R. Hiya and R. Jose were beside themselves with gladness on that night. After they had eaten, the other merchant said: ‘I will now tell you something on which I have been meditating this day, in connection with the verse, “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah” (Ps. 63, 1). David said this psalm when he was fleeing from his father-in-law. Why did he say, “Elohim, thou art my God” (Ibid. 2)? Because he was always attached to Geburah. He went on, “I will seek thee early.” How, we may ask, could David seek God early in a distant land, when he was exiled from the land where the Shekinah abides?
This shows, that though he was driven from there, he did not cease to seek the Holy One, blessed be He. “My soul thirsteth for thee”, because my soul and my body yearn for thee that I may appear before thee and I am not able, being in a dry and weary land where no water is; for so any land is called where the Shekinah does not abide.’
תַּוְוהוּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וְחַדּוּ בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא. בָּתַר דְּאָכְלוּ, פָּתַח חַבְרֵיהּ טַיְּיעָא וְאָמַר, אֵימָא קַמַּיְיכוּ מִלָּה חַד, דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּלְנָא בֵּיהּ הַאי יוֹמָא, הַאי קְרָא דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים ס״ג:א׳) מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בְּמִדְבַּר יְהוּדָה, דָּוִד אָמַר שִׁירָתָא, כַּד הֲוָה עָרִיק מֵחֲמוֹי, אֲמַאי אָמַר (תהילים ס״ג:ב׳) אֱלהִים אֵלִי אַתָּה אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי וְגוֹ'. אֱלֹהִים אֵלִי אַתָּה, דְּהָא בִּגְבוּרָה אֲחִידָא תְּדִירָא. אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, וְכִי דָּוִד הֵיךְ יָכִיל לְשַׁחֲרָא לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּאַרְעָא רְחִיקָא, וְאִתְתָּרַךְ מֵאַרְעָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא.
R. Hiya and R. Jose were beside themselves with gladness on that night. After they had eaten, the other merchant said: ‘I will now tell you something on which I have been meditating this day, in connection with the verse, “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah” (Ps. 63, 1). David said this psalm when he was fleeing from his father-in-law. Why did he say, “Elohim, thou art my God” (Ibid. 2)? Because he was always attached to Geburah. He went on, “I will seek thee early.” How, we may ask, could David seek God early in a distant land, when he was exiled from the land where the Shekinah abides?
אֶלָּא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְתָּרַךְ מִתַּמָּן, לָא שָׁבִיק דִּידֵיהּ לְשַׁחֲרָא לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וַאֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא, אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ: כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר, אֵיזִיל לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קַמָּךְ, בַּר דְּלָא יָכִילְנָא. כַּךְ אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ, בַּר דַּאֲנָא לְבַר מֵאֲתַר דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא. צָמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי, דְּהָא נַפְשָׁאי וְגוּפָא דִּילִי תְּאִיבִין לְגַבָּךְ, לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קַמָּךְ, וְלָא יָכִילְנָא, בְּגִין דַּאֲנָא בְּאָרֶץ צִיָּה וְעָיִףִ בְּלִי מָיִם, דְּהָא אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וְעָיֵף אִקְרֵי לְבַר מֵאֲתַר דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא. בְּגִין דְּמַיִם חַיִּים לָא שְׁכִיחַ הָכָא. וּמַאן אִינּוּן מַיִם חַיִּים. דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב בָּהּ (בראשית כ״ו:י״ט) בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים, וְעַל דָּא אֶרֶץ צִיָּה ועָיֵף בְּלִי מָיִם כְּתִיב.
This shows, that though he was driven from there, he did not cease to seek the Holy One, blessed be He. “My soul thirsteth for thee”, because my soul and my body yearn for thee that I may appear before thee and I am not able, being in a dry and weary land where no water is; for so any land is called where the Shekinah does not abide.’