּקֹּב בֶּן־הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית אֶת־הַשֵּׁם וַיְקַלֵּל וַיָּבִיאוּ אֹתֹו אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְשֵׁם אִמֹּו שְׁלֹמִית בַּת־דִּבְרִי לְמַטֵּה־דָן׃

12 וַיַּנִּיחֻהוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָר לִפְרֹשׁ לָהֶם עַל־פִּי יְהוָה׃ ף

13 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

14 הֹוצֵא אֶת־הַמְקַלֵּל אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וְסָמְכוּ כָל־הַשֹּׁמְעִים אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם עַל־רֹאשֹׁו וְרָגְמוּ אֹתֹו כָּל־הָעֵדָה׃

15 וְאֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי־יְקַלֵּל אֱלֹהָיו וְנָשָׂא חֶטְאֹו׃

16 וְנֹקֵב שֵׁם־יְהוָה מֹות יוּמָת רָגֹום יִרְגְּמוּ־בֹו כָּל־הָעֵדָה כַּגֵּר כָּאֶזְרָח בְּנָקְבֹו־שֵׁם יוּמָת׃

17 וְאִישׁ כִּי יַכֶּה כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ אָדָם מֹות יוּמָת׃

18 וּמַכֵּה נֶפֶשׁ־בְּהֵמָה יְשַׁלְּמֶנָּה נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ׃

19 וְאִישׁ כִּי־יִתֵּן מוּם בַּעֲמִיתֹו כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה כֵּן יֵעָשֶׂה לֹּו׃

20 שֶׁבֶר תַּחַת שֶׁבֶר עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן שֵׁן תַּחַת שֵׁן כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מוּם בָּאָדָם כֵּן יִנָּתֶן בֹּו׃

21 וּמַכֵּה בְהֵמָה יְשַׁלְּמֶנָּה וּמַכֵּה אָדָם יוּמָת׃

22 מִשְׁפַּט אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כַּגֵּר כָּאֶזְרָח יִהְיֶה כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃

23 וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּוצִיאוּ אֶת־הַמְקַלֵּל אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וַיִּרְגְּמוּ אֹתֹו אָבֶן וּבְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת־מֹשֶׁה׃ ף

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7978

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7978. And they baked the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt into unleavened cakes. That this signifies that from the truth of good there was again produced good in which was nothing of falsity, is evident from the signification of “baking,” when said of the truth of good which is signified by “dough,” as being to produce; from the signification of “dough,” as being the truth of good (of which above, n. 7966); and from the signification of “unleavened cakes,” as being goods in which there is nothing of falsity (that “unleavened things” denote what is free from falsity, see n. 2342, 7906). This is the second state of truth from good, in which they were when liberated (see n. 7966, 7972). “Cakes” denote goods because they are bread, and in the internal sense “bread” denotes the good of love (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915). But the bread of cakes is distinguished from common bread in the fact that by the bread of cakes is signified the good of love toward the neighbor, thus spiritual good, and by common bread is signified the good of love to the Lord, thus celestial good. This spiritual good was signified by the meat-offering which was offered and burned with the sacrifice on the altar, for the meat-offering was baked into cakes and into wafers, as can be seen in Exodus 29:2-3, 23-24, 41; Leviticus 2:2; 6:14-15; Numbers 6:15, 1 6:19; 15:18-21.

[2] The like was signified by the “twelve loaves of setting forth,” which also were baked into cakes, concerning which in Moses:

Thou shalt take fine flour, and bake it into twelve cakes; of two tenth parts shall one cake be. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the clean table before Jehovah. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, and it shall be for the loaves as a memorial, a fire-offering to Jehovah (Leviticus 24:5-7).

From all this it can be seen that the loaves signified what is holy, for otherwise such a thing would never have been commanded; and as they signified what is holy, they are also called “holiness of holinesses” (verse 9). But by these loaves was signified the good of celestial love; and by their being baked into cakes were signified the goods of spiritual love. From all this, and from what has been adduced in the passages above quoted, it can be seen that the like is meant by the “bread” in the Holy Supper.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2342

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2342. And baked unleavened [bread]. That this signifies purification, is evident from the signification of “unleavened” or “unfermented.” In the Word “bread” signifies in general all celestial and spiritual food, thus celestial and spiritual things in general (see n. 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177). That these should be free from everything impure was represented by bread without leaven; for “leaven” signifies that which is evil and false, by which celestial and spiritual things are rendered impure and profane. On account of this representation it was commanded those who were of the Representative Church that in their sacrifices they should not offer any other bread, that is, meat-offering, than that which was unfermented or unleavened; as is evident in Moses:

No meat-offering which ye shall bring to Jehovah shall be made with leaven (Leviticus 2:11).

Again:

Thou shalt not sacrifice the blood of My sacrifice with what is leavened (Exodus 23:18; 24:25).

[2] And it was therefore also commanded, that on the seven days of the Passover they should not eat any other than unfermented or unleavened bread, as stated in Moses:

Seven days shall ye eat unleavened [bread]; even on the first day ye shall cause leaven to cease from your houses; for whosoever eateth what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at even, ye shall eat unleavened [bread], until the one and twentieth day of the month at even; seven days shall no leaven be found in your houses; for whosoever eateth what is leavened, that soul also shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner or born in the land (Exodus 12:15, 18-20; and elsewhere, as Exodus 13:6-7; 23:15; 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:3-4).

Hence the Passover is called the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” (Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:16-17; Matthew 26:17; Luke 22:1, 7).

[3] That the Passover represented the Lord’s glorification, and thereby the conjunction of the Divine with the human race, will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be shown elsewhere; and as the Lord’s conjunction with the human race is effected through love and charity and the faith thence derived, these celestial and spiritual things were represented by the unleavened bread that they were to eat on the day of the Passover; and lest these things should be contaminated by anything profane, that which was leavened was so severely interdicted that whoever should eat of it was to be cut off; for whoever profanes celestial and spiritual things cannot fail to perish. Everyone can see that apart from this secret meaning, this ceremonial, to which there was attached so severe a penalty, would never have been given.

[4] Everything that was commanded in that church represented some secret thing, even the very cooking, as was the case with every particular of what the sons of Israel did when they went forth from Egypt; to wit:

They shall eat on that night flesh roasted with fire, and unleavened bread upon bitter herbs; they shall not eat it raw, nor boiled in water; the head shall be on the legs; they shall not leave of it until the morning, but shall burn the residue with fire (Exodus 12:8-10).

These particulars, namely, that they should eat it by night, the flesh roasted with fire, the unleavened bread upon bitter herbs, the head on the legs, not raw, nor boiled in water, that they should not leave of it until the morning, and that they should burn the residue with fire, were representative. But the arcana represented cannot possibly appear unless disclosed by the internal sense; it is from this sense alone that it can be seen that all things are Divine.

[5] In like manner with the ritual in regard to the Nazirite:

The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of a ram, and one unleavened cake out of a basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the palms of the Nazirite, after he has shaved his nazariteship (Numbers 6:19).

He who does not know that the Nazirite represented the celestial man himself, does not know that celestial things, thus arcana which do not appear in the letter, are enfolded within all these particulars, namely, the boiled shoulder of a ram, the unleavened cake, the unleavened wafer, and the shaving of the hair; which shows what kind of an opinion concerning the Word must be formed by those who do not believe that it contains an internal sense; for without what is internal these are particulars of no moment: whereas when the ceremonial or ritual is removed, everything there becomes Divine and holy. The same is the case with everything else, as here with the unleavened bread, which denotes the holy of love, or a holy of holies, as it is likewise called in Moses:

The unleavened bread that is left shall be eaten by Aaron and his sons in a place of holiness, for it is a holy of holies (Leviticus 6:16-17).

The “unleavened bread” therefore denotes pure love; and the “baking of what is unleavened” denotes purification.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.