Too Ashamed to Repent Yet the LORD Still a Father

Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yitzchak. Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jeremiah, Go and tell Israel to repent. He came and told them, and they said to him, Our master Jeremiah, how can we repent? With what face do we come before the Omnipresent? Have we not angered Him and provoked Him? Those very mountains and hills where we worshiped idols still stand, as it says, On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice (Hosea 4:13). Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us (Jeremiah 3:25). He came before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said so. He said to him, Go and tell them: Have I not written this for you in My Torah, And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from the midst of his people (Leviticus 20:6)? Have I done such a thing to you? Rather, I will not cause My face to fall upon you, for I am loving, says the LORD; I will not bear a grudge forever (Jeremiah 3:12). Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jeremiah, Go and tell Israel to repent. He came and told them, and they said to him, Our master Jeremiah, how can we repent? With what face do we come before the Holy One? Have we not angered and provoked Him? Those mountains and hills where we worshiped idols still stand, as it says, On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice (Hosea 4:13). Let us lie down in our shame (Jeremiah 3:25). He came and said this before the Holy One, blessed be He. He said to him, Go and tell them: If you are coming, are you not coming to your Father in heaven? As it says, For I have become a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn (Jeremiah 31:9).