A small city – that is the body.
The body, with all of its limbs and organs and systematic functions, is compared to a city.
("What is meant by the verse (Ecclesiastes 9) 'A small city, and few men in it'? The small city is the body, and the few men in it are the limbs; a great king came and surrounded it – this is the evil inclination; he built ramparts and bans upon it – these are sins; and a poor and wise man was found in it – this is the good inclination; and he delivers the city with his wisdom – this is repentance and good deeds." – Nedarim 32b.)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
עִיר קְטַנָּה- זֶה הַגּוּף
Definition (Hebrew)
תִּפְקוּד הַגּוּף עַל כָּל אֲבָרָיו וְאֹפֶן תִּפְקוּדוֹ הַמְּסֻדָּר מָשׁוּל לְאֹפֶן הִתְנַהֲלוּת עִיר.
("מַאי דִּכְתִיב (קֹהֶלֶת ט) עִיר קְטַנָּה וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעָט? עִיר קְטַנָּה – זֶה הַגּוּף, וַאֲנָשִׁים בָּהּ מְעַט - אֵלּוּ אֵבָרִים, וּבָא אֵלֶיהָ מֶלֶךְ גָּדוֹל וְסָבַב אֹתָהּ – זֶה יֵצֶר הָרַע, וּבָנָה עָלֶיהָ מְצוֹדִים וַחֲרָמִים – אֵלּוּ עוֹנוֹת, וּמָצָא בָּהּ אִישׁ מִסְכֵּן וְחָכָם - זֶה יֵצֶר טוֹב, וּמִלַּט הוּא אֶת הָעִיר בְּחָכְמָתוֹ – זוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים" – נְדָרִים לֵב ע"ב).