Where Are You?

(6) When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. (7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. (8) They heard the sound of God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from God among the trees of the garden. (9) God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (10) He replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

Where are you? God knew where he was. It was only to engage in conversation with him so that he not be too bewildered to repent if God were to have punished him instantly. Similarly, in the case of Cain, God asked him: “Where is your brother Abel?”

Where are you? Why are you hiding in the garden, and not showing yourself openly, as you did before?

Rav Yehuda says that Rav said: Adam had lost his faith, for it says: “God called out to the man and said to him: 'Where are you?'” meaning: "To where has your heart turned?" indicating that Adam had turned from the path of truth.