Why the Lord Lifts His Face to Israel at the Peace Offering

[And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings (Leviticus 7:11).] When they would offer the sacrifice of peace offerings, the Holy One, blessed be He, would lift up His face to them, as it is said, "The Lord lift up His face unto you and grant you peace" (Numbers 6:26). Is it possible that the Holy One, blessed be He, lifts up a face to creatures? Two verses contradict one another. One verse says, "[For] [if] I desire the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11), and one verse says, "For the Lord desired to slay them" (1 Samuel 2:25). How does He not desire the death of the wicked? Rather, before their sentence is sealed He does not desire it; after the sentence is sealed, "the Lord desired to slay them." And so Daniel says, "But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth" (Daniel 10:21). Our Rabbis said: There was an incident with Rabbenu the Holy One, that he was passing through Simonia. All the people of the city went out to meet him. They asked of him one elder to teach them Torah. He gave them Rabbi Levi bar Sison. They said to him, "Rabbenu, what is the meaning of what is written in Daniel, 'But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth' (Daniel 10:21)? Is there then a false matter in the Torah, that it says 'truth'?" He found no answer to give them. Immediately he went out [from there and came] before Rabbi. He said to him, "I could not stand before them. They asked me one matter, and I found nothing to answer them." He said to him, "What is the matter?" He said to him, "'But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth'—is there then a false matter in the Torah?" He said to him, "There was a great answer for you to give them." He said to him, "You should have said to them: When a person sins, the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribes death upon him. If he repents, the writing is annulled; if he does not repent, 'that which is inscribed in the writing of truth.'" So [here] too, one verse says, "The Lord lift up His face, etc." (Numbers 6:26), and one verse says, "Who does not lift up a face" (Deuteronomy 10:17). If He lifts up, why does He not lift up? Rather, to the nations of the world, "Who does not lift up a face," but to Israel, "The Lord lift up His face unto you." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Just as Israel lift up a face to Me, so I lift up a face to them. And how do they lift up a face to Me? A poor man of Israel has four children; he takes one loaf. They sit and eat all that loaf, and they are not satisfied from what is in it, yet they bless and say, "And you shall eat and be satisfied [and bless]" (Deuteronomy 8:10). So I too will lift up a face to them, "The Lord lift up His face unto you." Therefore it is said, "And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings" (Leviticus 7:11).