אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי:
אִם יֹאמַר לָךְ אָדָם: אֵיכָן הוּא אֱלֹהֶיךָ?
אֱמוֹר לוֹ: בְּכַרַךְ גָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּרוֹמֵי.
מַה טַעֲמָא? אֵלַי֙ קוֹרֵא מִשֵּׂעִ֔יר.
תַּנֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי:
בְּכָל־מָקוֹם שֶׁגָּלוּ יִשֵׂרָאֵל גָּלָת הַשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן.
גָּלוּ לְמִצְרַיִם וְגָלָת הַשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן.
מַה טַעַם?
הֲנִגְלֹ֤ה נִגְלֵ֨יתִי֙ לְבֵית אָבִ֔יךָ בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֥ם בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם לְבֵ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה׃
גָּלוּ לָבָבֶל וְגָלָת שְׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן.
מַה טַעַם?
לְמַֽעַנְכֶ֞ם שׁוּלַּחְתִּי בָבֶ֗לָה.
גָּלוּ לְמָדַי וְגָלָת הַשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן.
מַה טַעַמָא?
וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י כִסְאִ֖י בְּעֵילָ֑ם. וְאֵין עֵילַם אֶלָּא מָדַי. כְּמַה דַתְּ אֲמַר. וַֽאֲנִי֙ בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ן הַבִּירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֭ בְּעֵילָ֣ם הַמְּדִינָה֑.
גָּלוּ לְיָוָן וְגָלָת הַשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן.
מַה טַעַם? וְעֽוֹרַרְתִּ֤י בָנַ֨יִךְ֙ צִיּ֔וֹן עַל־בָּנַיִ֖ךְ יָוָן֑.
גָּלו לָרוֹמֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶן.
מַה טַעַם?
אֵלַי֙ קוֹרֵא מִשֵּׂעִ֔יר שֹׁמֵר֙ מַה־מִּלַּ֔יְלָה. אָֽמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִישַׁעְיָה:
רַבֵּינוּ יְשַׁעְיָה, מַה יוֹצֵא לָנוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה?
אָמַר לָהֶן: הַמְתִּינוּ לִי עַד שֶׁנִּשְׁאַל.
כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁאַל חָזַר אֶצְלָן.
אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ: שׁוֹמֵר֭ מַה־מִּלֵּֽיל׃ מַה מִילֵּל שׁוֹמֵר הָעוֹלָמִים.
אָמַר לָהֶן: אָמַ֣ר שׁוֹמֵר אָתָ֥א בוֹקֶר וְגַם־לָיְ֑לָה.
אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. וְגַם־לָיְ֑לָה.
אָמַר לָהֶן: לֹא כְאַתֶּם סְבוּרִים. אֵלָּא
בוֹקֶר לַצַּדִּיקִים וְלַיְלָה לָרְֽשָׁעִים.
בּוֹקֶר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלַיְלָה לְאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם.
אָֽמְרוּן לֵיהּ: אִימַת?
אֲמַר לוֹן: אֵימַת דִּאַתּוֹן בָּעֵיי הוּא בָעֵי. אִם־תִּבְעָי֥וּן בְּעָ֖יוּ.
אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ: מִי מְעַכֵּב?
אָמַר לָהֶן: תְּשׁוּבָה. שׁוּבוּ אֵתָֽיוּ׃
Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said:
If a person asks you, where is your God?
Tell him, in the great city of Rome.
What is the reason?
To me He called from Seïr.
Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥay stated:
Every place to which Israel was exiled, the Divine Presence was exiled with them.
They were exiled to Egypt and the Divine Presence was exiled with them.
What is the reason? Was I not revealed to your Father’s house when they were in Egypt, the house of Pharaoh?
They were exiled to Babylon and the Divine Presence was exiled with them.
What is the reason? On your behalf I was sent to Babylon.
They were exiled to Media and the Divine Presence was exiled with them.
What is the reason? I installed My throne in Elam, but Elam is nothing else but Media as you are saying, when I was in the Capital city of Susa which is in the province of Elam.
They were exiled to Ionia and the Divine Presence was exiled with them.
What is the reason? I shall awake your sons, Zion, over your sons, Ionia.
They were exiled to Rome and the Divine Presence was exiled with them.
What is the reason? He calls to me from Se`ir: watchman, what time is it in the night?
Israel said to Isaiah: our teacher Isaiah, what will lead us out from this night?
He told them, wait until it will be asked.
After he asked, he returned to them and they asked him, watchman, what time is it in the night? He said to them, the watchman said, there comes morning and also night.
They said to him, and also night?
He told them, not as you understand it. But “morning” for the just ones, and “night” for the evildoers. “Morning” for Israel and “night” for the peoples of the world.
They asked him, when?
He said to them, any time you want, He wants: if you desire to ask, ask.
They asked him, what obstructs?
He told them, repentance: repent, come.