He then commenced with the verse: “Stay ye me with raisins, comfort me with apples”, etc. (S.S. 2, 5). He said: ‘The Community of Israel speaks thus in exile. Support is needed by one who falls, and therefore the Community of Israel, of whom it is written, “she is fallen, she shall no more rise” (Amos 5, 2), requires support, and she says, “Stay me”. To whom does she say this? To her children who are in exile with her.
And with what shall they support her? “With raisins”: these are the “patriarchs”, who are the first to be replenished with that good wine stored away from the Creation; and when they are replenished, blessings light upon her through the agency of a certain grade, namely the Righteous One, and so he who knows how to unify the Holy Name, even though blessings are not vouchsafed to the world, supports and stays the Community of Israel in exile.
“Comfort me with apples”: this is the same, and it also contains an inner meaning. Raisins intoxicate, but apples sober. Hence raisins to excite, and apples to see that the intoxication does not harm. And why all this? Because “I am sick of love” in the exile. He who unifies the Holy Name must fitly join Mercy with Justice, and this is what supports the Community of Israel in exile.
פָּתַח רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמַר, (שיר השירים ב׳:ה׳) סַמְּכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא הָא אִתְּמַר וְשַׁפִּיר. אֲבָל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל קָאָמַר דָּא בְּגָלוּתָא. סַמְּכוּנִי, מַהוּ סַמְּכוּנִי. אֶלָּא מַאן דְּנָפִיל בָּעֵי לְאַסְמְכָא לֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים קמ״ה:י״ד) סוֹמֵךְ יְיָ' לְכָל הַנּוֹפְלִים וְגוֹ'. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּנָפְלָה, דִּכְתִּיב, (עמוס ה׳:ב׳) נָפְלָה לֹא תוֹסִיף קוּם, בַּעְיָא לְאַסְמְכָא, וְהִיא אָמְרָה סַמְּכוּנִי. לְמַאן אָמְרָה. לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנָהָא דְּאִינּוּן בְּגָלוּתָא עִמָּהּ.
He then commenced with the verse: “Stay ye me with raisins, comfort me with apples”, etc. (S.S. 2, 5). He said: ‘The Community of Israel speaks thus in exile. Support is needed by one who falls, and therefore the Community of Israel, of whom it is written, “she is fallen, she shall no more rise” (Amos 5, 2), requires support, and she says, “Stay me”. To whom does she say this? To her children who are in exile with her.
וּבְמָּה בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן אֲבָהָן, דְּאִינּוּן אִתְמַלְיָין בְּקַדְמִיתָא, מֵהַהוּא חֲמָר טַב דְּמִנְטְרָא. וְכַד אִינּוּן אִתְמַלְיָין, הָא בִּרְכָאָן מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי לְגַבָּהּ, עַל יְדָא דְּחַד דַּרְגָּא דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק. וּמַאן דְּיָדַע לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּבִרְכָּאן לָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעָלְמָא, אִיהוּ סָמִיךְ וְסָעִיד לָהּ לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא.
And with what shall they support her? “With raisins”: these are the “patriarchs”, who are the first to be replenished with that good wine stored away from the Creation; and when they are replenished, blessings light upon her through the agency of a certain grade, namely the Righteous One, and so he who knows how to unify the Holy Name, even though blessings are not vouchsafed to the world, supports and stays the Community of Israel in exile.
רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים, כֹּלָּא חַד כְּמָה דְּאַמָרָן, אֲבָל רָזָא דָּא, אֲשִׁישָׁא: עָיֵיל חַמְרָא. תַּפּוּחַ: אַפִּיק חַמְרָא, וּמְכַוִּון רְעוּתָא. וְעַל דָּא אֲשִׁישׁוֹת וְתַפּוּחִים. אֲשִׁישׁוֹת, לְרַוָואָה מֵחַמְרָא. תַּפּוּחִים, לְכַוְּונָא רְעוּתָא דְּלָא יָזִיק חַמְרָא. וְכָל דָּא לָמָּה. כִּי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי, בְּגָלוּתָא. וּמַאן דִּמְיַיחֵד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, בָּעֵי לְיַחֲדָא דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי, וּלְאַכְלְלָא לוֹן כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי, לְאִתְבַּסְּמָא וּלְאִתְתַּקְנָא כֹּלָּא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, וְדָא סָמִיךְ לָהּ לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא.
“Comfort me with apples”: this is the same, and it also contains an inner meaning. Raisins intoxicate, but apples sober. Hence raisins to excite, and apples to see that the intoxication does not harm. And why all this? Because “I am sick of love” in the exile. He who unifies the Holy Name must fitly join Mercy with Justice, and this is what supports the Community of Israel in exile.