Sefer Hamidos - Book of The Traits - The Aleph Beth Book - Character - entry of EMMESS - TRUTH

 BH

The friends are working on putting out a new edition of Sefer Hamidos in English, and hopefully it will be ready soon. In the meantime I have started editing. Here is the first entry of this holy work:

אֱמֶת                TRUTH

א.    מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לְדַבֵּק אֶת עַצְמוֹ בְּהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, עַד שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ מֵהֵיכָל אֶל הֵיכָל וְיִרְאֶה אֶת הַהֵיכָלוֹת בְּעֵינֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל, יִשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִלּוֹמַר שֶׁקֶר אֲפִלּוּ בְּטָעוּת.

1. One who wants to attach himself to the Blessed G-d, to the extent that he can traverse with his thoughts from Haichal to Haichal (chamber to chamber), and to see the haichaloas (chambers) with the eyes of the intellect[1], must guard himself from saying falsehood, even by mistake[2].

 

ב.     מֻתָּר לְשַׁנּוֹת בִּדְבַר הַשָּׁלוֹם.

2.It is permissible to alter [the truth] for the sake of peace.

 

ג.     כַּת שַׁקָּרִים אֵינָם מְקַבְּלִים פְּנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה.

3. The grouping of liars cannot receive the countenance of the Divine Presence.

 

ד.     שָׁרֵי לְהוּ לְצַדִּיקַיָּא לִסְגוּאֵי בְּרַמָּאוּתָא עִם רַמָּאֵי.

4. It is permissible for the tzadikim to act with conniving with a swindler.

 

ה.     כָּל הַמּוֹסִיף גּוֹרֵעַ.

5. All who add, detract.

 

ו.      עַל יְדֵי שֶׁקֶר בָּאִים הִרְהוּרֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה.

6. Through falsehood come thoughts of idolatry (similary see article 28).

 

ז.      עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת לֹא יָמוּת קֹדֶם זְמַנּוֹ הַקָּצוּב.

7. Through truth, one will not die before his allotted time[3].

 

ח.     מֵרוּחַ פִּיו שֶׁל הַשַּׁקְּרָן נַעֲשָׂה הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע, וּכְשֶׁיָּבוֹא

מָשִׁיחַ אָז לֹא יִהְיֶה שֶּׁקֶר, וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה לֹא יִהְיֶה יֵצֶר הָרָע בָּעוֹלָם.

8. From the breath (of the mouth) of a liar, the evil inclination is created, and when the Messiah comes, (then) there will be no falsehood, and consequently, there will be no evil inclination in the world[4].

 

ט.     מִי שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ אֱמֶת, אֲזַי הוּא מַכִּיר בְּאַחֵר, אִם אַחֵר דּוֹבֵר שֶׁקֶר אִם לָאו.

9. Someone who is a person of truth (then he) can discern in another, whether the other lies or not.

 

י.      הַסִּימָן שֶׁל הַשֶּׁקֶר - כְּשֶׁלֹּא יַסְכִּימוּ עָלָיו רַבִּים, וְהוּא מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שׂוֹנְאָן.

10. The indication of falsehood - when the many do not agree with it, and it is one of the three things that the Holy One Blessed be He hates.

יא.   עָשִׁיר מְכַחֵשׁ - אֵין הַדַּעַת סוֹבְלוֹ וְהוּא נִבְזֶה בְּעֵינֵי עַצְמוֹ.

11. A rich man who denies (having the possessions of others) - the conscience cannot bear it, and he is despicable in his own eyes.

 

יב.   תִּקּוּן לַפֶּה - שֶׁיִּתֵּן צְדָקָה.

12. A rectification for the mouth – that he should give charity[5] (see also articles 12, 13, and Charity 31).

 

יג.    עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת הָעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָר מִכָּל הֶזֵּקוֹת.

13. Through truth, the world is protected from all harm.

 

יד.   עַל־יְדֵי חֲנֻפָּה בָּא לְשֶׁקֶר.

14. Through fawning, one comes to falsehood.

 

טו.   מִי שֶׁנּוֹתֵן צְדָקָה שְׂכָרוֹ שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לֶאֱמֶת.

15. One who gives charity his reward is that he will merit to truth (see also articles 12, 23, and Charity 31).

 

טז.   הַשַּׁקְרָן שׂוֹנֵא עֲנִיווּת.

16. The liar hates humility (see also article 46).

 

יז.     אָדָם נִכָּר עַל־יְדֵי מְשָׁרְתָיו, אִם הוּא אוֹהֵב שֶׁקֶר כִּי זֶה בָּזֶה תָּלוּי. לִפְעָמִים מְשָׁרְתָיו נוֹפְלִים לַעֲבֵרוֹת עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁהוּא שַׁקְרָן, וְלִפְעָמִים הוּא נוֹפֵל לְשֶׁקֶר עַל־יְדֵי מְשָׁרְתָיו, שֶׁאֵינָם הֲגוּנִים.

17. A person is recognized through his servants, whether he loves falsehood, for each is dependent on the other. Sometimes his servants fall into sins through that which he is a liar[6], and sometimes he falls into falsehood through his servants, that aren't proper (-this teaching is brought succinctly in Faith 64).

 

יח.   כְּשֶׁאֵין אֱמֶת אֵין חֶסֶד. גַּם אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת )חֶסֶד( עִם בְּנֵי־אָדָם.

18. When there is no truth, there is no kindness, also he cannot do (kindness) with people (see article 23).

 

יט.   הַשֶּׁקֶר מְעַכֵּב אֶת הַיְשׁוּעָה, כִּי הַשֶּׁקֶר מְגַלֶּה עֲווֹנוֹתָיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יוֹשִׁיעוּ לוֹ.

19. Falsehood forestalls the salvation, for falsehood exposes one's sins, in order that he not be saved.

 

כ.     הָאֱמֶת הִיא פּוֹדָה מִכָּל הַצָּרוֹת.

20. The truth redeems from all troubles.

 

כא.  טוֹב לָאָדָם שֶׁיָּמוּת, מִשֶּׁיִּחְיֶה וְיִהְיֶה שַׁקְרָן בְּעֵינֵי בְּנֵי־אָדָם.

21. It is better for a man to die, than to live and be [considered] a liar in peoples' eyes.

 

כב.  כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ אֱמֶת יֵשׁ שָׁלוֹם.

22. When there is truth, there is peace.

 

כג.   מִי שֶׁרָחוֹק מֵאֱמֶת, רָחוֹק מִצְּדָקָה.

23. Someone who is far from truth is far from charity (see articles 12, 15, 18, and Likutay Moharan 251).

 

כד.  עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת נִשְׁמָר אוֹת בְּרִית.

24. Through truth, the sign of the covenant (referring primarily to sexual purity. t.n.) is guarded.

 

כה.  עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת יִזְכֶּה לְשֵׁם עוֹלָם.

25. Through truth, one merits to an everlasting name.

 

כו.   אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁרְגִילִין לוֹמַר שֶׁקֶר, הַבָּנִים שֶׁלָּהֶם יִהְיוּ מִתְנַגְּדִים גַּם יִהְיוּ פּוֹגְמִים בַּבְּרִית.

26. A husband and wife who are accustomed to saying lies, their children will be opposers, and also will be defecting the covenant (referring primarily to sexual infractions. t.n.).

 

כז.   הַשֶּׁקֶר בָּא עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּקַבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ פַּחַד מִבְּנֵי־אָדָם.

27. Falsehood comes through accepting upon one's self fear of people[7].

 

כח.  עַל־יְדֵי הַשֶּׁקֶר שׁוֹכְחִין אֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.

28. Through falsehood, one forgets the Holy One, Blessed be He (-similarly see article 6, also see article 34).

כט.  מִי שֶׁאֵין לּוֹ בִּטָּחוֹן, הוּא דּוֹבֵר שְׁקָרִים, וְעַל־יְדֵי שְׁקָרִים אֵין יָכוֹל לִבְטֹחַ בָּאֱמֶת.

29. Someone who does not have trust (in G-d), he speaks lies, and through (his) falsehood, he cannot have real trust.

 

ל.     לְפִי הַרִחוּק מֵאֱמֶת כֵּן מַחֲזִיק אֶת הַסּוּר־מֵרָע לְשׁוֹטֶה.

30. According to one's distance from truth, so one perceives a person who shuns evil, as a fool.

 

לא.  מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לָסוּר מֵרָע, וְרוֹאֶה שֶׁאֵין אֱמֶת בָּעוֹלָם, עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כְּשׁוֹטֶה.

31. One who wants to turn away from evil, and sees that there is no truth in the world, makes himself as a fool.

 

לב.  מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר שֶׁקֶר, הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מוֹשִׁיעַ לוֹ בְּעֵת צָרָתוֹ גַּם בָּנִים יִהְיוּ לוֹ.

32. Someone who does not say falsehood, the Holy One Blessed be He saves him in the time of his trouble. Also, he will have children.

 

לג.   עַל־יְדֵי דִּבּוּר שָׁוְא בָּא מַכּוֹת בָּנִים.

33. Through pointless speech, comes a smiting of the children.

 

לד.   מִי שֶׁמְּקֻשָּׁר לַשָּׁוְא, בָּא לְשִׁכְחָה.

34. One who is connected to aimlessness, comes to forgetfulness (see also article 28).

 

לה.  עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁקֶר בָּא לְנִאוּף, וּמַחֲזִיק יְדֵי מְרֵעִים, שֶׁלֹּא יַחְזְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה.

35. Through falsehood one comes to promiscuity, and strengthens the hand of evildoers, that they should not return in repentance.

 

לו.    עַל־יְדֵי שְׁקָרִים אֵין לוֹ רְפוּאָה אֲפִלּוּ בְּהַרְבֵּה רְפוּאוֹת.

36. Through falsehood, one will not have healing, even from many varied treatments.[8]

 

לז.    מִי שֶׁדּוֹבֵר כְּזָבִים נוֹפֵל בַּחֶרֶב. גַּם נַעֲשָׂה שׁוֹטֶה.

37. One who speaks falsehood (t.n. there is a slight connotation of hollowness and non continuance) falls by the sword, also he becomes a fool.

 

לח.  עַל־יְדֵי יִרְאָה בָּא לֶאֱמֶת.

38. Through fear (of G-d), one comes to truth.

 

לט.  מִי שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִשֶּׁקֶר, הוּא מְנַצֵּחַ תָּמִיד.

39. One who guards himself from falsehood, he is victorious always.

 

מ.    מֻתָּר לְשַׁנּוֹת, כְּדֵי לְהַצִּיל אֶת עַצְמוֹ.

40. It is permissible to alter the truth in order to save oneself (also see article 2).

 

מא.  מִי שֶׁאוֹהֵב כְּזָבִים, הוּא מְבַזֶּה אֶת הַצַּדִּיק גַּם הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ נִתְבַּזֶּה.

41. One who loves falsehood, he disgraces the Tzaddik, also, he himself becomes disgraced.

 

מב.  מִי שֶׁדּוֹבֵר כְּזָבִים, הוּא אוֹבֵד.

42. One who speaks falsehood, he is lost.

 

מג.   עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת נִצּוֹל מִלָּשׁוֹן־הָרָע גַּם תְּפִלָּתוֹ נִתְקַבֵּל. גַּם כְּשֶׁדָּנִים אוֹתוֹ לְמַעְלָה, דָּנִים אוֹתוֹ לְפִי זְכֻיּוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ.

43. Through truth, one is guarded from evil speech (lushon hura), also his prayer is accepted. Also, when he is judged above, he is judged according to his merits.

 

מד.  עַל־יְדֵי חֲלוֹמוֹת יֵדַע אָדָם אִם לִבּוֹ אֱמֶת עִם אֱלֹקָיו.

44. Through dreams, a person can know if his heart is true with his G-d.

 

מה.  מִי שֶׁמְּקַיֵּם דִּבּוּרוֹ, יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת פְּעֻלּוֹת.

45. Someone who keeps his word can be enterprising.[9]

 

מו.   מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ גַּאֲוָה נִצּוֹל מִשָּׁקֶר.

46. Someone who doesn't have arrogance is saved from falsehood (see also article 16).

 

מז.   מִי שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִשְּׂחוֹק שֶׁל הִתּוּל, בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ אֱמֶת.

47. Someone who guards himself from laughter of ridicule, it is certain that he is a person of truth.

מח.  מִי שֶׁהָיָה שַׁקְרָן מִגִּלְגּוּל הֶעָבָר, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה כְּשֶׁנִּתְגַּלְגֵּל, נַעֲשָׂה אִטֵּר־יָד.

48. One who was a liar in a previous incarnation, through this, when he was reincarnated, he was made to be left-handed.[10]

 

מט.  מִי שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵר אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְדוֹבֵר תָּמִיד אֱמֶת, כְּאִלּוּ עָשָׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וְאֶת הַיָּם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּם.

49. One who guards himself and speaks truth at all times, it is as if he made the heavens and earth, and the sea and all that is in them (see also Likutay Moharan 47).

 

נ.      הַשֶּׁקֶר אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בְּפִיו, אֲבָל לֹא בִּכְתָב.

50. [The] Falsehood is only with one's mouth, but not in writing.[11]

 

נא.   דִּבְּרוּ תּוֹרָה וּנְבִיאִים וַחֲכָמִים בִּלְשׁוֹן הֲבַאי.

51. The Torah, the Prophets and the Sages spoke in common terms (-this usually refers to exaggerations).[12]

 

 

חֵלֶק שֵׁנִי

SECOND PART

א.    עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁקֶר דְּבָרָיו אֵינָם נִשְׁמָעִים. גַּם עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁקֶר מְאַלְמֵן, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, כַּמָּה נָשִׁים.

1. Through falsehood, one's words are not heard. Also, through falsehood, several women, G-d forbid, can become widowed.

 

ב.     עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת נִתְגַּלֶּה יִחוּדוֹ בָּעוֹלָם.

2. Through truth, His unity is revealed in the world.[13]

 

ג.     כְּשֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה שַׁקְרָן, תֵּדַע, שֶׁגַּם הַמַּנְהִיג שֶׁל הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה שַׁקְרָן.

3. When you see a liar, know that the leader[14] of this person is also a liar.[15]

 

ד.     עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁקֶר בָּא לִידֵי גִּלּוּי־עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת־דָּמִים, וְגַם מַכְשִׁיל אֶת הַכְּשֵׁרִים בְּגִלּוּי־עֲרָיוֹת וּשְׁפִיכוּת־דָּמִים, וּמַרְאֶה הֶתֵּר מִן הַתּוֹרָה.

4. Through falsehood, one comes to sexual immorality and spilling of blood[16], and also causes the upright people to fail in sexual immorality and spilling blood, and he shows permissibility from the Torah.

 

ה.     מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְשַׁנֶּה בְּדִבּוּרוֹ, הוּא יָכוֹל לְהַשְׁפִּיל הַגְּבוֹהִים וּלְהַגְבִּיהַּ הַשְּׁפָלִים.

5. Someone who does not alter the truth with his words, he is able to humble the high and raise up the lowly[17] (see article 1:45 and the notes there).

 

ו.      מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר אֶחָד בַּפֶּה וְאֶחָד בַּלֵּב, אֵינוֹ מִתְיָרֵא מִטְבִיעַת מַיִם.

6. One who does not speak one thing with his mouth and another (-while having a different) in his heart, does not fear from drowning [in water].

 

ז.      הָאֱמֶת מֵבִיא שֹׂבַע.

7. The truth brings contentment (abundance).[18]

 

ח.     הַשִּׁלְשׁוּל וְהָעֲצִירוּת בָּא עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁקֶר.

8. Diarrhea and constipation come as a result of falsehood.[19]

 

ט.     עַל־יְדֵי אֱמֶת בָּא הַקֵּץ.

9. Through truth comes the end (-of the exile – redemption). (see Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 66:3 (also see Torah-teaching 7).[20]

 

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[1] Rabbainu discussed the concept of going from room to room in spiritual paradigms and odyssies of the intellect, in numerous places. See for example Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 245 and Chayay Moharan – The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, articles 420 (-chambers of faith and trust) and 594.

[2] For a deep comprehensive understanding of this teaching study Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 51.

[3] In Chayay Moharan – The Life of Our Leader Rabbi Nachman, article 58, it brings from the Baal Shem Tov that someone who does complete repentance will not pass away before his allotted time. In the Letters of Shmuel – Horowitz (vol. 2, letter 19), he brings a quotation from Rabbi Nachman, “I accomplished by Hashem Yisburach that He will not take from the world from my followers before they finish their job.”

[4] This compliments Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 48.

[5] Note that the Hebrew letter Peh, which means mouth, is followed by the letter Tzadey – which is the aspect of tzidukuh – charity.

[6] See article 2:3 regarding a person’s leader.

[7] Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 66, says that dependency on others bring to falsehood.

 

[8] In Likutay Moharan, vol. 2, Torah-teaching 1, it says this of someone with deficient faith, no medicine will work for him.

[9] A more literal translation is: can do things. See also article 2:5. This can be understood to mean supernaturally (-the Hebrew word for things, pi-ooloas, is used also for the miraculous as in bringing salvation), and in that context there are two possible meanings; he is empowered to be able to perform miracles, or taking that further; he can perform miracles just by his words.

[10] In Sichos Huran – The Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 152, Rabbi Nussun records that he heard from Rabbainu that a lefty was in his previous life a person of strife, and explains the matter, see there.

It is interesting to note that the Book of Chuchmas Hahyad (-Wisdom of the Hand, page 10) states that on the palm of the left hand are engraved the lines which pertain to the mazal of a person, and his previous reincarnations, and also the maladies which are heredity in his family. Whereas on the right palm, it shows if a person rectified his deeds and the events of his life, in the past, present, and future.

[11] All falsehood in any form is forbidden. This teaching is referring only to all the properties, repercussions, effects and so forth, of falsehood.

[12] In order to clothe great secrets in the teachings, seeming exaggerations are employed, only one who understands the allusion understands the exact accuracy of the teaching. The students of the school of Mussar (-ethics) explained this with what was then current events, the newspapers proclaimed how the great double headed eagle had spread its wings reaching from country so and so, to country so and so. There is no such eagle or creature with such a huge wingspan, but everyone readily understood it was referring to the German Empire, whose coat of arms is the Reichsadler (-Imperial Eagle) who had gained control over that expanded area. May the name of wicked be blotted out.

[13] Likutay Moharan 51 explains that with the abolition of falsehood, the world will know Hashem is One and His Name is One, completely good, completely true. See there at length the explanation of how the truth is one, and falsehood is numerous.

[14] See article 1:17 regarding servants and their master.

[15] It is important to note that not always is the person’s leader the actual person he claims, just an imagined projected idea the person superimposes, assigns, and attributes to that figure. This principle is found in Sichos Huran – The Words of Rabbi Nachman, article 182, and can also be gleaned from Likutay Moharan 12:3. This can explain the lengthy repetitive language of this teaching which could have stated succinctly: know that his leader is a liar, instead the teaching repeats, know that the leader of this person – that is the actual leader as he exists in this person’s conscious, not the assumed one he outwardly claims.

[16] Primarily this refers to murder, but it can also refer to embarrassing someone, which causes the blood to rush out of their face.

[17] This construct and role is primarily associated to HY, as found for example in the morning prayer right before the 18 Benedictions. It is also found in the fourth of Rabbi Nachman’s Stories of Ancient Times, The King Who Decreed Apostasy. In the story the king’s success is contingent on his casting down the haughty and raising the lowly, and to that effect he took away the special status of the Jew which had been granted to him for saving the king’s grandfather. The grandfather had sworn he would honor this grant, and the king’s reneging on the grant is an ostensible breach of honesty in the monarchy, it may have disarmed him of the ability to humble the high and raise the lowly, and ultimately led to his downfall.

[18] A few of the previous teachings would already suggest this, e.g. article 1:22 – when there is truth there is peace, peace is a form and outcome of satisfaction/abundance (see Pslams 147:4 and Bava Metzia 59a). Also, article 1:24 the guarding of the bris is a cause for satisfaction/abundance because that is the attribute of the bris – the Divine Name of Sha”dai – meaning that G-d’s Divinity is sufficient for all.

[19] In Likutay Moharan, Torah-teaching 61, Rabbainu revealed the converse of this dictum, that one suffering from constipation will not be able to derive truthful rulings in his studies.

Also see the beginning of Shaar Hakavanos, which reveals the root of the culling and extraction of the waste, and in that high place rules the seventh tikkun of the countenance – ‘TRUTH’, so a defection from the truth would cause problems with the process.

[20] In loving memory of our dear friend Sagi Yosef Jimili Nanach, who just passed away, he pointed out to me that the last letters of the words: emmess (truth) buh (brings) hakaitz (the end of the exile), have the numerical value of: Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman (which has the properties described in Likutay Moharan 66:3 cited above). May his memory be a blessing. The remaining letters of these three words have the numerical value of: Nachman.

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Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman