1901. 'Perhaps I shall be built up from her' means the possibility of the rational being born in that way. This becomes clear from the meaning, when it has reference to human generation, of 'being built up', and so needs no further explanation. 'Sarai', as stated, means intellectual truth which has been allied as a wife to good. Intellectual truth which resides inmostly is totally lacking in offspring or is like a childless wife, ¹ if there is not as yet any rational into which and through which it may flow, for without the rational as a go-between it cannot flow with any truth at all into the exterior man, as becomes clear in the case of small children. The latter can have no knowledge at all of truth until cognitions have been bestowed on them; but as has been stated the better and more perfectly they have cognitions bestowed on them, the better and more perfectly can intellectual truth which resides inmostly, that is, within good, be communicated.

[2] This intellectual truth represented by Sarai is the spiritual itself which flows in by way of heaven, and so by an internal route. It resides in everyone and is continually coming to meet the cognitions that are introduced by means of perceptions gained by the senses and implanted in the memory. No one is conscious of that intellectual truth within himself as it is too pure to be perceived by a general idea. It is like a kind of light which enlightens the mind and imparts the ability to know, think, and understand. Since the rational cannot come into being except also by means of the influx of intellectual truth, represented by Sarai, it inevitably exists in relation to that truth as its son. When the rational is formed from truths that have been allied to goods, more so when it is formed from goods from which truths derive, it is a true son. Previous to that also it is recognized as a son, yet not as a true son but as one born from a servant-girl. All the same, it is adopted as such, and for the reason here stated, that it was 'to be built up from her'.

Poznámky pod čarou:

2439. 'Therefore he called the name of the city Zoar' means the affection for truth. This is clear from the meaning of that city as the affection for good, that is to say, the affection for good that is the fruit of knowledge, which is the affection for truth, dealt with in 1589, and from the meaning of 'calling the name' as knowing the essential nature of some person or thing, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 2009. Here the meaning is that little truth was present, for the name 'Zoar' in the original language means little or small. People with the affection for truth possess little truth because they possess little good in comparison with those with the affection for good; see above 2429

[2] What is more, truths which are in themselves truths are more true with one person, less so with another; and with some they are not truths at all but indeed falsities. This becomes clear from almost all things which in themselves are truths. For truths as they reside-with the individual vary according to his affections. For example, the doing of a good work or the good of charity is in itself a truth to be put into practice. With one person it is the good of charity because it flows from charity, with another a work of obedience because it flows from obedience, with others it is a merit-seeking because they wish by means of it to earn merit and salvation, but with certain people it is a hypocritical action which they do to be seen by others; and so on. So it is with all other truths which are called truths of faith. From this it also becomes clear that much truth resides with people with the affection for good, but less truth with those with the affection for truth; for the latter look on good as something rather remote from themselves while the former look on it as something present within themselves.