Song of Songs Rabbah 8:8

¹“We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day that she will be spoken for?” (Song of Songs 8:8). “We have a little sister” – this is Israel. Rabbi Azarya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon: In the future, all the princes of the nations of the world are destined to come and denounce Israel before the Holy One blessed be He and say, ‘Master of the universe, these engaged in idol worship and those engaged in idol worship; these engaged in licentiousness and those engaged in licentiousness; these shed blood and those shed blood. Why, then, are these descending into Gehenna and those are not descending?’ The Holy One blessed be He will say to them: ‘“We have a little sister” – just as with a child, no matter what he does no one reprimands him; why? Because he is a child. Similarly, to whatever extent Israel is tainted by their iniquities all the days of the year, Yom Kippur comes and atones for them, as it is stated: “For on this day He shall atone for you”’ (Leviticus 16:30). ²Rabbi Berekhya interpreted the verse regarding Abraham our patriarch. “We have a little sister [ aḥot ]” – this is Abraham, as it is stated: “Abraham was one [ eḥad ], and he inherited the land” (Ezekiel 33:24). He united [ iḥa ] all mankind before the Holy One blessed be He. Bar Kappara said: Like a person who mends [ me’aḥeh ] a tear. When he was a child, he was engaged in mitzvot and good deeds. “And she has no breasts” – he had not yet reached the age of [obligation in] mitzvot and good deeds. “What shall we do for our sister on the day that she will be spoken for” – on the day that the wicked Nimrod decreed and said that [Abraham] would be thrown into the fiery furnace.