에스더 2:9의 Musar

Pharaoh's dreams contain very significant allusions. Let me first quote what the Zohar (Sullam edition page 6) has to say on the subject. Commenting on "here there arose seven healthy and good-looking cows from the river and they grazed in the meadow" (41, 18), the words "from the river" are understood as referring to the source of all blessing in this world, the emanation יסוד. The word היאור is equated with the river emanating from גן עדן described in Genesis 2, 10. This "river" originates from the emanation בינה, and "irrigates" (spiritually) the emanation יסוד, the spiritual domain in which Joseph is at home. The message in the dream is that all of Egypt receives its blessings because of Joseph. The Zohar continues saying that that "river" dispenses its blessings in seven different directions, i.e the seven cows represent the seven recipients of the river's blessings. The seven recipients of the river's largesse all co-exist peacefully. This is an unusual phenomenon. We may compare the meaning of the number seven in the Book of Esther, where Esther is attended by "seven maid-servants, the ones she was entitled to have allocated to her by the palace" (Esther 2, 9). On the other hand, we find that the king had "seven men-servants (castrated), who attended to his personal needs" (Esther 1, 10).

When Solomon continues in the same verse of Proverbs to speak about אף ערכה שלחנה, he refers to the angels who grind the manna for the righteous in this World of the Future. The reason he uses the term אף, "also," is because once before, when the Jewish people were in the desert manna had descended for them from Celestial Regions. This is a hint of what would be in store for them in an idyllic future. The words: נערותיה תקרא, in Proverbs 9,3 are an allusion to the expression in Esther 2,9 where Esther is described as entitled to and receiving the services of seven maid-attendants. The number seven –according to Kabbalists – ensured that her soul would acquire a level of holiness every day of the week. May we all soon merit such a level of sanctity in our own lives, Amen.