Book of Formation - Sefer Yetzirah

Chapter VI

Mishnah 13, part 7

<< Mishnah 12 
By the grace of G-d 
Copyright © 2013 Nathaniel Segal 

(which I call "Issues of Semantics")

Mishnah * VI.13.7  (continued)  Language has three weaknesses —

Poorly framing an issue, [actually] delivering the poorly framed message, and saying one thing but meaning another.

Language has three strengths —

Silence, and guarded language, and speaking the truth.


Companion

Mishnah 13.  [VI.13.7.]  Language has three weaknesses - In Hebrew, literally, "The tongue has three bad things."

speaking the truth - Here ends the text that Rabbi Joseph Karo (1488-1575) of Safed, Galilee, Israel, uses in his Tikkun Leil Shavu'ot.  Rabbi Karo is better known for composing the Shulchan Arukh - Code of Jewish Law.
This is also the end of Rabbi Shabtai Donolo's text and his commentary (b. 913 - d. 1070).

The most widely published text (such as the Vilna edition), accompanied by several commentaries, is not only missing this mishnah, but it is also missing mishnahs 9 through 12.  The Vilna text culminates with the relationship between the Almighty and the Patriarch Abraham.

truth - eh METT. The first letter of this word is Alef, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The second letter of this word is Mem, a middle letter of the alphabet. The last letter of this three-letter word is Tov, the last letter of the alphabet. These Hebrew letters for 'truth' each have a firm foundation – truth endures.

Also, the universal structure in Creation is a beginning, a middle, and an end.


—  May the Almighty's great name become greater in the world that He created as He wished.  And may He establish his Kingship and hasten the arrival of His Messiah . . .

* Definitions and Pronunciation

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