AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES SAYING, WHEN A WOMAN, ETC. R. Abba cited here the verse: “By night upon my bed I sought him”, etc. (S.S. 3, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘is spoken by the Community of Israel who in the exile lies in the dust, in an alien unclean land, and therefore complains of her bed and beseeches “him whom her soul loveth” to deliver her from thence.
She “seeks him but finds him not”, for it is not his way to unite with her save in his temple. She “calls him and he answers not”, for She dwells among other peoples, and only his sons hear his voice.
R. Isaac interpreted thus: ‘ “I make plaint to him of my bed, that he may unite with me to gladden and bless me”, for, as we have learnt, from the union of the King with the Community of Israel many righteous ones obtain a holy inheritance and many blessings accrue to the world.’
(ויקרא י״ב:ב׳) וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵאמֹר אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, (שיר השירים ג׳:א׳) עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי בַּלֵּילוֹת בִּקַּשְׁתִּי וְגוֹ'. עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי, בְּמִשְׁכָּבִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי. אֶלָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמְרָה קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבָעָאת מִנֵּיהּ עַל גָּלוּתָא, בְּגִין דְּהִיא יָתְבָא בֵּין שְׁאָר עַמִּין עִם בְּנָהָא, וּשְׁכִיבַת לְעַפְרָא, וְעַל דְּהִיא שְׁכִיבַת בְּאַרְעָא אָחֳרָא מִסְאֲבָא, אָמְרָה, עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי בָּעֵינָא, דְּכָאִיבְנָא (נ"א דשכיבנא) בְּגָלוּתָא, וְעַל דָּא, בִּקַּשְׁתִּי אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי וּלְאַפָּקָא לִי מִנֵּיהּ.
AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES SAYING, WHEN A WOMAN, ETC. R. Abba cited here the verse: “By night upon my bed I sought him”, etc. (S.S. 3, 1). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘is spoken by the Community of Israel who in the exile lies in the dust, in an alien unclean land, and therefore complains of her bed and beseeches “him whom her soul loveth” to deliver her from thence.
בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו וְלֹא מְצָאתִיו, דְּלָאו אָרְחֵיהּ לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בִּי אֶלָּא בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ, קְרָאתִיו וְלֹא עָנָנִי. דְּהָא בֵּינִי עַמִּין אָחֳרָנִין יָתִיבְנָא, וְקָלֵיהּ לָא שַׁמְעִין אֶלָּא בְּנוֹי. דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ד׳:ל״ג) הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים וְגוֹ'.
She “seeks him but finds him not”, for it is not his way to unite with her save in his temple. She “calls him and he answers not”, for She dwells among other peoples, and only his sons hear his voice.
רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי בַּלֵּילוֹת. אָמְרָה כְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל מִשְׁכָּבִי אִתְרָעַמְנָא קַמֵּיהּ, דִּיְהֵא מִזְדְּוַּוג עַמִּי לְמֶחְדֵּי לִי, וּלְבָרְכָא לִי, בְּחֵידוּ שְׁלִים. דְּהָכִי תָּנֵינָן דְּמִזִוּוּגָא דְּמַלְכָּא בִּכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּמָּה צַדִּיקִים יַרְתּוּ יְרוּתַת אַחֲסַנְתָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכַמָּה בִּרְכָאן מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעָלְמָא.
R. Isaac interpreted thus: ‘ “I make plaint to him of my bed, that he may unite with me to gladden and bless me”, for, as we have learnt, from the union of the King with the Community of Israel many righteous ones obtain a holy inheritance and many blessings accrue to the world.’