9. Rabbi Yitzchak opened with, "Like the apple tree..." (Shir Hashirim 2:3). Happy is the portion of Yisrael more than all the idolatrous nations, because all the other nations were handed to appointed ministers to control them. As for holy Yisrael, happy is their portion in this world and in the World to Come that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them neither to an angel nor to another ruler, but took them for His own portion. This is the meaning of, "For Hashem's portion is His people" (Devarim 32:9), and, "For Hashem has chosen Jacob to Himself" (Tehilim 135:4). "Like the apple tree among the trees of the wood:" just as the apple tree is different in color from all the other trees in the field, so is the Holy One, blessed be He, separated and marked above all higher and lower legions. Hence His name is Hashem Tzva'ot, WHICH MEANS He is a sign (Heb. ot) throughout the celestial army (Heb. tzava).
10. Come and see, the Holy One, blessed be He is like an apple that has in it three colors, WHITE, RED AND GREEN THAT INDICATE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. The Congregation of Yisrael, WHO IS MALCHUT, is like a lily. What is a lily? Rabbi Aba said, It is a generic lily, a lily of six petals. The colors of such a lily are white and red, and it is all of two colors, red and white THAT INDICATE JUDGMENT AND CHESED. Such is the Congregation of Yisrael, WHO IS MALCHUT.
11. The Holy One, blessed be He, is like an apple tree; the Congregation of Yisrael is like a lily. For thus spoke the Congregation of Yisrael, "I roused you under the apple tree" (Shir Hashirim 8:5). HE ASKS, Where is this, under the apple tree, AND HE ANSWERS, These are the Patriarchs we mentioned, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET THAT ARE CALLED PATRIARCHS. Rabbi Yosi said, It is Jubilee, NAMELY BINAH CALLED APPLE TREE. Rabbi Aba said, Everything is correct, because the Patriarchs we mentioned are the three colors joined in the apple.
12. Rabbi Yitzchak said, How did the Congregation of Yisrael become a part of the lily? By loving kisses with which MALCHUT cleaved to the supernal King ZEIR ANPIN. Then she took FROM HIS TWO LIPS two roses, as it is written, "his lips like lilies" (Shir Hashirim 5:13). This is why the Congregation of Yisrael said, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth" (Shir Hashirim 1:2), since then she is included in the lilies in his two lips THAT ARE CALLED LILIES.