Who Takes the First Step?

"Comfort, comfort, My people," says your God (Yeshayah 40:1). Rav Chaim relates this verse to a discussion between the Jewish people and Hashem that is recorded in the Midrash. Hashem says, "Return to Me and [then] I will return to you" (Zechariah 1:3). The Jewish people respond, "Return us, Hashem, to You and [then] we will return" (Eichah 5:21). In other words, Hashem and the Jewish people differ over who should take the initiative to bring about reconciliation. Hashem says that we must return to Him, while we maintain that He must reach out and draw us in. The verse is part of the haftarah read on Shabbos Nachamu.