קבלה אויף שיר השירים 2:6

The sun proceeds and makes his way toward the west; when the west is approached the north side bestirs itself to come forward to meet it, and joins it. Then “he rejoices as a strong man to run his course” (Ps. Ibid.), so as to shed his light on the moon. Now the words WHEN THOU LIGHTEST THE LAMPS contain an allusion to the celestial all of which are lit up together from the radiance of the sun.’¹There seems to be a lacuna here in the text.

(The word “living” is similarly used in the verse “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a living man” (II Sam. 23, 20), i.e. a righteous man who illumines his generation as the living Deity above illumines the universe.) So the well constantly looks to the “living one” to be illumined. Further, the statement that Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi teaches the same lesson as the statement “And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah” (Gen. 25, 20), and abode with her and was united with her, symbolising in this way the union of darkness with night, as it is written: “His left hand under my head” (S. S. 2, 6). Observe now that after Abraham’s death Isaac remained in Kiriath-arba; how, then, it may be asked, can it say that he dwelt in Beer-lahai-roi? The answer is, to indicate that Isaac attached himself and held fast to that well in order to awaken the attribute of mercy, as already explained.’

Observe that when Abraham appeared in the world he embraced the moon and drew her near; when Isaac came he took fast hold of her and clasped her affectionately, as it says: “His left hand under my head” (S. S. 2, 6). But when Jacob came the sun joined the moon and she became illumined, so that Jacob was found perfect on all sides, and the moon was encircled in light and attained completion through the twelve tribes.’