God's Tears

Chagigah 5b
The verse states: “But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret [bemistarim] for your pride” (Jeremiah 13:17). Rav Shmuel bar Inya said in the name of Rav: The Holy One, Blessed be He, has a place where He cries, and its name is Mistarim. What is the meaning of “for your pride”? Rav Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: God cries due to the pride of the Jewish people, which was taken from them and given to the gentile nations. Rav Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: He cries due to the pride of the kingdom of Heaven, which was removed from the world. The Gemara asks: But is there crying before the Holy One, Blessed be He? Didn’t Rav Pappa say: There is no sadness before the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated: “Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place” (I Chronicles 16:27)? The Gemara responds: This is not difficult. This statement, that God cries, is referring to the innermost chambers, where He can cry in secret, whereas this statement, that He does not cry, is referring to the outer chambers. The Gemara asks: And doesn’t God cry in the outer chambers? Isn’t it written: “And on that day the Lord, the God of hosts, called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth” (Isaiah 22:12)? The Gemara responds: The destruction of the Temple is different, as even the angels of peace cried, as it is stated: “Behold, their valiant ones cry without; the angels of peace weep bitterly” (Isaiah 33:7). The verse continues: “And my eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive” (Jeremiah 13:17). Rabbi Elazar said: Why these three references to tears in the verse? One is for the First Temple; one is for the Second Temple; and one is for the Jewish people who were exiled from their place. And there are those who say: The last one is for the unavoidable dereliction of the study of Torah in the wake of the exile. The Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who said that the last tear is for the Jewish people who were exiled, this is as it is written: “Because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.” However, according to the one who said that this tear is for the dereliction of the study of Torah, what is the meaning of: “Because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive”? The Gemara answers: Since the Jewish people were exiled from their place, there is no greater involuntary dereliction of the study of Torah

Bereishit Rabbah 27:4
“The Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was saddened in His heart” (Genesis 6:6).
“The Lord regretted [vayinaḥem] that He had made man on the earth” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: [God said:] ‘There was regret before Me that I created him below [“on the earth”], for had I created him on High, he would never have rebelled against Me.’ Rabbi Neḥemya said: [God said:] ‘I take solace [mitnaḥem] in the fact that I created him below [“on the earth”], for had I created him on High, just as he incited the lower beings [on earth] to rebel against Me, so he would have incited the supernal beings [the angels] to rebel against Me.’
Rabbi Aivu said: [God said:] ‘There was regret before Me that I created an evil inclination in him, as had I not created an evil inclination in him, he would not have rebelled against Me.’ Rabbi Levi said: [God said:] ‘I take solace in the fact that I made him so that he would [ultimately] be placed in the earth.’
“And He was saddened in His heart” – Rabbi Berekhya said: This is analogous to a king who built a palace by means of an architect. He saw it and it was not to his liking. At whom should he be angry? Is it not the architect? So, “He was saddened in his heart.”
Rabbi Asi said: This is analogous to a king who engaged in commerce by means of an intermediary and incurred a loss. Against whom should he have a grievance? Is it not against the intermediary? So, “He was saddened in his heart.”
A certain heretic asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa, saying to him: ‘Do you not say that the Holy One blessed be He foresees the future?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ [The heretic continued:] ‘But is it not written: “He was saddened in his heart”?’ He said to him: ‘Has a male offspring ever been born to you in your lifetime?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ He said to him: ‘What did you do?’ He said to him: ‘I rejoiced and encouraged everyone else to rejoice.’ He said to him: ‘But did you not know that he would ultimately die?’ He said to him: ‘At a time of rejoicing there is rejoicing; at a time of mourning there is mourning.’ He said to him: ‘So was the situation before the Holy One blessed be He, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Seven days the Holy One blessed be He mourned His world before the Flood came to the world. What is the source? “He was saddened [vayitatzev] in his heart,” and atziva is nothing other than mourning, just as it says: “The king is grieving [ne’etzav] over his son”’ (II Samuel 19:3).