60. I see that you have come now because the Male does not reside within the Female AND, AS A RESULT, THERE IS NO RAIN IN THE WORLD. He said, If you have come to me for this reason, then go back, as this day I have seen that everything will return to be face to face AND THERE WILL BE NO LACK OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN IN THE WORLD. However, if you have come here to study Torah, then stay with me. They replied to him: We came to our master for both of them, FOR RAINFALL AND FOR STUDY OF TORAH. Allow one of us to report to our brethren ABOUT THE SALVATION OF RAIN, while we, and the other friends with us, will remain with our master.
60. וְהַשְׁתָּא חֲמֵינָא, דְּאַתּוּן אֲתִיתוּן, עַל דִּדְכוּרָא לָא שַׁרְיָא בְּנוּקְבָּא, אָמַר, אִי לְדָא אֲתִיתוּן גַּבָּאי תִּיבוּ. דְּהַאי יוֹמָא אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא, דְּיִתְהַדָר כֺּלָּא לְמִשְׁרֵי אַנְפִּין בְּאַנְפִּין. וְאִי לְאוֹרַיְיתָא אֲתִיתוּן, שָׁרוּ גַּבָּאי. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ, לְכֺלָּא, קָא אֲתֵינָא לְגַבֵּי דְּמֺר, יִשְׁתְּמִיט חַד מִינָן, לְבַשְּׂרָא לַאֲחָנָא, שְׁאָר חַבְרַיָּיא, וַאֲנָן נֵתִיב לְקָמֵיהּ דְּמֺר.
183. We have learned that whenever Yisrael are in exile and are found worthy, the Holy One, blessed be He, hastens His mercy for them and draws them out from exile. If they are not found worthy, He keeps them in exile until the time He originally decreed. If that time arrives yet they are not worthy OF REDEMPTION, the Holy One, blessed be He, is mindful of the glory of His Name, and does not forget them in exile. This is the meaning of the verse, "Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob..." (Vayikra 26:42). For they are everyone's Patriarchs, REFERRING TO CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, the secret of the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, AS HE IS MINDFUL OF THE GLORY OF HIS NAME.
183. תָּאנָא, בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, אִי אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים לְרַחֲמָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וּלְאַפָּקָא לוֹן מִגָּלוּתָא. וְאִי אִינּוּן לָא זַכָּאִין, מְעַכֵּב לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִתְגְּזַר. וְכַד מָטָא זִמְנָא, וְאִינּוּן לָא אִתְחַזְיָין, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁגַּח לִיקָרָא דִּשְׁמָיָא, וְלָא אַנְשֵׁי לְהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, הה"ד וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקֺב וְגוֹ.' אִלֵּין אֲבָהָן דְּכֺלָּא, רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.
225. Another explanation for, "You shall afflict your souls" (Vayikra 16:29): Rabbi Aba opened the discussion saying, "There was a little city, and few men within it" (Kohelet 9:14). "A little city" has been explained. Yet the little city is as in, "We have a strong city; He sets up salvation..." (Yeshayah 26:1) and, "And I will not come as an enemy (also: 'in a city')" (Hoshea 11:9), WHERE CITY REFERS TO MALCHUT. "A little city" is small, because it is the last of all SFIROT and the lowest of them all. Its walls are large, strong and holy, and it is called a holy city. "And few men within it:" Few are those who merit to enter within and dwell there, as the verse says, "Who shall ascend into the mountain of Hashem? or who shall stand in His holy place?..." (Tehilim 24:3). Therefore, "and few men within it."
225. ד"א תְּעַנּוּ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, עִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט וְגוֹ,' עִיר קְטַנָּה, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל עִיר קְטַנָּה, כד"א, עִיר עָז לָנוּ יְשׁוּעָה יָשִׁית וְגוֹ.' וּכְתִּיב וְלֹא אָבֺא בְּעִיר. עִיר קְטַנָּה, זְעֵירָא הִיא, דְּהִיא בַּתְרָאָה מִכֺּלָּא, תַּתָּאָה מִכֺלָּא, שׁוּרוֹי רַבְרְבִין, תַּקִּיפִין, קַדִּישִׁין, עִיר הַקֺּדֶשׁ אִקְרֵי. וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט, זְעִירִין אִינּוּן דְּזַכָּאן לְסַלְּקָא לְגַוָּוהּ, וּלְמִשְׁרֵי בָּהּ, כד"א מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר יְיָ' וּמִי יָקוּם בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ וְגוֹ.' וְעַ"ד אֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט.