Ha'azinu: Chapter 53

"And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies" - "Do you thus requite Hashem"

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba says that even though Yisrael sinned and went into exile, God and His Shechinah are always with them. Rabbi Yehuda wonders how Yisrael could repay God for His goodness by sinning and thus sending the Shechinah into exile.

Exile Idolatry

215. Rabbi Aba opened with, "And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies..." (Vayikra 26:44). Yisrael are blessed above all other idolatrous nations, since even though they have angered their Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not want to leave them, as wherever they are exiled among the nations the Holy One, blessed be He, is with them in exile. This is the meaning of, "And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies..."

215. ר"א פָּתַח, וְאַף גַּם זֺאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ.' זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל כָּל עַמִּין עכו"ם, דאע"ג דְּאַרְגִּיזוּ קָמֵי מָארֵיהוֹן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא בָּעֵי לְשַׁבְקָא לוֹן. דִּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּגָלוּ בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִמְּהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא. הה"ד וְאַף גַּם זֺאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ.'

Exile Love Shechinah Zot (This, Fem.)

216. Rabbi Aba said, "And yet for all that, when they are." Come and see how great is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, for Yisrael. Even though they caused themselves to be in exile among the nations, the Shechinah never removed Herself from them. Do not say that they are in exile alone, but, "And yet for all that (Heb. zot)," AS THE SHECHINAH CALLED 'ZOT' is with them. This is the meaning of, "And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies..."

216. ר' אַבָּא אָמַר, וְאַף גַּם זֺאת בִּהְיוֹתָם. ת"ח, כַּמָה חֲבִיבוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבֵּיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דאע"ג דְּגַרְמִין לְמִגְלֵי בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָּא, שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְעֲדִיאַת מִנְּהוֹן לְעָלְמִין. דְּלָא תֵּימָא דְּאִינּוּן בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. אֶלָּא וְאַף גַּם זֺאת עִמְּהוֹן מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. הה"ד וְאַף גַּם זֺאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ.'

Punishment

217. It is like a king who was angry with his son and decreed that as punishment he should go away from him into a faraway land. The queen heard it and said, Since my son is going to a faraway land and the king threw him out of his palace, I shall not leave him. The two of us shall either return to the king's palace or together dwell in another land. After a few days the king visited the queen but did not find her because she left with his son. He said, Since the queen is there, let both of them return.

217. לְמַלְכָּא דְּאַרְגִּיז עַל בְּרֵיהּ, גָּזַר עָלֵיהּ עוֹנְשָׁא לְאִתְרַחֲקָא מִנֵּיהּ, וּלְמֵיזַל לְאַרְעָא רְחִיקָא. שְׁמָעָה מַטְרוֹנִיתָא וְאָמְרָה, הוֹאִיל וּבְרִי אָזִיל לְאַרְעָא רְחִיקָא, וְשַׁדֵי לֵיהּ מַלְכָּא מֵהֵיכָלֵיהּ, אֲנָא לָא אֶשְׁבּוֹק לֵיהּ, אוֹ תַּרְוָונָא כַּחֲדָא נִיתוּב לְהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא אוֹ תַּרְוָונָא כַּחֲדָא נֵיתִיב בְּאַרְעָא אַחֲרָא. לְזִמְנִין, פָּקִיד מַלְכָּא עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, לָא אַשְׁכְּחָהּ. דַּהֲוַות אַזְלַת עִם בְּרֵיהּ, אָמַר הוֹאִיל וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא תַּמָּן תַּרְוַויְיהוּ יְתוּבוּן.

Brit (Covenant) Compassion Covenant (Brit) Exile Jacob Shechinah

218. It will happen the same way when the Holy One, blessed be He, will visit the Shechinah. He shall visit Her first and for Her sake visit His children. This is the meaning of, "And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Yisrael..." (Shemot 6:5). Who brought it about that "I have also heard the groaning"? It is as if the Shechinah HAS CAUSED IT that I remembered Her. This is the meaning of, "and I have remembered My covenant" (Ibid.), THAT IS, THE SHECHINAH CALLED COVENANT. It is also written, "and Elohim remembered His covenant" (Shemot 2:24). AND WHEN THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WILL BRING YISRAEL BACK FROM EXILE IT IS WRITTEN, "Hashem your Elohim will turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you" (Devarim 30:3). It is the Shechinah, OF WHOM IT SAYS, "WILL TURN YOUR CAPTIVITY." It is also written, "Hashem, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob" (Tehilim 85:2), NAMELY THE SHECHINAH CALLED LAND.

218. וּבְזִמְנָא דְּפָקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, פָּקִיד לָהּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּבְגִינָהּ פָּקִיד לִבְנוֹי. הה"ד, וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ.' מַאן גָּרִים דַּאֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא עֲקַתְהוֹן. כִּבְיָכוֹל, מַטְרוֹנִיתָא. דִּדְכַרְנָא לָהּ. הה"ד, וָאֶזְכּוֹר אֶת בְּרִיתִי. וּכְתִיב וַיִּזְכּוֹר אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ. וְכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֵהָדַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא, מַה כְּתִיב. וְשָׁב יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ, דָּא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא. וְעוֹד כְּתִיב, רָצִיתָ יְיָ' אַרְצֶךָ שַׁבְתָּ שְׁבוּת יַעֲקֺב.

Exile Zot (This, Fem.)

219. Rabbi Yehuda said, "Do you thus (Heb. zot) requite Hashem" (Devarim 32:6), you are, "a perverse and crooked generation" (Ibid. 5). You cause 'zot' to go into exile. "Do you thus (Heb. zot) requite Hashem"? Is this how you requite Him for all that He did to you, for all those signs He performed for you. Is this the reward you pay to 'zot?' Who brought it upon you? It is because you are a "foolish people and unwise" (Ibid.), not looking at all the good He did for you until now.

219. א"ר יְהוּדָה, הַלְיְיָ' תִּגְמְלוּ זֺאת, בְּגִין דְּאַתּוּן דּוֹר עִקֵּשׁ וּפְתַלְתּוֹל, אַתּוּן הֲוֵיתוּן גַּרְמִין דְּתִגְלֵי זֺאת בְּגָלוּתָא. הַלְיְיָ' תִּגְמְלוּ זֺאת. דָּא הוּא גְּמוּל דְּעָבֵיד עִמְּכוֹן, בְּכָל אִינּוּן נִימוּסִין דְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּכָל אִינּוּן אַתְוָון דְּעָבֵד לְכוּ, דָּא הוּא גְּמוּל דְּאַתּוּן שָׁלְמִין לְהַאי זֺאת. מַאן גָּרַם לְכוֹן דָּא. בְּגִין דְּאַתּוּן עַם נָבָל וְלֺֹא חָכָם, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּכָל אִינּוּן טָבָן דְּעָבֵד לְכוּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא.

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