בכור בהמה טהורה ב

But Avraham and Yitzchak had not yet entirely nullified the grip of falsehood at its root — at the point where creation emerged from potentiality into actuality as above, from which comes the essential grip of the root of falsehood and so on, as above. And therefore from Avraham descended Yishma'el, and from Yitzchak descended Eisav — who are "clouds that cover the eyes" (Tikunay Zohar, Tikun 13), the essential falsehood that covers the truth, which is the tikun of the eyes, as is explained in that Torah discourse. For Avraham revealed and drew down His divinity from above to below — the aspect of "or yashar" (direct light) in the aspect of chessed. And Yitzchak is the aspect of "or chozer" (reflected light) from below to above — the aspect of gevurah. But the essential bond and connection between before-creation and after-creation is through the aspect of Yaakov, who is the aspect of the "threefold cord" (Koheles 4:12), the aspect of the "middle beam that passes from end to end" (Shemos 26:28) — for he binds and includes together, in completeness, the aspects of Avraham and Yitzchak, which are the aspects of chessed and din, or yashar and or chozer, before-creation and after-creation.

For Yaakov merited the attribute of emes in completeness — namely, to nullify the grip of falsehood at its uppermost root as above, until he merited to attain how creation is drawn from potentiality into actuality without the grip of falsehood at all. This is the service of Yaakov whose attribute is emes — through which comes the essential bond and inclusion of all creation within before-creation in completeness. And therefore Yaakov merited that his "bed was complete" without any dross — for childbirth is the aspect of a new creation, drawing the son from potentiality into actuality. And since the grip of falsehood resides there, the Sitra Achra seizes very strongly upon childbirth. And therefore great refinement is needed afterward. And this is the essential greatness of the great tzaddik — he who guards the covenant — who merits the aspect of "all of it is seed of truth" (Yirmiyahu 2:21). For he merits to ascend to the beginning of the root and draw from there the aspect of the son, the aspect of after-creation, from potentiality into actuality — without any grip of falsehood whatsoever. This is what Yaakov merited, whose attribute is emes. And therefore his bed was complete as above.

And this is the aspect of the voice of the shofar, which is the aspect of the voice of Yaakov, the aspect of emes, as above.

And this is the aspect of our petitioning for life on Rosh Hashana and the Ten Days of Repentance — for from there comes the essential life. For "emes is the elixir of life" (emess sam'a d'chayay — Shabbos 55a). As our Sages of blessed memory said regarding the place called "Kushta" (Truth) — that death did not hold sway there (Sanhedrin 97a). For body and soul are in the aspect of before-creation and after-creation — for the soul is "a portion of the divine from above," the aspect of before-creation. And the body is the aspect of action (asiyah), the aspect of after-creation. And the essential vitality is when both are bound together in a strong bond — and this is through emes, through which one is included after-creation in before-creation.

And therefore emes is the elixir of life — for the essential death comes through falsehood, which separates between the bonded ones. In the aspect of "death separates" (Rut 1:17), the aspect of "for it separates between brothers" (Mishlai 17:9) — this was drawn through the counsel of the serpent that brought falsehood into the world, through which death was decreed for the generations. For now it is impossible in this body to attain in fullness the inclusion of all-creation in before-creation, on account of the grip of falsehood that is seized there at the onset of creation's emergence from potentiality into actuality, as above. And therefore one must inevitably die — and then the soul ascends on high according to its level. And the body is refined below, until afterward both are renewed for the good in the time to come — through the great power of emes that will be revealed then. For the essential renewal of the world and the Resurrection of the Dead will come through the greatness of emes that will be revealed — in the aspect of "emes will sprout from the earth" (Tehillim 85:12), and so on. And then will be fulfilled "a lip of emes will be established forever" (Mishlai 12:19) — for they will live eternal life through emes, which is the elixir of life. For then falsehood will be entirely nullified at the root of its grip, as above.

And it is for this life that we petition on Rosh Hashana — all our cries and prayers that emes be revealed in the world, generally and specifically and in the most minute particulars, for each and every person — that "every created being will know that You created it, and every formed being will understand that You formed it, and will say" and so on (Rosh Hashana liturgy) — until everyone knows how to return to the Blessed Lord. For the essential teshuvah is through emes, as above. And therefore we conclude on Rosh Hashana in all the blessings: "For You are God, emes — and Your word is emes and stands forever." For emes stands forever — for "kushta ka'ai" (truth endures), as it is said: "a lip of emes will be established forever." For the essential life and perpetuation of all creation, generally and specifically, is through emes, as above.

And therefore all of Israel must appease one another before Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippurim, so that there be great peace among Israel — for the essential thing is shalom (peace), which is unity, which is the essential life: "life and peace" (Malachi 2:5). For the essential strife comes through the grip of falsehood drawn from the multiplicity and difference of minds, as above. And this is the essential service of Rosh Hashana — which is the beginning of creation, when one must nullify the falsehood at the root of its grip through the supreme power of the revelation of the finest head of emes — in the aspect of "the beginning of Your word is emes" (Tehillim 119:160) — which is the aspect of Rosh Hashana specifically: the aspect of "the beginning (rosh) of Your word is emes."

For most disputants — the way of each is to say that he has the truth and that all his contention is only for the sake of truth. And especially now, in our many sins, when "truth shall be absent" has been fulfilled — when truth has become a thing of flocks and flocks, and everyone says that he has the truth. But even so, truth is one. And whoever truly desires truth and prays to the Blessed Lord that he merit truth in truth, can recognize where the true truth is — for truth is its own witness. And the essential strife is only from the distance from the One — from which comes the grip of falsehood. For one who does not nullify the falsehood at its root can afterward go very much astray and reverse falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood — in the aspect of "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil" (Yeshaya 5:20), and so on. And from there all the strife in the world is drawn.

And whoever wishes to save and rescue his soul from the fire of strife — which is the worst of all — the essential salvation is through emes, which is the aspect of shalom. As it is said: "For there shall be peace and emes in my days" (Melachim II, 20:19). For when one looks at the true truth, one will certainly be saved from strife at any rate. For even though one may not merit to attain and know where the truth is — because one has not toiled in one's service as one should, for to merit to the essence of truth requires very great toil — nevertheless at any rate, if one desires truth, one will at any rate not be a pursuer and a disputer, and will not hold to strife and persecutions, God forbid, to pursue the people of truth. Even if it seems to him otherwise — for what does he have to do with this trouble, to endanger himself so greatly? All this is impossible to explain in writing; whoever desires truth will understand all of this within himself.

And this is the aspect of the judgment of Rosh Hashana — wherein every person comes before Him, blessed be He, for judgment and trial. As is stated in the Mishna of Rosh Hashana: "All who enter the world pass before Him like sheep (ki'vnay maron)" (Rosh Hashana 18a). And the Tanna concluded there: "and they are all surveyed in a single survey (sikirah achas)" — as it is said: "He who forms their hearts together looks upon all their deeds" (Tehillim 33:15). And the commentators explained this as referring back to the preceding verse: "From His dwelling-place He looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth — He who forms and so on." And the matter is astonishing at first glance: since they are all surveyed in a single survey — for the Blessed One is all-powerful and knows many things in a single act of knowledge, as is cited — if so, even from the outset, why do they pass one by one like sheep? For does He not know the deeds of each one in a single act of knowledge, and could He not judge them even at the beginning of judgment as He does at the end — when they are all surveyed in a single survey?!

But the essential judgment is emes — for His judgment is emes. And even in human courts below, the essential commandment of judgment is to judge emes: to save the oppressed and the robbed from one who comes to rob them through injustice and falsehood — to render judgment of emes for them. As it is said: "Judge with emes and the justice of peace" (Zechariah 8:16). Only among human beings there are judges who pervert the judgment with falsehood — and they destroy the world. As our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "On three things the world stands — on justice and on emes and on peace" (Avos 1:18), and so on. But He, blessed be He, His judgment is emes always — for His essential intention is to judge and try all the world with His upright and true judgments, in such a manner that every person will ultimately come to the good eternal purpose: to be included in Him, blessed be He — which is the aspect mentioned above, to be included after-creation in before-creation. For this is the essential good purpose for which everything was created.

And the entire Torah depends upon this — for through every commandment and act of service one is included in Him, blessed be He. And conversely, through every transgression and blemish one is distanced and creates a separation between before-creation and after-creation, as above. For the entire Torah is the aspect of emes, as it is said: "Torah of emes" (Malachi 2:6), and so on. And through emes the eyes of His supervision are drawn down — as is explained elsewhere: that the essential drawing down of complete supervision is through Torah and so on — through which one is included after-creation in before-creation, as above.

And for this they are judged on Rosh Hashana — and likewise on the great Day of Judgment, when the verdict is issued for each: reward or punishment according to one's deeds — in such a manner that ultimately one will be able to be included in before-creation, for that is one's purpose. For all the punishments — God have mercy — that the Blessed Lord administers in His upright judgments: the essential punishment, God have mercy, is for purification — so that one be refined through this punishment, in order that one ultimately be able to be included in the place where one must be included according to one's deeds, according to what remains of one after the purification. And conversely, the tzaddik receives reward and delight and takes delight in the Lord, and ascends each time from level to level and from stature to stature, until he is included in completeness in his full stature above — unto the beginning of the root of all, which is the aspect of before-creation. Fortunate is he. But in any case, all and sundry must return and be included above, in before-creation — but even so there will be a vast difference between each person according to his deeds. All the more so between tzaddik and beinoni (intermediate), and all the more so between tzaddik and rasha (wicked) — and even among the wicked themselves there will be great differences between each and every one. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory warned: "Do not be exceedingly wicked" (Koheles 7:17), and so on — as is understood from his words, of blessed memory, at the end of the Torah discourse mentioned above on the verse "no eye has seen, O God, besides You" (Yeshaya 64:3) — see what is explained there, that concerning this matter there is a difficulty, and so on. See there.