what really exists

if we think about existence, I am reminded of a story

this story sums up best, the true versus perceptual existence

a man once was driving a hidden tzaddik in his coach

attacked by bandits, valiantly he pursued the attackers till they fled but died of his wounds

arriving in heaven, where the true reward of souls is to delight in the Divine wisdom which he had neither a mind nor heart for, the heavenly court rewarded him the reward which followed his mind and heart

to this very day, said rabbi menachem mendel of Lubavitch, he has the best coach in the world, an entire universe complete with geo-political events, life etc. etc., is his fantasy dream-reality

in other words, in absolute truth our universe is literally like a dream – a simple example is trends, today’s obsession is yesterdays news, as was yesterdays obsession (remember fax machines, how about the telegraph, those were way cool; how about coaches, those were the Mercedes, the BMWs the good and bad “cars” you get the point)

so then what is or isn’t true?

in fact, at the retelling of this story, a Chossid asked the Tzemach Tzeddek, “are you saying this table we are siting around is not real?” – “no, it is, because we are talking about God!”

here we have the most accurate description of truth

for only that connected to the truth, even in an auxiliary fashion, but serving the truth, like the servant of a king, is part of the king’s retinue, similarly, only that connected to God is part of reality