Balak: Chapter 17

"If you know not, O you fairest among women"

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba wonders about the meaning of Congregation, and Rabbi Shimon explains that sometimes the female, Malchut, is called Congregation; this means that she receives many blessings from above but slows down the flow to the lower grades because she finds so little faith there. Wherever she finds a little faith she drips a little dew. If the faith were as great as it is in her, the blessings would have flowed in every direction. Those people who have no faith delay the gifts from being provided below. Rabbi Shimon tells what happens when Yisrael sins, and he talks about the destruction of the two temples and the two exiles to Babylon and Edom. We hear that the Shechinah wonders how she will be able to feed her children in exile from the dew and water of Chassadim at a time when Judgment prevails. Rabbi Shimon says that Zeir Anpin tells her to gain strength for herself by listening to the children who study the Torah. Another explanation of the verse under discussion is that the Shechinah behaves kindly to her children in great secrecy. The rabbis talk about Yisrael (the son) acting rebelliously toward the Father in heaven. Finally we hear that Balak and the Amorites wanted to destroy Yisrael because Yisrael took their land and made it into pasture for their herds.