"If you know not, O you fairest among women"

224. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse: "If you know not, O you fairest among women, go your way forth by the footsteps of the flock" (Shir Hashirim 1:8). The Congregation of Yisrael spoke in this manner in the presence of the King up high. The Congregation of Yisrael? What is the meaning of this congregation? HE RESPONDS: That is the assembly, meaning the gathering, as it says, "Which was the rearward (gatherer) of all the camps" (Bemidbar 10:25), since it assembles to her all the higher camps, MEANING MALCHUT WHICH RECEIVES FROM ALL THE FIRST NINE SFIROT.

225. Sometimes the female, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is called by the name 'congregation,' and it says ABOUT HER "assembly." THAT IS DERIVED FROM WITHHOLDING, as it says, "For Hashem has fast closed" (Beresheet 20:18), WHICH MEANS she receives and does not provide. So it is certain that, due to her great faith, there is no fault in her. She, MALCHUT, is granted without any delay and when THE ABUNDANCE reaches her, she holds in all that she gathered in, and slows down and delays it so it should not fall and shine, but rather, only as dew, drop by drop, bit by bit. What is the reason? Because she finds no faith below, except as it says: "Here a little, and there a little" (Yeshayah 28:13), MEANING a little merit and a little illumination, JUST LIKE dew, measure for measure.

226. If there would have been faith IN THE WORLD as it prevails in her, IN MALCHUT, it would have flowed in every direction, BOTH CHOCHMAH ON THE LEFT SIDE AND CHESED ON THE RIGHT SIDE, without any delay at all. She would have been glad and then she would have received many presents and gifts one on top of another, MEANING ONE GIFT AFTER ANOTHER, and nothing would be held back from her. However, the lower beings, IF THEY LACK FAITH, delay these GIFTS, WHICH SHOULD BE SUPPLIED IN ABUNDANCE TO MALCHUT. As a result, they hold back MALCHUT FROM PROVIDING FOR THE LOWER BEINGS. At that point, she is referred to as "atzeret (lit. 'assembly')." "For Hashem has fast closed (Heb. atzar)," He so to speak is giving the residue and nothing more.

227. Notwithstanding all this, as a mother who provides for her children in secret so no one should notice her, so MALCHUT acts to her children, to Yisrael. I learned from the holy luminary that, when MALCHUT ascends to receive the pleasures and delights, but fault exists in Yisrael below, a tiny drop of BLOOD, AS a mustard seed, reaches her and immediately HER DOMINATION is removed. She dwells over it for several days; then they are aware above that there is fault with Yisrael.

228. The left is awakened instantly, pulls a string below, "and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see" (Beresheet 27:1). Whereas he observed PREVIOUSLY with a favorable eye, in the sense of Abraham, THAT IS CHESED, without any Judgment at all, now "his eyes were dim, so that he could not see." "See:" From seeing definitely, which means from looking at it with a sense of Mercy. Then there is an awakening of Samael in a strong voice to stir accusations on the world, as is said: "He called Esau, his eldest (bigger) son" (Ibid.). He is bigger, towards the camps of the Other Side he is great, and steers all the ships in the ocean that meet the evil wind, to sink them into the depth of his ocean.

229. When the Holy One, blessed be He, is in a state of Mercy, He hands him over all the sins and iniquities of Yisrael. He throws them into the depths of the sea, MEANING TO HIS CAMPS, since all his camps are called the depths of the sea. They take them and wander with them to all the rest of the nations. HE INQUIRES: Do the sins of Yisrael and their iniquities get thrown and divided to their nations? AND WHY SHOULD THEY DO THIS? HE RESPONDS: It is only because they wait and look for the gifts from above like dogs at the table. When the Holy One, blessed be He, takes all the sins of Yisrael and throws them to them, they all immediately think that the gifts and presents that were meant to be given to Yisrael were removed from Yisrael and were granted to them. Immediately, they all together throw them to all other nations.

230. Come and see the Congregation of Yisrael. She said at first, "I am black, but comely" (Shir Hashirim 1:5). She diminished herself before the Supernal King up high and asked of Him, saying, "Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where (Heb. Eichah) you feed, where you make your flock rest at noon" (Ibid. 7). HE INQUIRES: Why twice "Eichah (lit. 'how')?" HE RESPONDS: It is only that they are alluding to the two destructions of the two Temples. When everybody reads the scriptural verses of Eichah, Eichah - "where you feed" at the destruction of the first Temple and "where you make your flock rest" at the destruction of the second Temple. Therefore, it is written twice - Eichah, Eichah.

231. HE INQUIRES: "You feed" and "you make rest." One is not like the other. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM? HE REPLIES: The Babylonian exile was for a short period, and it calls it: "you feed." About the Edomite exile, which is for a prolonged period, it calls it: "you make rest." Therefore, two times Eichah, Eichah. Another reason: "You (also, 'she will') feed" and "you make rest" should have read, 'he feeds' and 'he makes rest,' since it refers to Yisrael. HE RESPONDS: Only that She, THE SHECHINAH, said it about Herself, Eichah, how will Your bride THAT IS THE SHECHINAH feed Her children in exile, when they will be among the other nations? How will She make rest, drip upon them dew and water, MEANING CHASSADIM, in the heat of high noon, MEANING AT A TIME WHEN JUDGMENTS ARE DOMINANT?

232. "Why should I be like one who cloaks himself" (Ibid.), meaning when Yisrael call UPON THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, from their distress and sorrow? The rest of the nations curse and insult them: When will you leave this exile? Why does your Elohim not perform any miracles for you? But I sit like one cloaked who cannot perform miracles for them and take revenge ON THEIR ENEMIES. He, ZEIR ANPIN, replies to her, "If you know not (lit. 'for yourself'), O you fairest among women" (Ibid. 8). He asks, What is the meaning of: "for yourself?" And he answers, "If you know not for yourself" MEANS IF YOU KNOW NOT how to gain the strength for yourself in this exile and be strengthened with power to guard over your children. Get out and be strengthened "by the footsteps of the flock" (Ibid.): This refers to the children in their master's schools, who learn and study Torah. FROM THEM, YOU WILL TAKE THE STRENGTH TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN.

233. "And feed your kids" (Ibid.): These are the ones who were "removed from the breasts" (Yeshayah 28:9), who died and were drawn to the upper Yeshivah, which is, "besides (lit. 'above) the shepherds' tents" (Shir Hashirim 1:8). "Above" is precise. It does not say, 'By the shepherds' tents,' but "above the shepherds' tents" that refers to the Yeshivah of Metatron THAT IS ABOVE THE SHEPHERDS' TENTS IN THIS WORLD, SINCE THE SHEPHERDS, WHO ARE THE LEADERS IN THIS WORLD, GO UP THERE AFTER THEIR DEMISE. There are all the powerful and children of the world, and the leaders in the Torah, who guide in matters of the forbidden and permitted of this world, and all the matters necessary for people. THEREFORE, THEY ARE REFERRED TO AS SHEPHERDS, since "the footsteps of the flock" refers to the children, as we explained. THE "SHEPHERDS" REFER TO THE LEADERS OF THE WORLD.

234. Rabbi Elazar said, "The footsteps of the flock" are the students in the Torah academy who come afterward to the world and find the Torah in a straight open coax. Therefore, they renew ancient insights every day, and the Shechinah rests on them and listens to their words. It is written: "And Hashem hearkened, and heard it" (Malachi 3:16). Rabbi Aba said, That definitely is the case, and it all amounts to the same thing.

235. Another explanation of: "If you know not for yourself." Why "for yourself?" It is that wherever Yisrael are in exile, THE SHECHINAH is with them in exile. It is therefore written, "for yourself." It is also written: "In all their afflictions He is afflicted (lit. 'there is affliction for Him')" (Yeshayah 63:9). Hence, it says "for yourself," MEANING FOR YOUR SAKE, SINCE SHE TOO IS IN EXILE. "You fairest among women." "Fairest:" she said she was black, as it says, "I am black," and he says to her, Yyou are comely, "You fairest among women," meaning she is prettier than all the levels, and, "You are fair, my love" (Shir Hashirim 1:15).

236. Another explanation for: "You fairest among women" means that She is good with kindness and that She is kind to Her children in a secret and hidden manner. The Holy One, blessed be He, is very good to Her for all She does for Her children in a secretly and hidden way, although deeds are improper.

237. Rabbi Aba said, I wonder about the verse, "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken to them: then shall his father and his mother lay hold of him" (Devarim 21:18). We were taught that when the Holy One, blessed be He, said this to Moses, that he write, MEANING, RECORD THE EPISODE OF THE STUBBORN AND THE REBELLIOUS SON, Moses said to him, Master of the Universe Leave this alone. Is there then a father who could do this to his son? Moses saw in advance with his wisdom everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, will do to Yisrael, MEANING TO SAY THAT HE OBSERVED THIS FROM A DISTANCE. HE NOTICED THAT THIS EPISODE OF THE STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS SON ALLUDES TO THE MANNER THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WILL DEAL WITH YISRAEL. THEREFORE, he said, Master of the Universe, leave this thing. And the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to Moses, 'I see what you are saying, but write it down and receive your wages. You know but I know more. Whatever you see, it is for Me to act. Explain that passage through homiletical discourse, but forget ITS SECRET.'

238. At that moment, He gestured to THE ANGEL Yofiel, the chief minister of the Torah. YOFIEL said to Moses, I explained this verse. The words, "If a man have" refer to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says, "Hashem is a man of war" (Shemot 15:3). The son, which is Yisrael; "stubborn and rebellious," as it is written: "For Yisrael is headstrong like a headstrong heifer" (Hoshea 4:16). "Who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother:" That is the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. "When they have chastened him" is as it is written: "Then Hashem testified against Yisrael, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers..." (II Melachim 17:13). "Will not hearken to them," as it is written: "Yet they would not hear...;" "then shall his father and his mother lay hold of him," meaning with the same mind and agreement.

239. "And bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place" (Devarim 21:19): HE ASKS: It should have said, 'To the elders of their city.' Why "to the elders of his city?" "And to the gate of his place," why is "his" IN SINGULAR FORM? HE RESPONDS: "To the elders of his city" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, and "to the gate of his place" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT. HE EXPLAINS, "The elders of his city" refers to the ancient times, the most ancient days of all, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, BEFORE WHICH JUDGMENT IS PUT. "The gates of his place:" That is the Musaf (additional prayer) of Shabbat, THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF MALCHUT THAT ARE ADDED TO HER IN THE SHABBAT.

240. Notwithstanding all this, although everyone knows that judgment is above, NEVERTHELESS HE REMOVED THE JUDGMENT FROM THE GATE OF HIS PLACE, BECAUSE the mother's court, THAT IS MALCHUT, is related to Yisrael and is attached to them. No close relative can sit in trial for relatives and is disqualified from passing sentence. THEREFORE, it is first written: "to the elders of his city" and then "to the gate of his place." As soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were related, He immediately removed the trial from "the gate of his place," THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, WHICH ARE RELATIVES. The following verse says: "And they shall say to the elders of his city." It is not written: 'to the gate of his place,' but rather "to the elders of his city" alone.

241. THEY SAY ABOUT YISRAEL: "This our son" (Devarim 21:20) and no other nation "is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice" (Ibid.). HE INQUIRES: What is the change, that at first it is not written "a glutton and drunkard," and later it is written, "he is a glutton and a drunkard" (Ibid.). HE RESPONDS: What is the cause for Yisrael to be wayward and rebellious toward their Father in heaven? It is because he is a glutton and a drunkard among the rest of the nations, as it says, "But mingled among the nations, and learned their works" (Tehilim 106:35). It is also written: "And the people ate, and bowed down" (Bemidbar 25:2), since the basis and foundation is the eating and drinking, as they did WHEN THEY WERE among the rest of the nations. That caused them to be stubborn and rebellious toward their Father in heaven.

242. That is why IT IS WRITTEN: "And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones" (Devarim 21:21). This refers to the rest of the nations who were aiming and hurling stones at them. They knocked down the walls and smashed the towers. ALL THIS does not benefit them at all, BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT PREVAIL AGAINST YISRAEL. When Moses heard this, he wrote this passage.

243. Notwithstanding all this, "you fairest among women," WHICH IS MALCHUT, the best and dearest among all the women in the world, "go your way forth by the footsteps of the flock." We already explained that these are the synagogues and houses of study. "And feed your kids:" these are the school children who have never tasted any taste of sin. "Besides the shepherds' tents:" these are the teachers of the children and the heads of the Yeshivahs.

244. Another explanation of: "Besides the shepherds' (Heb. roim) tents:" the Vav is missing IN THE WORD ROIM AND IT IS AS IF IT SAYS RAIM (LIT. 'EVIL ONES'). THIS INDICATES THAT they are evil, meaning the Amorite kings, from whom Yisrael have taken the land to give pasture to their herds. And Yisrael have turned that land to pasture land. Then Balak heard that the land that was so important, Yisrael made battle over it, and so demolished it as to make it into pasture. He then strove in whatever means was at his disposal and joined Bilaam with him.