חֶֽסֶד־וֶאֱמֶ֥ת נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁל֣וֹם נָשָֽׁקוּ׃
Ang kagandahang-loob at ang katotohanan ay nagtagpo; ang katuwiran at ang kapayapaan ay naghalikan.
Shemot Rabbah
“He went, and he met him [at the mountain of God and he kissed him]” – that is what is written: “Kindness and truth met, righteousness and peace kissed” (Psalms 85:11). “Kindness [ḥesed]” – this is Aaron, as it is stated: “Of Levi he said: Your Tummim and your Urim for the man of your piety [ḥasidekha]” (Deuteronomy 33:8). “And truth” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “My servant Moses is not so, [in all My house he is trusted]” (Numbers 12:7). That is: “Kindness and truth met,” as it is stated: “He went, and he met him at the mountain of God.” “Righteousness” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “He executed the righteousness of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 33:21). “And peace” – this is Aaron, as it is stated: “He walked with Me in peace and uprightness” (Malachi 2:6). “Kissed” – “and he kissed him.”
Our Rabbis say: All kisses are indecent except for three.
“He kissed him” – what is “he kissed him”? This one was glad for the prominence of that one, and that one was glad for the prominence of this one. Alternatively, “he kissed [vayishak]15This is an expression of economy [meshek], indicating a transaction. him” – they took the priestly and Levite status; this one took the priestly status and transferred the Levite status, and that one took the Levite status and transferred the priestly status.
Another interpretation: “He kissed him” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: This is comparable to a goldsmith to whom they brought a coin and he saw that inside it was earthenware and outside it was gold. Later, they brought him a coin that was solid gold. He said to them: The first was earthenware and was plated with gold, but this is solid gold. Similarly, the kiss that Esau kissed Jacob was only dross, as it is stated: “An earthen vessel plated with silver dross” (Proverbs 26:23). What was its end? “Burning lips and a wicked heart” (Proverbs 26:23) – he did not seek to kiss him, but rather to bite him. But the kiss of Aaron and Moses was a kiss of truth. In their regard it says: “Kindness and truth met.”
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon says: “Kindness” – this is Aaron; “and truth” – this is Moses. Rabbi Azarya says: “Kindness” – this is Moses, who performed kindness with Joseph. “Truth” – this is Aaron, as it is written: “The law of truth was in his mouth” (Malachi 2:6). That is: “Kindness and truth met” – this is Moses and Aaron.
“He kissed him” – we do not know to whom the Holy One blessed be He accorded deference, whether it was to Aaron or to Moses.16In other words, who was the one who was kissed. Some say that it was to Aaron, who was in Egypt and prophesying to Israel that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to deliver them. [Moses accorded him honor] so that [when] Moses would come and testify in support of Aaron’s words, Israel would say: Aaron was prophesying the truth. Some say that it was to Moses, [and Aaron accorded him honor] so that Moses would come and they would believe his words.
Our Rabbis say: All kisses are indecent except for three
“He kissed him” – what is “he kissed him”? This one was glad for the prominence of that one, and that one was glad for the prominence of this one. Alternatively, “he kissed [vayishak]15This is an expression of economy [meshek], indicating a transaction. him” – they took the priestly and Levite status; this one took the priestly status and transferred the Levite status, and that one took the Levite status and transferred the priestly status.
Another interpretation: “He kissed him” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: This is comparable to a goldsmith to whom they brought a coin and he saw that inside it was earthenware and outside it was gold. Later, they brought him a coin that was solid gold. He said to them: The first was earthenware and was plated with gold, but this is solid gold. Similarly, the kiss that Esau kissed Jacob was only dross, as it is stated: “An earthen vessel plated with silver dross” (Proverbs 26:23). What was its end? “Burning lips and a wicked heart” (Proverbs 26:23) – he did not seek to kiss him, but rather to bite him. But the kiss of Aaron and Moses was a kiss of truth. In their regard it says: “Kindness and truth met.”
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon says: “Kindness” – this is Aaron; “and truth” – this is Moses. Rabbi Azarya says: “Kindness” – this is Moses, who performed kindness with Joseph. “Truth” – this is Aaron, as it is written: “The law of truth was in his mouth” (Malachi 2:6). That is: “Kindness and truth met” – this is Moses and Aaron.
“He kissed him” – we do not know to whom the Holy One blessed be He accorded deference, whether it was to Aaron or to Moses.16In other words, who was the one who was kissed. Some say that it was to Aaron, who was in Egypt and prophesying to Israel that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to deliver them. [Moses accorded him honor] so that [when] Moses would come and testify in support of Aaron’s words, Israel would say: Aaron was prophesying the truth. Some say that it was to Moses, [and Aaron accorded him honor] so that Moses would come and they would believe his words.
Bereshit Rabbah
Rabbi Simon said: When the Holy One blessed be He came to create Adam the first man, the ministering angels divided into various factions and various groups. Some of them were saying: ‘Let him not be created,’ and some of them were saying: ‘Let him be created.’ That is what is written: “Kindness and truth met; righteousness and peace touched” (Psalms 85:11). Kindness said: ‘Let him be created, as he performs acts of kindness.’ Truth said: ‘Let him not be created, as he is all full of lies.’ Righteousness said: ‘Let him be created, as he performs acts of righteousness.’ Peace said: ‘Let him not be created, as he is all full of discord.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He took Truth and cast it down to earth.20Rejecting its counsel. That is what is written: “You cast truth earthward” (Daniel 8:12). The ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, why are You demeaning Your very seal?21“Truth” is the seal of the Holy One blessed be He. Let Truth ascend from the earth.’ That is what is written: “Truth will spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12).
The Rabbis say in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina bar Idi, and Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiya said in the name of Rabbi Simon: Meod, this refers to Man [adam].22Adam and meod are written with the same letters. That is what is written: “God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very [meod] good” (Genesis 1:31) – Man [adam] was good.
Rav Huna, the rabbi of Tzippori, said: While the ministering angels were busy deliberating with one another and engaging with one another, the Holy One blessed be He created him. He said to them: ‘Why are you deliberating? Man has already been created.’
The Rabbis say in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina bar Idi, and Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiya said in the name of Rabbi Simon: Meod, this refers to Man [adam].22Adam and meod are written with the same letters. That is what is written: “God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very [meod] good” (Genesis 1:31) – Man [adam] was good.
Rav Huna, the rabbi of Tzippori, said: While the ministering angels were busy deliberating with one another and engaging with one another, the Holy One blessed be He created him. He said to them: ‘Why are you deliberating? Man has already been created.’
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
Another interpretation (of Exod. 4:27): GO INTO THE DESERT TO MEET MOSES. This text is related (to Ps. 85:11 [10]): FAITHFULNESS AND TRUTH MEET; RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE KISS.115Tanh., Exod. 1:28; Exod. R. 5:10. RIGHTEOUSNESS: This is Moses, <of whom> it is stated (in Deut. 33:21): HE CARRIED OUT THE LORD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS.116The biblical context is Moses’ blessing of Gad. For the midrash these words form part of an aside at the conclusion of the Gad blessing. So understood, they refer to the one giving the blessing, i.e., Moses. PEACE: This is Aaron, of whom it is stated (in Mal. 2:6): IN PEACE AND UPRIGHTNESS HE WALKED WITH ME. FAITHFULNESS: This is Aaron, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 33:8): AND OF LEVI HE SAID: LET YOUR THUMMIM AND URIM BE WITH YOUR FAITHFUL ONE. AND TRUTH ('MT): This is Moses, of whom it is stated (of Moses in Numb. 12:7): HE IS TRUSTED (rt.: 7MN) IN ALL MY HOUSE. Therefore (in Ps. 85:11 [10]): FAITHFULNESS AND TRUTH MEET. (Exod. 4:27): SO HE (Aaron) WENT TO MEET HIM (Moses) <ON THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD>. (Ps. 85:11 [10], cont.): RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE KISS. (Exod. 4:27, cont.): AND KISSED HIM.