Rab Hamnuna the Elder would not allow anyone else to take the cup of blessing, but he himself took it in his two hands and said the blessing. We have affirmed that the cup should be taken in the right hand, and not in the left. It is called “cup of salvations” (Ps. 116, 13), because through it blessings are drawn from the supernal salvations, and in it is collected the supernal wine. Also, the table over which the blessing is said should not be devoid of both bread and wine.
The Community of Israel is called “cup of blessing”, and therefore the cup should be raised both by the right hand and the left hand, so as to be set between. It should be filled with wine, because of the wine of the Torah which issues from the future world.
There is a mystic allusion in this cup of blessing to the holy chariot. The right and left hands correspond to the north and south, between which is “the couch of Solomon”. He who says the blessing should fix his eye upon the cup to bless it with four blessings. Thus the cup contains the emblem of faith, north, south, east, and west, and so the holy chariot.
There should be bread on the table in order that the lower bread may be blessed, and the “bread of poverty” may become the “bread of luxury”. In this way the Community of Israel will be blessed in all four directions, above and below-above by the bread of blessing and the cup of blessing through which King David is joined to the patriarchs, and below, that bread should never be lacking from the Israelite’s table.’
רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, כַּסָּא דְבִרְכָתָא לָא יָהִיב לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ אָחֳרָא לְבָרְכָא, (דבעי לאתנטלא) אֶלָא אִיהוּ אַקְדִּים וְנָטִיל לֵיהּ (בימינא ובשמאלא) בִּתְרֵי יְדוֹי וּמְבָרֵךְ. וְהָא אֲמָרָן, דְּבָעֵי לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא (ס"א ולא בשמאלא) וּבִשְׂמָאלָא, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּכֹלָּא אִתְעָרוּ בֵּיהּ, שַׁפִּיר הוּא. אֲבָל כַּסָּא דִּבְרָכָה הָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ כּוֹס, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קט״ז:י״ג) כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא, דְּהָא בְּהַאי כּוֹס, אִתְנְגִידוּ בִּרְכָאן מֵאִינוּן יְשׁוּעוֹת דִּלְעֵילָא, וְהוּא נָטִיל לוֹן, וְכָנִישׁ לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְתַמָּן אִתְנְטִיר (לון) חַמְרָא עִלָּאָה וְאִתְכְּנִישׁ בְּהַהוּא כּוֹס. וּבְעִינָן לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא, (ס"א ובשמאלא) וְלֹא בִּשְׂמָאלָא, וְחַמְרָא דְּאִיהוּ בְּהַאי כּוֹס כָּנִישׁ, דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן כְּחֲדָא, וּבְעִינָן לְבָרְכָא פָּתוֹרָא, דְּלָא תְהֵא רֵיקַנְיָא מִנַּהֲמָא וְחַמְרָא, כֹּלָּא (חד) כְּחֲדָא.
Rab Hamnuna the Elder would not allow anyone else to take the cup of blessing, but he himself took it in his two hands and said the blessing. We have affirmed that the cup should be taken in the right hand, and not in the left. It is called “cup of salvations” (Ps. 116, 13), because through it blessings are drawn from the supernal salvations, and in it is collected the supernal wine. Also, the table over which the blessing is said should not be devoid of both bread and wine.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה אִקְרֵי, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִיהוּ כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, בְּעִינָן יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא (ובעי) לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ, וְהַהוּא כּוֹס אִתְיְיהִיב בֵּין יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא, וּבָעֵי דְּאִתְמַלְיָיא חַמְרָא, בְּגִין חַמְרָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהוּ נָפִיק מֵעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי.
The Community of Israel is called “cup of blessing”, and therefore the cup should be raised both by the right hand and the left hand, so as to be set between. It should be filled with wine, because of the wine of the Torah which issues from the future world.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, (הכא) בְּהַאי אִתְגַּלְיָין מִלִּין עִלָּאִין, הָכָא דְּאֲנַן בִּמְעַרְתָּא, אֵימָא הָכָא אִתְגַּלְּיָיא רָזָא דִרְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא. כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה בָּעֵי לְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ בִּימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא, דָּא צָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם, וְכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה דִּיהֵא נָטִיל בְּרָכָה מִנַּיְיהוּ. מַאן כּוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, דָּא מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלמֹה, דִּבְעִינָן דְּאִתְיְיהִיב בֵּין צָפוֹן לְדָרוֹם, וּבָעֵי לַאֲנָחָא לָהּ בִּימִינָא, וְגוּפָא דְּיִתְתַּקֵּן בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וְיַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא כּוֹס, לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ בְּאַרְבַּע בִּרְכָאן, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, (דברים י״א:י״ב) תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ וְגו'. אִשְׁתַּכַּח בְּכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, רָזָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, צָפוֹן וְדָרוֹם וּמִזְרָח וּמַעֲרָב, הָא רְתִיכָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ.
There is a mystic allusion in this cup of blessing to the holy chariot. The right and left hands correspond to the north and south, between which is “the couch of Solomon”. He who says the blessing should fix his eye upon the cup to bless it with four blessings. Thus the cup contains the emblem of faith, north, south, east, and west, and so the holy chariot.
וּפָתוֹרָא בְּנַהֲמָא, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכָא הַהוּא לֶחֶם דִּלְתַתָּא, וְיִתְבָּרַךְ לֶחֶם עוֹנִי, וִיהֵא לֶחֶם פַּנַּג, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. וְיִשְׁתַּכַּח דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָא בְּד' סִטְרֵי עַלְמָא, לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא לְעֵילָא (בההוא נהמא של ברכה). וְכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא דָּוִד מַלְכָּא בַּאֲבָהָן, וְיִתְבָּרַךְ לְתַתָּא, דְּיִתְבָּרַךְ (נ"א ופתורא בנהמא בגין דיתברך מכל סטרין מעילא ומתתא לעילא ברזא דכוס של ברכה לאתחברא דוד מלכא באבהן ויתברך לתתא דיתברך לחם עוני ויהא לחם פנג והא אוקמוה ויתברך) פָּתוֹרָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בֵּיהּ מְזוֹנָא תָּדִיר.
There should be bread on the table in order that the lower bread may be blessed, and the “bread of poverty” may become the “bread of luxury”. In this way the Community of Israel will be blessed in all four directions, above and below-above by the bread of blessing and the cup of blessing through which King David is joined to the patriarchs, and below, that bread should never be lacking from the Israelite’s table.’