רִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲוָה יָתִיב יוֹמָא חַד קַמֵּי מְעַרְתָּא דְּאֲפִיקוּתָא, אַעֲבַר חַד בַּר נָשׁ וּתְרֵין בְּנִין עִמֵּיהּ. וְהֲוָה אָמַר חַד לְחַד, דָּא תּוּקְפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּדָרוֹם אִיהוּ. וְעַלְמָא לָא אִתְקְיַּים אֶלָּא עַל רוּחַ, בְּגִין דְּרוּחַ אִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכָל סִטְרִין, וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּאִיהוּ קָיְימָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ, לָא יָכִיל עַלְמָא לְאִתְקַיָּימָא. Whilst R. Isaac was one day sitting at the entrance of the cave of Apikutha, a man passed by with his two sons. Said one of them to the other: ‘The sun is most powerful when it is in the South, and were it not for the wind which tempers the heat, the world could not exist.’

אָמַר לֵיהּ אֲחוּהָ זְעֵירָא, אִלְמָלֵא יַעֲקֹב, לָא אִתְקְיַּים עַלְמָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּיִיחֲדוּ בְּנוֹי יִחוּדָא דִלְעֵילָא, וְאָמְרוּ (דברים ו׳:ד׳) שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד, דָּא הוּא שְׁלִימוּ עִלָּאָה, לְאִתְיַחֲדָא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד. כְּדֵין אִתְחַבַּר יַעֲקֹב אֲבוּהוֹן וְנָטִיל בֵּיתֵיהּ, וְיָתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּחִבּוּרָא חָדָא עִם אֲבָהָן, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא. Said the younger brother: ‘If not for Jacob, the world could not subsist. For when the unity of God is proclaimed by his sons with the verse, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6, 4), which is an expression of perfect and absolute oneness, then Jacob their father joins them, and takes possession of his house, where he abides in close association with his fathers, so that male and female become united.’

רִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲוָה יָתִיב יוֹמָא חַד קַמֵּי מְעַרְתָּא דְּאֲפִיקוּתָא, אַעֲבַר חַד בַּר נָשׁ וּתְרֵין בְּנִין עִמֵּיהּ. וְהֲוָה אָמַר חַד לְחַד, דָּא תּוּקְפָא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּדָרוֹם אִיהוּ. וְעַלְמָא לָא אִתְקְיַּים אֶלָּא עַל רוּחַ, בְּגִין דְּרוּחַ אִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכָל סִטְרִין, וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּאִיהוּ קָיְימָא בִּשְׁלִימוּ, לָא יָכִיל עַלְמָא לְאִתְקַיָּימָא. Whilst R. Isaac was one day sitting at the entrance of the cave of Apikutha, a man passed by with his two sons. Said one of them to the other: ‘The sun is most powerful when it is in the South, and were it not for the wind which tempers the heat, the world could not exist.’

אָמַר לֵיהּ אֲחוּהָ זְעֵירָא, אִלְמָלֵא יַעֲקֹב, לָא אִתְקְיַּים עַלְמָא. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּיִיחֲדוּ בְּנוֹי יִחוּדָא דִלְעֵילָא, וְאָמְרוּ (דברים ו׳:ד׳) שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד, דָּא הוּא שְׁלִימוּ עִלָּאָה, לְאִתְיַחֲדָא בְּיִחוּדָא חַד. כְּדֵין אִתְחַבַּר יַעֲקֹב אֲבוּהוֹן וְנָטִיל בֵּיתֵיהּ, וְיָתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּחִבּוּרָא חָדָא עִם אֲבָהָן, לְאִתְחַבְּרָא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא. Said the younger brother: ‘If not for Jacob, the world could not subsist. For when the unity of God is proclaimed by his sons with the verse, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deut. 6, 4), which is an expression of perfect and absolute oneness, then Jacob their father joins them, and takes possession of his house, where he abides in close association with his fathers, so that male and female become united.’