10237. For washing. That this signifies purification from evils and falsities, is evident from the signification of “washing,” as being purification from evils and falsities (see n. 3147, 5954). As in what now follows the subject treated of in the internal sense is purification from evils and falsities by means of the truths of faith, it shall be briefly told how this is; for by “washing” is signified purification; by “waters” are signified the truths of faith; and by the “laver” containing the water is signified the natural, because all spiritual purification is effected in the natural. Man has an external and an internal; the external is called the natural, and also the natural man; and the internal is called the spiritual, and also the spiritual man, for the reason that the internal of man is in the spiritual world where spirits and angels are, and his external is in the natural world where men are. Both the internal and the external man are purified, the internal in heaven, and the external while the man lives in the world, thus in the natural which is in the world.

[2] The reason why purification goes on in the natural at that time, is that the truths of faith come to clear perception in the natural; for there they are among the memory-knowledges, or things of the memory, which are clearly perceived when they are thought of. But this is not the case with the things that are thought of in the internal man; these do not come to clear perception while the man is in the world, because the ideas in the internal man are spiritual. Hence it is that purification is effected in the natural. That it is effected by means of the truths of faith can be seen from the fact that those who are being purified must not only know what evil and falsity are, but must also acknowledge them, and then hold them in aversion and shun them. When this is done, then for the first time is the man purified from them; and evils and falsities cannot be known, thus cannot be acknowledged, except in the natural by means of the truths of faith; for these truths teach what things are evil and false, and thus make them manifest. He who believes that he is purified from evils and falsities before he sees and acknowledges them in himself, is very much mistaken (see n. 8388, 8390, and the following numbers).

[3] It was said that it is in the natural that a man knows his evils and falsities by means of the truths of faith; that is, he knows them in the external man, but not in the internal; the reason is that the ideas of thought in the internal man are spiritual, and spiritual ideas cannot be comprehended in the natural, for they are intellectual ideas which have no such objects as are in the material world; nevertheless these spiritual ideas, which are proper to the internal man, flow into the natural ideas which belong to the external man, and produce and make them, which is done by means of correspondences. But concerning the spiritual ideas which belong to the internal man, of the Lord’s Divine mercy more will be said when heaven is described, with the spirits and angels there, for they think by means of spiritual ideas, and also converse with each other by means of them.

10237a. And thou shalt put it between the Tent of meeting and the altar. That this signifies that there may be the conjunction of truth and good, is evident from the signification of “between the Tent of meeting and the altar,” as being the conjunction of truth and good (see n. 10001, 10025). The reason why the laver was set between the Tent of meeting and the altar, and Aaron and his sons there washed their hands and their feet, was that there might be represented the purification of the heart, and regeneration, which in its essence is the conjunction of truth and good; for the conjunction of truth and good is heaven itself with man; wherefore also heaven is compared in the Word to a marriage. This conjunction is effected by means of the truths of faith, because these teach how man ought to live; and therefore when he lives according to the truths of faith, the conjunction of truth and good is effected, truth being then made good by means of the life. The life of truth is good. This is also meant by man’s being regenerated “by water and the spirit,” “water” denoting the truth of faith; and “the spirit,” a life of this. (That regeneration is the conjunction of truth and good, see n. 2063, 3155, 3158, 3607, 4353, 5365, 5376, 8516, 8517, 8772, 10067)

6004. Fear not to go down into Egypt. That this signifies that natural truth with all things appertaining to it must be initiated into the memory-knowledges of the church, is evident from the representation of Jacob, who is he that was to go down into Egypt, as being natural truth (of which just above, n. 6001); and from the signification of “going down,” as being to be initiated, for in order that this initiation might be represented, Jacob with all that appertained to him went down into Egypt; and from the signification of “Egypt,” as being the memory-knowledges of the church (n. 1462, 4749, 4964, 4966).

[2] In regard to truth being initiated into the memory-knowledges of the church, the case is this. The memory-knowledges of the church were at that time the representatives and significatives of their rituals, for all the rituals of the church were from such things, as also were the memory-knowledges which served as their doctrinals of charity. From these memory-knowledges they knew who are meant by the poor, the needy, the miserable, the afflicted, the oppressed, widows, orphans, sojourners, the bound in prison, the naked, the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, the lame, the blind, the deaf, the maimed, and by many other classes into which they distinguished the neighbor, and thus taught how charity was to be exercised. Such were the memory-knowledges of that time. That at this day these are altogether blotted out of remembrance is evident from the fact that where the above are mentioned in the Word, scarcely anyone knows but that such are meant as are so called-as that widows are meant where “widows” are mentioned, sojourners where “sojourners” are mentioned, the bound in prison where these are mentioned, and so on. Such memory-knowledges flourished in Egypt; and therefore by “Egypt” are signified memory-knowledges. That natural truth which is “Jacob” was to be initiated into such memory-knowledges, is represented by Jacob’s going down into Egypt with all that belonged to him.

[3] Truths are said to be initiated into such memory-knowledges when they are brought into them, so as to be in them. This is effected for the reason that when a memory-knowledge comes into the thought, the truths which have been brought into it may come at the same time into remembrance; as for example, when a sojourner is presented to the thought, seeing that by him are signified those who are to be instructed, that there should instantly come into thought all the exercises of charity toward such, thus truths. In like manner in all other cases. When memory-knowledges are thus filled, then when anyone is thinking from them, the thought extends and diffuses itself far and wide, and indeed to many societies in the heavens at the same time. For such a memory-knowledge, consisting as it does of so many truths within itself, unknown to the man, unfolds itself in this way; but it is necessary that truths be in them.

[4] It is also of Divine order for interior things to bestow themselves in exterior ones, or what is the same, prior things in posterior ones, thus at last all prior things in the ultimates, and for them to be together there. This is the case in universal nature. Unless this is done the man cannot be fully regenerated, for by such a bringing of truths into memory-knowledges, things interior and exterior agree together and make a one which otherwise would be in disagreement; and if they are in disagreement, the man is not in good, because he is not in what is sincere. Moreover memory-knowledges are in a light nearly the same as that in which is the sensual of man’s sight, and this light is such that unless it is enlightened within by the light which is from truths, it leads into falsities, especially into those derived from the fallacies of the senses; and also into evils from falsities. That this is the case will be seen from the experience about influx that is related at the close of the chapters.