Where are you, Adam?

One of the most profound questions G-d asks in the Torah is “Ayyekah?” (אַיֶּכָּה) – "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9). After Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge, they hide, and G-d calls out, "Ayyekah?"— does G-d not know where they are? Or is there something deeper to uncover here?

Jewish sages often explore different vowelizations to uncover hidden meanings in the text. Since Hebrew is built on consonantal roots and vowels were added later, different vowelizations do not change the essence of a word but, rather, can reveal different aspects of its meaning. A classic rabbinic example of multiple vowelizations leading to different interpretations is found in Genesis 12:2, where G-d blesses Avraham (then still called Abram):

And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you shall be a ברכה." (Genesis 12:2)

The Peshat level (simple meaning) would render this as G-d telling Avraham that he will bring blessings (ברכה) to the world. However, the Midrash Rabbah points out (Midrash Rabbah Lech Lecha 39:12), that we should read ברכה as if it were vocalized as בְּרֵכָה (bereichah), meaning 'pool'. In which way is Avraham a 'pool'? It is to indicate that Avraham will be like a mikveh of sorts and bring those who are far away closer to G-d, purifying the contaminated world."

Both the vocalization of ברכה as בְּרָכָה (Berachah) or בְּרֵכָה (bereichah) are correct, with one just revealing a deeper layer of meaning.

Getting back to Ayyekah (אַיֶּכָּה)—this question is far deeper than a simple inquiry about Adam's location. Just as we saw with ברכה / בְּרֵכָה (Berachah / Bereichah) in Avraham's blessing, the word Ayyekah can be understood on multiple levels.

Jewish tradition connects Ayyekah (Where are you?) in Genesis 3:9 alluding to Eichah (How?), the opening word of Lamentations (Eichah 1:1):

"How [אֵיכָה] is it that the city that was once so full of people now sits alone?" (Lamentations 1:1)

The words אַיֶּכָּה (Ayyekah) and אֵיכָה (Eichah) are spelled the same way—איכה—just with different vowels. This is not a coincidence; the Midrash (Eichah Rabbah 1:1) links these two moments:

"G-d said, ‘I said to Adam: Ayyekah (Where are you?), and now I say to his children: Eichah (How did this happen?).’"

There is a pattern to consider here. First, we stop reflecting on where we stand, and only later do we cry out 'Eichah?' ('How did we get here?').

Adam sins → he 'conceals' himself → G-d calls out, 'איכה' ('Where are you?').

The Jewish people sin → Jerusalem is destroyed, G-d’s conceals His presence → we cry, 'איכה?' ('How did this happen?').

Sin is always followed by concealment—of self, of truth, of divine connection. But the longer we hide, the greater the exile. The moment we stop answering 'Ayyekah?', we are on the path to lamenting 'Eichah?'

The true question being asked is layered with meaning. G-d is asking, "How did you fall?" and on the other hand, G-d is asking, "Where do you stand now?" a question for self-reflection. Notice that Adam does not answer the question of "Where are you?" directly; instead, he explains his reasoning first, "I was afraid because I was naked (Genesis 3:10)." G-d presents Adam with the opportunity to explain by asking, "Where do you stand?", and Adam's response is, "Afraid and naked."

Previously, Adam and Eve were 'naked and unashamed' (Genesis 2:25). But after their disobedience, they perceived their nakedness differently—it became a source of fear and shame. What changed? Not necessarily their bodies changing as the focal point (which dives into another discussion), but their awareness has changed. In perfect love, there is no shame. But once they felt disconnected from G-d, that love was obscured, and in its place, they felt exposed, afraid, and alone.

The Hebrew letters in 'Eichah/Ayyekah' (איכה) do more than form two possible words — they tell a deeper story. The Aleph (א), symbolizes divine unity of two yuds (י) connected by a vav (ו). One of the Yuds (י), is now isolated. When the upper yud is concealed we have Eichah, when the lower yud is concealed it is Ayyekah. But the Kaf (כ) represents transformation & free will, and the Hey (ה), as the Talmud (Menachot 29b) teaches, represents repentance and also a new/renewed purpose (such as when G-d added a 'ה' to change Abram to Abraham). Eichah/Ayyekah is not just a cry of despair—it is a hidden call to return. It's a pathway back. This is to say that when unity is broken, one can reflect on why they feel distant - what free will choices did they make to get them there?

Interestingly, if you remove the Kaf (כ) and Hey (ה) from Eichah (אֵיכָה), you are left with אי (Ee)—a word that carries layered meanings, each deeply relevant to the themes of exile and redemption. אי can mean a wild jackal, a place of isolation (island), or a statement of woe. Each of these meanings sheds light on the state of disconnection that follows when one ignores G-d’s call to repent. The jackal is a biblical symbol of destruction and abandonment, often appearing in desolate places where life once thrived. The island represents isolation, the experience of being spiritually or physically cut off from divine presence and community (like a yud being cut off from an aleph). And the expression of woe is the natural response to this separation—a cry of despair when one realizes how far they have fallen.

Yet, Isaiah 14:22-23 offers a vision of restoration: "Jackals will abide in [Babylonian] castles... But G-d will pardon Jacob... and will settle them on their own soil." The very places of desolation—where the jackals roam—will be reclaimed and renewed. Just as the Jewish people were exiled due to their sins and ignored the call to repent, they are not meant to remain in exile forever. The same Eichah ("How did this happen?") that once mourned destruction will one day be reversed into a story of return and rebuilding.

This transformation is central to the Hebrew letters themselves. The Kaf (כ) and Hey (ה) removed from Eichah are not lost; rather, they represent renewal and teshuvah. Kaf (כ) symbolizes transformation—our ability to shape reality through free will—while Hey (ה) is the letter of revelation and return, as seen in Abram’s name change to Abraham (Genesis 17:5), marking his spiritual awakening. Thus, removing these letters from Eichah (אֵיכָה) does not simply leave behind a state of woe (אי)—the ability to add the כה still exists (and arguably necessary). If one hears "where are you" and ignores it, the  כה is removed and they are thrown into an exile. But to come back, they must ask "how did this happen" by uniting the כה back with the אי. But it is only though your own free will (כ) that you can reclaim those lost elements and step into renewal (ה). Exile is not permanent. The jackals do not own the ruins forever. G-d calls out "Ayyekah" not to condemn, but to offer a path back, even when we have already cried out Eichah. If we listen, if we answer, we do not remain in Eichah (lament)—we move toward redemption, renewal, and return.

Adam’s greatest mistake wasn’t eating the fruit—it was hiding. When G-d asked 'Ayyekah?', The Omniscient One wasn’t looking for information—He was offering Adam a way back. But instead of answering, Adam hid behind excuses and blame.

Ayyekah is not just a question for Adam (אדם) — it is a question for Mankind (אדם). Where do you stand? Are you moving closer to G-d, or are you hiding? Have you taken ownership of your spiritual state, or are you waiting until 'Eichah?' arrives—when you not only try to conceal yourself from G-d, but G-d then conceals Himself from you?

The door to return is always open—but only if we stop and listen to the question being asked: Ayyekah?