וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ית בַּֽחֲמִשִׁי֙ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ בָּ֧אוּ אֲנָשִׁ֛ים מִזִּקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לִדְרֹ֣שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּשְׁב֖וּ לְפָנָֽי׃ (ס)
און עס איז געװען אין זיבעטן יאָר, אין פֿינפֿטן חודש, אין צענטן טאָג פֿון חודש, זײַנען געקומען מענער פֿון די עלטסטע פֿון ישׂראל צו פֿרעגן בײַ גאָט, און זײ זײַנען געזעסן פֿאַר מיר.
Akeidat Yitzchak
Midrash Tanchuma on Parshat Nizavim states: When the Jews at the time of Ezekiel wanted to divest themselves of the yoke of the Torah, they approached the prophet on the anniversary of the temple's destruction and asked him: "Does a slave purchased by a priest have the right to eat terumah, tithes reserved for the priest?" The prophet replied that such a slave may indeed eat terumah in the house of his master. They then asked if the slave may continue to eat such terumah even if he has left the domain of the priest, such as when the priest has sold him? Ezekiel answered that in that case the relationship has ceased and the slave may not eat terumah To which the people replied: "We too have left the domain of G'd, our former Master, who has sold us." Ezekiel said to them: "The thing that is on your mind, namely to become like the other gentile nations, will never come about. G'd has sworn an oath that even if He has to rule over you with force and fury, you belong to Him by reason of that oath." That is why He maintains you as a nation even to this day ,”...quoting the above verse from Parshat Nitzavim regarding the as yet unborn generations. Rabbi Shemuel bar Nachmeni added: "Why are the as yet unborn generations not described as not yet standing here this day, but rather as simply not present? Because, though their bodies are not yet part of the Jewish people entering the covenant, their souls are present already this day."