"My mother's children were angry with me"
Rabbi Shimon describes this quotation as the one that explains the exile of Yisrael's children, when God decided he wanted to destroy His lower house. By exiling the children, he remained "aloof" from Malchut (earth). So "my mother's children" refers to Malchut and Zeir Anpin, Binah the mother. Then Rabbi Yosi describes how he was walking with Rabbi Chiya when they spotted a man in the river who said "Crown, crown," referring to the crowns Malchut and Zeir Anpin. Then "a flame came and consumed the bird" on the man's head, referring to Malchon, a button.
In reality, The Creator does not choose to destroy or reward his Creation. The Light of The Creator is a constant expanding force of goodness, positivity, and fulfillment. It is man's free - willed choice as to whether he connects to this divine force of Energy [reward] or disconnects from the Light [destruction]. The entire structure of the Upper and Lower Worlds can be simplified and understood by the following analogy. The electrical current flowing through a home is always available for use. If a room is in darkness and we mistakenly [or purposely] fail to plug a lamp into the wall socket, the room remains darkened. The electrical current, however, never changed. It is not logical to conclude that the electricity decided to withhold its energy, keeping the room darkened. It is our own actions or lack of actions that determine whether we live in darkness or light. Kabbalah is the blueprint of the universe, providing man with the tools and methods for connecting to spiritual Light. The verses appearing in this passage are one such tool. We connect ourselves to the mother, Binah, the source and fountainhead of the Light that shines in this world.
181. We learned that Rabbi Shimon said, It is written, "My mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards" (Shir Hashirim 1:6). "My mother's children" are as in the verse, "Cast down from heaven to (or: 'the') earth" (Eichah 2:1), THE EARTH BEING THE NUKVA. For when the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to destroy His lower house, NAMELY THE TEMPLE, and exile Yisrael among the nations, He removed the earth, THE NUKVA, from before Him, and remained aloof from it: "And his sister stood afar off" (Shemot 2:4). And when the earth was afar from the heaven above, ZEIR ANPIN, the lower earth, NAMELY THE TEMPLE, was destroyed and Yisrael were dispersed among the nations. The Congregation of Yisrael said, Who has done this to me, who caused this? "My mother's children," ZEIR ANPIN AND THE NUKVA, who "were angry with me" and kept away from me. Assuredly they are "my mother's children," ZEIR ANPIN AND NUKVA BEING THE CHILDREN OF BINAH, THE MOTHER.
181. תָּנִינָן, אר"ש, כְּתִיב בְּנֵי אִמִּי נִחֲרוּ בִי שָׂמוּנִי נוֹטֵרָה אֶת הַכְּרָמִים, בְּנֵי אִמִּי, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, הִשְׁלִיךְ מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ, דְּכַד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶחְרָבָא בֵּיתֵיהּ דִּלְתַתָּא, וּלְאַגְלָאָה יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא, אַעֲבַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִקַּמֵּיהּ לְהַאי אֶרֶץ, וְאִתְרַחֲקָא מִנֵּיהּ, כְּדִכְתִיב וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק. וְכַד הַאי אֶרֶץ אִתְרַחֲקָא מִשָּׁמַיִם דִּלְעֵילָא, הַאי אֶרֶץ דִּלְתַתָּא אִתְחָרְבָא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְפַּזְּרוּ בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא, אָמְרָה כ"י, מַאן גָּרֵים לִי הַאי, וּמַאן עָבֵיד לִי הַאי, בְּנֵי אִמִּי דְּנִחֲרוּ בִי, וְאִתְרַחֲקוּ מִנִּי, בְּנֵי אִמִּי וַדַּאי.
182. Rabbi Yosi went along the road with Rabbi Chiya bar Rav. While they were walking, Rabbi Yosi said to Rabbi Chiya, Do you see what I see? He said to him: I see a man in the river, and a bird on his head with teeth in its mouth. It is eating and tearing with its claws. The man raises his voice and shouts, but I do not know what he says.
182. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲוָה אָזֵיל בְּאָרְחָא, וַהֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר רַב, עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אֲמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְרִבִּי חִיָּיא, חֲמֵיתָא מַה דַּאֲנָא חָמֵית. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, חָמֵינָא גַּבְרָא חַד בְּנַהֲרָא, וְצִפֳּרָא חַד עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וְעִלְעָא בְּפוּמֵיהּ דְּצִפּוֹרָא, וְאָכְלָא וְרָפְסָא בְּרַגְלוֹי, וְהַהוּא גְּבַר רָמֵי קָלִין וְצָוַוח, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא מַאי קָאֲמַר.
183. RABBI YOSI said, Let us approach the man and hear what he says. Rabbi Chiya said, I am afraid to come near. He said to him: Is this a man in that place? The Holy One, blessed be He, gave us a hint of Wisdom. They came near him and heard him say, Crown, crown, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN AND NUKVA CALLED CROWNS, two children OF BINAH dwell outside THEIR PLACE. ZEIR ANPIN does not have rest, nor is there respite FOR THE NUKVA, until the bird will be cast away (TORN to pieces) in Caesarea.
183. אֲמַר, נִקְרַב גַּבֵּיהּ, וְנִשְׁמַע. אֲמַר מִסְתָּפֵינָא לְמִקְרַב. א"ל, וְכִי ב"נ הוּא בַּאֲתַר דָא, אֶלָּא רְמִיזָא דְחָכְמְתָא, דְּרָמִיז לָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. קְרִיבוּ גַבֵּיהּ, שָׁמְעוּ דַּהֲוָה אֲמַר, עוֹטְרָא עוֹטְרָא, תְּרֵין בְּנִין שַׁרְיָין לְבַר, לָא נָח וְלָא נַיְיחָא, עַד דְּצַפְרָא בְּקֵיסָרָא רְמִיו.
184. Rabbi Yosi wept and said, This is what we learned in relation to the verse, "My mother's children were angry with me," WHICH ALLUDES TO MALE AND FEMALE. Why? Because "my own vineyard I have not kept" (Shir Hashirim 1:6).
184. בָּכָה ר' יוֹסֵי וַאֲמַר, הַיְינוּ דְתָנִינָן, בְּנֵי אִמִּי נִחֲרוּ בִי וגו,' מ"ט. בְּגִין דְּכַרְמִי שֶׁלִּי לֹא נָטָרְתִּי.
185. He said, Assuredly the exile will continue, and therefore the birds in the sky, THE MINISTERS OF THE NATIONS, will be in power until the government of the idolatrous nations will pass away from the world. When will that be? When the day of the Holy One, blessed be He, will come and His Judgment will be set upon the world, as it is written, "But it shall be one particular day which shall be known as Hashem's, neither day nor night" (Zecharyah 14:7).
185. אֲמַר וַדַּאי גָלוּתָא אִתְמְשַׁךְ, וְעַל דָּא צִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָא לָא אַעֲדִיוּ, עַד דִּי שָׁלְטָנוּתָא דְּעַמִּין עעכו"ם אַעֲדִיאוּ מִן עַלְמָא, וְאֵימָתַי. עַד דְּיִמְטֵי יוֹמָא, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְעַר דִּינוֹי בְּעַלְמָא, דִּכְתִיב וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַה' לֹא יוֹם וְלֹא לָיְלָה.
186. While they were walking, they heard a voice saying, 'The flame of the button has come with its judgment;' MEANING, OF MALCHUT CALLED BUTTON. A flame came and consumed the bird. Rabbi Yosi said, Surely, it happened as in the verse, "And given to the burning flame" (Daniel 7:11).
186. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלִין, שָׁמְעוּ חַד קָלָא דַּהֲוָה אֲמַר, אוֹקִידָא דְּקוֹפְטִירָא מָטָא בְּדִינוֹי, נָפַק חַד שַׁלְהוֹבָא, וְאוֹקֵיד לְהַהוּא צִפּוֹרָא. אֲמַר וַדַּאי, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, וִיהִיבַת לִיקֵדַת אֶשָּׁא.