10220. 'This is what everyone passing over to those who have been numbered shall give' means the attribution to the Lord of all that constitutes faith and love. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving' - that is to say, giving the expiation for the soul, which was half a shekel - as deliverance from evils through the acknowledgement that all of faith and love comes from the Lord and none at all from man, dealt with above in 10218. Consequently 'everyone passing over to those who have been numbered' means any truth and good whatever that is arranged and set in order by the Lord. For 'everyone passing over' implies every one of the children of Israel, and all spiritual forms of good and truths are meant by 'the children of Israel', 5414, 5801, 5803, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 5879, 5951, 7957, 8234, 8805; and by 'those who have been numbered' things which have been arranged and set in order by the Lord are meant, 10218.

5879. 'Is my father still alive?' means the presence of spiritual good from the natural. This is clear from the representation of Israel, to whom 'father' refers here, as spiritual good from the natural, dealt with in 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833 (its derivation from the natural being dealt with in 4286); and from the meaning of 'is he still alive?' as the presence of that good. For when he revealed who he was Joseph thought first about his father, whom he knew to be alive. His father was therefore present in his thought at the beginning, and also constantly after that when he talks to his brothers. The reason for this is that the internal celestial, which is 'Joseph', cannot become joined to the truths in the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', except through spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel'. And once that joining together has taken place they are no longer the sons of Jacob but the sons of Israel; for 'the sons of Israel' are spiritual truths within the natural.