Thereupon Israel began to pour forth complaint before their Father who is in heaven, saying: “Thou hast laid many troublesome tasks upon us. Which shall we hold to and which shall we abandon? Thou hast thrown upon us great labour and great burden; Thou hast said to us, ‘Build Me a house, and although ye build, yet study the Law.’” This is the plea of His children.

And this is the answer of their Father who is in heaven. Ye had a long rest between captivities, and I longed [saying], ‘When shall I hear the sound of the words of My Law from your mouths?’ Ye have not done well, and I have not done well. Ye have not done well in that ye have differed from Me, and I was angry against you and arose and brought utter destruction on My city and My house and My children. And I did not do well in that I arose against you and sealed a decree of judgment against you. Indeed, shall that which endureth forever and ever, world without end, contend with that which hath no endurance but for a year, or two, or ten, or thirty, and if at most for an hundred years, and then passeth away? But in that ye have rebuked Me, ye did well. Already have I accepted your rebuke.

“For the sigh of Israel is sweet to Me, and the desire for the Law hath covered Me, your words have found grace in My ears, and I accept the sayings of your mouths. Ye have labored in the house of My choice, and the Law shall not move from your mouths, for I am master of wonders, the transcendent Lord, I am He. Mighty works come to pass before Me, miracles and marvels before My throne. Who hath come before Me and I have not fulfilled his [prayer]? Who hath called upon Me and I have not straightway answered him? State before Me all your requests, and multiply upon Me the desire of your hearts.

My storehouses and My treasuries, – nothing in them is lacking. State your requests and they shall be given you, and the desire of your hearts shall be done forthwith, for there is no season like to this season, and no time like to this time. There is no season like to this season, for My soul bowed down till I beheld you, and there is no time like to this time, for the love of you cling to My heart.

I know what ye request, and My heart perceiveth what ye desire. Ye request much [knowledge of] Law, and a multitude of Talmud and many halakhic traditions; ye hope to ask questions on points of law, and ye covet a multitude of secrets. To multiply testimony in mountains upon mountains, to make wisdom wonderful in hills upon hills, to increase knowledge of the Talmud in the streets, and subtleties in the roads, to multiply laws as the sand of the sea, and rabbis as the dust of the world,