וָאוֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֤ם רֹאִים֙ הָרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בָ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֣וּ בָאֵ֑שׁ לְכ֗וּ וְנִבְנֶה֙ אֶת־חוֹמַ֣ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְלֹא־נִהְיֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד חֶרְפָּֽה׃
Lalu aku berkata kepada mereka, “Kamu sendiri melihat kesusahan yang kita alami, bagaimana Yerusalem telah menjadi reruntuhan dan pintu-pintu gerbangnya telah terbakar habis oleh api. Marilah kita membangun kembali tembok Yerusalem, supaya kita tidak lagi menjadi bahan cemoohan.”
Chidushei Agadot
Seemingly the explanation is according to the verse that they needed a wall in Jerusalem in the days of Ezra because not all of them (the Jews of Babylon) ascended, and without a wall there were too few people in it (Jerusalem) to protect it from enemies, as is written, “Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and suffer no more disgrace,” (Nehemiah 2:17) and “those who were rebuilding the wall. The basket-carriers were burdened, doing work with one hand while the other held a weapon” (Nehemiah 4:11). And what he (Reish Lakish in Yoma 9b) said, “Had you made yourselves (a solid bloc) like a wall” - that is, had you all ascended you would not have needed a wall, then you would have been compared to silver that does not rot…. Meaning, prophecy would have remained among you. Since you did not all ascend you need a wall for protection from enemies. And the minority who did ascend, you made yourselves like doors, that is, protecting only the openings of the city, so you were compared to cedar which does rot, meaning prophecy left you. And about this they said in chapter Chelek (Sanhedrin) and chapter Eilu Ne’emarim (Sotah) “…until Your people passes over, G-d…” (Exodus 15:16) - this (refers to) the first arrival (of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel in the time of Joshua), “until the people that You have gotten pass over” (Exodus 15:16) - this is the second arrival (of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel in the time of Ezra); from here (the connection of the two arrivals) we see that Israel was fit for a miracle to be done for them in the time of Ezra, but “the sin caused (it to be prevented).” That is, a miracle that they would be protected without a wall, but for the sin that they did not all ascend (like a wall).