10661. And of all thy cattle thou shalt give the male. That this signifies that it is given by means of truth, is evident from the signification of “male,” as being truth (see n. 2046, 4005, 7838). The case herein is this. All the good that man has from the Lord is given him by means of truth. For man is born into mere ignorance, and when he advances in age, he has from himself mere thick darkness in spiritual things, for he knows nothing about God, the Lord, heaven and hell, or the life after death. What he knows from himself is about the world and himself; and he calls that good in the world which is in favor of himself; and he calls that true which confirms this. In order therefore that he may have heavenly good, which he will love more than himself and the world, it is necessary for him to learn truths from the Word, or from the doctrine of the church which is from the Word. He cannot love these truths until he knows them, because any affection for what is unknown is impossible. From this it is that truth is that by means of which man has good. The truth with a man becomes good when he loves it; for all that which is loved is good. To love is to will and to do, because that which a man loves, he wills and does. In this way truth becomes good. This then is what is signified by their “giving the male of all the cattle.”