אות - קמב

For there are two types of animal eating. Meaning: there is a person who eats with great desire like an animal, but the food is human food. And there is a person who eats like a human but the food is not human food — meaning the sparks were not sufficiently clarified to be fitting for a human, rather it is animal food. And one who eats from either of these two foods comes to the illness of fever. And this is what is written (Psalms 66:12): "You have caused men to ride over our heads" — meaning when we are on a low level, that a great person rides over us, that we eat from either of the two foods mentioned, then "we came through fire and through water" — meaning hot and cold, namely fever. And even the doctors say the same — that fever comes from excess eating. And this is in the physical dimension. And in the spiritual dimension it is also so — for when a person is in the aspect of daas [knowledge] he has holy love and fear. And when he falls, Heaven forbid, from the aspect of daas he falls into fallen love and fear. And when a person eats one of the two foods mentioned he falls from the aspect of daas — for (Koheles 3:19): "And the advantage of man over beast is nothing" — meaning the aspect of daas, in the aspect of (Job 28:12): "And wisdom — from where is it found." It is found that when he eats such foods he is in the aspect of animal, and falls from the aspect of daas, and falls into fallen love and fear. And this is: "You have caused men to ride over our heads" — as mentioned, then "we came through fire and through water" — namely into fallen love and fear.