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I Shall Not Die but Live
28. I Shall Not Die but Live
I heard in 1943
In the verse, “I shall not die but live,” in order for one to achieve the truth, there must be a sensation that if one does not obtain the truth, he feels himself as dead, since he wants to live. This means that the verse, “I shall not die but live” is said about one who wants to obtain the truth.
This is the meaning of “Jonah Ben [the son of] Amitai.” Jonah comes from the [Hebrew] word Honaa [fraud], and Ben [son] comes from the word Mevin [understands]. One understands because one always examines the situation he is in and sees that he has deceived himself, and he is not walking on the path of truth.
Truth means to bestow, meaning Lishma [for Her sake], and the opposite of this is fraud and deceit, meaning only to receive, which is Lo Lishma [not for Her sake]. By this, one is later imparted the “Amitai,” meaning Emet [truth].
This is the meaning of “your eyes are as doves.” Eynaim [eyes] of Kedusha [holiness], called Eynaim of the Shechina [Divinity], are Yonim [doves]. They deceive us and we think that she has no Eynaim, as it is written in The Zohar, “A fair maiden who has no eyes.”
The truth is that one who is rewarded the truth sees that she does have eyes. This is the meaning of “A bride whose eyes are pretty, her whole body needs no scrutiny.”