“The Lord God called to the man, and said to him: Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). “The Lord God called to the man [and said to him: Where are you [ayeka]?]” – how [eikh] have you become like this? Yesterday41Previously. It cannot mean “yesterday” literally, because Adam did not yet exist on the previous day. you were loyal to My will, but now to the will of the serpent.
Yesterday you extended from one end of the world to the other end, but now you fit “among the trees of the garden”? Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: “But they were like men [adam] who violated the covenant” (Hosea 6:7) – they were like Adam the first man.42Who violated God’s command. They were like Adam the first man, whom I put into the Garden of Eden and commanded him, but he violated the command, and I sentenced him to banishment and expulsion, and I lamented over him: ‘How could it be [eikha]?’43Its spelling is identical to ayeka.
I put him into the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “He placed him in the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 2:15). And I commanded him, as it is stated: “The Lord God commanded the man, saying” (Genesis 2:16). And he violated the command, as it is stated: “Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from it?” (Genesis 3:11). And I sentenced him to banishment, as it is stated: “The Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 3:23).
And I sentenced him to expulsion, as it is stated: “He expelled the man” (Genesis 3:24). And I lamented over him: ‘How could it be [eikha],’ as it is stated: “The Lord God called to the man, and said to him: Where are you [ayeka]?” – eikha is written. So it was with His descendants: I brought them into the Land of Israel, I commanded them and they violated the command, I sentenced them to banishment and expulsion, and I lamented over them: Eikha.
I brought them into the Land of Israel, as it is stated: “I brought you to a fruitful land” (Jeremiah 2:7). And I commanded them, as it is stated: “You shall command the children of Israel” (Exodus 27:20). And they violated the command, as it is stated: “All Israel has violated Your Torah” (Daniel 9:11). And I sentenced them to banishment, as it is stated: “Banish them from My presence” (Jeremiah 15:1).
And I sentenced them to expulsion, as it is stated: “I will expel them from My house” (Hosea 9:15). And I lamented over them: Eikha, as it is stated: “How [eikha] does…it sit” (Lamentations 1:1).