He [the Faithful Shepherd/Moses] opened the discussion with the verse:
"and you shall make a table of acacia wood." (Ex. 25:23) Come and see: those
present at the King's feast behaved properly to show they were
members of the King's table. [We should behave likewise at a Shabbat
Meal.]
There are ten things one must do at the meal: First is the hand washing
[which repels the kelipot from the hands with the power of the waters of
kindness]; second is the preparation of the two Shabbat challah
loaves; third is to eat three meals [on Shabbat] and to increase holiness
from that of a weekday; fourth is to light a candle on the table, as was
explained that a table should be to the north side, and the candle on the south,1
and one must recline, as was explained, that if people were reclining, one
blesses for everyone.
The fifth is (saying the Kiddush: "Thus the heavens
and the earth...)...were finished (in Hebrew, 'vayechulu')..." (Gen. 2:1)
on a cup (of wine). The sixth is to speak words of Torah at the table.
The seventh is to extend the meal so as to allow the poor to come to the table.
The eighth is washing the hands with Mayim Acharonim / water. The ninth is the blessing after the meal. The
tenth is the cup [of wine] for the Blessing (after the Meal). It
is necessary to repeat and to prepare them in accordance with the holy meaning,
for she [malchut], is comprised of ten sefirot. G‑d's table
is from the side of gevura. Hence, the sages have explained that the
table should face the north.
(In greater detail, the Zohar continues:)
The first [of the ten things] is the washing of the hands, as was said
earlier: the most important of the Sages washes first to remove the attached
impurity [from the kelipot] from his hands for the sake of saying
a blessing.2 The second [of the ten things] is to break bread over two
loaves of bread on Shabbat, which are alluded to in the Two Tablets of the Torah
[which were each 6 handbreadths square, hinting to the 12 loaves of bread
needed on the table for each meal] that were given on Shabbat as a pair.
The third is to eat three meals on Shabbat [corresponding to the 3 Forefathers who characterized chesed (Abraham) gevura (Isaac) and tiferet (Jacob)] as was explained by the Sages of the Mishnah, that one of them said: 'May my lot be with those who eat three meals on Shabbat', which complete the seven blessings in the [Shabbat] Amidah prayer by bringing them to a total of ten [corresponding to the ten sefirot]. The secret of delight (in Hebrew, "oneg", spelled Ayin Nun Gimel) is: "and a river/Nahar went out of Eden/Aden to water that garden/Gan." (Gen. 2:10) Whoever can but does not observe them, for him the "delight/oneg" turns into "a plague/nega" [spelled with the same letters arranged differently] of tzara'at [various skin diseases (usually and incorrectly translated as "leprosy") that can render a person spiritually impure].
The fourth is to light the table with a lamp [i.e.
candles], as was decreed by ancient Sages the Shulchan/Table is in
the north, the Menorah (literally "lamp") is in the south, for G‑d's
table needs to be that way. (Menachot 86B)
The fifth is the wine cup of 'vayechulu'. The numerical value of 'kos/cup'
is that of Elokim, 86 [relating to malchut]. 'Vayechulu'
has the numerical value of 72, which includes the holy Bride [malchut,
for malchut receives on Shabbat the light of chesed (gematria
72)]. The cup [malchut] is filled with the wine of the
Torah [related to tiferet] needs to bear testimony to the act of Creation [by
reciting the portion "vayechulu"].
The sixth is to have words of Torah at one's table, because of what the Sages
of the Mishnah decreed about 'three who ate on the same table yet have not
spoken on it words of Torah... [it is as if they have eaten upon the altars
of the dead.'3] (Avot 3:4) The secret meaning of this is that they
have decreed that the table is to the north [the side of gevura, to
the left] and that the Torah was given from the right side [as the verse
says: "from His right hand was a fiery Law for them" (Deut. 33:2) right being
the side of chesed, thus one must learn Torah at the table] in order
to join the right, which is mercy, with the left, which is judgment. The Torah
is Yud and Hei and Vav and Hei, from the right , and
the table is Adon-ai from the left, and one needs to join them. Since the
table is to the left, the Sages of the Mishnah (Pesachim 118a) have
explained that a person's sustenance is as difficult to obtain as the splitting
of the Red Sea. Therefore, a Torah scholar needs to invite one with whom he will
study Torah , so that they will be "Two who sit engaged in Torah, that the
Shechinah dwells between them." (Avot 3:3)
The seventh is to stay a long time at the table for the sake of the poor
[that they may come and eat with him]. Whoever stays long at the table will
have his days and years extended. For that reason it is stated: "charity
delivers from death." (Prov. 10:2) Since a poor man is like a dead man, whom he
revives – so too G‑d revives him.
The eighth is the Mayim Acharonim [cleansing water after eating] that was instituted due to the salt of Sodom [i.e. the kelipa on ones' table] that is blinding to the [wisdom of the] eyes [and Mayim Acharonim drives it away.]
The secret of this is in the verse: "You shall
therefore sanctify yourself…" (Lev. 26:2) which refers to the washing of hands
before the meal. (Continuing the verse:) "…And you shall be holy…" refers
to fingerbowl water"; …For I am holy…" refers to fragrant ointment.
The ninth is the cup of blessing. As has been explained by the Sages of the
Mishnah, (Berachot 51a) ten things were said about this cup of blessing,
which are: decorating, wrapping, washing, rinsing, uncooked wine [also
referring to not mixed with water], having a full cup, receiving it with
both hands and holding it with the right, raising it from the surface a
handbreadth, looking at it, and sending it to the members of his household. Now
we have only four, which are washing, rinsing, uncooked/not mixed wine, and
having a full cup. Some say the wine should be taken unmixed from the cask. Some
say that unmixed wine means the cup should be whole [i.e. filled].
The tenth is the blessing after the meal. It was explained by the Sages (Berachot
48b) that when three people eat together they must [bless over] a cup
[called malchut; the 3 blessings of Grace after Meals correspond to the 3
Forefathers]. The secret meaning of this is that they are as the verse
states: "your love as a bride (in Hebrew, "kelulotayich",
which can also be understood as "your ‘kol/everything')"
(Jeremiah 2:2) referring to the forefathers, [regarding whom it is written
"and G‑d blessed Abraham] with everything (in Hebrew,
'bakol')," (Gen.24:1) ["and I (Isaac) ate] of
everything (in Hebrew, 'mikol')," (Gen. 27:33)
["because I (Jacob) have] everything." (Gen. 33:11) (in
Hebrew, "kol"); we should not speak at length about it.
BeRahamim LeHayyim: Why did the Ari and Chida include
this section? What do they want us to learn?
Hang in there, Shabbes is a'comin'! Parashat Eikev has a long Zohar
section which details the various rectifications of the Shabbat table. Lighting
candles, saying kiddush, washing hands, blessing on 2 complete loaves of
challah bread, saying words of Torah at the table, rinsing fingers with
water before Grace After Meals, saying it on a cup of wine when there are 3 men
who ate. Those familiar with Shabbat rituals have seen this hundreds to
thousands of times.
Above is the inner meaning of these customs that have
the level of mitzvot. It is probably worth printing out and inserting in your
table prayer book.
Why? Because the sod level and its contemplations help one to connect to
a whole different level of living, beyond "what you see is what you get." As we
are blessed with an extra Shabbat soul, to stimulate it and to feed it with such
intentions is wise and meritorious. By reading these Zohar readings with great
inspiration, one can open to the flow and healing of all the worlds.
What does the above mean to you, and why is it being revealed to you now?
Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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