פירוש על ישעיהו 65:1

I allowed Myself to be sought by those who did not ask The Holy One, blessed be He, replies to him, It is impossible not to avenge Myself on them, for I allowed Myself to be sought by them by reproving them through My prophets, but they did not ask.

I was¹A. V., I am sought. sought, etc. This is the reply of God to the prayer of the Israelites; He says: Your fathers have provoked me, but ‘ I was sought,’ that is, I offered myself to be found whenever they were in trouble, to them that asked me not, that I should be accessible to them.

I said, “Here I am; here I am!” Return to Me, and I am ready to accept you.

I said, ‘ Behold me, behold me,’ repeatedly through the prophets.²I. E. adds through the prophets, because the Lord revealed Himself directly to the whole nation only once, namely, on Mount Sinai.

to a nation not called by My name That did not wish to be called by My name.

That was not called by my name in those days, but by the name of Baal.