3108. These two verses treat of the initiation of truth into good; but what is the nature of this initiation does not easily fall into the idea of thought with anyone who has been enlightened only by such things as are of the light of the world, and not at the same time by such things as are of the light of heaven, from which light the things which are of the light of the world may themselves be enlightened. They who are not in good, and thence in faith, have no other ideas of thought than those which have been formed from objects of the light of the world. These do not know that there is anything spiritual, nor indeed what the rational is in the genuine sense, but only the natural to which they attribute all things; and this is the reason why these things which are said in the internal sense concerning the initiation of truth into good, are to them too remote to appear to amount to anything; when yet to those who are in the light of heaven these are among their precious things. As regards the initiation of truth into good the case is this: Before truth has been initiated and rightly conjoined, it is indeed with man, but it has not been made as it were of him, or as his own; but as soon as it is being initiated into his good, it is appropriated to him; and it then vanishes from his external memory, and passes into the internal memory; or what is the same, it vanishes from the natural or external man, and passes into the rational or internal man, and puts on the very man, and makes his human, that is, his quality as to the human. Such is the case with all truth that is being conjoined with a man’s good; such also is the case with the falsity that is being conjoined with evil which he calls good; but the difference is that the former opens the rational, and so makes the man rational; whereas the latter closes the rational and makes the man irrational; although he seems to himself, in the darkness in which he then is, to be pre-eminently rational.

3104. Of half a shekel weight. That this signifies sufficient for initiation, is evident from the signification of a “shekel,” a “half shekel,” and “weight.” That a “shekel” is the price or estimation of good and truth, and that a “half shekel” is the determination of its quantity, may be seen above (n. 2959). That “weight” signifies the state of a thing as to good will be seen presently; and thus it is evident that “of half a shekel weight” signifies and involves the quantity in respect to the good meant by the jewel of gold. That it is for initiation, follows from what precedes and follows.

[2] That “weight” is the state of a thing as to good, is evident from the following passages of the Word.

In Ezekiel:

The prophet was to eat food by weight, twenty shekels a day; and was to drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin; for behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and they shall drink water by measure and with astonishment, that they may want bread and water (Ezekiel 4:10-11, 16-17).

Here the vastation of good and of truth is treated of, a representation of which was made by the prophet. The state of vastated good is signified by their “eating food and bread by weight;” and the state of vastated truth by their “drinking water by measure” (that “bread” is the celestial, and thus is good, may be seen above, n (276). 27 6, 680, 1165, 2177; also that “water” is the spiritual, and thus is truth, n. 739, 2702, 3058); hence it is evident that “weight” is predicated of good, and “measure” of truth.

[3] Again:

There shall be balances of justice, and an ephah of justice, and a bath of justice (Ezekiel 45:10, etc.).

This is said of the holy land, by which is signified the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, as may be known from the several particulars there mentioned by the prophet; where there will be no balances, ephah, and bath, but goods and truths which are signified by these weights and measures.

In Isaiah:

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and hath made ready the heavens with the palm of his hand, and hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40:12).

To “weigh the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance,” denotes that from the Lord are the celestial things of love and charity, and that He alone disposes their states. (That “mountains and hills,” concerning which such weights are predicated, are the celestial things of love, may be seen above, n. 795, 796, 1430, 2722.)

[4] In Daniel:

The writing upon the wall of the palace of Belshazzar was, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation: Mene, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it; Tekel, thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting; Peres, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Mede and the Persian (Daniel 5:25-28); where mene or “hath numbered,” is predicated of truth; while tekel or “weighed in the balances” is predicated of good; in the internal sense consummation is treated of.