7503. 'On the horses, on the asses, on the camels' means intellectual concepts of and factual knowledge about the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the horses' as intellectual concepts, dealt with in 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534; from the meaning of 'the asses' as ideas which are of service to the understanding part of the mind, thus also factual knowledge, dealt with in 5492, 7024; and from the meaning of 'the camels' as factual knowledge in general, dealt with in 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145. These three groups of animals mean things that belong to the understanding part of the mind; the remainder - members of the herd and the flock - mean those that belong to the will part. So far as the understanding part is concerned, it is the one which receives the truths of faith. For the understanding is a person's inner sight, which is enlightened by the light of heaven; and in the measure that it is enlightened the person discerns, sees, and acknowledges the truths of faith when he reads the Word. This explains why those who have a perception of the truth of faith are called the intelligent and wise, and also the enlightened. For the fact that the understanding part is the recipient of the truth of faith, see 5114, 6125, 6222.

6292. 'Place your right hand on his head' means that good should accordingly occupy the first place. This is clear from the meaning of 'placing the right hand on a head' as considering to occupy the first place, as above in 6269, 6287. The placing of his hand by one on the head of another when he was going to bless belonged to a custom received from the ancients. For the head is where a person's actual powers of understanding and will reside, whereas the body is where actions in response and in obedience to them are located. Thus 'placing a hand on the head' was a representative act, denoting that a blessing should be imparted to a person's understanding and will, thus to his real self. That same custom originating in those ancient times remains even to this day and is followed at ordinations as well as in blessings.