Йешайау 55:6 Мидраш: Midrash Mishlei, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tehillim

[13] (Proverbs 1:22): "'How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?' - These are the generation of the wilderness; 'and scoffers delight in their scoffing' - These are the congregation of Korah; 'and fools hate knowledge' - This refers to the wicked kingdom that did not accept the yoke of Heaven and the yoke of Torah. (Proverbs 1:23): 'Turn to my reproof' - These are Israel, whom Moses rebuked for the Golden Calf incident. 'Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you' - When he explained to them the Mishnah Torah. 'I will make my words known to you' - This teaches that he made known to them the particulars and explanations of the Torah, purity and impurity, prohibition and permission. (Proverbs 1:24): 'Because I have called and you refused' - This is the Holy One, Blessed be He, who sounded His voice to Israel, and they sinned against Him again, as it is said (Exodus 16:28): 'How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?' Another interpretation: 'Because I have called' - This is Moses, who was calling them words of Torah, and they were not believing, as it is said 'How long do you refuse?' Another interpretation: 'Because I have called' - This is Jeremiah, who was calling to Israel in Jerusalem to repent, and they did not believe him, as it is said (Zechariah 7:11): 'But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, etc.' 'I have stretched out my hand, and no one regards' - This is Gabriel, whose hand was stretched out over Jerusalem for six and a half years, with coals in his hand, and he wished to throw them in anger, but he waited for them to repent, and they did not heed. Another interpretation: 'I have stretched out my hand, and no one regards' - This is the Holy One, Blessed be He, whose hand was stretched out for six and a half years that they might return in repentance, but they did not return. Until when? Rabbi Jeremiah said: Until His anger returned, as it is said (Hosea 14:5): 'I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for My anger is turned away from him.' (Proverbs 1:25): 'But you have ignored all my counsel' - This is Moses, who was advising Israel, and they would turn away from him and cancel his counsel. 'And would have none of my reproof' - This is Jeremiah, that every reproof and reproof that he was reproving Israel, they were scorning him and ridiculing him. Jeremiah said to them: By your lives, a day is coming, just as you were ridiculing me and playing with me, to mock and ridicule you, from where? From what is written after it: (Proverbs 1:26): 'I also will laugh at your calamity,' and it says: (Proverbs 1:27): 'When your fear comes as destruction, etc.' (Proverbs 1:28): 'Then they will call me, but I will not answer' - And why all this? Rabbi Ishmael said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them through my prophets (Isaiah 55:6): 'Seek the Lord while He may be found,' by your lives, a day will come when you will call Me, and I will not answer you, the proof is 'Then they will call me, but I will not answer,' and why all this - (Proverbs 1:29): 'Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.' (Proverbs 1:30): 'They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof' - said the Holy One, Blessed be He: I said to you through my prophets (Ezekiel 33:11): 'Turn back, turn back from your evil ways,' by your lives, a day will come when I will punish you according to your ways, as it is said: (Proverbs 1:31): 'Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, etc.' And why all this: (Proverbs 1:32): 'For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, etc.' But whoever listens to my words of Torah, I will seat him in tranquility and security, as it is said: (Proverbs 1:33): 'But whoever listens to me will dwell securely.'"

R. Samuel b. lnya said in the name of Rab: "Whence do we know that a decree against a community is not confirmed." Is that true? Behold, it is written (Jer. 2, 22) The stain of thy sin remains before Me. But this is what he meant: Whence do we know that a decree issued against a community, even if confirmed, may nevertheless be cancelled? From the passage (Deut. 4, 7) As the Lord, our God, in all things that we call upon Him for. But it is also written (Isa. 55, 6) Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. Hence, is there a difference? The latter passage refers to an individual, the former to a community. When is the proper time for an individual [to repent]? R. Nachman, in the name of Rabba b. Abahu, said: "The ten days of repentence, between New Year's Day and the Day of Atonement." (I Sam. 25, 38) And it came to pass, in about ten days thereafter, that the Lord smote Nabal. What is the reason for the ten days' waiting? R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "It corresponds to the ten meals which Nabal gave to David's servants." And R. Nachman, in the name of Rab, said: "This refers to the ten days of penitence [given to Nabal in which to repent]."

The Rock, His action is perfect: Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" (Isaiah 55:6), and David said, "Pursue the Lord and His might, etc." (I Chronicles 16:11). Why did he [continue to] say, "seek His face always?" To teach you [that] the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - sometimes appears and sometimes does not appear; sometimes hears and sometimes does not want to hear; sometimes answers and sometimes does not answer; sometimes is pursued and sometimes is not pursued; sometimes is found and sometimes is not found; sometimes is close and sometimes is not close. How is this? He appeared to Moshe, as it is stated (Exodus 33:11), "And the Lord spoke to Moshe." He went back and disappeared from him, when he said to Him, "Please show me Your glory" (Exodus 33:18). And so [too,] He appeared to Israel at Sinai, as it is stated (Exodus 24:10), "And they saw the God of Israel," and it states (Exodus 24:17), "And the appearance of the glory of the Lord." [But] He went back and disappeared from them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:15), "since you did not see any picture," and it states (Deuteronomy 4:15), "the voice of words do you hear." And when Israel were in Egypt in torturous subjugation, "And God heard their moaning" (Exodus 2:24). [But] when they sinned, "The Lord did not hear your voice and did not listen to you" (Deuteronomy 1:45). He answered Shmuel at Mitspeh, as it is stated (I Samuel 7:9), "and Shmuel cried out to the Lord [...] and the Lord answered Shmuel." [But] He went back and did not answer Him, as it is stated (I Samuel 16:1), "And the Lord said to Shmuel, 'Until when are you mourning for Shaul.'" He answered David - and it stated (Psalms 34:5), "I have pursued the Lord and He answered me." [But] He went back and did not answer him, as it is stated (II Samuel 12:16), "and David fasted a fast, and he went in and laid down on the ground," and it is written (II Samuel 12:14), "also the child that is born to you will surely die." And at the time that Israel repents, He is found for them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:29), "And from there, you will seek the Lord, your God [and you will find Him]." But if they do not repent, "They will go with their sheep and cattle to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has cast them off" (Hosea 5:6). Sometimes He is close, as it is stated (Psalms 145:18), "Close is the Lord to all who call to Him"; [but] sometimes He is not close, as it is stated (Proverbs 15:29), "Far from evildoers is the Lord." And it is written (Numbers 6:26), "And the Lord shall lift His face"; but [another[ verse states (Deuteronomy 10:17), "Who does not lift the face." [Only] if [one] repents, He lifts His face to him. It is possible [that He does this] for all. [Hence] we learn to say "to you" (Numbers 6:26) - but not to another nation; as it is stated (Jeremiah 4:14), "Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem, in order that you be saved" - if they repent. But if not, "Even if you wash with natron [... your iniquity is before Me]" (Jeremiah 2:22). Hence Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found; call to Him in His being close." [There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who said to his servants, "Go out and announce in all of my dominion that I am sitting and judging financial cases. Anyone who has an issue with his fellow - let him come in front of Me, and I will judge him favorably, [now] before I sit to judge capital cases." And so [too,] did the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - say to Israel, "My sons, Know that I judge the world at these four periods: At Pesach about the grain; at [Shavouot] about the fruit of the trees; at Rosh HaShanah, all those that come to the world come in front of me like bnei Maron; and at [Sukkot] about the water. On three of these periods, I sit to judge financial cases, to make wealthy or make poor, to increase or to decrease. But on Rosh HaShanah, I judge capital cases, whether for death or life - as you say in the shofar blows of Rav, 'And upon it is said, about the provinces, etc.' But if you repent with a full heart, I will accept you and judge you favorably. As the gates of the Heavens are open and I will hear your prayers, since I 'observe from the windows, peer through the lattice,' [now] before I seal the judgement on Yom Kippur." Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, "[There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who resided in a province and the people of the province were angering him. The king got angry and went outside of it [a distance of] ten mil and he stayed there. A man saw him, [and] he said to the people of the province, 'Know that the king is angry with you and he is seeking to send his legions upon the city to destroy it. Go out and appease him and he will return to you, before he distances himself from you.' A clever man was there, [and] he said to them, 'Fools, While the king was with you, you did not seek to appease him. And now before he distances himself, go out to him. Maybe he will accept you.'" Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" - these are the ten days of repentance, that he is found among you, as so did Yechezkel say, "a wall between Me and them" (Ezekiel 43:8). This is "call to Him in His being close. Let the evildoer leave his path and a man his thoughts of iniquity and return to the Lord and He will have mercy upon him" (Isaiah 55:6-7).