"and for his sister a virgin"

16. "And for his sister a virgin, that is near to him..." (Vayikra 21:3). The preceding verse says, "But for his kin, that is near to him" (Ibid. 2). Rabbi Aba opened with the verse, "Who is this that comes from Edom, with crimsoned garments from Botzrah...?" (Yeshayah 63:1) "Who is this that comes from Edom," MEANS THAT the Holy One, blessed be He, will be garbed with a garment of vengeance upon Edom, for their ruining His Temple, and burning His Holy, and exiling the Congregation of Yisrael among the nations. He will take revenge upon them forever, until all the mountains in the world will fill with the dead of the nations, and the birds of the sky will be summoned upon them TO FEED UPON THEIR CADAVERS. Every wild beast will feed on them for twelve months and the birds of the sky for seven years until the land will not bear their disgrace. This is the meaning of, "for Hashem has a sacrifice in Botzrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom" (Yeshayah 34:6), until this raiment OF VENGEANCE will be defiled BY THOSE KILLED. This is the meaning of, "and I have stained all my raiment" (Yeshayah 63:3).

17. "With crimsoned garments from Batzrah," because legions of the world came out FROM BATZRAH to wage war against Jerusalem. They started to burn the Holy, while the children of Edom were demolishing the walls, and uprooting cornerstones. This is the meaning of, "Remember, O Hashem, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem, when they said, Raze it, raze it, to its very foundations" (Tehilim 137:7).

18. "This one that is glorious in His apparel" (Yeshayah 63:1), THAT IS, with the garments of vengeance He will don. "Striding in the greatness of His strength" (Ibid.). Striding REFERS TO breaking, as it is written, "the people fall under you" (Tehilim 45:6). Yisrael said to Isaiah, Who is he that will accomplish so much? He opened with the verse, "I that speak in righteousness" (Yeshayah 63:1), He that is "mighty to save" (Ibid.), He of whom it is written, "He loves righteousness and judgment" (Tehilim 33:5), actual righteousness, NAMELY MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED RIGHTEOUSNESS - and He is "mighty to save."

19. Why is this so? Because they caused the Congregation of Yisrael to lie in the dust in exile and fall to the ground, as it is written, "The virgin of Yisrael is fallen; she shall no more rise" (Amos 5:2). For that the Holy One, blessed be He, will don for them garments of vengeance to defile them with many dead, as it is written, "and I have stained all My raiment" (Yeshayah 63:3).

20. And why is it so? SINCE it is written, "And for his sister a virgin, that is near to him, and who has had no husband," WHO IS THE HOLY SHECHINAH, SISTER TO ZEIR ANPIN, who is not the portion of Esau, and was not the lot of him of whom it says, "A cunning hunter, a man of the field" (Beresheet 25:27). "For her he may be defiled" (Vayikra 21:3), FOR HER SAKE, with those garments of vengeance that will be defiled among the multitude OF THE DEAD MENTIONED BEFORE. THEREFORE it is written, "for her he may be defiled," for Her sake, because She is lying IN EXILE in the dust, and he wants to raise Her. This is the meaning of, "Arise, shine, for your light is come" (Yeshayah 60:1).