וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ לָחֶם, מַאי הוּא. אֶלָּא, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּזָרִיק וְאִתְנְגִיד זַרְעָא, לָא תָּבַע לְנוּקְבָא. דְּהָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ שַׁרְיָא, דְּלָא אִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין, וְזַמִּינָא הִיא לְגַבֵּיהּ. דְּהָא זַרְעָא לָא נָגִיד, אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּנוּקְבָא זְמִינָא, וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ כְּחֲדָא בְּדִבּוּקָא חַד דְּלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁן, וְעַל דָּא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִתְבַּע עֲלָהּ. As for the words “nor his seed begging bread”, the meaning is that when the seed flows forward, he does not court the Female, since she abides with him and never parts from him, and hence is ever in a state of readiness for him. For the seed does not flow save when the Female is present, and their mutual desires are blended into one indissoluble ecstasy. Hence he has no need to ask for consent.’

אָמַר לֵיהּ, וּבְזִמְנָא דְגָלוּתָא לָאו הָכִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ זַרְעוֹ כְּתִיב, וְלָאו אִיהוּ. אֵימָתַי נָפִיק, כַּד נוּקְבָא בְּדִבּוּקָא חַד עִם דְּכוּרָא. וְאִי תֵימָא לא רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב, בְּזִמְנָא דְגָלוּתָא מַאי הִיא. R. Jesse remarked: ‘This surely is not the case during the time of exile.’ R. Simeon rejoined: ‘As regards the seed it is, since it is written “his seed” but not he himself; that is, the outpouring of the blessings only occurs when there is close union of the female with the male. It may be asked then, does the assertion, “and I have not seen a righteous forsaken” apply to the time of exile?

אֶלָּא, הָא אָחִיד לְעֵילָא. וְלָא נֶעֱזָב לְעָלְמִין, בְּזִמְנָא אָחֳרָא, לא נֶעֱזָב מִנּוּקְבָא, אָחִיד לְעֵילָא, וְאָחִיד לְתַתָּא. אָחִיד לְעֵילָא, בְּזִמְנָא דְגָלוּתָא. בְּזִמְנָא אָחֳרָא, אָחִיד לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין, לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, וּלְעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ נְעֱזָב. The truth is that the Righteous One is always closely bound to the upper world and so far is never abandoned. Thus at one time, that is, at the time of exile, the Righteous One is not forsaken from the side of the upper world, to which he holds fast, whilst at another time he is not forsaken from the two sides, holding fast to both, the upper and the lower worlds, so that in fact he is never forsaken.’