We are in our 13 Middot series, and are we up to Middah number seven, V’Emet/ and truth. How is truth one of the 13 attributes of mercy? It doesn't seem to match. If anything, Hessed/kindness is on one side, and Emet is on the other. If I want to be Emet, you might not be deserving. So how is Emet/truth considered one of the 13 attributes of mercy?
Rashi says that the trait of Emet means To reward and pay back the people that deserve it. But once again, how does that fit in with the trait of Emet/Truth?
To explain, we have to go to a Rashi, in the beginning of Va’era (chapter 6, pasuk 3) where Hashem says about Abraham, “ושמי ה׳ לא נודעתי להם in My name of Hashem I didn't tell them yet.
What does that mean? Rashi says it means,
“I wasn't revealed in that way. I wasn't recognized with My name of Emet”
So here we see there's a name of Emet, with the trait of Emet.
What is the trait of Emet? Rashi continues and says, “God's name of Hashem is the name of Emet.. To bring what I said to truth. I promised Abraham, I guaranteed Abraham, and I didn't fulfill it yet. They did yet not have the name of Hashem that is the name of Emet, as it was not yet revealed to them. So in this context, Emet/truth means that God comes through on His promises.
He promised us and Hashem will come through.
It doesn’t always happen right away, but God comes through. That is the Middah of Emet. There may be bumps in the road, but when God promises, He comes through. And we have to have that Middah with people as well.
Sometimes people say “I'll help you. If you need, come to me.” Then the person comes, but he forgot his promise. “What did I say? Oh, I wasn't so serious.”
I once had a fellow who made a pledge and I'll never forget the line he used. I hope no one learns from it. He said, “It was a soft pledge.” That means, “Yeah. I told you, I'd give you money, but you know, it's a soft pledge- not the type you have to keep.” There are people who make pledges and don't keep them. And not just pledges to institutions, but pledges to people. They say, “I'll take care of you… come to me if you need something.” And then amnesia sets in. That is not the trait of Emet.
We need the trait of Emet because Hashem made a lot of promises to us and He will come through, but there might be reasons in the middle- we might have done things wrong, things might have happened... We really want to have that Middah of Emet fulfilled upon us, speedily, and therefore, we need to keep that Middah of Emet as well.
Have a wonderful day.