286. "If the priest that is anointed do sin to bring guiltiness on the people" (Vayikra 4:3). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse: "Tell me, O you whom my soul loves...if you know not, O you fairest among women" (Shir Hashirim 1:7-8). These verses were explained by the friends to refer to Moses, when he departed from the world, for he said, "Let Hashem, the Elohim of the spirits of all flesh...appoint who may go out before them" (Bemidbar 27:16-17). HE THEN TOLD THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, "TELL ME, O YOU WHOM MY SOUL LOVES, WHERE (OR: 'HOW') YOU FEED..." WHO WOULD YOU APPOINT TO FEED YISRAEL. We learned that this was said of the exile.
287. Come and see: These verses were said by the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, to the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN. "Tell me, O you whom my soul loves," WHICH MAY BE READ AS: 'YOU, WHO LOVES MY SOUL' as in "Have you seen him who loves my soul?" (Shir Hashirim 3:3). To the Holy King, it was said, "O you who loves my soul...how would you feed" (Ibid. 1:7).
288. Rabbi Hamnuna Saba said in his book, As long as the Congregation of Yisrael is with the Holy One, blessed be He, the Holy One, blessed be He, so to speak, is perfected and willingly feeds Himself and others. He feeds Himself by sucking milk from supernal Ima, BY RECEIVING THE ABUNDANCE FROM BINAH. From the sucking, He waters all the others and suckles them. We learned that Rabbi Shimon said that as long as the Congregation of Yisrael is with the Holy One, blessed be He, the Holy One, blessed be He, is in perfection and joy. Blessings rest on Him and from Him go to all the others, NAMELY TO ALL THE WORLDS. Whenever the Congregation of Yisrael is not with the Holy One, blessed be He, the blessings, so to speak, are withheld from Him and from others.
289. The secret meaning of this is that no blessings rest on a place without a male and a female. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore wails and cries, as written, "He shall mightily roar because of His habitation" (Yirmeyah 25:30). What does He say? 'Woe to Me for having destroyed My house and burned My palace.'
290. When the Congregation of Yisrael went into exile, she said before Him, "Tell me, O you whom my soul loves," on whom all the love of my soul is set. "Where you feed:" How will You feed from the deep river, BINAH, which never stops flowing? How will You feed on the illumination of the supernal Eden, CHOCHMAH? "Where you make your flock to rest at noon" (Shir Hashirim 1:7): How will You feed all the others who usually receive water from You?
291. I used to be nourished by you daily and to receive water. I watered all the lower WORLDS and Yisrael were sustained by me. And now "why should I be like one who cloaks himself" (Ibid.): How will I cover myself without blessings? When the blessings are wanted, they shall not be in my hands. "By the flocks of your companions" (Ibid.): How could I stand by them, yet not be leading and nourishing them? "the flocks of your companions" are Yisrael, the children of the patriarchs - ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB - the holy Chariot above, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. SHE THEREFORE CALLS THEM "YOUR COMPANIONS."
292. The Holy One, blessed be He, said TO THE CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL: 'Let alone what is Mine; NAMELY, SHE IS NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE NEEDS OF ZEIR ANPIN, for what is Mine is too secret to be made known. But "If you know not" (Ibid. 8) WHAT CONCERNS yourself, here is some advice: "O you fairest among women" (Ibid.) resembles "Behold, you are fair, my love" (Shir Hashirim 4:1) THAT IS THE NAME OF THE CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL. "Go your way forth by the footsteps of the flock" (Shir Hashirim 1:8): these are the righteous trodden by the heels; NAMELY, EVERYBODY TREADS ON THEM WITH THEIR HEELS, and through them strength will be given you to survive. "And feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents" (Ibid.): These are school children, for whose sake the world endures. They give strength to the Congregation of Yisrael during the time of exile. "Beside the shepherds' tents" (Ibid.): these are the schools and their teachers' houses of learning, where the Torah always dwells.
293. Another explanation for: "If you know not, O you fairest among women." Come and see: When there are righteous men and school children who study the Torah in the world, the Congregation of Yisrael can exist due to them in exile. But if THERE ARE not ENOUGH OF THEM, IT IS AS IF she and they cannot exist in the world. If there be righteous men, they are caught first AND DIE TO ATONE FOR PEOPLE OF THEIR GENERATION. If not, the children for whose sake the world endures are caught first, and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes them from the world, even though they are without sin. Moreover, He even removes the Congregation of Yisrael away from Him and SHE goes out into exile.