R. Jose and R. Jesse were once walking together, when the latter said: ‘We have learnt that all the sons of Jacob were arranged in proper order and were blessed each one with the appropriate blessing. What, then, are we to make of the verse: “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat”?’ He answered: ‘I do not know, because I have not learnt this from the Holy Lamp. But let us both go to the Holy Lamp.’ So they went, and when they came to R. Simeon they put their question to him. He said to them: ‘Assuredly there is an esoteric meaning here.
It is written: “Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks” (Judg. 5, 17). He who dwells by the seashore has access to all luxuries, and Asher here signifies the supernal gate of Zedek (righteousness) when it receives blessings to transmit them to the world. This gate is always commissioned to send blessings to the world, and is called Asher, and it is one of the pillars upon which the world stands,
and it repairs that place which is called “bread of affliction”. This, then, is the meaning of the words “Out of Asher his bread is fat”, that is to say, that which was bread of poverty becomes food of luxury, and hence the verse continues, “and he shall yield royal dainties”: the giver here is the Community of Israel, by whom the king is fed with all luxuries, all blessings, all joy, and all goodness.’ They said: ‘If we had been born only to hear this, it would have been worth while.’
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי יֵיסָא הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יִיִסָא הָא וַדַּאי תָּנִינָן, כָּל בְּנוֹי דְיַעֲקֹב אִתַּקָּנוּ בְּסִדּוּרָא שְׁלִים, וְאִתְבָּרְכוּ כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּדְקָא יְאוּת לֵיהּ, מַאי קָא נֵימָא בְּהַאי קְרָא, דִּכְתִיב, מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ וְגו'. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לָא יְדַעְנָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא שָׁמַעְנָא בֵּיהּ מִבּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, אֶלָּא אַנְתְּ וְאֲנָא נֵיזִיל לְגַבֵּי בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא. אָזְלֵי, כַּד מָטוּ לְגַבֵּי דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמְרוּ מִלָּה וְשָׁאִילוּ שְׁאִילְתָּא. אָמַר לוֹן, וַדַּאי רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא הוּא.
R. Jose and R. Jesse were once walking together, when the latter said: ‘We have learnt that all the sons of Jacob were arranged in proper order and were blessed each one with the appropriate blessing. What, then, are we to make of the verse: “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat”?’ He answered: ‘I do not know, because I have not learnt this from the Holy Lamp. But let us both go to the Holy Lamp.’ So they went, and when they came to R. Simeon they put their question to him. He said to them: ‘Assuredly there is an esoteric meaning here.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (שופטים ה׳:י״ז) אָשֵׁר יָשַׁב לְחוֹף יַמִּים וְעַל מִפְרָצָיו יִשְׁכּוֹן, אַמַּאי יָתִיב תַּמָּן. אֶלָּא מַאן דְּיָתִיב בְּשִׂפְתָא דְיַמָּא, אִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתַפְנוּקֵי עַלְמָא. (והכא אשר דא פתחא עלאה דצדיק (ס"א דצדק) כד אתברכא לארקא ברכאן בעלמא. ס"א והכא סמך להאי קרא, מאשר, שמנה לפתחא עלאה דמתמן אתרקו ברכאן לעלמא) וְהַאי פִּתְחָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע תָּדִיר בִּרְכָאן דְּעַלְמָא וְאִקְרֵי אָשֵׁר, וְדָא הוּא עַמּוּדָא מֵאִינוּן דְּקָאִים עַלְמָא עֲלַיְיהוּ.
It is written: “Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and abode by his creeks” (Judg. 5, 17). He who dwells by the seashore has access to all luxuries, and Asher here signifies the supernal gate of Zedek (righteousness) when it receives blessings to transmit them to the world. This gate is always commissioned to send blessings to the world, and is called Asher, and it is one of the pillars upon which the world stands,
וְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי לֶחֶם עוֹנִי, מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר אַתְקִין (ההוא). הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ, מַה דְּהֲוָה לַחְמָא דְמִסְכֵּנָא, אִתְהַדַּר לֶחֶם (עוני) פַּנַּג (שמנה). בְּגִין דְּאֲרִיק וְאַרְמֵי בֵּיהּ בִּרְכָאן וְתַפְנוּקִין, וְסוֹפָא דִקְרָא אוֹכַח, וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַעֲדַנֵּי מֶלֶךְ. מַאן מֶלֶךְ, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּמִנָּהּ אִתְּזָן בְּתַפְנוּקֵי עַלְמָא. וְדָא יָהִיב לְהַאי מֶלֶךְ כָּל בִּרְכָאן, כָּל חֵידוּ וְכָל טִיבוּ. הוּא יָהִיב וּמִנָּה נַפְקֵי. אָמְרוּ, אִי לָא אֲתֵינָא לְעַלְמָא, אֶלָּא לְמִנְדַע דָּא, טַב לָן.
and it repairs that place which is called “bread of affliction”. This, then, is the meaning of the words “Out of Asher his bread is fat”, that is to say, that which was bread of poverty becomes food of luxury, and hence the verse continues, “and he shall yield royal dainties”: the giver here is the Community of Israel, by whom the king is fed with all luxuries, all blessings, all joy, and all goodness.’ They said: ‘If we had been born only to hear this, it would have been worth while.’