501. The Quality of Truth – 1
“‘These are the generations of Jacob Joseph.’ Anyone who looked at Joseph’s face would say that he is Jacob. Come and see that in all the sons of Jacob it is not written ‘These are the generations of Jacob Reuben son of Joseph,’ for his face looks like the face of his father.”
To understand the above, Jacob’s form was truth, as it is written, “You will give truth to Jacob,” and Joseph’s form is Yesod, a covenant, for he is regarded as righteous, Yesod, such as the test with Potiphar’s wife.
Also, regarding the verse “Go onto Joseph; do all that he will tell you,” it was interpreted in the Midrash that Joseph told them, “My God does not feed the uncircumcised, go and circumcise yourselves and I will give you.”
We need to understand what is the quality of “truth” and what is the quality of “covenant.” “Truth will grow from the earth.” This means that the growth of truth is by being placed in the earth. And what is found on the face of the earth? Nothing but lies. Yet, precisely this is the state of truth. Thus, “truth” is regarded as “beneficial.”
Therefore, if a lie helps then it is the truth, meaning that in fact we must tell a lie now, and precisely by this, the true goal will be revealed, as in “From Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] we come to Lishma [for Her sake].” For this reason, during the descent, a person should still be happy and say, “This state that I feel now is the best state for me.”
This is what is presented in Midrash Shmuel, and it is common knowledge that truth is heavy; hence, its carriers are few. That is, it is hard to say that what I feel now is true Providence in the manner of good and doing good, and I must accept the situation gladly and lovingly.
This is the meaning of “Buy truth,” through labor, “and do not sell,” meaning that you cannot find anyone who will want to buy, for it is work that one must buy by himself and no one can help him and sell him the truth, for every person has truth according to his own degree. This is Emet [truth], from the words Amat HaBinyan [cubit], which is a unit of which each has his own measurement, and the clothing of one does not fit the size of another.