"Can a woman forget her sucking child"

Synopsis

Rabbi Chiya has received a spirit message about the title verse that he does not understand, and so he is going to see Rabbi Shimon for an interpretation. Rabbi Yitzchak remembers that Rabbi Elazar explained in the name of his father that Yisrael are God's children and so they cannot possibly be forgotten. God can no more forget His children than He can forget His own Name, because they are attached to His Name.

Children Compassion Moses Prophets Women

229. Rabbi Yitzchak said, When we sit before Rabbi Shimon, everything is said openly before him and we have no need for all this, THAT IS, THEY DO NOT NEED TO CONCEAL ANYTHING THERE UNDER NAMES AND TERMS. He said to him, Rabbi Shimon is not like other men, who are all before him like the other prophets before Moses. While they were walking Rabbi Chiya said, It is written, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?" (Yeshayah 49:15). This verse has been explained. Yet here, IN AN INNER SENSE, what does it mean? He said to him, If in the gathering of the friends we were not supported IN INTERPRETING THIS VERSE, what could we say?

229. א"ר יִצְחָק, כַּד אֲנָן יַתְבִין לְקַמֵּיהּ דר"ש, כֺּלָּא אִתְּמַר קַמֵּיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא, וְלָא אִצְטְרִיכְנָא לְכָל הַאי. א"ל, לָאו ר"ש כִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ קַמֵּיהּ, כִּשְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי לְקַמֵּי מֺשֶׁה. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, א"ר חִיָּיא, כְּתִיב, הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָּה וְגוֹ.' הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, וְהָכָא מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. א"ר יִצְחָק, אִי בְּקִטוּרָא דְּחַבְרַיָּיא, סְמִיכָא לָא אַסְמַכְנָא, אֲנָן מַה נֵימָא.

Seven

230. He said to him, I have heard a voice that hinted to me about the interpretation of the verse, one day, when I was walking on the way. But I knew not who said it, and I do not understand it. Come and see, for seven days I have been ill because of that and ate nothing. Now that I am going to the Holy Luminary so he will tell me, I may remember. RABBI YITZCHAK said to him, It could have been on the very day Rabbi Elazar was going to his father-in-law. I accompanied him that day, and now have remembered it.

230. א"ל, דְּהָא קָלָא דִּרְמִיזָא חַד, שְׁמַעְנָא יוֹמָא חַד, כַּד הֲוָה אֲזִילְנָא בְּאָרְחָא, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא מַאן אָמַר, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא מִלָּה. ות"ח, ז' יוֹמִין הֲווֹ דַּחֲלִישְׁנָא ע"ד, וְלָא טַעִימְנָא מִדִי. וְהַשְׁתָּא אֲזִלְנָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּלֵימָא לִי דִּילְמָא אֵדְכַר. א"ל, דִּילְמָא הַהוּא יוֹמָא דַּהֲוָה אָזִיל ר' אֶלְעָזָר לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּחָמוּי, וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא אֲזִילְנָא עִמֵּיהּ, וְהָא אַדְכַּרְנָא מִלָּה.

Children Compassion Earth Exile Heaven Jeremiah Shechinah Vine Women Zion

231. Come and see, thus said Rabbi Elazar in the name of his father. Yisrael said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ever since we fell into exile, the Holy One, blessed be He, left us in exile and forgot us. This is the meaning of, "But Zion said, Hashem has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me" (Ibid. 14). The Shechinah said, "Can a woman forget her sucking child." For Yisrael are considered children, as it is written, "You are the children of Hashem your Elohim"(Devarim 14:1), AND HOW COULD THEY BE FORGOTTEN. "that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb" resembles, "And I have planted you a noble vine, an entirely right seed" (Yirmeyah 2:21). "even these may forget" (Yeshayah 49:15), as in, "These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth" (Beresheet 2:4), "yet I will not forget you" (Yeshayah 49:15). From this we derive that the Holy One, blessed be He, never leaves Yisrael.

231. ת"ח, הָכִי א"ר אֶלְעָזָר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דַּאֲבוֹי, אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִיּוֹמָא דְּנָפִלְנָא בְּגָלוּתָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁבִיק לָן בְּגָלוּתָא, וְאַנְשֵׁי לָן. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, וַתֺּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי יְיָ' וַיְיָ' שְׁכֵחָנִי. אָמְרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא, הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ, וְכִי יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִקְרוּן בְּנִין, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָהּ, כד"א, וְאָנֺכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק כֻּלֺּה זֶרַע אֱמֶת. גַּם אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה, דִּכְתִּיב, אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ. וְאָנֺכִי לֺֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ, מִכָּאן, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שָׁבִיק לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְעָלְמִין.

Children Compassion Women

232. He also says that, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?" is a lofty secret, which the Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'These things are connected with My name.' Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, does not forget His name, which is everything, so does the Holy One, blessed be He, not forget Yisrael, because they are truly attached to His name. Rabbi Chiya trembled and said, Surely these are the words I HEARD BUT FORGOT. Blessed be the Holy One, blessed be He, that I have met you and knew it, and also knew from whom I heard it.

232. תּוּ אָמַר, הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָהּ. דָּא הוּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הָא מִלִּין אִלֵּין בִּשְׁמֵיהּ אֲחִידָן, כְּמָה דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אַנְשֵׁי שְׁמֵיהּ, דְּהָא הוּא כֺּלָּא. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אַנְשֵׁי לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינּוּן אֲחִידָן בִּשְׁמֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ. אִתְרְגִּישׁ ר' חִיָּיא, אָמַר וַדַּאי דָּא הִיא מִלָּה. בְּרִיךְ יְהֵא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאַעְרַעְנָא לָךְ, וְיָדַעְנָא מִלָּה. וְיָדַעְנָא מַאן הַהוּא דְּשָׁמַעְנָא מִנֵּיהּ.

Caves Light Morning

233. Come and see, on the same day I HEARD THIS VOICE THAT INDICATED TO ME THIS EXPLANATION, I ran four miles but didn't find who SAID IT. RABBI YITZCHAK said to him, This is because we went into a cave and Rabbi Elazar rested there an hour. Rabbi Chiya recited about him these verses, NAMELY, OF THE TIME HE MERITED TO BE WITH RABBI ELAZAR IN THE CAVE, "Then shall your light break forth like the morning...Then shall you call, and Hashem shall answer" (Yeshayah 58:8-9), "then shall you delight yourself in Hashem..." (Ibid. 14).

233. ות"ח, דְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּרָהִיטְנָא ד' מִילֵּי, וְלָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא מַאן הֲוָה. א"ל, בְּגִין דְּעָאלְנָא בְּחַד מְעַרְתָּא דר' אֶלְעָזָר נָּפִישׁ שַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא. קָרֵי עָלֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא הָנֵי קְרָאֵי, אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ וְגוֹ.' אָז תִּקְרָא וַיְיָ' יַעֲנֶה וְגוֹ' אָז תִּתְעַנָּג עַל יְיָ' וְגוֹ.'