"Elohim, You are my El, earnestly I seek You"

Synopsis

The merchant says that when David said his psalm in the desert he was attached to the name Elohim, that is Gvurah. Rabbi Shimon explains that even though David was driven away from Jerusalem, and was therefore outside the place where the Shechinah dwells, he nevertheless continued looking for God. The Shechinah is a well of living water, yet David was in a dry and thirsty land. The rabbis spend the night in the cave and hear the sounds of growling animals at midnight.

David Jerusalem Judah Shechinah

364. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi were astonished, and rejoiced that night. After they ate, his friend the merchant said, I shall tell you something which I studied on that day, the verse saying, "A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah" (Tehilim 63:1). David uttered this psalm when he fled his father-in-law AND WAS IN THE DESERT. HE ASKS, Why did he say, "Elohim, You are my El; earnestly I seek You...IN A DRY AND THIRSTY LAND" (Ibid. 2)? "Elohim, You are my El" means that I am always attached to the name Elohim, which is Gvurah, BECAUSE HE IS IN THE DESERT. "I seek You" is difficult to understand, since David could not have sought the Holy One, blessed be He, in a far land, driven as he was from the land where the Shechinah dwelt, JERUSALEM.

364. תַּוְּוהוּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְחַדּוּ בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא. בָּתַר דְּאָכְלוּ, פָּתַח חַבְרֵיהּ טַיְּיעָא וְאָמַר, אֵימָא קַמַּיְיכוּ מִלָּה חַד, דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּלְנָא בֵּיהּ הַאי יוֹמָא, הַאי קְרָא דִּכְתִּיב, מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בְּמִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה, דָּוִד אָמַר שִׁירָתָא, כַּד הֲוָה עָרִיק מֵחֲמוֹי, אֲמַאי אָמַר אֱלֹהִים אֵלִי אַתָּה אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי וְגוֹ.' אֱלֹהִים אֵלִי אַתָּה, דְּהָא בִּגְבוּרָה אֲחִידָא תְּדִירָא. אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, וְכִי דָּוִד הֵיךְ יָכִיל לְשַׁחֲרָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּאַרְעָא רְחִיקָא, וְאִתְתָּרַךְ מֵאַרְעָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא.

Body David Dwellings Shechinah Soul, The Water Well

365. HE ANSWERS, Even though DAVID was driven away from there, he did not quit his business of seeking the Holy One, blessed be He. I have heard that "I seek You" is like someone saying: I wish to see you, but I cannot. I seek you, but I am outside the dwelling place of the Shechinah AND CANNOT SEEK YOU. "My soul thirsts for You" (Ibid.), for my soul and body long to be seen in Your presence but I cannot, because I am "in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" (Ibid.). Outside the dwelling place of the Shechinah, it is considered "a dry and thirsty land," because there is no living water. What is living water? It is the Shechinah, as it is written, "A well of living water" (Beresheet 26:19). It is therefore written, "A dry and thirsty land, where no water is."

365. אֶלָּא, אע"ג דְּאִתְתָּרַךְ מִתַּמָּן, לָא שָׁבִיק דִּידֵיהּ לְשַׁחֲרָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וַאֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא, אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ: כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר, אֵיזִיל לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קַמָּךְ, בַּר דְּלָא יָכִילְנָא. כַּךְ אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, בַּר דַּאֲנָא לְבַר מֵאֲתַר דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא. צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי, דְּהָא נַפְשָׁאי וְגוּפָא דִּילִי תְּאִיבִין לְגַבָּךְ, לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קַמָּךְ, וְלָא יָכִילְנָא, בְּגִין דַּאֲנָא בְּאָרֶץ צִיָּה וְעָיֵף בְּלִי מָיִם, דְּהָא אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וְעָיֵף אִקְרֵי לְבַר מֵאֲתַר דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא. בְּגִין דְּמַיִם חַיִּים לָא שְׁכִיחַ הָכָא. וּמַאן אִינּוּן מַיִם חַיִּים. דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב בָּהּ בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים, וְעַ"ד אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וְעָיֵף בְּלִי מָיִם כְּתִיב.

Animals Caves Congregation Midnight Torah Zeir Anpin

366. אָמְרוּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְר' יוֹסִי, וַדַּאי אוֹרְחָא תַּקִינָא קָמָן, עָאלוּ לִמְעַרְתָּא וְדַמְכוּ. בְּפַלְגּוּ לֵילְיָא, שַׁמְעוּ קָל חֵיוָתָא בְּמַדְבְּרָא דְּנַהֲמֵי. אַתְּעָרוּ. אָמַר ר' חִיָּיא, הָא עִידָּן הוּא לְסַיְּיעָא לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהִיא מְשָׁבַּחַת לְמַלְכָּא. אָמְרוּ, כָּל חַד וְחַד לֵימָא מִלָּה מִמָּה דְּשָׁמַע וְיָדַע בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, יָתְבוּ כֻּלְּהוּ.