מִי יִתֶּנְךָ כְּאָח לִי, בְּאֵי זֶה אָח, כְּקַיִן לְהֶבֶל, קַיִן הָרַג לְהֶבֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ד, ח): וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ. אֶלָּא כְּיִשְׁמָעֵאל לְיִצְחָק, יִשְׁמָעֵאל שׂוֹנֵא לְיִצְחָק. אֶלָּא כְּעֵשָׂו לְיַעֲקֹב, הֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר (בראשית כז, מא): וַיִּשְׂטֹם עֵשָׂו אֶת יַעֲקֹב. אֶלָּא כַּאֲחֵי יוֹסֵף לְיוֹסֵף, שׂוֹנְאִין הָיוּ אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית לז, יא): וַיְקַנְאוּ בוֹ אֶחָיו. בְּאֵי זֶה אָח, יוֹנֵק שְׁדֵי אִמִּי, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר כְּיוֹסֵף לְבִנְיָמִין שֶׁאֲהֵבוֹ בְּלִבּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מג, טז): וַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף אִתָּם אֶת בִּנְיָמִין. אֶמְצָאֲךָ בַחוּץ אֶשָּׁקְךָ, חוּץ, זֶה הַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁהוּא חוּץ לַיִּשּׁוּב. אֶשָּׁקְךָ, בִּשְׁנֵי אַחִים שֶׁנָּשְׁקוּ זֶה לָזֶה, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ד, כז): וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִפְגְּשֵׁהוּ בְּהַר הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ. לֹא יָבֻזוּ לִי, אָמַר רַבִּי פִּנְחָס מַעֲשֶׂה בִּשְׁנֵי אַחִים שֶׁהָיָה אֶחָד בְּמִירוֹן וְאֶחָד בְּגוּשׁ חָלָב, נָפְלָה דְלֵיקָה בְּבֵית זֶה שֶׁהָיָה בְּמִירוֹן וּבָאת אֲחוֹתוֹ מִגּוּשׁ חָלָב הִתְחִילָה מְגַפַּפְתּוֹ מְחַבַּקְתּוֹ וּמְנַשַּׁקְתּוֹ וְאוֹמֶרֶת לֵית דָּא מְבַדֶּה לִי, דַּהֲוָה אָחִי בַּאֲנַנְּקִי וְנִתְפַּלֵּט מִמֶּנָּהּ.
“If only you were like a brother to me, who suckled the breasts of my mother. I would find you outside; I would kiss you, yet they would not despise me” (Song of Songs 8:1). “If only you were like a brother to me” – like what brother? Like Cain to Abel? Cain killed Abel, as it is stated: “Cain arose against Abel his brother, and killed him” (Genesis 4:8). Rather, like Ishmael to Isaac? Ishmael hated Isaac. Rather, like Esau to Jacob? But it is stated: “Esau hated Jacob” (Genesis 27:41). Rather, like Joseph’s brothers to Joseph? They hated him, as it is stated: “His brothers were jealous of him” (Genesis 37:11). Like what brother? “One who suckled the breasts of my mother” – that is to say like Joseph to Benjamin, who loved him wholeheartedly, as it is stated: “Joseph saw Benjamin with them” (Genesis 43:16). “I would find you outside; I would kiss you”; “outside” – this is the wilderness, which is outside the settled area. “I would kiss you” – regarding two brothers who kissed each other, and these are Moses and Aaron, as it is stated: “He went, and he met him at the mountain of God, and he kissed him” (Exodus 4:27). “They would not despise me” – Rabbi Pinḥas said: There was an incident involving two siblings, one of whom was in Meron and one in Gush Ḥalav. The house of the one who lived in Meron caught fire. His sister from Gush Ḥalav came and began hugging, embracing, and kissing him, and saying: This does not demean me, as my brother was in dire straits and was delivered from them.