"they have forsaken Me"

120. While they were walking Rabbi Aba said, In the verse, "they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewn them out cisterns..." (Yirmeyah 2:13); "they have forsaken Me" refers to he who is false to the sign of the holy imprint. How is he false to it? By placing it in the domain of another, as it is written, "and has married the daughter of a strange El" (Malachi 2:11), who are called broken cisterns. For the idol worshiping nations are called broken cisterns.

121. That of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is called a well, "the fountain of living waters." This is the holy domain of the holy Faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT that is called a well of springs of clear water that comes out and pours from it, as it is written, "and streams from Lebanon" (Shir Hashirim 4:15), AND ALSO, "running waters out of your own well" (Mishlei 5:15), and, "a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters" (Shir Hashirim 4:15). The Other Side is called, "broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Yirmeyah 2:13).

122. Come and see, the river that flows and comes out, WHICH IS YESOD, waters the whole garden, MALCHUT, and waters each and every place, as we explained, until it fills the place of the garden that is called a well of living water, WHICH IS YESOD OF MALCHUT, whence the higher and lower are nourished, as it is written, "and from thence it was parted..." (Beresheet 2:10).

123. None of the aspects of the left side are watered from that spring of gushing water, because they are from the aspect of the other nations and are called broken cisterns. Whoever is false to the holy imprint by that side cleaves to "broken cisterns, that can hold no water," because it does not flow in there. Whoever merits to keep it deserves to be watered by the stream of the river in the World to Come and merits that the supernal well will be filled and blessings will be drawn above and below. Happy is he in this world and in the World to Come. Of this it is written, "and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not" (Yeshayah 58:11).

124. Woe to him who is false to the holy imprint, because he is false to the Supernal Name. Moreover, he causes that well, MALCHUT, not to be blessed. He is called, "he has brought out an evil name upon a virgin of Yisrael" (Devarim 22:19). "A virgin of Yisrael" is exact, THAT IS, MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED THE VIRGIN OF YISRAEL, BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS REVERTS TO BEING A VIRGIN. Rabbi Shimon explained in its place that whoever lays accusing speeches against his first wife and brings out an evil name against her IS LIKE one who brings out an evil name against the higher, MALCHUT, as it is written, "he has brought out an evil name upon a virgin of Yisrael" unspecified, WHICH REFERS TO MALCHUT.

125. This follows the interpretation of Rabbi Chiya in the name of Rabbi Yosi that a virgin receives seven blessings, because she is blessed by seven SFIROT, since the virgin of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, inherits seven blessings, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF SEVEN SFIROT. She is therefore called the daughter of seven.

126. HE ASKS, And another woman, NAMELY A WIDOW OR A DIVORCEE, WHO REMARRIES, from whence come her blessings? AND HE ANSWERS, From the blessings of Boaz and Ruth, as it is written, "And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Hashem make..." (Rut 4:11). For surely ONLY a virgin is blessed with seven blessings, and no other woman is in that secret. When they reached a certain field they saw trees and sat under them. Rabbi Aba said, HERE is clarity for words of Torah. Let us sit down.