God in Exile

(1) When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which your God ה׳ has banished you, (2) and you return to your God ה׳, and you and your children heed God’s command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day,

(3) then your God ה׳ will restore your fortunes [God] will bring you together again from all the peoples where your God ה׳ has scattered you.

that YHWH your God will restore your fortunes, *restore your fortunes: Heb. shav … shevutekha; continuing the use of the root shuv (“return”) that echoes throughout the chapter. and have compassion on you:
he will return to collect you from all the peoples wherein YHWH your God has scattered you. (Fox)

ושב ה׳ אלקיך את שבותך THEN THE LORD THY GOD WILL TURN THY CAPTIVITY — To express this idea it ought to have written והשיב את שבותך, “then He will bring back thy captivity”. But our Rabbis learned from this that, if one can say so of God, His Divine presence dwells with Israel in all the misery of their exile, so that when they are redeemed (i.e. when He speaks of their being redeemed), He makes Scripture write “Redemption” of Himself (i.e. He makes it state that He will be redeemed) — that He will return with them (Megillah 29a).

Furthermore the following may be said in explaining the strange form ושב ... את, — that the day of the gathering of the exiles is so important and is attended with such difficulty that it is as though He (God) Himself must actually seize hold of each individual’s hands dragging him from his place (so that God Himself returns with the exile), as it is said, (Isaiah 27:12) “And ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel”. We find, however, the same expression in connection with the gathering of the exiles of other nations also, as e.g. (Jeremiah 48:47): ושבתי שבות מואב "And I shall bring back the exiles of Moab".

שב ה׳ אלקיך את שבותך THEN THE LORD THY GOD WILL TURN THY CAPTIVITY — From the Babylonian Exile: THEN GOD WILL BRING YOU TOGETHER AGAIN from the big exile, this long one were we are scattered around the entire world and our Rabbis learnt from here that the holy One Blessed be He suffered in the suffering (lit became narrow in your narrowness) of Israel as it is written Isaiah 63: 9 "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old." and when they return it is as-if He returns as it is written (in our verse) He will return and it is not written He will cause you to return. And even though it is (similarly) written with regard to the nations of the world Jeremiah 49: 6 "And afterwards I will bring back the captivity of the children of ῾Ammon, says the Lord." still it does no write "God will bring" as it is written here.

And thus you find that as long as Israel were subjugated in Egypt, the Shechinah was with them in their servitude, viz. (Shemot 22:10) "And they saw the G-d of Israel, and under His feet, the likeness of a sapphire brick" (viz. Ibid. 1:14) "And thus is it written (Isaiah 63:9) "In all of their afflictions, He was afflicted."

This tells me only of communal afflictions. Whence do I derive (the same for) individual afflictions? From (Psalms 91:15) "When he calls Me, I will answer him. With him will I be in affliction." ...

R. Akiva says: If it were not explicitly written, it would be impossible to say it — Israel said before the L-rd: "You have redeemed Yourself!" You find that whenever they were exiled, the Shechinah was exiled with them, viz. (I Samuel 2:27) "Was I not exiled to your father's house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?" When they were exiled to Bavel, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Isaiah 43:14) "For your sake I was sent to Bavel." When they were exiled to Edom, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Ibid. 63:1) "Who is this, coming from Edom, etc.?" And when they return, the Shechinah will return with them, as it is written (Devarim 30:3) "And the L-rd will return, etc." It is not written "and the L-rd will return your captivity," but "and the L-rd will return with your captivity." And it is written (Song of Songs 4:8) "With Me, from Levanon, My bride, with Me from Levanon will you come."

§ It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: Come and see how beloved the Jewish people are before the Holy One, Blessed be He. As every place they were exiled, the Divine Presence went with them.

They were exiled to Egypt, and the Divine Presence went with them, as it is stated: “Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt?” (I Samuel 2:27).

They were exiled to Babylonia, and the Divine Presence went with them, as it is stated: “For your sake I have sent to Babylonia” (Isaiah 43:14).

So too, when, in the future, they will be redeemed, the Divine Presence will be with them, as it is stated: “Then the Lord your God will return with your captivity” (Deuteronomy 30:3). It does not state: He will bring back, i.e., He will cause the Jewish people to return, but rather it says: “He will return,” which teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will return together with them from among the various exiles.

The Gemara asks: Where in Babylonia does the Divine Presence reside? Abaye said: In the ancient synagogue of Huzal and in the synagogue that was destroyed and rebuilt in Neharde’a.

The verse states: “Yet I have been to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they have come” (Ezekiel 11:16). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is referring to the synagogues and study halls in Babylonia. And Rabbi Elazar said: This is referring to the house of our master, i.e., Rav, in Babylonia, from which Torah issues forth to the entire world. Rava interpreted a verse homiletically: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations” (Psalms 90:1)? This is referring to the synagogues and study halls. Abaye said: Initially, I used to study Torah in my home and pray in the synagogue. Once I heard and understood that which King David says: “Lord, I love the habitation of Your house” (Psalms 26:8), I would always study Torah in the synagogue, to express my love for the place in which the Divine Presence resides. It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says: In the future, the synagogues and the study halls in Babylonia will be transported and reestablished in Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated: “Surely, like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come” (Jeremiah 46:18).

The Holy One, blessed by He, said to Moses: If you pattern the tabernacle here below after the one in heaven above, I will leave My heavenly counselors, come down, and so shrink My presence as to fit into your midst below. (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 1:3 see also note 43 to lecture VII Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism Gershom Scholem )

We learnt that at every instance that Israel is exiled, that the Shechina is exiled with them. And here in the Egyptian Exile what is written? And these are the names of the children of Israel etc. Since is is written "The Children of Israel" ... what about Yaakov, that came with them it should have said, rather, These are the names of the Children of Israel, I accompany and watch over them, I went down with Yaakov, herewith the shechina, in the Egyptian Exile...

But know that the primary reason (that returning the Israelites to their land is different then returning the nations of the world to their land) is that when God created the world in its order, and each created being was in the place that God gave to it, so exile is a change in the order of the world, in that the being is exiled from its appointed place, and when that being returns to its appointed place, even with regard to the "nations" it says "I returned them", since this thing is appropriate, becasue exile is the opposite of (God's) will in ordering the world, and so when they are returned to their place God's Mind is returned, relieved and quiet. And that is why it is written "and I returned" (with regard to the "nations"). But with regard to Israel, that their exile touches the essense of (God's) honor, since God is called "The God of Israel" (Exodus 24: 10) and similarly in ordering creation he created Israel in the Holy land... when they are redeemed - in that God's essential presense is connected to them - it's as-if God is redeemed with them. And when they return it is written "And God, their God returned" and references God's name since it is certainly as-if God is redeemed and returned with them. But with regard ti the "nations" even though relates to Him, it is only in so far that it is His will that they return to their appointed place... it doesn't get to His essential Name. But with regard to Israel it is written "And God returned" to show that this thing is as-if God Himself was redeemed with them, and this is clear.

16th Centurey - Maharal of Prague

Then your God will return your fortunes..

(This "et" means "with" and "fortunes/Shevutcha" means Teshuva) and just as you are inspired to return to God, in a similar way, God returns to you, as it is written in Zecharia 1:3 Thus says the Lord of hosts; Turn to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.