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.

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."

366. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi said, Surely the road is ready before us. They entered the cave and slept. At midnight, they heard the sounds of growling desert animals and woke up. Rabbi Chiya said, This is the time to help the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT, which praises the King, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. They said, Let each say what he has heard and knows from the Torah. All of them sat.