R. Isaac said: ‘When Israel are in captivity, God, if one may say so, is with them in captivity, for the Shekinah never leaves them. It was with them in Babylon and returned with them from the captivity; and for the sake of those righteous who were left in the land it abode in the land, as it never left them.’ R. Judah said: ‘The Matrona returned to the King and everything was gloriously restored, and therefore they were called “the men of the great Synagogue”.
We have learnt that if Israel in exile show themselves deserving, God will have mercy on them and hasten to bring them forth from exile, and if not He keeps them there until the appointed time,1v. T. B. Sanhedrin, 98a. and if when that comes they are still not worthy He has regard to the honour of His Name and does not forget them in exile, as it is written: “I shall remember my covenant with Jacob”, etc. (Lev. 26, 42).’
תָּאנָא, (ויקרא ט״ז:י״ז) וְכָל אָדָם לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, (ויקרא כ״ו:מ״ב) וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקֹב וְאַף אֶת בְּרִיתִי יִצְחָק וְגוֹ', וְהַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, כִּבְיָכוֹל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִמְּהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, דְּהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְעָדֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ לְעָלְמִין. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בְּגָלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל, שְׁכִינְתָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ שַׁרְיָא, וְתָאבָת עִמְּהוֹן מִן גָּלוּתָא. וּבִזְכוּת אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דְּאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ בְּאַרְעָא, שָׁארַת בְּאַרְעָא, וְלָא אַעְדֵּי מִנַּיְיהוּ לְעָלְמִין. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, דְּאִתְהַדְּרַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא בְּמַלְכָּא, וְאִתְהַדָּר כֹּלָּא בְּהִלּוּלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, בְּגִין כָּךְ אִקְרוּן אַנְשֵׁי כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה, כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה וַדַּאי.
R. Isaac said: ‘When Israel are in captivity, God, if one may say so, is with them in captivity, for the Shekinah never leaves them. It was with them in Babylon and returned with them from the captivity; and for the sake of those righteous who were left in the land it abode in the land, as it never left them.’ R. Judah said: ‘The Matrona returned to the King and everything was gloriously restored, and therefore they were called “the men of the great Synagogue”.
תָּאנָא, בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, אִי אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים לְרַחֲמָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וּלְאַפָּקָא לוֹן מִגָּלוּתָא. וְאִי אִינּוּן לָא זַכָּאִין, מְעַכֵּב לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִתְגְּזַר. וְכַד מָטָא זִמְנָא, וְאִינּוּן לָא אִתְחַזְיָין, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַשְׁגַּח לִיקָרָא דִּשְׁמֵיה, וְלָא אַנְשֵׁי לְהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב וְגוֹ'. אִלֵּין אֲבָהָן דְּכֹלָּא, רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.
We have learnt that if Israel in exile show themselves deserving, God will have mercy on them and hasten to bring them forth from exile, and if not He keeps them there until the appointed time,1v. T. B. Sanhedrin, 98a. and if when that comes they are still not worthy He has regard to the honour of His Name and does not forget them in exile, as it is written: “I shall remember my covenant with Jacob”, etc. (Lev. 26, 42).’
רִבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, מַאי טַעֲמָא יַעֲקֹב קַדְמָאָה הָכָא. אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּיַעֲקֹב כְּלָלָא דַּאֲבָהָן, וְהוּא אִילָנָא קַדִּישָׁא. בְּגִין כָּךְ, ו' דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בֵּיהּ אֲחִידָא, וְהָכִי קָרֵינָן יַעֲקוֹב בְּו'. רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמַר וָא"ו בְּאַתְווֹי י"ג מְכִילָן, דְּיָרִית יְרוּתָא דְּי"ג מַבּוּעִין דְּמַבּוּעָא סְתִימָא קַדִּישָׁא.