As they went along, R. Hiya asked R. Isaac the meaning of the verse: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?” (Isa. 69, 15)’. Said the other: ‘If in the company of the colleagues we could find no proper explanation for it, how can I say?’
He thereupon said: ‘I once caught a hint of the meaning as I was going along the road, but I do not know who said it or exactly what he meant. For seven days I was troubled by this and did not eat anything, and now I am going to the Sacred Lamp in case he may be able to remind me.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘Perhaps it was the day when R. Eleazar was going to his father-in-law, and I was with him, and I can remember.’
For thus said R. Eleazar in the name of his father: Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Since the day that we fell into captivity God has forsaken and forgotten us, as it is written, “But Zion said, The Lord hath forgotten me” (Ibid. 14). Whereupon the Shekinah replied: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?” “Yea, these may forget”-to wit, those mentioned in the verse, “These are the generations of heaven and earth”, “yet will not I forget thee”. This shows that the Holy One, blessed be He, will not forsake Israel for ever.
Further, there is a deep mystery here, since God said that “these” things are attached to His name, and just as the Holy One, blessed be He, cannot forget His name, which is all, so He does not forget Israel, who are attached to His very name.’ R. Hiya thereupon became excited and said: ‘In truth that is the thing. Blessed be God that I reminded you, so that now I know what it was and who said it.
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, כַּד אֲנָן יַתְבִין לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כֹּלָּא אִתְּמַר קַמֵּיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא, וְלָא אִצְטְרִיכְנָא לְכָל הַאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לָאו רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן כִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ קַמֵּיהּ, כִּשְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי לְקַמֵּי מֹשֶׁה. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ט:ט״ו) הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָּה וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, וְהָכָא מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אִי בְּקִטוּרָא דְּחַבְרַיָּיא, סְמִיכָא לָא אַסְמַכְנָא, אֲנָן מַה נֵימָא.
As they went along, R. Hiya asked R. Isaac the meaning of the verse: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?” (Isa. 69, 15)’. Said the other: ‘If in the company of the colleagues we could find no proper explanation for it, how can I say?’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, דְּהָא קָלָא דִּרְמִיזָא חַד, שְׁמַעְנָא יוֹמָא חַד, כַּד הֲוָה אֲזִילְנָא בְּאָרְחָא, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא מַאן אָמַר, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא מִלָּה. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, ז' יוֹמִין הֲווֹ דַּחֲלִישְׁנָא עַל דָּא, וְלָא טַעִימְנָא מִדִי. וְהַשְׁתָּא אֲזִלְנָא לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּלֵימָא לִי דִּילְמָא אֵדְכַר. אָמַר לֵיהּ, דִּילְמָא הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּחָמוּי, וְהַהוּא יוֹמָא אֲזִילְנָא עִמֵּיהּ, וְהָא אַדְכַּרְנָא מִלָּה.
He thereupon said: ‘I once caught a hint of the meaning as I was going along the road, but I do not know who said it or exactly what he meant. For seven days I was troubled by this and did not eat anything, and now I am going to the Sacred Lamp in case he may be able to remind me.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘Perhaps it was the day when R. Eleazar was going to his father-in-law, and I was with him, and I can remember.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, הָכִי אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דַּאֲבוֹי, אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִיּוֹמָא דְּנָפִלְנָא בְּגָלוּתָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁבִיק לָן בְּגָלוּתָא, וְאַנְשֵׁי לָן. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו מ״ט:י״ד) וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי יְיָ' וַיְיָ' שְׁכֵחָנִי. אָמְרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא, הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ, וְכִי יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִקְרוּן בְּנִין, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים י״ד:א׳) בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָהּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ירמיהו ב׳:כ״א) וְאָנֹכִי נְטַעְתִּיךְ שׂוֹרֵק כֻּלֹּה זֶרַע אֱמֶת. גַּם אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה, דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) אֵלֶּה תוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ. וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ, מִכָּאן, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שָׁבִיק לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְעָלְמִין.
For thus said R. Eleazar in the name of his father: Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Since the day that we fell into captivity God has forsaken and forgotten us, as it is written, “But Zion said, The Lord hath forgotten me” (Ibid. 14). Whereupon the Shekinah replied: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?” “Yea, these may forget”-to wit, those mentioned in the verse, “These are the generations of heaven and earth”, “yet will not I forget thee”. This shows that the Holy One, blessed be He, will not forsake Israel for ever.
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 כֹּלָּא. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אַנְשֵׁי לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינּוּן אֲחִידָן בִּשְׁמֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ. אִתְרְגִּישׁ רִבִּי חִיָּיא, אָמַר וַדַּאי דָּא הִיא מִלָּה. בְּרִיךְ יְהֵא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאַעְרַעְנָא לָךְ, וְיָדַעְנָא מִלָּה. וְיָדַעְנָא מַאן הַהוּא דְּשָׁמַעְנָא מִנֵּיהּ.
Further, there is a deep mystery here, since God said that “these” things are attached to His name, and just as the Holy One, blessed be He, cannot forget His name, which is all, so He does not forget Israel, who are attached to His very name.’ R. Hiya thereupon became excited and said: ‘In truth that is the thing. Blessed be God that I reminded you, so that now I know what it was and who said it.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּרָהִיטְנָא ד' מִילֵּי, וְלָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא מַאן הֲוָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּעָאלְנָא בְּחַד מְעַרְתָּא דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר נָּפִישׁ שַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא. קָרֵי עָלֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא הָנֵי קְרָאֵי, (ישעיהו נ״ח:ח׳) אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ וְגוֹ'. אָז תִּקְרָא וַיְיָ' יַעֲנֶה וְגוֹ' אָז תִּתְעַנָּג עַל יְיָ' וְגוֹ'.
I ran four miles that day and could not find out who it was.’ R. Isaac said: ‘I heard it because I went into a cave where R. Eleazar was resting.’