[Avodah] truth

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Fri, Nov 13, 2015 at 12:25:26PM +0200, Eli Turkel via Avodah wrote:
: Yaakov is the epitomy of truth (titen emet le-yaakov)
: Nevertheless from the parsha it would seem that is far from yaakov's
: strength
: 
: convincing Esav to sell the birthright when he is starving and not just try
: and make a deal under normal circumstances
...

Avraham, the baal rachamim, was forced to deal with the Aqeidah. He was
challenged with knowing the proper balance between rachamim and obedience.

Similarly, I understood Yaaqov's life story as his repeatedly being
challenge WRT the very middah that was his strength.

This is particularly going to happen when developing Emes... Emes and
Shalom have naturally been in conflict since creation. Which is why
we had to invent the concept of tact, and the gemara has sugyos like
"keitzad meraqdim".

Emes and Shalom disagreed with the idea of creating humanity. Emes was
thrown to the ground, "emes mei'eretz tatzmiach" through the course
of history. But because of that, shalom's problem too was addressed,
and HQBH didn't have to deal with it separately.

IOW, Yaaqov was forced into a corner BECAUSE, not despite, his being
an ish emes. The world isn't ready for unadulterated emes; the balance
between emes and shalom have to be worked out.

OHMYG-D! I just realized that this dovetails SO well with what I posted
earlier today about Yitzchaq thinking that history was nearing its end
and Edom and Yisrael would start the messianic confederation for
avodas Hashem... After all, that is the era of shalom / sheleimus,
and because it hadn't come yet, emes's limits had to be tested...

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Nearly all men can stand adversity,
micha at aishdas.org        but if you want to test a man's character,
http://www.aishdas.org   give him power.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                      -Abraham Lincoln