As for the second question, assuredly we are nearer to the supernal King than all other peoples. God has made Israel as it were the heart of all mankind, and as the limbs cannot endure for a moment without the heart, so the other nations cannot endure without Israel.
And what the heart is among the limbs, such is Israel among the nations. The heart is tender and weak, and it alone feels sorrow and distress, since in it alone is intelligence. The other limbs are distant from the king, which is the wisdom and intelligence situate in the brain, but the heart is near. So Israel is near to the Holy King, while the other nations are far away.
שְׁאֶלְתָּא אַחֲרָא, דְּודַּאי אֲנָן קְרֵבִין לְמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין. ודַּאי הָכִי הוּא, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבַד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִבָּא דְּכָל עָלְמָא. וְהָכִי אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין שְׁאַר עַמִּין, כְּלִבָּא בֵּין שַׁיְיפִין, כְּמָה דְּשַׁיְיפִין לָא יַכְלֵי לְמֵיקָם בְּעָלְמָא אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא בְּלָא לִבָּא, הָכִי עַמִּין כֻּלְּהוּ, לָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם בְּעָלְמָא, בְּלָא יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאוֹף הָכִי יְרוּשָׁלַם בְּגוֹ שְׁאַר אַרְעָאן, כְּלִבָּא בְּגוֹ שַׁיְיפִין. וְעַל דָּא אִיהִי בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּכוּלֵי עָלְמָא. כְּלִבָּא גּוֹ שַׁיְיפִין.
As for the second question, assuredly we are nearer to the supernal King than all other peoples. God has made Israel as it were the heart of all mankind, and as the limbs cannot endure for a moment without the heart, so the other nations cannot endure without Israel.
וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְנַהֲגָן גּוֹ שְׁאַר עַמִּין, כְּגַוְונָא דְּלִבָּא גּוֹ שַׁיְיפִין. לִבָּא אִיהִי רָכִיךְ וְחָלָשׁ, וְאִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְּכָל שַׁיְיפִין, לָא יָדַע מִצַּעֲרָא וְעָקָא וִיגוֹנָא כְּלָל אֶלָּא לִבָּא, דְּבֵיהּ קִיוּמָא, דְּבֵיהּ סוּכְלְתָנוּ, שְׁאַר שַׁיְיפִין לָא אִתְקְרִיב בְּהוּ כְּלָל, דְּהָא לֵית בְּהוּ קִיּוּמָא, וְלָא יַדְעִין מִדִי. כָּל שְׁאַר שַׁיְיפִין לָא קְרִיבִין לְמַלְכָּא, דְּאִיהוּ חָכְמְתָא וְסוּכְלְתָנוּ, דְּשַׁרְיָא בְּמוֹחָא, אֶלָּא לִבָּא. וּשְׁאַר שַׁיְיפִין, רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא יַדְעִין מִנֵּיהּ כְּלָל. כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא קְרִיבִין, וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ.
And what the heart is among the limbs, such is Israel among the nations. The heart is tender and weak, and it alone feels sorrow and distress, since in it alone is intelligence. The other limbs are distant from the king, which is the wisdom and intelligence situate in the brain, but the heart is near. So Israel is near to the Holy King, while the other nations are far away.