Rabbi Yoḥanan interpreted the verse regarding Sodom and Israel. “We have a [little] sister” (Song of Songs 8:8) – this is Sodom. That is what is written: “Your elder sister is Samaria […and your younger sister…is Sodom]” (Ezekiel 16:46). “And she has no breasts” (Song of Songs 8:8) – it did not suckle mitzvot and good deeds.
“What shall we do for our sister on the day” (Song of Songs 8:8) that the supernal court decreed that it will burn in fire, as it is stated: “The Lord rained sulfur and fire on Sodom and on Gomorrah” (Genesis 19:24)? “If she is a wall, we will build upon her” – this is Israel. The Holy One blessed be He said: If Israel stands firm in their deeds like a wall, we will build them up and rescue them. “And if she is a door” – if they sway in their words to and fro like a door, “we will affix [natzur] upon her a cedar panel.”
Just as a drawing [tzura] exists only for a short while, so I will stand with him only for a short while. “I am a wall” – Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, we are a wall and we will stand firm like a wall in [performing] mitzvot and good deeds.’ “And my breasts are like towers” – as we are destined to establish factions and groups of righteous men like us in the world.
“Then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace” – why? Because all the nations of the world were provoking Israel and saying to them: ‘If so, why did He exile you from His land, and why did He destroy His Temple?’ Israel would respond to them: ‘We are comparable to the daughter of a king who hurries to spend the festival in her father’s home. Ultimately, she returns to her home in peace.’25Like a woman who left her husband’s home in order to visit her father’s home for a festival, Israel was sent into exile to the lands from which they had originally come.
Eventually, they will return to their real home, the Land of Israel (Yefe Kol). Another matter: “If she is a wall” – this is [a reference to] Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya. The Holy One blessed be He said: If Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya stand firm in their deeds, we will build the world upon them and rescue them. “And if [she is] a door” – if they sway in their deeds to and fro like a door, “we will affix [natzur] upon her a cedar panel.”
Just as a drawing [tzura] exists only for a short while, so I will stand with them only for a short while. “I am a wall” – they said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘We will stand firm in mitzvot and good deeds like a wall.’ “And my breasts are like towers” – as we are destined to establish in Your world factions and groups of righteous men like us. “Then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace” – the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Just as you descended into the fiery furnace intact, so I will extricate you intact.’ That is what is written: “Then Shadrakh, Meshakh, and Aved Nego emerged [from within the fire]” (Daniel 3:26).