Another matter: “You will return to the Lord your God” – there is nothing greater than repentance. There was incident where our Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabban Gamliel, were in Rome. The Emperor’s ministers issued an edict, saying: Within thirty days there will not be a Jew in the entire world.51This decree, which was not announced to the public, was set to take effect in thirty days.

One of the ministers of the king feared Heaven. He came to Rabban Gamliel and revealed the matter to him. The Rabbis were very upset. That one who feared Heaven said to them: ‘Do not be upset.

Within thirty days, the God of the Jews will stand with them.’ After twenty-five days, he revealed the matter to his wife. She said to him: ‘Twenty-five days have passed.’ He said to her: ‘Five more days.’

His wife was more righteous than he. She said to him: ‘Do you not have a ring?52The ministers wore rings with a hollow containing poison (see Matnot Kehuna). Suck on it and die. The ministers’ [meetings] will be suspended for thirty more days in your [honor], and the edict will be annulled.’53The Romans had a policy that if one of the ministers died, their meetings would be suspended for thirty days, and any edicts that had been decreed but not yet put into effect would be cancelled (Etz Yosef).

He heeded her, sucked his ring, and died. Our Rabbis heard and went to his wife to console her. Our Rabbis said: ‘Pity for a ship that set sail and did not remit the tariff’; in other words, this righteous man was not circumcised. His wife said to them: ‘I know what you are saying, but, as you live, the ship did not pass before it remitted its tariff.’

She immediately entered an inner room and brought out to them a box containing the foreskin with blood-soaked rags placed upon it. Our Rabbis read this verse in his regard: “Ministers of the peoples have assembled, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted” (Psalms 47:10). What is “shields of the earth”?

The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘I have become a powerful shield,’ as it is stated: “I am a shield for you” (Genesis 15:1) – for this one, I will become many shields.54The Rabbis said this as though from God’s perspective, about the deceased minister, thereby comparing him favorably to Abraham. How so? The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: “I will render you a great nation and I will bless you and I will render your name great” (Genesis 12:2), and then he circumcised himself, but to this one I promised nothing.

What is, “he is greatly exalted”? He is more greatly exalted than Abraham. Another matter: “You will return to the Lord your God” – Rabbi Shmuel Peragrita said in the name of Rabbi Meir: To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king’s son who took to evil ways, and the king would send his tutor after him and say to him:55The tutor would speak to the prince on behalf of the king. ‘Repent, my son.’

The son would send him, and said to his father: ‘How can I have the audacity to return? I am ashamed before you.’ His father would send [the tutor] and [have him] say to [his son]: ‘My son, is there a son who is ashamed to return to his father? If you return, will you not be returning to your father?’

So, the Holy One blessed be He sent Jeremiah to Israel when they sinned, and He said to him: ‘Go and say to My children: Repent.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Go, and proclaim these matters…[repent, deviant Israel]” (Jeremiah 3:12). Israel would say to Jeremiah: ‘How can we have the audacity to return to the Holy One blessed be He?’

From where is this derived? As it is stated: “We will lie in our shame, and our humiliation will cover us, [as we have sinned to the Lord our God]” (Jeremiah 3:25). The Holy One blessed be He would send [Jeremiah] and say [to Israel]: ‘If you repent, will you not be returning to your Father?’ From where is this derived?

“For I have been a Father to Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:8). Rabbi Azarya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Jeremiah: ‘Go and say to Israel: As you live, I am not renouncing you. You said to Me at Sinai: “My innards yearn for Him” (Song of Songs 5:4); this is what I too say to you.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Is Ephraim a dear son to Me…[My innards yearn for him]” (Jeremiah 31:19).