Guest Post from ancient Rabbis

Lamentations Rabbah offers the following fascinating rabbinic reflection of God's reaction to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem presented in the book of Lamentations. It prompts me to reflect on the doctrine of divine impassibility. Perhaps I will ponder it in some posts.

'At that moment the Holy One, blessed be he, wept, saying, “Woe is me! What have I done! I have brought my Presence to dwell below on account of the Israelites, and now that they have sinned, I have gone back to my earlier dwelling. Heaven forfend that I now become a joke to the nations and an object of ridicule among the people” … When the Holy One, blessed be he, saw the house of the sanctuary, he said, “This is certainly my house, and this is my resting place, and the enemies have come and done whatever they pleased with it!” At that moment the Holy One, blessed be he, wept, saying, “Woe is me for my house! O children of mine–where are you? O priests of mine–where are you? O you that love me–where are you? What shall I do for you? I warned you but you did not repent.”'[1]

[1] Lamentations Rabbah XXIV.ii.1.I-2.C-D.