פָּתַח אִידָךְ (ס"א רבי חייא) וְאָמַר, (משלי י״ב:י״ט) שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְעַד אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר. תָּא חֲזֵי, 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. R. Hiya replied: ‘It is written, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment” (Prov. 12, 19). Now, if the objects of men’s worship were themselves false, it would be as you say. But, in fact, the light and the splendour which we behold are true; the stars aloft in the firmament are true; because men, in their foolishness and lack of sense, mistake these things for God, and call them so, shall God destroy His own work? But in the time that is to be (the Messianic era), not the stars nor the sun will be destroyed, but they who persist in the worship thereof,’

וּקְרָא דָּא הָכִי הוּא. שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד, אִלֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִינּוּן שְׂפַת אֱמֶת. (דברים ו׳:ד׳) יְיָ' אֱלהֵינוּ יְיָ' אֶחָד. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ אֱמֶת, וְרָזָא דֶּאֱמֶת, וּמְסַיְימֵי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֱמֶת. וְדָא אִיהוּ שְׂפַת אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד. and this, in fact, is just what the verse implies: “The lips of truth shall be established for ever”-this refers to Israel, who is “the lip of truth”, in that she proclaims: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one”-the very essence of truth; and the Shem’a concludes with the words, “I the Lord your God am truth”.’

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, (ישעיהו מ״ג:כ״א) עַם זוּ יָצַרְתִּי לִי תְּהִלָּתִי יְסַפֵּרוּ. The second half of the verse we may translate not, “a Iying tongue is but for a moment (reg’a)”, but, more literally, “until I, Israel, shall find rest (argiy’ah) from my hard burden.” For in time to come the Iying tongue of those who call that thing “god” which is not God will be destroyed. But of Israel it is written: “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise” (Isa. 43, 21).’

אַדְכַּרְנָא חֲדָא זִמְנָא דַּהֲוֵינָא אָזִיל בַּהֲדֵי רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, פָּגַע בֵּיהּ הֶגְמוֹנָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אַנְתְּ יַדְעַת מֵאוֹרַיְתָא דִּיְהוּדָאֵי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ יָדַעְנָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, 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. I remember walking once with R. Eleazar, and meeting, while on the way, a Gentile worthy (hegemon). Said he to R. Eleazar: “You are well acquainted with the Jewish Holy Scriptures?” “I am,” replied R. Eleazar. “You say, do you not,” proceeded the Gentile, “that your Faith is truth and your Scriptures likewise, whereas our faith is a lie and our Scriptures a lie also? But it is written in your own Book: ‘the lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a Iying tongue is but for a moment’. Now we have been established in our kingdom from ancient times; it has remained with us for generation after generation, and it is ‘established for ever’; whereas your kingdom was short-lived and was soon taken from you, and in you were fulfilled the words, ‘the Iying tongue is but for a moment’.”

אֲמַר לֵיהּ 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. Said the Gentile to him: “You are indeed right, and blessed is the people which possesses the truth, and the Scripture thereof!” Later, I heard that he had become a Jew.’ They then went on till they came to a field, where they halted for prayer. After this they exclaimed: ‘From now on let us unite ourselves with the Shekinah and discourse on the Torah as we go.’