R. Hizkiah discoursed on the verse: Who gave Jacobfor a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk? (Is. 42, 24). ‘Observe,’ he said, ‘that since the destruction of the Temple, blessings have been withdrawn from the world, if one might say so, both on high and here below, so that all the lower grades are reinforced and exercise dominion over Israel on account of their sins.
Now the verse just cited requires elucidation. For while it begins by speaking of Jacob and Israel in the third person, it goes off into the first, saying “he against whom we have sinned”, and then reverts to the third person, saying “and they would not walk”.
The truth is that when the Sanctuary was destroyed and the Temple was burnt and the people driven into exile, the Shekinah left her home in order to accompany them into captivity. Before leaving, however, she took one last look at her House and the Holy of Holies, and the places where the priests and the Levites used to perform their worship.
When she entered the land of exile she observed how the people were oppressed and trodden under foot by the nations, and she exclaimed, “Who gave Jacob for a spoil, etc.?” And the reply of the people was: “he against whom we have sinned”. Then the Shekinah echoed back: “And in whose ways they would not walk.”
So in the days to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will remember His people, the community of Israel, the Shekinah will return from exile first and proceed to her House, as the holy Temple will be built first. The Holy One, blessed be He, will then say to the Community of Israel: “Shake thyself from the dust, arise and sit down, O Jerusalem” (Is. 52, 2). She will enquire, “Whereto shall I go, since my House is destroyed, my Temple is burnt with fire?” The Holy One, blessed be He, will then rebuild the Temple first, restore the Holy of Holies, build the city of Jerusalem and then raise her from the dust. So Scripture says: “The Lord doth build up Jerusalem” first, and then, “He gathereth together the dispersed of Israel”, 134a
רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו מ״ב:כ״ד) מִי נָתַן לִמְשִׁיסָה יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְבוֹזְזִים הֲלא יְיָ וְגו'. תָּא חֲזֵי, מִזִּמְנָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא בִּרְכָאן לָא שַׁרְיָין בְּעַלְמָא וְאִתְמְנָעוּ, כִּבְיָכוֹל אִתְמְנָעוּ מֵעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, וְכָל אִינוּן שְׁאָר דַּרְגִּין תַּתָּאִין מִתְתַּקְפֵי וְאָזְלֵי וְשָׁלְטֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן גָּרְמוּ בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ.
R. Hizkiah discoursed on the verse: Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk? (Is. 42, 24). ‘Observe,’ he said, ‘that since the destruction of the Temple, blessings have been withdrawn from the world, if one might say so, both on high and here below, so that all the lower grades are reinforced and exercise dominion over Israel on account of their sins.
הַאי קְרָא לָא אִתְיַישְׁבָן מִלֵּיהּ דִּכְתִיב מִי נָתַן לִמְשִׁיסָה יַעֲקֹב, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר מִי נָתַן לִמְשִׁיסָה יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מַהוּ חָטָאנוּ לוֹ, חָטְאוּ לוֹ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, וְאִי אָמַר חָטָאנוּ לוֹ, מַאי וְלא אָבוּ, וְלא אָבִינוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ.
Now the verse just cited requires elucidation. For while it begins by speaking of Jacob and Israel in the third person, it goes off into the first, saying “he against whom we have sinned”, and then reverts to the third person, saying “and they would not walk”.
אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּאִתְחָרַב מַקְדְּשָׁא וְאִתּוֹקַד הֵיכָלָא וְעַמָּא אִתְגְּלִי, בָּעְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לְאִתְעַקְּרָא מִדּוּכְתָּהּ וּלְמֵיהַךְ עִמְּהוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, אָמְרָה אֵיהַךְ בְּקַדְמִיתָא לְמֶחמֵי בֵּיתָאי וְהֵיכָלָאי וְאֶפְקוֹד עַל דּוּכְתֵּי דְּכַהֲנֵי וְלֵיוָאֵי דְּהֲווּ פָלְחִין בְּבֵיתָאי.
The truth is that when the Sanctuary was destroyed and the Temple was burnt and the people driven into exile, the Shekinah left her home in order to accompany them into captivity. Before leaving, however, she took one last look at her House and the Holy of Holies, and the places where the priests and the Levites used to perform their worship.
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא אִסְתַּכָּלַת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֵילָא וְחָמַאת דְּבַעֲלָהּ אִסְתַּלַּק מִנָּהּ לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא, נָחֲתַת לְתַתָּא עָאלַת בְּבֵיתָא וְאִסְתַּכָּלַת בְּכָל אִינוּן דּוּכְתֵּי, וְאִשְׁתְּמַע קָלָא לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא וְאִשְׁתְּמַע קָלָא לְתַתָּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ירמיהו ל״א:ט״ו) קוֹל בְּרָמָה נִשְׁמָע נְהִי בְּכִי תַמְרוּרִים רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנְיהָ וְגו' וְאוּקְמוּהָ.
כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלַת בְּגָלוּתָא אִסְתַּכָּלַת בְּעַמָא וְחָמַאת דְּדָחֲקֵי לוֹן וְרָמְסֵי לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא בֵּין רַגְלַיְיהוּ דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין, כְּדֵין אָמְרַת (ישעיהו מ״ב:כ״ד) מִי נָתַן לִמְשִׁיסָּה יַעֲקֹב וְגו'. וְאִינוּן אָמְרִין הֲלֹא יְיָ זוּ חָטָאנוּ לוֹ. וְהִיא אֲמָרַת וְלֹא אָבוּ בִדְרָכָיו הָלוֹךְ וְלא שָׁמְעוּ בְּתוֹרָתוֹ.
When she entered the land of exile she observed how the people were oppressed and trodden under foot by the nations, and she exclaimed, “Who gave Jacob for a spoil, etc.?” And the reply of the people was: “he against whom we have sinned”. Then the Shekinah echoed back: “And in whose ways they would not walk.”
וּבְשַׁעְתָּא דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִפְקַד עַל עַמֵּיהּ, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל תֵּיתוּב מִן גָּלוּתָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא (אמר ליה קודשא בריך הוא) תֵּיהַךְ לְבֵיתָא, בְגִין דְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ יִתְבְּנֵי בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְיֵימָא לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קוּמִי מֵעַפְרָא. הִיא תָבַת וְאָמְרָה לְאָן אֲתַר אֵיהַךְ, בֵּיתָאי חָרַב הֵיכָלִי אִתּוֹקַד בְּנוּרָא. עַד דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִבְנִי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא בְּקַדְמִיתָא וְיַתְקִין הֵיכָלָא וְיִבְנֵי קַרְתָּא דִּיְרוּשָׁלַ ם, וּלְבָתַר יוֹקִים לָהּ מֵעַפְרָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהילים קמ״ז:ב׳) בּוֹנִה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם יְיָ וְגו'. בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְכַנֵּס, וְיֵימָא לָהּ (ישעיהו נ״ב:ב׳) הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְגו'. וְיִתְכַּנֵּישׁ גָּלוּתְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם יְיָ, בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְכַנֵּס. וּכְדֵין הָרוֹפֵא לִשְׁבוּרֵי לֵב וּמְחַבֵּשׁ לְעַצְבוֹתָם דָּא תְּחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים. וּכְתִיב, (יחזקאל ל״ו:כ״ז) וְאֶת רוּחִי אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וְעָשִׂיתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר בְּחֻקַּי תֵּלֵכוּ וְגו'. בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן ואָמֵן: (ע"כ פרשת חיי שרה)
So in the days to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will remember His people, the community of Israel, the Shekinah will return from exile first and proceed to her House, as the holy Temple will be built first. The Holy One, blessed be He, will then say to the Community of Israel: “Shake thyself from the dust, arise and sit down, O Jerusalem” (Is. 52, 2). She will enquire, “Whereto shall I go, since my House is destroyed, my Temple is burnt with fire?” The Holy One, blessed be He, will then rebuild the Temple first, restore the Holy of Holies, build the city of Jerusalem and then raise her from the dust. So Scripture says: “The Lord doth build up Jerusalem” first, and then, “He gathereth together the dispersed of Israel”, 134a