Whose Palace Vineyard and Flock Truly Needs Comforting

Rabbi Avin said two teachings. Rabbi Avin said: This is like a king who had a palace, and enemies entered it and burned it. Who needs to be comforted, the palace or the owner of the palace? Surely the owner of the palace. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said: The Temple is My house, as it is written, "Because of My house that lies in ruins" (Haggai 1:9). Who needs to be comforted? Is it not I? Thus, "Comfort, comfort My people" (Isaiah 40:1), read as "comfort Me, comfort Me, My people." Rabbi Avin said another. Rabbi Avin said: This is like a king who had a vineyard, and enemies entered it and cut it down and ruined it. Who needs to be comforted, the vineyard or the owner of the vineyard? So the Holy One said: Israel is My vineyard, "For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel" (Isaiah 5:7). Who needs to be comforted? Is it not I? Rabbi Berekhiah said two, one in his own name and one in the name of Rabbi Levi. Rabbi Berekhiah said: This is like a king who had a flock, and wolves entered it and tore it apart. Who needs to be comforted, the flock or the owner of the flock? So the Holy One said: Israel is My flock, "You are My flock, the flock of My pasture" (Ezekiel 34:31). Who needs to be comforted? Is it not I? Rabbi Berekhiah in the name of Rabbi Levi: This is like a king who had a vineyard and handed it over to a tenant. When the tenant made good wine, the king would say, How good is the wine of my vineyard; and when he made bad wine, he would say, How bad is the wine of my tenant. The tenant said to him, My lord the king, when the wine is good you say it is the wine of your vineyard, and when it is bad you say it is the wine of your tenant; but good or bad, it is yours. So at first the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "Now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt" (Exodus 3:10). But once they did that deed, what is written there? "Go down, for your people have become corrupt" (Exodus 32:7). Moses said before the Holy One, Master of the worlds, when they sin they are mine, and when they are worthy they are Yours? Whether sinful or worthy, they are Yours, as it is written, "They are Your people and Your inheritance" (Deuteronomy 9:29); "Do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance" (Deuteronomy 9:26); "Why, O LORD, should Your anger burn against Your people?" (Exodus 32:11). Rabbi Simon said: He did not budge from cherishing them until He called them "My people," "And the LORD relented of the evil He had said He would do to His people" (Exodus 32:14).