In the 13 Middot, Chessed precedes Emet...
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Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught...
Human fallibility being what it is,
victory and truth
do not always go together. Therefore,
If you have to always win,
you can't always be true.
(The Empty Chair, p. 75*)
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What does this mean to me?
In the array of the vessels of Divine revelation—what we call the sefiros - the sefirah of Tiferes which is associated with Torah-truth is above that of Netzach, which is the force of endurance and the drive for victory. The negative expression of Netzach is what is known as ta'avas ha'nitzachon, or an obsession with coming out on top. It can serve as an obstacle to reaching a higher truth, and has the power to destroy our relationships with others if we're not careful.
In an ideal state, victory and truth would indeed always go together—truth ultimately will win out. In the interim, while we still live in a world permeated with human error and the concealment of the Divine presence, the first step toward bringing truth and victory together is taken by being willing to seek the highest good rather than the satisfaction of being right.
For today I would rather be good than right; I would rather that truth come to light through whatever means necessary even if it means that I will have to bow my head and admit that I have been wrong.
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A prayer:
O G-d,
help me perfect
every element
of my humanness.
Help me overcome
all my negative traits,
all my evil motivations.
Teach me to turn bad
into good.
(The Gentle Weapon, p. 94**)
Shalom and Regards,
RRW
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