10. The other opened the discussion, and said, "The lip of truth shall be established forever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Mishlei 12:19). Come and behold: if all the inhabitants of the world always worshiped falsehood, then it would be so, THEY WOULD CEASE TO EXIST. But this light and radiation THAT SHINES FROM THE SUN is certainly true, and the stars that are in the heights of the firmament are also true. And if in their foolishness and lack of understanding, they say and call them 'Elohim', the Holy One, blessed be He, does not have to destroy His creations from the world BECAUSE OF THIS. And also, in the time to come, the stars and luminaries will not perish from the universe. But who will perish? Those that worship them WILL PERISH.
10. פָּתַח אִידָךְ וְאָמַר, שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר. ת"ח, אִלּוּ כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא הֲווֹ פַּלְחִין לְשִׁקְרָא, הֲוָה הָכִי, אֲבָל הַאי נְהוֹרָא וְזִהֲרָא דְּנָהִיר, וַדַּאי קְשׁוֹט אִיהוּ. כֹּכְבֵי רוּמָא דִּרְקִיעָא קְשׁוֹט אִינּוּן. אִי בְּטִפְּשׁוּ וְחֶסְרוֹנָא דְּדַעְתָּא דִּלְהוֹן, אִינּוּן אַמְרֵי וְקָרָאן לְהוּ אֱלָהָא, לָא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְשֵׁיצָאָה עוֹבָדוֹי מֵעָלְמָא. אֲבָל לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי לָא יִשְׁתֵּצוּן כֹּכָבַיָא וּנְהוֹרִין דְּעָלְמָא. אֲבָל מַאן יִשְׁתְּצֵי. אִינּוּן דְּפַלְחוּ לוֹן.
11. And this verse: "The lip of truth shall be established forever," refers to the children of Yisrael, who are the lip of Truth, FOR THEY SAY, "Hashem our Elohim, Hashem is One" (Devarim 6:4). And it is all true and the secret of Truth. And they end THE READING OF SH'MA WITH, 'Hashem your Elohim is true.' And hence "the lip of truth shall be established forever."
11. וּקְרָא דָּא הָכִי הוּא. שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד, אִלֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִינּוּן שְׂפַת אֱמֶת. יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ' אֶחָד. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ אֱמֶת, וְרָזָא דֶּאֱמֶת, וּמְסַיְימֵי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֱמֶת. וְדָא אִיהוּ שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד.
12. "But for a moment (lit. 'I will calm down')." HE ASKS: It should say 'for a moment', but it says "calm down". HE ANSWERS: They will long exist in the world, until the future to come. Then I will have respite from their difficult worship, BECAUSE "CALM DOWN" MEANS 'I SHALL HAVE REST.' And at the time that I will calm, the false tongue will perish - meaning those who call 'Elohim' that which is not Elohim. But of the children of Yisrael, who are the lip of truth, it is written: "This people which I have formed for Myself, that they might say My praise" (Yeshayah 43:21).
12. וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה, וְעַד רֶגַע מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי אַרְגִּיעָה. אֶלָּא, עַד כַּמָה יְהֵא קִיוּמָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּעָלְמָא, עַד זִמְנָא דְּיֵיתֵי, וִיּהֵא לִי נַיְיחָא מִפּוּלְחָנָא קַשְׁיָא דְּעָלוֹי. וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאַרְגִּיעָה, יִשְׁתְּצֵי לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר, אִינּוּן דְּקָרָאן אֱלָהָא, לְמַאן דְּלָאו הוּא אֱלָהָא. אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינּוּן שְׂפַת אֱמֶת, כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, עַם זוּ יָצַרְתִּי לִי תְּהִלָּתִי יְסַפֵּרוּ.
13. I remember one time when I was traveling with Rabbi Elazar, he met a general. He said to Rabbi Elazar: Do you know the Torah of the Jews? He said to him: I know. He said to him: Do you not say that your faith is true and your Torah is true but our faith is false and our bible is false? But it is written, "The lip of truth shall be established forever, and a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Mishlei 12:19). We have existed from time immemorial, and our kingdom has never left us, generation after generation. Hence, assuredly it is "established forever." But as for you, for a short period you had a kingdom and immediately it was removed from you. Thus, the passage has been fulfilled by you that says: "And a lying tongue is but for a moment."
13. אַדְכַּרְנָא חֲדָא זִמְנָא דַּהֲוֵינָא אָזִיל בַּהֲדֵי ר' אֶלְעָזָר, פָּגַע בֵּיהּ הֶגְמוֹנָא, א"ל לר' אֶלְעָזָר, אַנְתְּ יַדְעַת מֵאוֹרַיְתָא דִּיְהוּדָאֵי. א"ל יָדַעְנָא. א"ל, לֵית אַתּוּן אַמְרִין דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּלְכוֹן קְשׁוֹט, וְאוֹרַיְיתְכוֹן קְשׁוֹט, וַאֲנָן דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּילָן שֶׁקֶר, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּילָן שֶּׁקֶר. וְהָא כְּתִיב שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר. אֲנָן מִיּוֹמִין דְּעָלְמָא, קַיְימִין בְּמַלְכוּתָא, וְלָא אַעְדִּי מִינָן לְעָלְמִין, דָּרָא בָּתַר דָּרָא, תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וַדַּאי. וְאַתּוּן, זְעֵיר הֲוָה לְכוּ מַלְכוּתָא, וּמִיַּד אַעְדֵּי מִנְּכוֹן, וּקְרָא אִתְקָיָּים בְּכוּ דִּכְתִּיב וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר.
14. He said to him: I see that you are a scholar in Torah. May that man breathe his last. Had it said, "The lip of truth was established forever," then it would be as you said. But it is written, 'shall be established forever', MEANING that the true lip will be established in the future, but not now. For now the lip of falsehood endures, and the lip of truth lies in the dust. And when Truth will stand firm and sprout from the ground then, "the lip of truth shall be established forever."
14. א"ל, חֲמֵינָא בָּךְ דְּאַנְתְּ חַכִּים בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. תִּפַּח רוּחֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא גַּבְרָא. אִלּוּ אָמַר קְרָא, שְׂפַת אֱמֶת כּוֹנַנְתָּ לָעַד, הֲוָה כִּדְקַאמְרָן, אֲבָל לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא תִּכּוֹן, זְמִינָא שְׂפַת אֱמֶת דְּתִכּוֹן, מַה דְּלָאו הָכִי הַשְׁתָּא, דְּהַשְׁתָּא שְׂפַת שֶׁקֶר קַּיְימָא, וּשְׂפַת אֱמֶת שְׁכִיבָא לְעַפְרָא, וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דֶּאֱמֶת יְקוּם עַל קִיוּמֵיהּ, וּמִגּוֹ אֶרֶץ תִּצְמַח, כְּדֵין שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְגוֹ'.
15. The General said to him: You are right. Blessed are the people of the Torah, who inherited the Truth. After some time we heard that he converted. They went on, reached a certain field, and recited their prayer. After they prayed, they said: From now on let us join the Shechinah, and walk and be occupied with Torah.
15. א"ל הַהוּא הֶגְמוֹן, זַכָּאָה אַנְתְּ. וְזַכָּאָה עַמָּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּקְשׁוֹט יָרְתִין. בָּתַר יוֹמִין שְׁמַעְנָא דְּאִתְגְּיַיר. אָזְלוּ, מָטוּ חַד בֵּי חֲקָל, וְצַלּוּ צְלוֹתֵהוֹן. כֵּיוָן דְּצַלּוּ צְלוֹתֵהוֹן, אָמְרוּ מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה נִתְחַבֵּר בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וְנֵזִיל וְנִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.