אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר רַבִּי סִימוֹן, לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא עֲתִידִין כָּל שָׂרֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם בָּאִין וּמְקַטְרְגִין אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְאוֹמְרִין רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אֵלּוּ עָבְדוּ עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וְאֵלּוּ עָבְדוּ עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, אֵלּוּ גִּלּוּ עֲרָיוֹת וְאֵלּוּ גִּלּוּ עֲרָיוֹת, אֵלּוּ שָׁפְכוּ דָּמִים וְאֵלּוּ שָׁפְכוּ דָּמִים, מִפְּנֵי מָה אֵלּוּ יוֹרְדִין לַגֵּיהִנֹּם וְאֵלּוּ אֵינָן יוֹרְדִין, אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה, מַה קָּטָן זֶה כָּל מַה שֶּׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה אֵין מְמַחִין עַל יָדוֹ, לָמָּה, שֶׁהוּא קָטָן, כָּךְ כָּל מַה שֶּׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מִתְלַכְלְכִין כָּל יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה בַּעֲווֹנוֹתֵיהֶן, בָּא יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וּמְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ט״ז:ל׳): כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם.
“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).