ויאמר את אחי אנכי מבקש וגו'. ובזוהר הקדוש (דף קפ"ד ע"א) ר' יהודה פתח (שיר השירים ח׳:א׳) מי יתנך כאח לי יונק שדי אמי אמצאך בחוץ אשקך וכו' אמצאך בחוץ גו גלותא דאיהו בארעא אחרא וכו' ע"ש, המשכיל על דבר ישכיל בדברי זוהר הקדוש הללו מה שנאמר בשם הבעל שם טוב שבגלותינו בחוץ לארץ יש סייעתא להשגת רוח הקודש הגם שאין השכינה שורה וכו', עם כל זה יש סיוע להשגת רוח הקודש, ואפילו אינו הגון כל כך אין מדקדקין עמו כמו בארץ הקדושה, משל למלך כשהוא בדרך ומוכרח ללון במלון ופונדק שאינו לפי כבוד המלך ביופי ונקיות, אין זה בזיון למלך, כיון שהכל יודעין שהמלך הוא בדרך, והבן הדבר: (אגרא דפרקא סי' קמ"ח).
And he said, I am seeking my brothers… (37:16) The Zohar says: Rabbi Yehuda commented on the verse: “O, were you like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother. When I would find you outside, I would kiss you.” (Song of Songs 8:1). I would find You outside – meaning, in the exile, in other lands.”4Zohar I:184a, on Genesis 37:16. In this piece of Zohar, one can find the words of the Baal Shem Tov, that in the Diaspora, special help is available to a person seeking Divine inspiration,5Ruach HaKodesh. despite the fact that the Shechina does not dwell in exile.6Zohar II:5a, 82a. Even if a person is not entirely worthy, heaven is still not so particular with him, as in the Land of Israel. For when a king is on the road, he must sleep in inns and hotels that are not as clean and beautiful as befitting his honor; yet, the king is not disgraced, because everyone knows that he is traveling. Understand this well.7The Baal Shem Tov means that because the Divine Presence is in exile in the world, and no longer focused in the land of Israel and the Holy Temple, it is actually easier to come to a perception of G-d than in the past. On this idea, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye writes (Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Ekev, 181b): “Especially in our time, when the Divine Presence is in exile and finds no place to rest, as soon as a person prepares all of his actions for the sake of heaven, he immediately becomes a “throne” for the Shechina, which rests upon him. He is even considered higher than those of earlier generations, when there were many Tzaddikim in the world; whereas today, “the pious man ceases” (Psalms 12:2) – that is, those who are pious before their Creator (Zohar III:281b). A person should strengthen himself like a warrior, and show kindness to the Shechina, so that he becomes a throne for the attribute of Loving-Kindness (Chesed). Just as in Abraham’s time, when there was no one to help the Shechina but him, now too, besides a very few individuals, no one thinks about how to help and support the Shechina in this bitter exile. Thus, a person who is willing to sacrifice will certainly become a throne for the Divine Presence with the trait of loving-kindness.” Igra d’Pirka 148
ויאמר את אחי אנכי מבקש וגו'. ובזוהר הקדוש (דף קפ"ד ע"א) ר' יהודה פתח (שיר השירים ח׳:א׳) מי יתנך כאח לי יונק שדי אמי אמצאך בחוץ אשקך וכו' אמצאך בחוץ גו גלותא דאיהו בארעא אחרא וכו' ע"ש, המשכיל על דבר ישכיל בדברי זוהר הקדוש הללו מה שנאמר בשם הבעל שם טוב שבגלותינו בחוץ לארץ יש סייעתא להשגת רוח הקודש הגם שאין השכינה שורה וכו', עם כל זה יש סיוע להשגת רוח הקודש, ואפילו אינו הגון כל כך אין מדקדקין עמו כמו בארץ הקדושה, משל למלך כשהוא בדרך ומוכרח ללון במלון ופונדק שאינו לפי כבוד המלך ביופי ונקיות, אין זה בזיון למלך, כיון שהכל יודעין שהמלך הוא בדרך, והבן הדבר:
(אגרא דפרקא סי' קמ"ח).
And he said, I am seeking my brothers… (37:16)
The Zohar says:
Rabbi Yehuda commented on the verse: “O, were you like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother. When I would find you outside, I would kiss you.” (Song of Songs 8:1). I would find You outside – meaning, in the exile, in other lands.”4Zohar I:184a, on Genesis 37:16.
In this piece of Zohar, one can find the words of the Baal Shem Tov, that in the Diaspora, special help is available to a person seeking Divine inspiration,5Ruach HaKodesh. despite the fact that the Shechina does not dwell in exile.6Zohar II:5a, 82a. Even if a person is not entirely worthy, heaven is still not so particular with him, as in the Land of Israel. For when a king is on the road, he must sleep in inns and hotels that are not as clean and beautiful as befitting his honor; yet, the king is not disgraced, because everyone knows that he is traveling. Understand this well.7The Baal Shem Tov means that because the Divine Presence is in exile in the world, and no longer focused in the land of Israel and the Holy Temple, it is actually easier to come to a perception of G-d than in the past. On this idea, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye writes (Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Ekev, 181b): “Especially in our time, when the Divine Presence is in exile and finds no place to rest, as soon as a person prepares all of his actions for the sake of heaven, he immediately becomes a “throne” for the Shechina, which rests upon him. He is even considered higher than those of earlier generations, when there were many Tzaddikim in the world; whereas today, “the pious man ceases” (Psalms 12:2) – that is, those who are pious before their Creator (Zohar III:281b). A person should strengthen himself like a warrior, and show kindness to the Shechina, so that he becomes a throne for the attribute of Loving-Kindness (Chesed). Just as in Abraham’s time, when there was no one to help the Shechina but him, now too, besides a very few individuals, no one thinks about how to help and support the Shechina in this bitter exile. Thus, a person who is willing to sacrifice will certainly become a throne for the Divine Presence with the trait of loving-kindness.”
Igra d’Pirka 148