Then the Holy One, blessed be He, said to His people, the House of Israel: “I have come into my Temple which you built for Me, O My Sister, Assembly of Israel, (who are comparable to a chaste bride). I have caused My Presence to dwell among you. And I have favorably received your spice incense which you performed for My name. I have sent fire from heaven and it devoured the burnt offerings and the holy sacrifices. The libations of red wine and white wine, which the priests poured out on My altar, was favorably received. Now come, O priests who love My precepts, and eat what is left of the offerings and delight yourselves with the bounty made ready for you.”

After all these things, the people of the House of Israel sinned, and YY delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, and he led them into exile. And in the exile they resembled a man who sleeps and cannot be aroused from his sleep. And the voice of the Holy Spirit enlightened them by means of the prophets and She would awaken them from the slumber of their hearts. The Master of All the World answered and this is what He said, “Return in repentance, open your mouth, pray and praise Me, O My sister, My beloved, Assembly of Israel (likened to the dove in the perfection of your works), for the hair of My head is filled with your tears (like a man the hair of whose head is soaked with the dew of heaven) and the locks of My hair are filled with the drops from your eyes (like the man whose locks of hair are filled with drops of rain that fall in the night).”

The Assembly of Israel answered before the prophets: “Look, I have already removed the yoke of His commandments from myself and have worshipped the idols of the nations. How can I have the face to return to Him?” The Lord of the World replied to them by the prophets, “And the same for me. Look, I have already lifted My Presence from among you. How then can I return since you have done evil things? I have cleansed my feet of your filth. How then can I let them get dirty among you from your evil deeds?”

When it was made clear before YY that the people of the House of Israel were not willing to repent and return to Him, He stretched forth His mighty blow against the tribe of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh on the other side of the Jordan and delivered them into the hand of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, and he exiled them to Lahlahand Habor, rivers of Gozan, and to the cities of Media. And he took from their hand the molten calf which sinful Jeroboam had put in Leshem Dan, which is called Pamios, in the days of Peqah, son of Remaliah. When I heard, my compassion was stirred for them.

When the mighty stroke of YY came down hard on me, I regretted my actions and the priests brought the sacrifice and offered up spice incense but it was not received favorably, because the Lord of the World had shut the doors of repentance in my face.

The Assembly of Israel said, “I wished to request instruction from YY but he had lifted His Presence from within me. My soul longed for the sound of His Words and I sought the Presence of His Glory, but I did not find it. I prayed before Him, but He covered the heavens with clouds and would not accept my prayer.”

The Chaldeans, who guard the roads, overtook me and battered me all around the city of Jerusalem. Part of me they killed with the sword and part of me they carried into captivity. The people of Babylon, who battered the city and watched the walls–they took the royal crown off the neck of Zedekiah, the King of Judah, and they brought him to Rivlah and put out his eyes.

The Assembly of Israel said, “I adjure you, O prophets, by the decree of the Word of YY, what if our Beloved is revealed to you? Tell Him that I am lovesick for His love.”

The prophets answered and said to the House of Israel, “Which God do you wish to serve, O Assembly of Israel, fairest of all the nations? And whom do you wish to revere that you have adjured us in this way?”

Then the Assembly of Israel began to speak in praise of the Lord of the World, and this is what she said, “The God I desire to worship is that One Who by day is dressed in a robe as white as snow and is occupied with the twenty-four books of the Law, the words of the Prophets, and the Writings; and Who by night is occupied with the six Orders of Mishnah and the glorious splendor of His face blazes like fire from the intense wisdom and judgment–for He innovates new traditions every day and will reveal them to His people on the Great Day. And His banner is over a myriad myriads of angels who minister before Him.

“His Law 16 is more desirable than pure gold, and the interpretation of its Words contain heaps upon heaps of reasons and precepts. They are white as snow to those who keep them, but black as a raven’s wing to those who do not keep them.

“His eyes are looking constantly at Jerusalem to do good to her and to bless her, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year (like doves that stand and look at the streams of water) because of the merit of those who sit in the Sanhedrin, occupied with the Law, making justice flow down smoothly like milk, and those who sit in the House of Study and take great care in judgment until they determine to acquit or to condemn.

“The two stone tablets which He gave to His people were written in ten lines (resembling the lines of the spice garden), multiplying subtleties and reasons as the garden multiplies spices; and the lips of His sages who are occupied with the Law distil reasons on every side and the word of their mouth is like choice myrrh.

“The twelve tribes of Jacob his servant were enrolled on the breastplate, the holy golden ornament, engraved on twelve gems, with the three fathers 17, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Reuben was engraved on ruby, Simeon was engraved on carnelian, Levi was engraved on corundum, Judah was engraved on black marble, Issachar was engraved on emerald, Zebulun was engraved on diamond, Dan was engraved on a beryl, Naphtali was engraved on a sapphire, Gad was engraved on topaz, Asher was engraved on turquoise, Joseph was engraved on malachite, Benjamin was engraved on jasper. They resembled the twelve constellations, shining like a lantern, glistening like ivory in their deeds, and shining like sapphires.

“And the righteous are the pillars of the world, resting on bases of pure gold, those words of the Law with which they are occupied and instruct the people of the House of Israel to do His Will. Like an old scholar, He is filled with compassion for them and makes the sins of the House of Israel as white as the snow. And like a young warrior as strong as cedars, He stands ready to make victorious war against the nations who transgress His Will.

“The words of His palate are as sweet as honey, and all His commandments are more desirable to His sages than gold and silver. This is the praise of God, my Beloved, and this is the power of the strength of my Lord, my Beloved, O prophets who prophesy in Jerusalem.”