Еврейская мысль к Ийова 21:14

Midrash Tanchuma on Parshat Nasso as well as on Parshat Pekudey quotes Rabbi Shimon ben Nachman as saying that at the time G-d created the universe, He wished to have a place of abode on earth, just as He has a place of abode in Heaven. He created man, commanded him "from every tree in the garden you may eat, but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you must not eat" (Genesis 2,16). Man violated this commandment. G-d said, "I wanted an abode on earth, but man did not even observe the one commandment I gave him." Thereupon, G-d removed His presence to the lowest of the Heavens. When the generation of Enosh began to worship idols (see chapter 4,26), "then man began to call by the name of G-d," He withdrew to the third heaven, having moved to the second Heaven when Cain slew his brother. During the generation of the deluge, G-d moved to the fourth Heaven, and when the tower of Babel was built, He moved to the fifth Heaven. G-d continued withdrawing further and further from earth till at the destruction of Sodom, He had already moved to the sixth Heaven. When Amrafel and his companions waged war in the world, subjugating nations, G-d withdrew to the seventh and last heaven. According to Psalm 94,16, this was the time G-d exclaimed, "Who will arise on My behalf against the doers of evil, who will stand up for Me against the perpetrators of sin?" What did G-d do? He "folded" all the preceding generations together and let Abraham arise, whose deeds prompted G-d to descend from the seventh Heaven back to the sixth. When Isaac offered himself as a sacrifice on the altar, G-d descended from the sixth Heaven to the fifth. When Jacob arose, He descended from the fifth to the fourth level, and when Levi arose He descended to the third level. The lifestyles of Amram and Kehot were such that G-d descended to the second and first level successively. With the advent of Moses, G-d was able to return to earth since we read, "The Lord descended on Mount Sinai" (Exodus 19,18). In Song of Songs, this thought is expressed in the words, "I have come to the garden of My bride" (Song of Songs 5,1).