9817. And thou shalt speak unto all the wise in heart. That this signifies the influx of the Lord through the Word into all who are in the good of love, is evident from the signification of “speaking,” as being influx (see n. 2951, 5481, 5743, 5797, 7270); and from the signification of “the wise in heart,” as being those who are in the good of love (of which in what follows). That the influx of the Lord through the Word is signified, is because the Lord flows in with the man of the church chiefly through the Word. The reason is that the Word is of such a nature that each and all things therein correspond to the Divine spiritual and Divine celestial things that are in the heavens; whence there is a communication of the affections and thoughts of man with the angels, insomuch that they are as it were a one. From this it is that the world is conjoined with heaven through the Word; but only with those who are in the good of faith and of love. From all this it can be seen that the influx of the Lord with the man of the church is through the Word; for in the heavens the Lord is everything, because the Divine which proceeds from Him and is received by the angels makes heaven.

[2] The reason why “the wise in heart” denote those who are in the good of love, is that wisdom is predicated of the life of heaven in man, and also that by “the heart” is signified the good of love. The life of heaven in man is expressed in the Word by “spirit” and by “heart;” by “spirit” is meant the life of man’s intellectual part, and by “heart” the life of his will part. To the intellectual part belongs truth, and to the will part belongs good. Truth belongs to faith, and good to love; for the understanding receives the truths which are of faith, and the will the goods which are of love. From this it is plain that by “the wise in heart” are signified those who are in the good of love from the Lord. The good of love is celestial good, through which is spiritual good; and spiritual good is that which covers celestial good, as garments cover the body. And as by the garments of Aaron was represented the spiritual kingdom of the Lord joined to His celestial kingdom, and the former comes forth through the latter, therefore it is here said that “the wise in heart,” that is, they who are in the good of love from the Lord, “shall make the garments for Aaron and his sons” (as in what follows). (That “the heart” denotes the good of love, or celestial good, see n. 3635, 3880, 3883-3896, 9050; and that on this account it denotes the will, n. 2930, 3888, 7542, 8910, 9113, 9300, 9495)

9088. He shall pay silver to its master. That this signifies by truth appertaining to him whose good or truth in the natural has been perverted, is evident from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (see n. 1551, 2048, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999); of “giving silver,” as being to redeem by means of truth (n. 2954); and from the signification of “its master,” namely, of him whose ox or ass had fallen into the pit, as being the one whose good or truth in the natural has been perverted; for “an ox” denotes good in the natural, and “an ass” denotes truth there (n. 9065, 9086); and “to fall into a pit” denotes to pervert these (n. 9086).

[2] The case herein is this. If good or truth is being perverted by means of falsity, then that which has been perverted must be amended by means of truth; within the church by means of truth from the Word, or from doctrine which is from the Word. The reason why this must be so, is that truth teaches what is evil and what is false, and in this way the man sees and acknowledges it; and when he sees and acknowledges, he can then be amended. For the Lord flows into those things in man which the man knows; but not into those things which he does not know; and therefore He does not amend what is evil or what is false until the man has been instructed that it is evil or false. From this it is that those who do the work of repentance must see and acknowledge their evils, and thus live a life of truth (see n. 8388-8392). The case is the same with purifications from the evils of the love of self and the love of the world. Purifications from these loves cannot possibly be effected except by means of the truths of faith, because these teach that all concupiscences are from these loves. It was for this reason that among the Israelitish and Jewish nation circumcision was performed by means of a knife of stone; for “circumcision” signified purification from these filthy loves; and the “knife of stone” by which it was performed signified the truth of faith (n. 2799, 7044). Moreover man is regenerated by means of the truths of faith (n. 8635-8640, 8772). This was signified by the “washings,” whereby in olden time they were cleansed. The same is also signified at this day by the waters of baptism, for “waters” signify the truths of faith by means of which evils are removed (n. 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 7307, 8568), and “baptism” signifies regeneration (n. 4255, 5120).

[3] From all this it is evident how erroneously those think who believe that evils or sins in man are wiped away, as the impurities of the body are washed away by water, and that those were cleansed as to the interiors who in old time were washed with water according to the statutes of the church, and also that at the present day men are saved by being baptized; when yet in old time washings merely represented the cleansing of the interiors; and “baptism” signifies regeneration, the “waters” thereof denoting the truths of faith whereby man is cleansed and regenerated, for evils are removed by their means. Baptism is for those who are within the church, because these have the Word, in which are the truths of faith through which man is regenerated.