Vayikra: Chapter 5

"Why, when I came, was there no man"

Synopsis

We are told that when the children of Yisrael perform good deeds, the Holy Name is complete, but when they do not, and when they are punished by exile, the Name is not complete. Even though they are in exile, God is still among them; yet although He comes to the tabernacle, no one is there whose spirit is awakened.

Eliezer Moses

47. "He called to Moses" (Vayikra 1:1). Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse: "Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand limited, that it cannot redeem?" (Yeshayah 50:2). Yisrael are fortunate, because the Holy One, blessed be He, is wherever they are, and prides Himself with Yisrael, as it is written, "Yisrael, in whom I will be glorified" (Yeshayah 49:3).

47. וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה, רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, מַדּוּעַ בָּאתִי וְאֵין אִישׁ קָרָאתִי וְאֵין עוֹנֶה הֲקָצוֹר קָצְרָה יָדִי מִפְּדוּת. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתְּכַח עִמְּהוֹן, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינֵיהוֹן, וּמִתְפָּאֵר בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, הה"ד יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר.

Congregation Deeds Earth Exile Faith Holy Name Zeir Anpin

48. Furthermore, Yisrael make whole the Faith - THE SECRET OF MALCHUT - on earth. Yisrael is the perfection of the Holy Name. When Yisrael are perfected in their GOOD deeds, as it were, the Holy Name is complete, but when they are not complete in their deeds below and are punished by exile, it is as if the Holy Name on high is not complete. We have learned that one rises and the other descends, for the supernal Yisrael, ZEIR ANPIN, withdraws and rises on high; the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, descends below, and they withdraw from one another and the Holy Name remains incomplete. All this is because the Congregation of Yisrael is in exile.

48. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אַשְׁלִימוּ מְהֵימְנוּתָא בְּאַרְעָא. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלִימוּ דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִינּוּן. וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ בְּעוֹבָדַיְיהוּ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּלִים. וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל לָא אִשְׁתְּלִימוּ לְתַתָּא בְּעוֹבָדַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְחַיְּיבוּ גָּלוּתָא, כִּבְיָכוֹל שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא שְׁלִים לְעֵילָּא. דִּתְנָן דָּא סָלִיק וְדָא נָחִית, יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּלְעֵילָּא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא. כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל נְחִיתַת לְתַתָּא, אִתְרְחָקוּ דָּא מִן דָּא, כִּבְיָכוֹל אִשְׁתְּאַר שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּלָא שְׁלִימוּ. וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא.

Exile Jeremiah

49. Although Yisrael are in exile, the Holy One, blessed be He, is amongst them and comes early to the synagogue. He calls and says, "Return, faithless children, and I will heal your backsliding" (Yirmeyah 3:22), but there is no one whose spirit is awakened. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, says, "Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer?" I came early, yet there is no one whose spirit awakened.

49. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְאָתֵי וְאַקְדִּים לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא, וְקָרֵי וְאָמַר, שׁוּבוּ בָּנִים שׁוֹבָבִים אֶרְפָּא מְשׁוּבוֹתֵיכֶם. וְלֵית מַאן דְּאִתְּעַר רוּחֵיהּ, כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר, מַדוּעַ בָּאתִי וְאֵין אִישׁ קָרָאתִי וְאֵין עוֹנֶה. אַקְדָּמִית, וְאֵין אִישׁ, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִתְּעַר רוּחֵיהּ.

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