R. Eleazar said: ‘Blessed are Israel above all heathen peoples, because although they have provoked their Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, was fain not to abandon them. For in every place to which they have been exiled the Holy One, blessed be He, is with them in their banishment, as it is written, “And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies I will not reject them”, etc. (Lev. 26, 44).
Now how great is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, for Israel, for although they brought exile upon themselves the Shekinah never leaves them, as it says, “and this (zoth) also (is with them) when they are in the land of their enemies”.
A king had a son who provoked him so that he condemned him to depart from him and to go to a distant land. The Queen on hearing this said: Seeing that my son is going to a distant land and the King casts him out of his palace, I will not leave him, but either we will both return together to the palace or both will dwell together in another land. In course of time the King sought the Queen and did not find her, because she had gone with her son. He said: Since the Queen is there, let them both return.
But it is the Queen whom the King seeks out first, and for her sake he seeks out his son, as it is written, “I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel”. Why? Because “I remember my Covenant” (Ex. 6, 5).’
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, (ויקרא כ״ו:מ״ד) וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל כָּל עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַרְגִּיזוּ קָמֵי מָארֵיהוֹן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא בָּעֵי לְשַׁבְקָא לוֹן. דִּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּגָלוּ בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִמְּהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'.
R. Eleazar said: ‘Blessed are Israel above all heathen peoples, because although they have provoked their Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, was fain not to abandon them. For in every place to which they have been exiled the Holy One, blessed be He, is with them in their banishment, as it is written, “And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies I will not reject them”, etc. (Lev. 26, 44).
רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָה חֲבִיבוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְגַבֵּיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּגַרְמִין לְמִגְלֵי בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָּא, שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְעֲדִיאַת מִנְּהוֹן לְעָלְמִין. דְּלָא תֵּימָא דְּאִינּוּן בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. אֶלָּא וְאַף גַּם זֹאת עִמְּהוֹן מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'.
Now how great is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, for Israel, for although they brought exile upon themselves the Shekinah never leaves them, as it says, “and this (zoth) also (is with them) when they are in the land of their enemies”.
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.
A king had a son who provoked him so that he condemned him to depart from him and to go to a distant land. The Queen on hearing this said: Seeing that my son is going to a distant land and the King casts him out of his palace, I will not leave him, but either we will both return together to the palace or both will dwell together in another land. In course of time the King sought the Queen and did not find her, because she had gone with her son. He said: Since the Queen is there, let them both return.
וּבְזִמְנָא דְּפָקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, פָּקִיד לָהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּבְגִינָהּ פָּקִיד לִבְנוֹי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות ו׳:ה׳) וְגַם אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת נַאֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. מַאן גָּרִים דַּאֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא עֲקַתְהוֹן. כִּבְיָכוֹל, מַטְרוֹנִיתָא. דִּדְכַרְנָא לָהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות ו׳:ה׳) וָאֶזְכּוֹר אֶת בְּרִיתִי. וּכְתִיב (שמות ב׳:כ״ד) וַיִּזְכּוֹר אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ. וְכַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֵהָדַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא, מַה כְּתִיב. (דברים ל׳:ג׳) וְשָׁב יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ, דָּא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא. וְעוֹד כְּתִיב, (תהילים פ״ה:ב׳) רָצִיתָ יְיָ' אַרְצֶךָ שַׁבְתָּ שְׁבוּת יַעֲקֹב.
But it is the Queen whom the King seeks out first, and for her sake he seeks out his son, as it is written, “I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel”. Why? Because “I remember my Covenant” (Ex. 6, 5).’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, הַלְיְיָ' תִּגְמְלוּ זֹאת, בְּגִין דְּאַתּוּן דּוֹר עִקֵּשׁ וּפְתַלְתּוֹל, אַתּוּן הֲוֵיתוּן גַּרְמִין דְּתִגְלֵי זֹאת בְּגָלוּתָא. הַלְיְיָ' תִּגְמְלוּ זֹאת. דָּא הוּא גְּמוּל דְּעָבִיד עִמְּכוֹן, בְּכָל אִינּוּן נִימוּסִין דְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּכָל אִינּוּן אַתְוָון דְּעָבַד לְכוּ, דָּא הוּא גְּמוּל דְּאַתּוּן שָׁלְמִין לְהַאי זֹאת. מַאן גָּרַם לְכוֹן דָּא. בְּגִין דְּאַתּוּן עַם נָבָל וְלֹא חָכָם, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּכָל אִינּוּן טָבָן דְּעָבַד לְכוּ עַד הַשְׁתָּא.