הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח בְּתוּלָה֙ עֶדְיָ֔הּ כַּלָּ֖ה קִשֻּׁרֶ֑יהָ וְעַמִּ֣י שְׁכֵח֔וּנִי יָמִ֖ים אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃
Malilimutan ba ng isang dalaga ang kanyang mga alahas, o ng isang nobya ang kanyang mga laso? Ngunit kinalimutan Ako ng Aking bayan nang mga araw na hindi mabilang.
Pesikta Rabbati
... Teach us o teacher: toward where should one who prays orient his heart? This is what our Rabbis taught: one should orient his heart toward the place of the Holy of Holies (Berachot 4:5). R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: if one is praying outside of the land, he should orient his heart to the land of Israel. If one is praying within the land of Israel, he should orient his heart to Jerusalem. If one is praying in Jerusalem, he should orient his heart to the Holy Temple. If one is praying in the Holy Temple, he should orient his heart to the Holy of Holies. R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model (talpiyot)…” (Song of Songs 4:4) What does talpiyot mean? The hill (tel) toward which all turns (peniyot) are directed. And after all this praise, it is written “Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars.” (Zechariah 11:1) And so too they said “He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) Israel said to Him: Master of the World! How long will it be like this? Did You not write in Your Torah “…the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay” (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) You need to rebuild it and to console us, not at the hands of an angel but You in Your glory. The Holy One said to them: by your life, so I will do! As it says “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) And I am the one who consoles you. From where do we learn this? From that which they read in the prophets “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)
Shemot Rabbah
It is not written here, “they abandoned [averu] the path that I commanded them,” but rather, “they have quickly deviated [saru] from the path” (Exodus 32:8). When they were in Sinai they were lilies and roses; now they have become foul [saryut], they became liars. They did not spend even one or two hours,22They did not remain loyal to God for even a short time. but they deviated immediately.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: They were with the Holy One blessed be He for eleven days, and for twenty-nine days they were calculating how to craft the calf, as it is written: “Eleven days from Ḥorev” (Deuteronomy 1:2). And then they came to the path [derekh] of Esau – “via [derekh] Mount Seir” (Deuteronomy 1:2).23Esau dwelled in Seir (see Genesis 36:8–9) and is therefore sometimes called Seir. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: They were with the Holy One blessed be He for twenty-nine days, and for eleven days they were calculating how to craft the calf, as it is written: “Eleven days from Ḥorev via [derekh] Mount Seir,” that they performed an act of Seir.24They acted like Esau for eleven days in that they planned on crafting the golden calf.
Another matter: “Mount Seir” – just as Esau cursed and blasphemed, they too were cursing and blaspheming before the idol. Just as Esau worshipped idols, they too did so. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai says: They were with the Holy One blessed be He for one day. From where is this derived? It is as Micah explicates: “Yesterday, My people arose as an enemy” (Micah 2:8). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Yesterday you said: “Everything that the Lord spoke, we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), and today: “This is your god Israel” (Exodus 32:4)?’ Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: Two days, as it is stated: “My people has forgotten Me for days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32). How many are days? Two.25This is the minimum number that can be implied by the plural term days. Rabbi Yona said: The source is from another verse, as it is stated: “They seek Me daily [yom yom]” (Isaiah 58:2).26The verse is understood to mean that they sought God for two days, as the term day [yom] is stated twice.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: They were with the Holy One blessed be He for eleven days, and for twenty-nine days they were calculating how to craft the calf, as it is written: “Eleven days from Ḥorev” (Deuteronomy 1:2). And then they came to the path [derekh] of Esau – “via [derekh] Mount Seir” (Deuteronomy 1:2).23Esau dwelled in Seir (see Genesis 36:8–9) and is therefore sometimes called Seir. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: They were with the Holy One blessed be He for twenty-nine days, and for eleven days they were calculating how to craft the calf, as it is written: “Eleven days from Ḥorev via [derekh] Mount Seir,” that they performed an act of Seir.24They acted like Esau for eleven days in that they planned on crafting the golden calf.
Another matter: “Mount Seir” – just as Esau cursed and blasphemed, they too were cursing and blaspheming before the idol. Just as Esau worshipped idols, they too did so. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai says: They were with the Holy One blessed be He for one day. From where is this derived? It is as Micah explicates: “Yesterday, My people arose as an enemy” (Micah 2:8). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Yesterday you said: “Everything that the Lord spoke, we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), and today: “This is your god Israel” (Exodus 32:4)?’ Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: Two days, as it is stated: “My people has forgotten Me for days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32). How many are days? Two.25This is the minimum number that can be implied by the plural term days. Rabbi Yona said: The source is from another verse, as it is stated: “They seek Me daily [yom yom]” (Isaiah 58:2).26The verse is understood to mean that they sought God for two days, as the term day [yom] is stated twice.