Living Truth In A World of Lies

Every morning, during his morning prayers, a Rabbi would hear the door to his study creak ever so slightly. And usually around the time he had entered into the Amidah, a highlight of the morning prayers.

He thought, "My students must be watching me pray." This subtle thought inspired him to pray with greater fervor, putting on a bit of a show.

One morning, the door creaked as usual. But this time, he turned around, expecting to see his students. To his surprise, he saw a cat standing in the doorway. He realized that he had been performatively praying for a cat!

This story¹ highlights a topic I’ve avoided writing about. Not because it’s unimportant, but because it's difficult, and one that nearly everyone struggles with at one point or another.

I’ve come to believe this idea touches every part of our life to some degree. And, if understood - and applied - it might be a catalyst for a significant spiritual level-up!

We're talking about: Truth.

What Do We Mean By "Truth"?

By "truth", I don’t mean facts and figures, historical details, or just telling the truth. I’m talking about something deeper. It's how we interact with the world and with ourselves. With G_D.

In Hebrew, the word for truth is Emet (אמת). It is an interesting word as it is sequentially composed of the first (א), middle (מ), and last letters (ת) of the Hebrew language.

Tradition teaches that all of creation was brought into being through combinations of Hebrew letters. This implies that truth is the code behind creation's operating system². The Talmud teaches that when all else is rectified, only truth will endure³.

The Kabbalists teach that Emet is a Divine Name, representing a powerful soul-connection with the Creator.

This means that truth is more than just accurate information; therefore, it might help us to view truth as a pure level of consciousness.