60. Rabbi Aba commenced the discussion and said, "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon" (Shir Hashirim 4:8). Come and behold, Woe to those people who do not know and are not careful of the service to their Creator. For we learned that Rabbi Yitzchak said, Every day a divine voice emanates from Mount Horeb and says, 'Woe is to those WHO DISREGARD the service of their Creator, woe to those who denigrate the honor of the Torah.' For Rabbi Yehuda said, All who study Torah in this world and acquire good deeds will inherit a complete world. And all who do not study Torah in this world and do not do good deeds will not inherit this or that - MEANING NOT THIS WORLD AND NOT THE WORLD TO COME. YOU MAY WONDER WHY IT IS SAID EITHER HE INHERITS A COMPLETE WORLD OR HE LOSES TWO WORLDS, and yet we have learned there is one who inherits according to his station and what is deserving to him, MEANING THERE IS A MIDDLE WAY. Rabbi Yitzchak said, We did not learn THAT ONE DOES NOT HAVE TWO WORLDS, except for one who has no good deed at all. BUT ONE WHO DOES HAVE GOOD DEEDS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE INCOMPLETE, INHERITS HIS WORLD ACCORDING TO WHAT HE DESERVES BOTH IN THIS WORLD AND IN THE WORLD TO COME.
61. Rabbi Yehuda said, If people knew the love that the Holy One, blessed be He, has for Yisrael, they would roar like lions to pursue Him AND ADHERE TO HIM. At the time that Jacob descended into Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned His company OF ANGELS and said to them, 'All of you descend into Egypt and I will descend with you.' The Shechinah said, 'Master of the Universe, are there hosts without a king?' FOR THE SHECHINAH IS CONSIDERED THE KING OF THE ANGELS BECAUSE THEY ALL FLOW FROM HER. He said to Her, "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;" you will come with Me from Lebanon from the place of Eden, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, that is refined in all its actions. "Bride" is the Shechinah, which is the bride under the canopy. It follows what we have learned, that Rabbi Yehuda said, What is the meaning of, "And it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished (Heb. kalot)..." (Bemidbar 7:1)? Kalot is spelled without a Vav, for this is the day that the kalah (lit. 'bride') enters the Chupah (wedding canopy), and the bride is the Shechinah, WHICH IS IN THE TEMPLE, THE BRIDE UNDER THE CHUPAH.
62. "...With me from Lebanon..." meaning from the place of the supernal Temple. "Look from the top of Amanah." HE ASKS, From the top of what? AND ANSWERS, From the head (top) of those who have Faith (Heb. emunah). And who are they? Jacob and his sons. "From the top of Senir and Chermon," for they are destined to receive My Torah from Mount Chermon - MEANING MOUNT SINAI, WHICH IS CALLED 'CHERMON' - to protect them in exile, WHICH IS CALLED 'CHERMON,' DERIVED FROM DESTRUCTION (HEB. CHEREM). "From the lions' dens," is in reference to the nations that serve idols, who are compared to lions and leopards that oppress YISRAEL with all types of hard labor.
63. Rabbi Aba said, "Come with Me from Lebanon, My bride." AND HE ASKS, Is she coming from Lebanon? Yet she is going up to Lebanon. AND SHE IS ASCENDING TO LEBANON TO RECEIVE CHOCHMAH! THUS, IT SHOULD HAVE SAID, 'ASCEND WITH ME TO LEBANON.' Therefore Rabbi Aba said, When the Shechinah descended into Egypt, six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with Her, and the Holy One, blessed be He, was first, as is written, "And their King passed before them and Hashem at their head" (Michah 2:13).
64. Rabbi Yitzchak said, "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride," refers to the Shechinah. "...With me from Lebanon..." MEANS from the place of the supernal Temple, WHICH IS BINAH. "Look from the Top of Amanah," MEANS from the place of the Temple above and the Temple below. For Rabbi Yehuda said, The Shechinah has never moved from the western wall of the Temple, as is written, "Behold, he stands behind our wall" (Shir Hashirim 2:9). And He is the top of Amanah for the whole world. "From the top of Senir and Chermon," MEANS from the place whence the Torah went out to the world, MEANING MOUNT SINAI, WHICH IS CALLED 'CHERMON.' And why IS THIS? In order to protect Yisrael. "The lions' dens" (Shim Hashirim 4:8), are the nations who worship idols. Rabbi Yudan says, "The lions' dens," refers to scholars who study the Torah in the Torah academies and synagogues, who are lions and leopards in the Torah.