Rabbi Yehuda [makes a distinction with R. Hiya of yesterday] said, "Eat, O dear beloved ones, and drink; drink deep, O loving companions." (Songs of Songs 5:1) These are all those who sob and wail [Masters of the Shofar sounds of Teruah and Shevarim, the angels of Yetzira and Asiya] as they were all sweetened and blessed together [on the day the Mishkan was set up] for they all enjoyed the King's feast [i.e. they were blessed through the sacrificial offerings]. When do all eat [and receive bounty]? When the King comes joyously. Therefore, the King is made happy and He first gladdens the Queen [the Shechinah]. Then all eat and rejoice.

Rabbi Aba [offers a 3rd view on the verse, and] said, "Eat, O dear beloved ones, and drink; drink deep, O loving companions" These [companions] are the six [sefirot from chesed to yesod] which we have stated. Is is Regarding these that it states, "The king has brought me into his chambers". (Songs of Songs 1:4) "Drink deep, O loving companions" from that [preserved] wine [preserved since the Creation of the World1] which satiates all. Rabbi Elazar [in the view of R. Hiyya from yesterday] says about all the lower beings [i.e. the angels of Beriya, Yetzira and Asiya] once these six [sefirot of Atzilut] are blessed [as we learned there], all these lower beings are blessed.

Rabbi Shimon said, All this is fine [as there are 70 faces of Torah], but the secret meaning is "Eat, O dear beloved ones" [refers to those] Above and "drink deep, O loving companions" [refers to those] below. Rabbi Elazar said to him: Who are those Above and who are below? Rabbi Shimon said to him: You asked well, for Above refers to a lofty place where they are in unity and joy and they that never part from each other are called "dear beloved ones." Thus, it is written, "And a river [bina, which always gives bounty] went out of Eden". (Gen. 2:10) Eden [chochma] and that river [bina] never part. They are always in goodwill, unity and joy. "Drink deep, O loving companions" refers to those below [the lower sefirot, tiferet and malchut], who are called "loving companions," [as they are connected only] at certain times and not always. This has been explained.

Come and see: With regard to those Above we find written only eating but not drinking. What is the reason? It is because one who has bottles of wine, needs to eat [to absorb the wine]. And since there [Above] is the preserved wine [and thus they have a continual flow of bounty], therefore, [specifically] eating is mentioned by them [to arouse them to draw down the flow of bounty]. Yet in regard to those below who are in need of irrigation [the flow of bounty from Above], drinking is mentioned, for all the plantings [the 6 sefirot] need irrigation from the Deep River [bina]; it therefore mentions eating. By these [the upper sefirot, where eating is specifically mentioned] drinking is also inferred and by these [the lower sefirot, where drinking is specifically mentioned] eating is also inferred. These [former] are "dear beloved ones" while the others [the latter] are "loving companions."

Rabbi Elazar said to him: It appears that the "loving companions" are in love, so why are they below? Rabbi Shimon said they desire one another but are not always together. Therefore, they are called loving companions. Those who are constantly and are never concealed or parted from each other, are called dear beloved ones. Therefore, the dear beloved ones are in goodwill and unity constantly and the loving companions are in desire at times [when not together]. And this is the completion of all in order that the Congregation of Israel [malchut] be blessed. Then joy prevails throughout the worlds.

BeRahamim LeHayyim: What does this mean to you, and why is it revealed now?

Wow, there's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on! Above we find the secret of eating and drinking and how it relates to supernal emanations. Every bite and every sip we take, worlds are literally repaired.. Energies are healed. Dominions are built. Makes one want to reflect before consuming. Nu?!

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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