8496. 'Bake what you will bake' means preparing good to be joined; 'and boil what you will boil' means preparing truth to be joined. This is clear from the meaning of 'baking', since it was done by means of fire, as preparing good to be joined; and from the meaning of 'boiling', since it was done by means of water, as preparing truth to be joined - 'water' meaning the truth of faith, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, and 'fire' meaning the good of love, 934, 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324, 7852. The fact that preparing them to be joined is meant is self-evident, for what was being baked and boiled was being prepared for the following sabbath day, by which a joining together is meant, as shown immediately above. They were forbidden to kindle fire on the sabbath day, Exod 35:3, so they could not bake or boil anything then. The word 'bake' is used in connection with bread and the minchah, which was made by means of fire, see Isa 44:15, 19; 1 Sam 28:24; Ezek 46:20; Lev 6:17; while 'boil' is used in connection with flesh, which was cooked in water, Exod 29:31; Lev 6:28; 1 Sam 2:13, 15.