152. The second question ASKED BY THAT GENTILE, IS THUS: FOR surely we are closer to the Supernal King than any of the other peoples. This must be so for the Holy One, blessed be He, made Yisrael the heart of the whole world, and the relationship of Yisrael to the other nations is as that of the heart to other parts of the body. And just as the other parts of the body do not last, even for a moment, without the heart, so it is that none of the other peoples can exist in the world without Yisrael. Jerusalem, too, has the same relationship with the other countries, being as the heart to the parts of the body, which is why it is in the center of the whole world just as the heart is in the center of the limbs.
152. שְׁאֶלְתָּא אַחֲרָא, דְּוַדַּאי אֲנָן קְרֵבִין לְמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין. וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבַד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִבָּא דְּכָל עָלְמָא. וְהָכִי אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין שְׁאַר עַמִּין, כְּלִבָּא בֵּין שַׁיְיפִין, כְּמָה דְּשַׁיְיפִין לָא יַכְלֵי לְמֵיקָם בְּעָלְמָא אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא בְּלָא לִבָּא, הָכִי עַמִּין כֻּלְּהוּ, לָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם בְּעָלְמָא, בְּלָא יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאוֹף הָכִי יְרוּשְׁלֵם בְּגוֹ שְׁאַר אַרְעָאן, כְּלִבָּא בְּגוֹ שַׁיְיפִין. וְעַל דָּא אִיהִי בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּכוּלֵי עָלְמָא. כְּלִבָּא גּוֹ שַׁיְיפִין.
153. And Yisrael's conduct amongst the other nations is as that of the heart amongst the limbs. The heart is soft and weak, but gives existence to all the limbs, AND ALL THE LIMBS do not know pain, trouble and agony at all, but only the heart does, for in it is existence and intelligence. PAIN AND ANGUISH come nowhere near the other limbs, for they have no existence and know nothing. None of the other limbs comes near to the King, who is wisdom and intelligence that reside in the brain; the heart is the only exception. The other limbs are far from Him and know nothing about Him. Thus it is that Yisrael are near to the Holy King while the other peoples are far from Him.
153. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְנַהֲגָן גּוֹ שְׁאַר עַמִּין, כְּגַוְונָא דְּלִבָּא גּוֹ שַׁיְיפִין. לִבָּא אִיהִי רָכִיךְ וְחָלָשׁ, וְאִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְּכָל שַׁיְיפִין, לָא יָדַע מִצַּעֲרָא וְעָקָא וִיגוֹנָא כְּלָל אֶלָּא לִבָּא, דְּבֵיהּ קִיוּמָא, דְּבֵיהּ סוּכְלְתָנוּ, שְׁאַר שַׁיְיפִין לָא אִתְקְרִיב בְּהוּ כְּלָל, דְּהָא לֵית בְּהוּ קִיּוּמָא, וְלָא יַדְעִין מִדִי. כָּל שְׁאַר שַׁיְיפִין לָא קְרִיבִין לְמַלְכָּא, דְּאִיהוּ חָכְמְתָא וְסוּכְלְתָנוּ, דְּשַׁרְיָא בְּמוֹחָא, אֶלָּא לִבָּא. וּשְׁאַר שַׁיְיפִין, רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא יַדְעִין מִנֵּיהּ כְּלָל. כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא קְרִיבִין, וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ.