7902. 'You shall eat unleavened bread' means the assimilation by good of truth purified from falsity. This is clear from the meaning of eating as making one's own or assimilating, dealt with in 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513 (end), 3596, 4745 (the assimilation of truth by good is meant because truth is assimilated by good, and good - as shown in various places already - derives its specific quality from truth; therefore to make truth one's own truth must be assimilated by good, and to make good one's own good must be conditioned by truth); and from the meaning of what is 'unleavened' as truth purified from all falsity, dealt with in 2342. As regards truth purified from all falsity, it should be recognized that pure truth cannot ever reside with anyone. It cannot both because falsity issues constantly from the evil present and firmly fixed within him, and because the truths are interconnected; therefore if one falsity is present, worse still if a number are present, the actual truths remaining are consequently defiled and have something of falsity in them. But truth is said to be purified from falsity when a person can be preserved by the Lord in the good of innocence. Innocence consists in acknowledging that nothing but evil resides in oneself and that any good comes in from the Lord, and also in believing that one neither knows nor perceives anything, including the truth of faith, if left to oneself, only with the Lord's help. When this is a person's state falsity can be removed from him and truth instilled by the Lord. This state is what is meant by 'unleavened bread' and also by the eating of the Passover lamb.

4745. 'And they sat down to eat bread' means making evil that was a product of falsity their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 3596; 3832; and from the meaning of 'bread' as the good of love, dealt with in 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, as well as all food in general, 2165. Here however 'bread' means the opposite of that good, namely evil, for it is well known that those who eat bread in the Holy Supper in an unworthy manner do not make good but evil their own. From this it is evident that in the contrary sense 'eating bread' means making evil their own. It was a practice among the ancients to eat together when they reached an important decision that was endorsed by everyone else. By eating together they were indicating that they approved the decision and so had made it their own, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, ¹ have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and have eaten on the mountains. Ezekiel 22:6, 9.

What is more, it should be recognized that generally evil has two sources, the first being life and the second doctrine. That which has its origin in false doctrine is called evil that is a product of falsity; and it is this kind of evil that is meant here.

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