Isaiah · Chapter 1

The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, etc. Rabbi Levi said: This matter is a tradition in our hands from our fathers: Amoz and Amaziah, king of Judah, were brothers. “Which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” Yet did he not prophesy concerning many nations? “The burden against Babylon,” “the burden against Moab.” Hence you learn that this is not the beginning of the book, and the book is not named after this vision. And so we learned in the Baraita of the Mekhilta: “In the year that King Uzziah died” is the beginning of the book. Rather, there is no chronological order in the sequence of events. And the words themselves prove this, for it was on the day of the earthquake—the day that Uzziah was struck with leprosy—that it was said, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’” (below, 6:8). And Isaiah said, “Here am I; send me.” From this we learn that this was the beginning of his mission. This prophecy, however, was spoken afterward, and only concerning this one was it said, “Which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” Just as regarding the burden of each nation he wrote, “The burden of such-and-such a nation,” so here he wrote, “This vision he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.” And because these are severe reprimands, he called them a “vision,” for a vision is more severe than prophecy, which is called by ten terms. As it is stated in Bereshit Rabbah: “A proof for this matter: ‘A severe vision has been shown to me’” (below, 21:2). "In the days of Uzziah, etc." — These four kings of Judah were encompassed within his days. On the day that Uzziah became leper, the Divine Presence rested upon him, and he prophesied throughout the days of these kings, until Manasseh arose and killed him. (And this prophecy was spoken in the days of Hezekiah, after the ten tribes had gone into exile, according to Targum Jonathan.)

Vision. The letter nun in "vision" is an additional letter: [“Son of Amoz”]. There is a solitary opinion in the words of certain authorities that every prophet whose father’s name is mentioned is also a prophet. And there are those who say that he is of royal lineage, for Amoz and Amaziah were brothers; therefore, the wicked of Israel could not harm him as they harmed Jeremiah. Now it is written, “I gave my back to those who struck me” (Isaiah 50:6). According to the simple meaning, every prophet whose father’s name is mentioned is great and his secret is known in his generation. Some of them are prophets and some are not, such as “the oracle of David the son of Jesse” (2 Samuel 23:1), and “David the man of God” (2 Chronicles 8:14). And when it is said “Jehu the son of Nimshi” (1 Kings 19:16), Nimshi is not a king. Yet we find in “the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet” (2 Chronicles 32:32), and it is possible that “the prophet” refers to Isaiah, or that it is attached to Amoz. And when we find “to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz” (2 Kings 19:2), we know that he is the prophet. Similarly, he mentioned the ancestors of Zephaniah [Zephaniah 1:1] on account of Hezekiah. And the meaning of "which he saw" [concerning Judah] is that the majority of his prophecies were regarding the cities of Judah, that the king of Assyria would capture them, and concerning Jerusalem, that it would be rescued from his hand. Likewise, from the middle of the book onward, [the prophecies] concern the exile of Judah, for he did not mention the other tribes. And his prophecy was in the days of Uzziah. And it is close to me that he began to prophesy in the year of his death, as I will explain further. And according to the simple meaning, he died in the days of Hezekiah. For if his days had extended until the days of Manasseh, this would have been written. And there is in the words of an individual that Manasseh killed him, because he said, "my eyes have seen [the King]" (Isaiah 6:5). And if the matter is a tradition, it is the truth.

The vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz. We do not know his lineage, from which tribe he was, except that our Sages of blessed memory received [the tradition] that Amoz and Amaziah were brothers.

“Vision.” This refers to the appearance of the prophecy that Isaiah saw in the prophetic vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem. This is not the beginning of the book to indicate that all of his prophecy was solely about Judah and Jerusalem, for indeed he also prophesied concerning Babylon, etc. Rather, it comes to state that that particular prophecy was about Judah and Jerusalem, similar to how it says, “The burden of Babylon,” “The burden of Moab.” But the beginning of the book is, “In the year that King Uzziah died,” etc. There is no early or late in the order, and the words prove this, for there it says, “And I heard,” etc., “Whom shall I send,” etc., from which we learn that then was the beginning of the mission. "In the days of Uzziah, etc."—In the days of these four kings, he prophesied, until Manasseh arose and put him to death.

Chazon: The matter of seeing and gazing, as it is said, “Our eyes have seen Zion” (Micah 4:11). And on account of this, the prophet is called by the name Chozeh, for he sees in the vision of prophecy, and he is also called Ro’eh and Tzofeh.

The vision of Isaiah: this prophecy was prophesied in the days of Uzziah, and he repeated it in the days of every king and king. Regarding Judah and Jerusalem: This prophecy is divided into two parts. From verse 2 to verse 21, the prophecy concerns the tribe of Judah; and from verse 21 to verse 27, the prophecy concerns the city of Jerusalem; and from there until the end of the chapter, the prophecy concerns both of them together. [Note: The commentators are divided regarding the time of this prophecy. Some say that it was the first prophecy, and what is written, “which he saw in the days of Uzziah,” is an allusion encompassing all the words of the book. And what is written in chapter 6, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’” which appears to indicate that then was the beginning of his mission, means that from then on he prophesied regularly, whereas what he prophesied from the beginning of the reign of Uzziah (as appears somewhat in II Chronicles 26:22) was not regular. And the proofs for this opinion are: a) From what is written, “which he saw in the days of... and in the days of...,” which necessarily refers to the entirety of the book; b) From what is written here that he saw it in the days of Uzziah, whereas later (chapter 6) it was in the year of the death of King Uzziah. However, the opinion of our Sages of blessed memory (in the Mekhilta, Parashat Beshalach, brought by Rashi to chapter 6, and in Midrash Rabbah on Ecclesiastes, and in Seder Olam Rabbah, chapter 19) is that the prophecy in chapter 6 was the beginning of his prophecy, and it was in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Uzziah, when he became leprous and was placed in a separate house, and his kingship was interrupted, and therefore it is called the year of his death. And there is no early or late in the order of the book, as is also stated in Midrash Rabbah on Exodus, chapter 1. And the proofs for their words are: a) From what is written, “which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem,” whereas he also prophesied concerning the ten tribes, and also concerning many nations; b) From what is written, “The vision of Isaiah,” whereas he should have said “Visions” to include them all; c) As is explained by me that “vision” is a specific, particular matter among the matters of prophecy, and yet you will find that he prophesied prophecies called “burdens” (massa), and this is not included in the word “vision.” And he should have said “The words of Isaiah,” like “The words of Jeremiah,” to include them all.]

“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth.” Moses said, “Give ear, O heavens, and let the earth hear” (Deuteronomy 32:1). Why did Isaiah change the wording? Our Sages taught regarding this matter, and there are many midrashim on this in the parashah of Ha’azinu in Sifrei. The Sages disputed them and said: It is not so. Rather, when witnesses come and testify, and their words are found to be consistent, their testimony is valid; if not, their testimony is not valid. Had Isaiah not come and given “hearing” to the heavens and “listening” to the earth, the heavens would have testified and said: When we were called to this testimony in the days of Moses, who said, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today,” we heard in the language of “listening” (ha’azina). And the earth would have testified: I was called in the language of “hearing” (shim’a). And their testimony would not have been consistent. Isaiah came and reversed the matter, and both were found testifying in the language of “listening” and in the language of “hearing.” "For the Lord has spoken." (That you may be witnesses concerning this matter, as I had warned them in the days of Moses; therefore, come and hear, for I am arguing with them because they transgressed the warning. I did not err in them, but rather I nurtured them and exalted them, and they sinned against Me. Another interpretation:) That you may be witnesses to the matter. And where did He speak? "Hear, O heavens, and let Me speak" (ibid.). In the Mekhilta:

"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth" – There are words derived from nouns that function as verbs, such as "give ear, O earth," which means "incline the ear." In the simple sense, there is no difference between "Hear" and "give ear." He began to call the witnesses whom Moses had called against Israel, for they would surely be destroyed (Deuteronomy 4:26), and now the time has come. "For the Lord has spoken." Since the Name is the One who speaks, hear His word; or, "For the Lord has spoken," so that you may listen. “Sons.” Israel is likened to sons who have no strength of their own, and the Father raises them up and elevates their status above those of their peers. "And they transgressed against Me." This means that they went out from under My authority, as it is stated, "And Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah" (II Kings 8:22). The term "transgression" (pesha) applies to every matter of rebellion, as it is stated, "For every matter of transgression" (Exodus 22:8).

"Hear, O heavens." He began his book with words of rebuke because the people of his generation were wicked. And even though it is written concerning Uzziah, "And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord," and similarly concerning Jotham, behold, it is stated concerning Uzziah, "And when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he acted corruptly." And in the days of both of them, the people were sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. And it is written in Chronicles regarding the reign of Jotham, "Yet the people still acted corruptly." How much more so in the days of Ahaz, who was wicked and committed great evils, as it is written, "And all the people were wicked in his days," as explained regarding their abandonment of the Lord, the God of their fathers. And even in the days of Hezekiah, their hearts were not whole toward the Lord, as stated in Chronicles. And he said at the opening of his words of rebuke, "Hear, O heavens." And similarly, Moses our Teacher, of blessed memory, when he came to rebuke Israel, said, "Give ear, O heavens," for they are witnesses between the Lord and Israel, as it is written, "I will call the heavens and the earth to witness against them," because they endure forever, whereas generations pass away. Or because if they transgress the covenant, the heavens will not give their dew, and the earth will not yield its produce. And there are interpretations as to why he said "Hear" to the heavens and "Give ear" to the earth, in reverse of what Moses our Teacher, of blessed memory, said. One of them is because Moses was close to the heavens, therefore he said, "Give ear, O heavens," and because he was distant from the earth, therefore he said, "Let the earth hear." But Isaiah came and said, "Hear, O heavens," because he was distant from the heavens, and he said, "Let the earth give ear," because he was close to the earth. "For the Lord has spoken." What I am saying is that these are the words of the Lord who sent me, that He cries out concerning His sons, and says, "Sons I have raised up and exalted, yet they have rebelled against Me." For I raised them up and exalted them above every nation. The repetition serves to strengthen the matter with different words, though the meaning is one. And so is the custom of Scripture in many places. My master and father, of blessed memory, interpreted "raised them up" as in My Torah, and "exalted them" as in My Divine Presence. "And they transgressed against Me": They rebelled against Me in rebellion and in trespass; they transgressed My Torah to provoke Me to anger. For there are those who recognize [the truth] and yet deny it, and there are those who do not recognize it. Concerning them it is said:

"Hear, O heavens." This is what I complain and protest about Israel: “Hearken, O earth.” He spoke in the singular language because the foundation of the earth is one, unlike the heavens, which are seven firmaments according to the view of the ancients. "For the Lord has spoken." I do not speak on my own authority, but because the word of the Lord is in my mouth; therefore, heed My words. “Children I have raised.” This means: “Behold the good that I have done for My children, My firstborn, Israel, whom I have raised up and exalted above all the ancient nations, yet they did not repay Me according to my kindness, but rebelled against Me.”

"And give ear." Incline your ear to hear. Similarly, "azun" (incline) in "until your understandings" (Job 32:11). They transgressed. They rebelled, as it is written: “The king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel” (2 Kings 3:5).

“Hear! He calls to the heavens and the earth, which are the most renowned and eternally enduring, to listen to the Lord’s dispute with His people, for the Lord has spoken—and who would not hear? (This statement continues until verse 4.) And these are the words of the Lord:” “Sons, behold, the moral precept is that a son honors his father even if he did not do any good for him, only that he raised him like a craftsman raising a suckling, and all the more so if he elevated him in status above his other sons, in which case he is obligated in double gratitude. And I, I raised and trained my sons, and more than that, I exalted them above every nation and tongue. Yet they, instead of being obligated in service and double gratitude, sinned and rebelled against Me.”

“Acquires it.” He trains it by plowing during the day, and since he accustoms it to this, it knows its owner. But a donkey, being dull-witted, does not understand its owner until he feeds it. And Israel did not become enlightened to know like an ox, as it is stated: “When I called you, ‘Israel shall be your name,’ and I made you know some of My statutes” (Ezekiel 20:39), and it says: “Each man after his idols,” etc. And even after I brought them out of Egypt and fed them with manna, and I called them “My people, the children of Israel,” they did not pay attention like a donkey. (Seder Olam Rabbah) Another interpretation: “The ox knows its owner.” The ox knows its owner so that it retains fear of its owner; it did not change what I decreed upon it by saying, “I will not plow today,” and the donkey did not say to its owner, “I will not carry a load today.” And these, which were created to serve you, and are not subject to receiving reward if they merit, nor to receiving retribution if they sin, did not change their nature that I decreed upon them. But Israel, if they merit, receive reward, and if they sin, receive retribution. He does not know. They did not wish to know, yet they knew, and they trampled underfoot; and My people did not set their heart to pay attention.

“Know, etc.” He mentioned the ox and the donkey, for they are always found among human beings. Avos. A place of feeding, and it is equivalent to "a well-known place" and "adjacent," equal in meaning. From it [we derive] "and the herds were in stalls" (1 Kings 8:3) and "an ox in a stall" (Proverbs 15:17). It is a po'el [form], and the meaning is that it stands in a stall. Israel did not know. And behold, the beasts are wiser in understanding than he: "And My people have not considered." The meaning is double, as is the manner of most prophecies, as well as the Song of Ha'azinu and the words of Balaam. The meaning is that I have raised them up, yet they did not recognize Me.

“The ox knows its owner.” This refers to domesticated animals that grow up with human beings to serve their labor. Even though they are not endowed with intellectual understanding, by virtue of the instinctual awareness they possess to avoid harm and seek benefit, they recognize those who consistently treat them well—namely, their owners—and return to their homes and feeding places when they come from their work. The meaning of “its owner” is not merely one who purchased it with money, but rather the one who reared it and continually provided for its needs. Similarly, “your father is your maker,” and likewise it is said, “He who made heaven and earth.” The meaning of “manger” is the place where animals eat; in Aramaic it is called *atron*. It is used in the singular as well as in the plural. Now, these animals, even though they are beasts, recognize those who do them good. Yet Israel, who are My people that I redeemed from the house of bondage, do not know that I am the One who does them good, who gave them the land as an inheritance, and who drove out the nations before them. Had they recognized this, they would not have abandoned Me nor served other gods in My place. They did not reflect that by observing My Torah they are in goodness, and by abandoning it they are in evil. How could they fail to reflect on this?

"The ox knows [its owner]." Surely even the ox knows and recognizes its master who acquired it, and it heeds him; and this donkey, although it is exceedingly foolish, nevertheless knows the location of its master's manger and goes there for its benefit. "They do not know." They did not wish to know Me, so that they might be obedient to Me. “My people.” A people who are My people, and I am their helper; nevertheless, they do not consider to know what is good for them, for even when they hear of the goodness of the land, they eat, and they are not even like this donkey, which recognizes goodness.

Avos. This is the place designated for animal feed, as it is written: “and if he stays by your avos” (Job 39:9).

“Know,” did we not see that these two types of recognition are also given in the nature of non-speaking beasts? For the ox recognizes its master only by virtue of having been acquired by him alone, and the donkey, which has less recognition, at least recognizes him by virtue of being given fodder in the manger to eat. But Israel did not “know,” meaning: at the time when I called them by the name “Israel,” as a sign that they are My portion, My possession, and My servants (and this corresponds to “I have brought up children”), they ought to have recognized their Master like an ox; nevertheless, they did not wish to know. And “My people,” at the time when I exalted them above all nations by calling them “My people” and “My inheritance” (and this corresponds to “I have exalted them”), they ought to have recognized at least the particular good like a donkey; nevertheless, they did not consider, they did not wish to understand. [Note: In this polished mirror, let us gaze upon several matters. A] Regarding the nature of man and his traits: although every gift and present that a father gives to his son is considered as nothing compared to the primary good he brought about for him by bringing him into existence, nursing him, and raising him, nevertheless, we see the nature of man: love for his parents grows within him when they add to bestowing upon him property, wealth, and exalting him above all his brothers, whereas if they do not benefit him in these ways, as Rachel and Leah said (Genesis 31:15), “Are we not considered strangers to him?” B] This image finds its home within a man of deep heart, even in the recognition of good and gratitude that he owes to his Creator, his Maker, his Father, his Acquirer. For every particular good that He added to bestow upon him, he became obligated in return to a particular service. For this reason, Israel was commanded with additional commandments above the nations of the world, the sons of Aaron above their brothers the sons of Israel, and the High Priest above his brother priests, as stated in Chochmat Ha’Adam, Gate of Service. And all this hits the target in what is stated: “I have brought up children and exalted them.” C] Since the soul of man encompasses all the works of Genesis, and within its wings are bundled all the powers scattered throughout every living creature of every flesh according to its kind—their powers and the opposites of their powers—in a sublime manner and in a general way, therefore, every power found in the soul of any beast must necessarily be found in the soul of man with greater abundance and greater strength. And if man appears to neglect the lowliness of this power from the sources of his soul, to divert waters from its springs, behold, he has sinned and incurred guilt upon his soul. Therefore, the prophet searched and found these two types of recognition, which are included in what is stated “I have brought up children and exalted them,” in the soul of the ox and the donkey, and he reproaches his people: How is it that Israel did not know? And by this, besides transgressing the moral and intellectual law to return gratitude to their begetters and good to their benefactors, they also violated the natural law, after we have found it rooted in the nature of life and the power of their souls. End of note.] (End of the words of the Lord to the heavens and the earth; from now on, the prophet will begin his words and extend the matter until verse 10).

Behold. Every "Behold" in Scripture is an expression of complaint and lamentation, like a person groaning from his heart and crying out, "Alas, alas!" However, there are a few instances where it is an expression of a shout, a call of voice, such as "Behold, behold, flee from the land of the north" (Zechariah 2:10), and Targum Jonathan renders it as an expression of proclamation. "Behold" [here means]: there is cause to cry out over a holy nation that has turned into a sinful nation, and a people about whom it was said, "For you are a holy people," has turned into a people heavy with sin. "A people heavy with iniquity." "Heavy with iniquity" refers to the heaviness of sin; a person who is "heavy" is called "peshnant" in the foreign tongue. Thus, "heavy" here is a noun denoting the quality of heaviness, "peshnatom" in the foreign tongue, and it is joined to the word "sin." “Seed of evildoers.” And they were the seed blessed by the Lord; they were children of the Holy One, blessed be He, who were transformed into destroyers. They provoked Him. They incited Him: “Let them withdraw backward.” Nowhere is the term nazirah (abstinence) used except to denote separation, as it is stated, “And they shall abstain from the holy things of the children of Israel” (Leviticus 22:2), and “Joseph is a nazir [set apart] from his brothers” (Genesis 49:26). So too here, “Let them withdraw backward” means that they retreated from the place.

"Hoy." Some explain that the he here stands in place of an aleph, just as in "adorem" (1 Kings 12:18), "hadorem" (2 Chronicles 10:18), "eikh" (Exodus 2:6, 9), and "heikh" (1 Chronicles 1:12). But according to my understanding, it is a sign of reading, and the root of the word is from the root "hayah" (to be), because we find "Hoy, hoy, and flee" (Zechariah 2:10), "Hoy, Zion, flee" (ibid. 11:1). Therefore, He said after it, "To your face, upon what shall you strike?" "His sin is heavy." This is an adjective in construct form, like "uncircumcised heart" and "uncircumcised flesh" (Ezekiel 44:6). Seed of the wicked. Because they themselves are wicked together with their forefathers, or the meaning is like “your father the Amorite and your mother the Hittite” [Deuteronomy 20:17], as I will explain: "Destroying." Their soul or their way: They have forsaken the Lord. The meaning is: the service of the Lord. They insulted. They provoked [God] to anger: “Let them be pushed back.” This is derived from the root of “they shall keep themselves separate” (Leviticus 22:2), following the pattern of “they could not” (Exodus 8:14). And if it were not for the established usage, our Sages of blessed memory said that it is in the Nifal conjugation, like “they were prepared for mockers” (Proverbs 19:29), from the root zar.

“Ah, sinful nation.” “Be” is a term of calling out and crying out, whether for a mourner or to make oneself heard by the listener. And the Targum [renders it] as a term of mourning, like “woe,” which it translates as “wail over the people called a holy people and sinners.” Kaved. A noun in the shkal pattern, like melekh and avad, and it is the same in the construct and absolute states. "Mer'im." It does not say this about the Patriarchs; rather, it says this about them: that they are the seed of those who do evil to themselves through their evil deeds, unlike the seed of the blessed of the Lord; and likewise, they are children who destroy their ways. They insulted. They provoked [God] to anger: "the Holy One of Israel" – that He sanctified Himself among them through His wonders and His judgments which He performed against their enemies, yet they forsook Him. “They are estranged (nazoru).” On the pattern of “yakhlu”; from the sense of “they shall separate themselves (ve-yinnazru) from the holy things of the children of Israel”; that is to say, they separated themselves from God and went backward from His service. Or its explanation is that they turned their back to God and not their face, as it is stated, “They turned their back and not their face.” Jonathan rendered it: “And they returned to the worship of Qadmon, etc.” And it is possible that “nazoru” is of the nifal conjugation, like “the breasts were prepared,” meaning they were removed from the matter of the stranger. And Jonathan rendered “they were set apart” as “backward” in reference to the punishment, and not in reference to the action, which he rendered as “And their worshippers were separated, etc.”

Woe. The prophet sighs and complains about Israel, who were once a holy nation but were transformed into a sinful nation. A people heavy with iniquity. From the time they were a holy nation, they were transformed into a people heavy with iniquity. “Seed of evildoers.” From the time when they were “seed” that the Lord blessed, they turned and became “seed of evildoers.” "Children who corrupt." From the time they were the sons of the living God, they were transformed into children who corrupt their ways: “They turned backward.” They turned away from them to go backward, like a person who refuses to listen to the words of the one speaking to him.

"Hoy." This word denotes a cry, whether of sorrow or of joy, as in "Hoy, my brother; hoy, my sister" (Jeremiah 22:18) and as in "Hoy, Zion! Escape" (Zechariah 2:11). Heavy. The meaning is multiplicity, as in "this numerous people" (1 Kings 3:9). "Evildoers." The wicked: "נאצו" – this word is borrowed to denote contempt, and similarly: "for the men had despised the offering of the Lord" (1 Samuel 3). "נזורו" – The meaning of the passage is like that of "which were separated from Me" (Ezekiel 14:5).

"Hoy" is the word of calling. And this entire verse serves as an introduction to the verse that follows it: "For what benefit will you be struck further?" It says, "Ah, you are a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, [who] have abandoned the Lord," etc. I ask you: for what benefit will you be struck? "A people heavy with iniquity: the Seer ascends in degrees and magnifies the quality of their sins from one level to another, saying: 'Not only are you a sinful nation, where the sin is unintentional, but you are a people heavy with iniquity, where the transgression is deliberate. And not only did you commit transgression occasionally, but you are a seed of evildoers; "evildoers" is an adjective indicating that they persisted in their evil. And not only did you sin to fulfill your desires or to gain some benefit, but you are also rebellious children; the term "rebellious" indicates that they do evil from which they derive no pleasure or benefit whatsoever, but rather they destroy themselves.' (See now: Just as the Prosecutor elevated the quality of their sins from level to level according to the sin itself, so too He devised a plan to elevate the levels of the sinners in this manner: "nation," "people," "seed," "children." And every later term in this order is more significant than the earlier one: "people" is superior to "nation," "seed" to "people," and "children" to "seed," as stated in the explanation of the words. For it is clear that just as the quality of the sin increases according to itself, so too it increases according to the one who commits it; even a small sin becomes exceedingly great if committed by a great person. According to this, the order of the verses is: 'Woe to the sinful nation'—and even so, 'for you are a people,' and the sin increased due to the perpetrator, and the sin itself is greater because it is a deliberate transgression; all the more so, 'for you are a seed,' and it increases further due to the perpetrator, and due to the sin, they are "evildoers"; and likewise, "rebellious children," as mentioned above. They have forsaken the Lord: He adds, saying, if at least, despite the magnitude of your sin, you had not forsaken the Lord completely, and your state would have been as stated regarding the Samaritans: 'They feared the Lord and served their own gods' (II Kings 17:33). But they absolutely forsaken Him. They have provoked Him to anger: He adds, saying, if at least they had not insulted the Lord and angered Him, and their intention had been merely to cast off the yoke, but they acted with the intention to anger. They turned backward: He adds, saying, if at least the cause of their evil had been because they desired to be free from all servitude, and they served neither the Lord nor another god, there would still have been a merit in their favor, for their love of idleness and inclination toward freedom turned their hearts away from the Lord. But they indeed turned backward, meaning they retreated from the God of their ancestors to the "backward" direction, toward other gods to serve them, thinking that idol worship is better than serving the Lord. Their iniquity is too great to be borne: The burden of idol worship is heavier, for even burning their sons and daughters in fire to their gods was not a burden to them, whereas in serving the Lord they toiled and labored. [Note: The plumb line and scales of weight are in the hand of the Divine Admonisher. With them He weighs the sin of Judah and their descent from the heavens of holiness to Sheol of heresy, through all its levels. And behold, two ladders are prepared for the righteous to ascend to the Mountain of the Lord and stand in His holy place. First, they ascend by the lower rung to serve Him out of reward and fear of punishment, by knowing that His good and His evil are from the Lord. Afterward, they ascend to the love of the Lord and the awe of His majesty, to serve Him not because of hope for reward or fear of punishment, but because He is the Rock of all creatures. After the children of Israel excused themselves, they first fell from the first level to the one beneath it, and they did not serve out of love for the Lord and awe of His majesty. For this He admonished them: 'Children I have reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know' (Isaiah 1:2-3). Afterward, they also fell from the lower level and did not serve even out of fear of punishment and hope for reward. For this He admonished them: 'Children I have exalted, but My people do not consider' (Isaiah 1:2-3, as interpreted). And regarding this, the Sifrei (Parashat Ha'azinu) states: "Did not know" is past tense, "My people do not consider" is future tense. The future refers to what they could do to harm themselves or prevent good). Afterward, they went from bad to worse, defying the Upper Will in action. And in this, He considered eight matters: a) Unintentional sin; b) Deliberate transgression; c) Their persistence in sin; d) Doing it with loathing to anger; e) The magnification of the sin according to the increase in their stature; f) The heaviness of their sin in view of the matter between the sinner and the Lord who commanded him, that they abandoned Him completely; g) That they insulted and despised Him; h) That they exchanged His service for idol worship, regarding which He said, "They turned backward." He further considered a significant matter in what is stated, "They turned backward." It is that man, from the beginning of his creation at the start of creation until the end of all generations, was prepared to walk in the path of perfection from level to level. First, after the sin of Adam HaRishon, he was like all living creatures walking on all fours. Afterward, in the days of Noah, he rose to the level of "Midbar" (the rational, speaking faculty (medaber)), and then he was permitted to eat meat. Afterward, in the days of the Patriarchs, they began to ascend the Holy Mountain to attain the stature of Israel. And thus He exalted them like a bird until the time they stood at Mount Sinai at the giving of the Torah, when they rose to the highest peak. From there they journeyed from level to level upon entering the Land, and afterward with the building of the Chosen House. And thus it was fitting that they draw near to God until the world as a whole was rectified. But they turned backward, meaning that not only did they not go forward, but they went backward and returned to their rear, from the level of Israel to the level of Midbar, and from there to the level of beasts, and from there to a level worse than that: 'An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know.'] He also intended to increase the bitterness [of the rebuke] and to lower their honor in what is stated, “They have forsaken the Lord; they have reviled the Holy One of Israel,” for he first mentions the Name of the Lord, and afterward the Name of the Holy One of Israel. This is in accordance with what I have explained in my work everywhere: that wherever the Name of the Lord or the Name of God is mentioned simply, it refers to the Exalted Essence insofar as He is the Creator of the world or its Governor in its entirety. But when He is mentioned by the designation “to Israel,” it refers to Him in light of the extra love He showed to His chosen people, and in light of the bond between Him and them, for their sake He did all that He did—the signs and wonders and the alteration of the order of creation. Now, it will be even more contempt and disgrace for this people if they revile the Name of the Holy One of Israel, which is clothed in the holiness that is upon them, and if they scorn the attachment that He has with them, rather than if they rebel against the Name of the Lord, which is the general governance for all nations. This is what is written: “Not only have they forsaken, but they have also reviled; not only the Name of the Lord, but also the Name of the Holy One of Israel, by whom He distinguished them and separated them from all the peoples.” And after He passed before them twelve degrees in their sin, by which they descended marvelously until they were cast backward to the extremity of lowliness, He turned His face to decree upon them despair and destruction from two aspects: a) From the aspect of notoriety and the sick intellect: One who stands at the gates of Sheol and drinks the cup of death—does he aspire to height? And similarly, one who comes to the Sheol of heresy—does he deserve to behold the light of life? And this is revealed in the connection of the preceding verse, which He made the subject for this verse: “A sinful nation! A people laden with iniquity!” For what benefit do you aim? b) From the aspect of trial: How can a sick person who does not wish to seek healing be healed? And this He indicated in the connection of the verse following it, which was made the subject for this verse: “For what more should He strike? And they still rebel against the commandment of the Lord of Hosts.” Nevertheless, He did not cast them off, nor did He bind them up. [End of quote]

“Upon what did He rebuke Him?” etc. A person who was stricken and returns to his transgression—his friend reprimands him and says to him, “For this you were stricken,” yet he does not take heed to say, “For this transgression I was stricken; I will not return to do it again.” So too here: “Upon what did He rebuke Him?” Since you are still adding evil to your departure from the Lord, is it not that every head is sick? And why do you not understand?

Regarding what is meant by “Tako” (You shall strike): “Tako” (You shall strike) to your feet (Deuteronomy 33:3). The root is like “veshapu atzmotav” (and his bones shall be consumed) (Job 33:21). And in this place, it is in the second person. The sense is: Whatever you do, you will add further to your rebellion, for the proper thing would have been to do repentance, as it says: “V’ba’et hatzar lo vayyosif lima’ol” (and in the time of his distress he added to transgress) (II Chronicles 26:20). "Sara." Either it is missing a word, namely "and she spoke," from the root of "sorer" (Deuteronomy 21:18); or it is a proper name. “Every head is susceptible to illness.” Explanation: On what should you strike? For every head is vulnerable to any illness. And he mentioned the head and the heart, for both of them are the “princes” [of the body]. "Davai" (faint). An adjective form, like "ganav" (thief) (Psalms 50:18) and "salach" (forgiving) (ibid. 86:5):

On what are you striking? “You shall not bring upon your heart” — on what are you striking? "For you will add to transgression." This does not mean that they thought that God was striking them for their sins, but rather that they would walk in rebellion and say that the evil that befell them was by chance and not as punishment for their sins. And there are those who explain it as follows: "For what will be gained by striking you, since you will not be corrected thereby?" For even after the punishments, you will continue to sin and will not be corrected through the punishments. And "sarah" is an adjective, meaning a way of rebellion and perversity. “Every head for sickness.” Do not think that if the Blessed Holy One strikes you, you will say that the bad diseases have fallen upon all of you by chance; rather, it is only as punishment for your sins, for every head is destined for sickness and every heart for pain, as it is stated in the rebukes of Moses our Teacher, peace be upon him: “The Lord will strike you with madness, blindness, and perplexity of heart.”

“Why do You rebuke Him?”—for the transgression itself for which they were punished. For that very transgression, you add further to commit evil; that is to say, you have repeated that same transgression with an added measure of prohibition, and you do not take it to heart to consider: Is it not because of this that we were punished? Any head is susceptible to illness. Is it not through the blow that the entire head and the entire heart are afflicted? Why do you not take a lesson?

"סרה" – The matter of "סרה" refers to turning away from the straight path; and likewise, "סורר ומורה" (Deuteronomy 21:18). And "doy" – the matter of pain, as it is said, "upon the bed of pain" (Psalms 41:4):

“On what benefit will you be struck?” He concludes his words, which he began in the previous verse, saying: “If so, since you have multiplied transgression to the utmost limit of rebellion and revolt, I will ask you, please, on what benefit will you be struck?” That is to say: For one who is afflicted with punishments and thereby aroused to repent until he is struck with complete repentance, then the striking is beneficial to him, for it heals the sickness of his soul, just as bitter medicines heal the sickness of the body. But you—what benefit will the striking bring you? Will you not yet add to your evil? I know that despite this, you will certainly continue to turn away from following the Lord and will not set your heart to return. And the proof for this is that, behold, “every head is sick, and every heart faint,” and yet you did not bandage yourselves, nor did you bind yourselves, nor did you begin to engage in healing at all, for you do not set your heart to it. If so, on what benefit will you be struck? “Every head is sick.” He employs the parable of the Israelite nation to an individual who is afflicted with pains from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. The general sickness is the sickness of the head, for all sensations emanate from the brain, and all limbs feel its pain. The sickness that is at a lower level than it is the ailment of the heart, which is that which gives life to all the limbs through the flow of blood coursing through the veins from the heart to the entire body, and to which they all return. When the heart is afflicted, even though it is at a level below the head, nevertheless its pain is felt more specifically than the pain of a headache is felt. The more particular sickness is if the sickness spreads throughout all the limbs of the body, from small to large, until there is no soundness in it. And all of this is a pictorial parable for the nation as a whole, and the subject of the parable will be explained in verse 7.

From "tamim." It is the language of "tamim" (wholeness/innocence), meaning complete, without any pain. "Wound." A blow from a sword. Chevurah. A term denoting a wound: “And crush it fresh.” Jonathan rendered it: “Grind it into pieces and crush it.” "Triyah." In Yiddish and in the language of the Gemara, there is a "triyah" for its head. Menachem explains that it is a term denoting moisture, meaning that it is always wet and dripping, from "Wischta" in Yiddish. "They shall not be healed." These afflictions were not sprinkled by physicians with powder of medicinal ingredients for a dressing — a term as in "brimstone shall be scattered (yezoreh) upon his habitation" (Job 18:15), and Menachem explains it as denoting healing, similar to "there is no healing for your wound" (Jeremiah 30:13). "And they shall not bind up." This is language of healing. "Nor was it softened with oil." Their wound was not softened with oil, as is the custom for other wounds. One might have thought to say here, "They did not soften them with oil," implying that one only softens the specific location of the wound; however, the language of bandaging and dressing applies to the entire body. Therefore, the plural form is used for them: "They did not bandage the sores, nor did they dress them." And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] interpreted the entire verse in an allegorical manner, on the basis that they were defiled and stricken with guilt. He translated: "From the sole of the foot to the head" as "from the small ones to the great ones"; "there is nothing sound in it" as "there is no good in it"; "wound and bruise" as "transgression and iniquities and sins"; "they did not bandage, etc." meaning that they did not heal themselves by returning in complete repentance; "and they did not soften it with oil" meaning that not even the aspect of a thought of repentance was in their hearts.

“From the sole [of the foot]... soundness (metom).” A place that possesses soundness, such as health. It is grammatically anomalous, for it ought to have been formed on the pattern of *me'oz* (Isaiah 25:4). Similarly, there is no wholeness in my flesh (Psalms 38:4). And Rabbi Moses the Priest, of blessed memory, said that it is like *metim* (the dead), because he found the phrase a city of the dead (Judges 20:48). The meaning is that there is in them nothing of what the dead possess, and this is somewhat far-fetched. And the word "only" is omitted. [The verse states:] "There is no wholeness in it, only wounds and bruises," and similar to this is: "There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink" (Ecclesiastes 2:27). Petza. A crushing of the bone: And a "chaburah" (a wound with a tear in the skin). This is a wound to which the moistness (of the inner tissues) becomes exposed. Taryah. It is not dry, like the cheek of a donkey: “Taryah” (Judges 15:16). And so too in the language of Ishmael. "Lo zarou" – just as it says, "He shall wring the fleece" (Judges 6:38), for the wound will not heal until the pus is drained. Also, "chovasho" is in the sense of "closing" and "binding," and it is from the same root as "I will not be a binder" (Isaiah 3:7): "with oil." That which was fit for it.

Mekaf. As it is written in the rebukes: “The Lord will strike you with boils upon the knees and upon the thighs, which you will not be able to heal, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.” They did not sprinkle it, nor bind it up, nor soften it with oil. For healing would not avail it, as it is stated in the reproofs: “which cannot be healed.” And the healing of a wound is to sprinkle it, bind it up, and soften it with anointing; and since you see that healing does not avail your wound, you should have considered that it was from God as He foretold to you in the reproofs. And the meaning of tamim is completeness, namely, there is nothing whole and healthy in your flesh, for it is all afflicted. And the meaning of petzah is a wound that discharges blood or pus, wherein the flesh is torn. And the meaning of chavurah is a wound in which the blood or pus has coagulated. And the meaning of teriyah is moist, namely, the wound is fresh, meaning it will never scab over, but remains moist at all times. And this is a sign of a wound that has no cure. And Jonathan the Aramaic translator rendered this verse allegorically, from the common people to the head, etc.

There is no [such thing]. There is no place that is entirely whole, free of a wound; in one place there is a wound, and in another place, etc. They were not scattered. The healing dust of spices was not scattered upon them. And they did not bind them. They did not wrap a cloth around them, as is the manner of wrapping wounds. "And it did not soften." The wound was not softened with oil, as is the manner of softening wounds. That is to say: Have you not yet been healed from the plagues that came upon you from then on, for the transgressions that you committed? And why have you returned to sin again? This is a metaphorical way of saying: Has not the calamity already come upon the princes and upon the rest of the people, and is it not still active among you? And why do you sin again?

“From the sole of the foot.” This is how the sole of the foot is called, just as the palm of the hand is called “the palm of the hand.” From "tom." From the language of completeness and perfection: Wound. A blow that has split and opened, causing blood to flow: And "chaburah" (a bruise). A wound in which the blood has coagulated beneath it, and from above it appears as a red mark, as it is said, "and the leopard his spots" (Jeremiah 13:23). And similarly, "a wound beneath a wound, a bruise" (Exodus 21:25). Teryah. Moist, as in "the fresh jawbone of a donkey" (Judges 15:15). Zoru. The meaning of "pazor" is like "u'zariti" peresh (Malachi 2:3). "Bandaged." The meaning is the binding that is placed over the wound, as it is said, "You did not bind up the broken" (Ezekiel 34:4). "רככה" – the word is derived from "רך" (soft/tender) and "טוב" (good), as in Genesis 18.

“From the sole of the foot” includes all the limbs of the body. There is no soundness in him; there is not a single limb among the limbs that is whole, having a human form, but rather they are all full of wounds, etc. A "wound" (petza) is a sword-strike in which the flesh has been opened, and a "bruise" (chavurah) is a blow in which the blood has coagulated within the flesh. The cure for a wound is to apply a bandage so that the opened place will close and heal. The cure for a bruise is to apply softening medicines so that the place where the blood has coagulated will open, and the pus will discharge the superfluities outward. And when there is both a wound and a bruise in the same place, there is no cure for it, because the cure for the wound harms the bruise, and vice versa. And the meaning is: a wound and also a bruise in the place of the wound, and a fresh wound—a wound that constantly discharges its moisture from its own substance. The cure for a fresh wound is to apply drying medicines that stop the flow of bodily fluids, and this cure also harms both the wound and the bruise, for neither of them will heal except while the flesh is soft, fresh, and moist. And the meaning is that the wounds are so intertwined with one another that their cure is prevented. They did not sprinkle [medicinal powder], nor was healing dust sprinkled upon them, nor were they bandaged, meaning no cloth was wrapped around them as is the custom of wrapping around a wound so that it does not spread from its place to another part of the body, nor were they softened, meaning their wounds were not softened with oil (for the method of treating a wound is first to soften it with oil until it becomes soft, and then to bandage around it with a cloth so that it does not spread from its place, and afterwards to sprinkle medicinal powder for healing; therefore it states: "Not only did they not sprinkle," which is the final stage of the healing process, "but they also did not bandage," which is done beforehand, "and they also did not soften with oil," which is the beginning of the healing process; and the meaning is: you did not begin to engage in healing at all).

"Before your eyes, strangers shall eat it; before your eyes, your enemies shall devour it." And it shall be desolate. From you, as an inheritance that is turned over to strangers, and it is desolate from its owners; thus did Jonathan translate.

“Your land, etc.” The term “desolate” above is like a parable: it is as if all of their land were taken away, and some of it is a wilderness where no person dwells, some of it is burned by fire, and some of it has its grain consumed by strangers. [They shall eat it]. As in the verse “In pain you shall eat it” (Genesis 3:17): And the meaning is “as the overturning of strangers.” The explanation is: “Your land is desolate.” And it is possible that “strangers” is from the root zayin-reish-mem (as in Isaiah 32:2), and the mem would be part of the root and not a plural ending, and there would be two different forms.

"Your land." As it is written in the rebukes: "And your land shall become a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste" (Leviticus 26:33). The meaning of "a waste" is as though they were burned by fire; so desolate are they, as if they had been burned by fire. And the meaning of "your soil" is the fields of sowing and their trees. Strangers will eat it. "Before your eyes and before your face" [they will do so], and you will have no power to prevent them, as it is written in the words of rebuke: "The Lord will bring upon you a nation from afar... and they shall eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your land, until you are destroyed" (Deuteronomy 28:51). Like the overthrow of strangers. And behold, the land remains desolate, because foreign nations come and eat whatever they find, and you are no longer able to work the land, for behold, enemies come upon you day by day. And behold, the land is desolate, and it is like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were strangers to the fear of God. And similarly, it is written in the reproofs: "Like the overthrow of Sodom," etc. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "And in your guilt," etc. And there are those who explain that "strangers" (zarim) is like "flow" (zerem) of rain, meaning the place that the rain's flood washed away.

"Your land." Therefore, your land shall become a desolation: Your land. The fruit of your land: “Before you.” You will see it with your own eyes, and you will not have the strength to withstand it. “And desolate.” And it shall become desolate, like a land upon which foreign and distant enemies come, for they overturn and destroy everything, making it desolate, because they do not remain in it. This is not so when the enemy is from among the inhabitants of that land and is close to it.

"Your land" – here he begins to explain the tenor of the parable, namely what was stated in the parable: "From the sole of the foot to the top of the head, there is in it no soundness." This means that "your land" is desolate, for just as the head is the general representative of the body, so too is the state the general representative of the nation. And each and every individual of the entire nation will feel the desolation that befalls the state as a whole and the head of the kingdom. And corresponding to what was stated in the parable: "All hearts are faint," he says: "Your cities are burned with fire," meaning that in every city and town, the burning of fire has touched it. For just as the heart, although it is on a lower level than the head, nonetheless the limbs feel its pain with greater particularity than they would feel a headache—for when the heart is diseased, nausea and weakness befall all the limbs—so too, the burning of the individual cities increased the desolation and fainting of the individuals of the state. And corresponding to what was stated in the parable: "From the sole of the foot to the top of the head, there is in it no soundness," he says: "Your land," meaning the land of each and every individual, strangers eat its fruit before your eyes, until the destruction and ruin touched each person individually. And corresponding to what was stated in the parable: "They were not cleansed, nor bound up," he says: "And it is desolate like a desolation caused by strangers," like a desolation brought about by a torrent of mighty sweeping waters, which destroy so thoroughly that no hope or expectation remains after them; so too, there is no remnant or remedy for their plague. (And how apt is this rhetoric, that he seized upon two contradictory things to greatly amplify the pain, for it is very painful to a person when he sees the fruit of his labor in the hands of his enemies, unlike if it were ruined completely, for both him and them, in which case he would not suffer so much. In contrast to this, he said: "Strangers eat it." However, from another perspective, the defeated people might find some consolation from their distress when they see that a remnant still remains in the land and there is still hope for its owners in the future. In contrast to this, he said: "For it shall be desolate like a desolation caused by a sweeping torrent," where no hope remains for its owners. And his rhetoric with the word "strangers" is excellent, as it accommodates both explanations.) And behold, he depicted here the order of the destruction and desolation that befell the land of Judah from the day the King of Assyria came to conquer it. For the first time he came there in the days of Ahaz (II Kings 17:3), and then he exiled the Ten Tribes, the desolation touched only the state as a whole, and there were still cities that dwelt in tranquility. And regarding this time he said: "Your land is desolate." And in the second time he came in the days of Hezekiah and captured the fortified cities of Judah (ibid. 18), the destruction already touched every city and town, and this is what is meant by: "Your cities are burned with fire." And there were still individuals found who dwelt in safety. But in the third time, when he began to besiege Jerusalem, the ruin already touched each and every person individually, and regarding this he said: "Your land," etc.

"And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard." Empty of her inhabitants, for they have been exiled from her midst, just as the shelter of the vineyard, which the vintner made, is abandoned when he harvests the vineyard: he leaves his shelter and departs. After they have plucked [the grapes], once they have harvested it. Like a "melon-house" on a gourd-stalk. When the "melon-house" that was formed at the top of the gourd-stalk to guard its gourds is abandoned and falls off, this one in the vineyard is called a "sukkah" because one dwells there day and night: by day it guards them from birds, and by night from thieves. But the gourds are hard, and there is no need to fear birds, nor is it necessary to guard them by day; therefore, it is called a "melon-house" because it serves as a lodging for the nights. "As a cradle of the upper chamber," like the lodging of the "melon-house" on the gourd-stalk. "On the gourd-stalks" after they have been gathered in—the language of the Mishnah: "Three gatherings in the day." “Like a besieged city.” Like a city that has been besieged, and they set up tents around it to hide the soldiers there, and when they withdraw from it, they leave those tents and go. This is the Targum.

And it shall be left. The meaning is that the gates of Judah, which are fortified, shall be captured, and only Zion shall be left. As a booth in a vineyard. A place of guarding, and the meaning is with regard to the Divine Presence: Like a lodging place. A place for the watchman to lodge in the field of cucumbers: Like a besieged city. Ruined, as it is said: “And in the besieged places they shall lodge” (Isaiah 65:4).

And it remained. For most of the cities of Judah were in ruins, and in the days of Hezekiah the king of Assyria captured all the fortified cities, and behold, Jerusalem remained alone, like a booth in a vineyard, and like a hut in a field of cucumbers, where there is no other house or booth around it. And “booth” and “hut” are one concept expressed in different words, for the booth in which the guard spends the night is called a hut. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as “like a shelter in a vineyard,” and so on. And they explained that “they searched it thoroughly” means that no cucumbers remained in it after they were harvested from its hidden places. And the meaning is that no cucumbers remained in it after the grapes were picked and the guard had gone away. And similarly, “like a hut in a cucumber field” means that after the cucumbers were gathered, they searched the field to ensure that no cucumbers remained, and the guard went away. So too, Zion remained without a guard, for the Holy One, blessed be He, who guards Israel, removed His Divine Presence from them. And it says “a booth in a vineyard” and “a hut in a cucumber field,” but it does not say “like a booth in a garden,” for in a booth in a garden the guard is there all the days, for after this fruit or that vegetable is gathered, another remains, and so throughout the entire year. But in a vineyard and in a cucumber field, after the grapes and cucumbers are gathered, nothing remains to guard, and the guard goes away. Like a besieged city. The meaning is: like a city desolate of its inhabitants. Similarly, [the phrase] “and in the besieged [ones] they will lodge” and “the besieged of Israel” refer to the matter of a desolate [city]. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it as: “like a city upon which they have set a siege.”

And it shall be left desolate. It will remain a ruin, devoid of its inhabitants, like a vineyard hut, in which the watchman sits; for when he harvests his vineyard, he leaves his hut empty and departs. Like a hut in a cucumber field. Just as the hut constructed in a cucumber field: once the cucumbers are gathered, it is left empty and one departs. (The one in the vineyard is called a sukkah, because the watchman sits in it during the day to guard it against birds, and at night against thieves. But gourds are unpalatable to birds, so he does not guard them against birds, only against thieves, and only at night; therefore, it is called a hut made for lodging.) “Like a besieged city.” Just as a city upon which the enemies lay siege, constructing tents for themselves in which to hide, and when they withdraw from it, the tents remain empty.

Daughter of Zion. The city of Zion: Like a hut. It is a term derived from "malon" (lodging place): "b'makkeshah." The word is derived from "keshu'im" (cucumbers), and it is the name of a fruit. Nitzora. The word is derived from the root of "matzor" (besieged).

And it was left desolate: this depicts the gradual decline of Zion, from one stage to the next, during these three periods. For the first time, Jerusalem was left desolate, isolated and forsaken, devoid of the multitude of people who had always gathered there; it resembled a booth in a vineyard, in which only the vineyard keeper is found. Likewise, no one from elsewhere was found in it, only the inhabitants of Jerusalem themselves. Then, when He came there the second time, it resembled a booth among cucumbers—a booth erected in a field of cucumbers—where even the keeper himself does not dwell there, but only at night, while by day it is completely desolate (for the cucumbers, which are hardy, do not require guarding by day against birds, but only at night against thieves). Likewise, the inhabitants of Jerusalem hid all day in caves and cisterns out of fear of the enemy, and were found in the city only at night. And after the third time, when He besieged Jerusalem itself with His camp, it was like a city under siege.

"If not, etc." He has left for us a remnant of His own accord, out of His mercy and not because of our righteousness. We were almost like Sodom. We were all about to perish:

"Were it not for..." — the words of the Prophet on behalf of Israel: "Almost." It is joined with the remainder on account of a disjunctive accent, for it is a great principle to observe the rules of the cantillation marks.

“Were it not for the Lord of Hosts.” It is called [by the name] “Hosts” because of the heavenly hosts and because of the hosts below, who are Israel, who are called “hosts.” Therefore, He did not desire to destroy us all, as we were deserving, but rather left us a remnant for the sake of His Name, which is called upon us. And the remnant is small; were it not that in His mercy He left us [a remnant], we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah, for there was no remnant or survivor among them, since we performed their deeds and were deserving of total destruction like them. The letter kaf in “kame’at” [almost] is the kaf of affirmation that comes upon words to confirm the matter, as in “I swear to you by this day, ki [that] on this day you will find him” — the word ki there functions like “on this day.” The princes of Judah were like those who transgressed the boundary, and others similar to them, as we have written in the book Mekhullal. And this verse is in the language of the prophet, who included himself with the sinners for the honor of Israel, as Jeremiah said, “We have sinned and rebelled.” And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses our teacher, “How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My statutes?”

"Lulei Hashem" – If the Omnipresent had not left for us, in His kindness, a remnant according to the calculation of the few, like Sodom, we would have been worthy of being completely destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah, without any remnant remaining.

Were it not for. The term "were it not for" means "if not for." She'arid. A remnant, as it is written: "A remnant and a survivor" (Lamentations 2:22). "דמינו" – the word is derived from the root meaning "likeness" and "comparison."

"Were it not for the Lord of Hosts," meaning, had He not left us a small remnant in His kindness, then we would have been like Sodom. That is to say, since our deeds were similar to those of Sodom, and their evil was greater than the evil of the men of Gomorrah, we would have been like Gomorrah in terms of destruction and ruin, from which not a single person escaped, and not like Sodom, from which Lot and his two daughters were saved. (And with this, the matter is concluded, and a new matter begins: an open rebuke concerning the sacrifices and the deeds that are pleasing to the Lord, the nature of repentance and the abandonment of sin, which continues until verse 21.)

The officers of Sodom: These are princes whose deeds are like those of Sodom. From here they said: A person should not open his mouth to the Satan.

“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth” etc. This is the prophet’s response to their claim that they are like Sodom. He says: If you were indeed so, then the judgment would be fitting, for your princes are like the princes of Sodom. This is the meaning of “the princes of Sodom,” and the people are like the people of Gomorrah.

“Hear.” He said to the princes and to the people that the officers are similar to the officers of Sodom and Gomorrah in their oppression of the poor and in their perverting of justice, and the people too are similar to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah in their evil deeds. And He said to them: “Hear the word of the Lord and the Torah of our God.” And the word and the Torah are this reproof that He said to them: “Why to Me the multitude of your sacrifices?” and the entire passage.

The officers of Sodom: ministers who resemble the ministers of Sodom.

Qatzinim. The matter of authority, as in "all your officers have wandered away" (below 22):

“Hear the word of the Lord”: this is the word of prophecy. “Princes of Sodom”: leaders who resemble the princes of Sodom in their wickedness, for the evil of the judges was greater in Sodom than in Gomorrah. "This is the Torah which Moses placed before the children of Israel" (Deuteronomy 4:44): the reproof with which he reproached them here regarding the multitude of sacrifices is clear in the Torah, that the sacrifice does not atone without confession, repentance, and remorse.

"Seven burnt offerings of rams." Just as it is written, "Lest he have his fill of you and hate you" (Proverbs 25:17). Mera'im. Fattened cattle and sheep: "I have no pleasure in them. Since you transgress My Torah, 'the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination.'"

"For what reason..." The meaning is: Why should I leave you any longer in the land, because of the multitude of your burnt offerings? And the word "I am filled" is spoken by the Scripture in the manner of human speech. The truth is, if I were hungry, I would not tell you (Psalms 50:12). "rams." They are large: Mari'im. A species of oxen, larger than the ordinary ox, and its fat is forbidden. And the Gaon said that it is from the language of the Mishnah (Shabbat 24b), like "bari'im" (the healthy ones). "Oxen and sheep." They are young ones: “ועתודים” – these are the large ones, namely the he-goats, as it is said, “the he-goats that are with the flock” (Genesis 31:10).

"Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices?" Even though they were offering sacrifices and burning incense on the high places, they were also bringing offerings to the Temple during the new moons and the festivals. Since you are abandoning My Torah, what do I need with the multitude of your sacrifices? For I did not command you concerning them except so that you might remember Me and keep Me continually in your hearts, and not sin. And if you sinned, that you might confess with the offering and return from your evil ways. Had you done so, they would have been for Me a pleasing aroma, as stated in the Torah. But now, I am weary of them and disgusted with them, like a person who is satiated with something and becomes weary of it and disgusted with it. This is what He said: "I am satiated with the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; and the blood of bulls and of lambs..."

"Why do I need [the sacrifice], etc.? Is it not the case that the very essence of the sacrifice is to serve as a confession upon its presentation? And you—since you are not returning [in repentance]—why do I need the sacrifice?" "I am satiated," etc. This means: I am weary of them, like a person who is satiated, who is weary of the thing from which he is satiated. "I did not desire. Since you do not return."

"Fatlings." [They were] fattened and fat, and likewise [the verse states], "and the peace offerings of your fatlings" (Amos 5:22). "Ve'etudim" – these are the male goats.

Why do I need [this]? The people were accustomed at that time to bring many and fat sacrifices, and they thought that by this they would achieve the desired goal. [The verse] says: “To what benefit do you bring these numerous offerings of yours?” Since the act of sacrifice without proper intent is a body devoid of spirit and soul, what profit is there in the performance of the sacrifices? And behold, He divided the sacrifices into four types. (The first type) Voluntary offerings, which are of two kinds: a) Burnt offerings, which are entirely consumed on the altar; b) Peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings, from which only the fat is burned. Regarding the first, He said, “I am sated with burnt offerings of rams”; regarding the second, He said, “I am sated with the fat of fattened cattle.” This means: Since the desired goal of these sacrifices is to demonstrate recognition of God’s kindness and goodness, and to humble oneself before Him, you, who do not intend this when bringing the sacrifice, imagine that I am hungry to be satiated with fat and flesh. I answer you: I am sated with them, and I no longer desire them. (The second type) Obligatory sacrifices brought for atonement of sin, which are sin offerings and guilt offerings. Their essence is the blood that is sprinkled, upon which atonement depends. He says: Since the desired goal of these sacrifices is that the sinner should repent, confess, humble himself, and return [to God], you, who do not return in repentance, imagine that I need the blood of the sacrifice. Know that I have no desire for the blood of bulls and lambs. (The third type) These are voluntary sacrifices that God made obligatory upon them, namely the appearance burnt offerings and the festival peace offerings, which they were to bring when ascending for the pilgrimage festivals. Although they are voluntary, and if one did not ascend for the pilgrimage he is not liable for them, nevertheless, if one appeared in the Temple Court and did not bring a sacrifice, he not only failed to fulfill the positive commandment of “every male among you” [to appear before God], but also transgressed the negative commandment of “you shall not appear before Me empty-handed” (Maimonides, Laws of Festivals, Chapter 1). The desired purpose of these sacrifices is that, since He commanded them to ascend to the Holy City three times a year to learn there the fear of God and His ways from the priests and prophets, as it is stated, “so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God,” in contrast to this, He commanded them to bring a gift before Him, as a sign of willingness and love, indicating that He delights in their coming and that He accepts from their hand a burnt offering and a grain offering. And therefore it says:

“Who asked this from your hand?”—to trample my courtyards. To trample my courtyards, since your heart is not whole with Me.

"Ki. L'ro'ot panim. Like lifnei, for panim is not a passive participle:" Ramus. The infinitive:

"When you come." [This refers] to the three pilgrimage festivals, which is the obligation of appearing [before God]. Who asked of you that you come before Me and transgress My words? I do not consider this an honor for you, but rather a disgrace, that you trample My courtyards. And it says "My courtyards," because the Israelites stood in the courtyards of the House of God, and only the priests entered the Sanctuary.

"When you come": When you come to appear before Me on the pilgrimage festivals, then I say to you: "Who has asked this from your hands, to trample and crush My courts?"

"Panai" (My face). Like "lifnei" (before), and it lacks the letter lamed. Ramus. The meaning is treading with the foot, as it is stated, “and trample the mire” (Nahum 3:14):

"When you come to appear before My face, during the three pilgrimage festivals, when I have indeed commanded you to ascend and appear—might you not say, 'Are you not then obligated and commanded to bring the sacrifice?' I answer you: 'Who asked this from your hand?' Even the very act of you trampling My courtyard to appear—did I ask this from your hand? And since the obligation of the sacrifice exists only if one appears in the Temple Court, would it not be better that you not go to the Temple Court and not bring a sacrifice? [The phrase] 'trampling My courtyard' means: since you are not intending in this ascent to learn there the fear of Heaven, you are thereby fulfilling no commandment at all, but merely trampling My courtyard for nothing. And therefore:"

“Do not add” – this refers to the offering of a vain meal-offering. I warn you: do not bring to Me your vain meal-offering, for the smoke rising from it is an abominable aroma to Me, and not a pleasing fragrance. "New moon and Sabbath, calling a solemn assembly" – I cannot bear. And regarding the calling of a solemn assembly on the new moon and Sabbath, when you gather to call a solemn assembly and a gathering in them, I cannot bear the iniquity in your hearts that inclines toward idolatry, and the solemn assembly with it. For these two things are not fitting to be together: calling a solemn assembly to be gathered before Me, and the iniquity in your hearts toward idolatry, while you do not remove it from within your hearts.

"You shall not add." This is a commandment, as it is stated: "You shall not add to the matter" (Deuteronomy 4:2): He brought. Like "to bring," for your meal-offering is a vain thing in My sight, and the incense is an abomination. "Chodesh." It is explicitly stated in the Torah (Numbers 28:14) that it refers to the Rosh Chodesh (the beginning of the month). "Read the Torah." That you shall read them as sacred assemblies (Leviticus 23:2), and they are mentioned together with the burnt offerings and the meal offering on account of the additional offerings. "I cannot bear iniquity." The word for the subject is omitted, just as in "an ass [ate] bread" (Exodus 16:20): And the meaning of “and restrain it” is like “restrained” and “from judgment” (Isaiah 53:8), so that it should not perform any labor that is “burdened,” for I cannot endure evil with restraint, for what benefit is there in restraining with evil?

"You shall not add." If you have done so until now, you shall no longer bring [offerings] from henceforth; for when you bring a meal-offering before Me, and your heart is not set upon it, this is a futile meal-offering, vanity, and an abomination before Me. And when you proclaim a holy convocation and gather together, while you are detained in My house to sanctify a new moon or a festival, which is a day of rest, yet your hearts are set upon falsehood and vanity, I cannot endure this falsehood and this restraint. And He repeated and said:

The meal offering of vain show. For since it is not acceptable to Me, it is a meal offering of vain show, for there is no benefit in it, for the burning of the handful is an abomination before Me. “Month and Sabbath.” Whether on Rosh Chodesh, whether on the Sabbath, whether on the days of the festival when you are to proclaim a holy convocation and you are detained before [the Sanctuary] in the bringing of sacrifices—behold, I cannot bear the arrogance that is in your hearts together with the detention in which you are detained before [Me], for these two are not fit to be united.

Ketoret. The matter of causing smoke to ascend, and it is from the word "ketoret" in "the smoke of the land" like the smoke of a furnace (Genesis 19:28). "Ochel." The word is derived from the root meaning "ability" (yokhel). "Oyn." Its meaning is false thought, as it is said: "Behold, he conceives trouble" (Psalms 7:15). "Ve'atzarah." The meaning is a gathering of people, similar to "etzrat bogdim" (Jeremiah 9:1), because they are detained and held in one place.

"You shall not add" — After I have already declared that even this, which you trample upon the courtyards, is not desired by Me, and it is contrary to My will, how much more so is it forbidden for you to add further to what you are bringing there against My will, namely, additional offerings of vanity and emptiness, the festival offering and the appearance offering, which I do not desire at all, for the incense of the burning of the meal offering is an abomination to Me. This is like one who comes to the king’s palace against his will, and adds sin upon transgression, filling his house with incense and smoke. (The fourth matter): These are the additional sacrifices that the congregation brought on Sabbaths, new moons, and appointed festivals. They had a specific purpose related to the matter of the day. For just as these holy days were chosen so that people might turn away from the vanities of the world and sanctify themselves to the service of the Lord, so too were specific sacrifices appointed for them, whereby the congregation would assemble at the Temple to stand by the sacrifices and to stand before the Lord in prayer, abandoning the affairs of the world. Now, during these days, there were two matters, which our Sages of blessed memory taught us from the variation in the verses: in one place it says, "A solemn assembly to the Lord your God," and in another place it says, "A solemn assembly shall be for you." For they divided the day into two matters: the first half to stand in solemn assembly before the Lord, and the second half for feasting and rejoicing. However, even the commandment of enjoyment and rejoicing needed to be in holiness, for the sake of the Lord alone. Therefore it says, "New moon and Sabbath, when you call them solemn assemblies." These are the appointed festivals that you call solemn assemblies, "I cannot bear iniquity and solemn assembly." This means that even during the first half of the day, when you stand in solemn assembly before the Lord in the Temple, nevertheless, I cannot bear this solemn assembly, after your heart is full of iniquity along with the solemn assembly in practice. And the deed of the solemn assembly does not accord with the thought in the heart.

"Your new moons." They were a burden to Me, therefore I have rejected them and you shall cease: "I am weary of being carried." By way of a parable:

"Your new moons" – [They were] a burden, a heavy load upon Me, until I was weary of bearing them. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered it in the Targum as "I have often forgiven," meaning: I have long endured and forgiven your sins, but I can no longer forgive.

"Your new moons." Your sacrifices of the new moons, etc. “to labor.” This refers to a heavy burden that causes one to toil until he becomes weary from carrying the load. The term is expressed in language customarily used regarding man, so as to convey the meaning to the ear according to its accustomed usage.

"I am weary." The meaning is of toil, like "and how have I wearied you?" (Micah 6:3). Nesuah. From the word "masa" (burden).

"Your new moons" – meaning, all the more so the second half of the day that you set aside for your own needs, to eat and drink; therefore, they are called "your new moons," dedicated to your own needs. This My soul utterly hates, for it contains neither good deed nor good thought, since you do not derive pleasure for the sake of Heaven. They were a burden to me: the matter in itself is a hardship in my eyes, because it is contrary to my will, and moreover, I grew weary of bearing it, due to the length of time that you persist and continue in your sin (for a heavy load becomes a burden even for a short time, and even a light load will weary its bearer over a long period, and all the more so one who bears a heavy load for a long time):

"And when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you, because your hands are full of blood." Blood. Murder:

"And when you scatter." The letter resh comes with a hireq instead of a small patach. [“I will hide My face from you”]. The meaning is that I will conceal My mercy from you. And likewise, I do not hear [the verse as implying that], and the reason is that I will not save you. Because your hands are full of blood, and the meaning is the shedding of blood:

"And when you spread forth your hands": The resh is with a hireq under a segol, as in "dibberchem" (your speaking). The spreading of hands is for prayer, as it is said, "I will spread my hands unto the Lord" (Isaiah 1:15). And how can you not be ashamed and yet spread your hands to Me? Your hands, which have shed blood; therefore, I will hide My eyes from you, and I will not accept your prayer, even if you increase your prayers and cry out all day long. And our Sages of blessed memory expounded the verse regarding the raising of hands by the priest, and they said: Any priest who has shed human blood shall not raise his hands, as it is stated, "And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15).

“And when you spread out your hands” – at the time of prayer: “Your hands,” etc. Because your hands are full of the shedding of blood.

I will hide. The word is from the root of hiding and concealing.

And in the verse “And when you spread out your hands” [Isaiah 1:15], after He has rebuked them up to this point, saying that the good deed of bringing sacrifices and standing in the Temple will not be effective unless the good of the conscience and pure thought agree with it, He says that even good thought will not be effective if a person is defiled by sins in deed. For even when you spread out your hands to pray, He adds, saying... Even if you multiply your prayer, for the definition of the word “prayer” is the pouring out of the soul in pure and fitting thought, whereby you have indeed prepared your hearts toward Me; nevertheless, I will hide My eyes from you, and I will not be able to hear your prayer, because your hands are full of blood in that you shed the blood of the innocent. And thus the evil of your deeds will destroy the merit of your intent, for it is a condition of complete service that both the action and the thought be sanctified according to the Lord. And if you ask, “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the Exalted One?” He has told you, O man, what is good, and how you shall return to the Lord, and what are the conditions and boundaries of repentance. First:

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean." (The verb is with a patach, i.e., "rachatzu" with a patach under the resh), and it is a form of command, because it is from the root "rachatz" (to wash) in the imperative. But "rachatzu" with a qamats is a past tense form, which is from the root "rachatz" (to wash) in the perfect. "Wash, become righteous, remove [your evil ways], cease [from sin], study, seek [the Torah], perfect [your deeds], judge, contend [with your soul], go." There are ten admonitions of the language of repentance here, corresponding to the Ten Days of Repentance and to the ten sections of Kingship, Remembrances, and Shofar blasts. “Cease from evil.” Cease from evil deeds. "hara'ah" (evil). Just as in the phrase "le-hara'ot" (to do evil), there is no need to write the word "mi-hara'ah" (from evil), for the biblical usage of the term applies to the language of "hedalah" (cessation), as in "and he ceased to perform the Passover" (Numbers 9:7) until "for he ceased to count" (Genesis 41:49). That is to say, "hedalah" (cessation) of counting, "hedalah" (cessation) of doing. So too here, it means: cease from evil.

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves pure." The reason is: "Wash your hands from the blood that you have shed." “haziku” – from the hitpa‘el conjugation, and the tav is absorbed into the dagesh of the zayin, as in “ve-lokach lamattah” (Leviticus 14:4).

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean" (Isaiah 1:16): "Wash yourselves" refers to the cleansing of the heart, and "make yourselves clean" refers to its righteousness. And the explanation is: "Remove your evil deeds from before My eyes; cease to do evil; cease to do evil to your fellow." And Rashi, of blessed memory, explained that "cease to do evil" is equivalent to "to do evil."

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean" (Isaiah 1:16). Remove the stains of sin through repentance. “Remove…” – Since the evil deeds of a man stand before the Lord to bring a prosecution against him, therefore it says: “Do repentance,” and through this you will remove them from before His eyes. The evil. From doing evil:

The word "ha-zichu." From the root meaning merit and clarity: Cease. Restrain:

“Wash yourselves” — cleanse the stains of previous sins through repentance and abandonment of the sin. It is not sufficient merely to wash and rinse in a general sense; rather, you must purify yourselves thoroughly so that the stain is removed completely and entirely. This means: “Return out of love,” until the sins themselves are transformed into merits. When, however, is repentance alone sufficient? Only in transgressions between man and God, where the sin no longer persists. But in transgressions that still persist, namely transgressions between man and his fellow, it is said: “Remove your evil doings from before My eyes” — that is, deeds that still stand before My eyes, where the sin still exists in reality. In such cases, you must remove it: return stolen property, restore fraudulently taken goods, pay for damages, and appease those whom you have slandered. All of this is to rectify the past sin. Now, the verse instructs how the penitent should conduct himself in the future: “Cease to do evil” — meaning, turn away from evil from now on. And it is not sufficient to do this alone; rather:

They learned. [The word] "Rafi" is pointed with a dot, and it is from the root of "lamad" (to learn/teach): "They were learning to do good." One who teaches himself is a light burden; therefore, its imperative form for the plural is pointed with a hireq, as they said, "Shem'u" (Hear!). But one who teaches others is a heavy burden, which causes dagesh (strengthening). And if it comes to command the multitude, it is pointed "Lemdu" (Learn!). And likewise, they expounded [the word] from the root of "darash" (to seek/expound). But "Asheiru" (Praise!), where the shin is strengthened with dagesh, is a heavy burden and from the root of "asher" (to praise); therefore, its imperative form for the multitude is pointed with a patach (like "Asheiru," "Deberu," "Sefaru," "Vasharu"). “Aid the oppressed.” They seized the stolen goods, and the term is in the language of the Mishnah: “We have confirmed it.” Or perhaps it means: “May He strengthen my power, straighten your strength.” Another interpretation: “Guide him in the path of truth to merit his own.” The term is in the language of “My foot has held fast to His steps” (Job 23:11) and “and directed your heart in the way” (Proverbs 23:19). “Judge the orphan’s case”: So-and-so is entitled; so-and-so is liable. “Contend for the widow.” They exerted themselves in her cause to argue on her behalf that she does not go out to return after her litigants (Siddur Ahavat Israel): Chamutz. Stolen goods and the like are derived from the verse “from the hand of the wrongdoer and the oppressor” (Psalms 71:4).

They learned well. The name of the verb and its accentuation is "lehitav": "His bread is sour." The aleph is written in place of a yod, and the reverse of this is found in "And they shall be turned away" (Isaiah 66:6): “Chamutz” is an adjective, like “karov” (near), from the root of “ma’ul” (yoke) and “chomets” (leaven) (Psalms 71:4). And many commentators explained it as “they will leaven the judgment,” and the reason is that we should not judge immediately. And the meaning of “asheru” is like “asheruni” (the daughters have called me happy) in the case of the daughters (Genesis 30:13). “Defend the orphan.” His judgment is the judgment of an orphan who has no helper. And similarly, “Defend me, O God, and plead my cause” (Psalms 43:1). And likewise, “Plead the widow’s cause.”

Learn: From the good and from the bad, cease, and learn to do good to one’s fellow. “Seek justice”: between the oppressor and the oppressed. "Asheru." Just as "yashru" (they straightened). Chamutz. It means that which is stolen, just as "mechaf ma'ol" (from the yoke of oppression) and "chomets" (sour/leavened) whose meaning is to steal; it refers to one who is robbed and whose judgment is distorted. And our Sages explained it as the language of "chametz" (leavening), and they said: "Happy is the judge who 'leavens' his judgment." “Defend the orphan’s cause; contend the widow’s controversy.” “Defend the orphan’s cause; contend the widow’s controversy,” for they are the oppressed in the majority, and you do not lend your ears to their cry.

Well. To improve your deeds: They should inquire and investigate the case to ascertain who is in the right, and they should vindicate the oppressed, judge the judgment of the orphan, and plead the cause of the widow, for they are the ones who are oppressed in the majority of cases.

"Asheru." The word is derived from the root yashar, and the aleph comes in place of the yod; and similarly in the reverse case, such as "u-bikvodam titimru" (below, 61a) and "its correct form is tita'mru." Chamutz. [The word] "oppressed" is similar to [the phrase] "from the hand of the oppressor and the ruthless one" (Psalms 71:4).

Teach yourselves to do good, for He does good; and as for your duty toward your fellow man, your neighbor—this is what you shall do: "Seek justice" (דרשו משפט) between those who are brought before you for a dispute, to clarify the judgment with whom it stands. And when you know who is the one being robbed, then "justify" (אשרו) the wronged party in the path of his judgment. And not only shall you seek justice when the two litigants come to appear before you, but also "judge" (שפטו) the case of an orphan, even though he is a minor and does not know how to bring his adversaries to court. And not only shall you judge the case of an orphan, whose judgment is fixed and clear, for he stands in place of his father regarding inheritance, but also "advocate" (ריבו) for the widow. The widow, too, has no power to bring her adversaries to court, and furthermore, her judgment is not as clear as the judgment of an orphan, for in the matters of her ketubah (marriage contract) there are often claims and denials, such as "Perhaps she was seized by captors" and the like. (For this is the difference between "dispute" [ריב] and "judgment" [משפט].) Nevertheless, advocate for her, plead her case, until her judgment comes to light.

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord: “I and you will know together who has rebelled against whom. And if you have rebelled against Me, I still offer you hope to return.” "Though your sins be like scarlet." [Though they be] stained before Me like the redness of scarlet, I will whiten them like snow. "Says the Lord." He says this to you continually, as in "They encamped by the command of the Lord" (Numbers 9:20). Another interpretation: "Come now, let us reason together." What is written above it? "Cease from evil, learn to do good." And only after you return to Me, come and reason together, to inform Me: "We have done what was incumbent upon us; You do what is incumbent upon You." And I say, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). “Like a worm.” A dye with which one dyes red; its kernels are [the source of the dye], and there are worms in each and every one.

“Come [and let us contend].” There is one who says that “let us contend” refers to the words of God, like “and with Israel will He contend” (Micah 6:2). But the correct view in my eyes is that it is the words of the prophet to Israel, as he says: God said to me that we should accept rebuke, for the prophet also said, “He has disciplined me” (Isaiah 8:11), as I will explain. "Like scarlet." Like the crimson dye of the worm (Exodus 25:4), and the meaning is the opposite, for if you wash with soda (Jeremiah 2:22), for the removal of sin and you shall return clean from all sin, and this is the explanation of "Wash yourselves." “Like snow and like wool.” It is doubled in its meaning:

“Come now.” “Come” does not denote actual walking, but rather a matter of urging. Similarly, “Come, let us devise plans against Jeremiah,” and “Come now, let us try it with joy,” and similar verses that we have written in the book Mikhlal. And it shall be argued. The matter of recounting the claims, one litigant with his opponent, and similarly “there the upright might reason (nokhach) with Him” and “and with Israel will He contend,” and their like. It means that God will argue with you, and He will recount the good deeds He has done for you and the evil deeds you have done before Him; and you, since you will not be able to bring any claim against Him, will repent of your evil deeds. And if you do so, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” The meaning of “tola’at” (worm) is like the “tola’at shani” (scarlet worm), which is the color known as kermesin. And although He mentioned “shanim” (scarlet), whose meaning is red, and then mentioned “tola’at,” He intended by it a deeper red, and He likened sin to red, which is a strong color and visible from afar. And if there is a stain of that color on a garment, it will not be removed by washing. And similarly He said, “Though you wash with lye and use much soap, your iniquity shall be marked before Me.” And repentance is the bleaching of the stain. They shall become white, and they shall become red. These are intransitive verbs (lit. "standing" verbs): “As wool they shall be.” The adjective is omitted; its meaning is “like white and clean wool.” Similarly, “He who gives snow like wool” (Psalms 147:16) also has the adjective omitted. And so too in other instances where the adjective is omitted but the noun is mentioned: “clothed with garments,” “seed of men,” “men shall die,” “come in men.” And my master and teacher, of blessed memory, explained: If your sins are like scarlet, not very red, they shall be white like snow, and I will atone for your iniquities. But if they are very red, like crimson, then they shall be like wool that is not very white, like snow.

And it shall be made clear. Let us clarify the matter to ascertain who sinned against whom: "If you shall be, etc." – This means that when you will acknowledge that the judgment is in My favor and return to Me, then even if your sins are as red as crimson, they shall become white as snow. That is to say, I will atone for your sins. (He compared sin to a red stain, which is a strong color visible from afar and not easily removed by washing.)

“Go.” This is a matter of language denoting urging, like “And now, go, and let us kill him” (Genesis 37:20), even though they did not go to him. "and it was made clear." The matter is clear, like the word "as the Lord proved" (ibid. 24). "Like scarlet." Threads dyed red, like the crimson wool (Exodus 25). “K’tola’at.” This is the name of the dye with which one dyes red.

“Come, let us now reason together,” Why do you not do so? Why do you not return to the Lord, as I have commanded you? Why are you anxious and afraid to return? Even if your sins were dyed red like crimson thread, what of it? Would they not become white like snow? If you wash and cleanse yourselves, as it is stated, “Wash and make yourselves clean,” the stains would be laundered, and you would be purified from all your sins. And not only this, but even if they were red like the worm—the worm from whose blood the crimson dye is made—and in this regard he alludes to the two differences between the worm and the crimson that is dyed from it: first, that the red color is intrinsic to the worm, whereas the crimson receives the color accidentally through the worm; thus he means, even if you become rooted in sin until it becomes intrinsic to you—and this sinner is due to heresy and rebellion, which is what is meant by “if they become red with the strength of the worm”; second, that the worm dyes others, whereas the crimson does not; thus he means, even if you sinned and caused others to sin, and although then repentance is very difficult—which is what is meant by “they become red in the hifil form”—nevertheless, when you return (even if they do not become white like snow, at least) would they not become like wool? And if so, why do you not return in repentance? Is there anything that stands against repentance? Secondly, it is certainly fitting for you to return, for it is fitting for you to consider the great benefit that will accrue to you from repentance and the goodness of deeds, for:

"If you hearken, 'good'—that you shall eat the land: [the good] which the strangers mentioned above were devouring."

"If you are willing." The land is good; what strangers eat before your eyes, you shall eat.

"If you are willing to be submissive to Me and heed My voice, then you shall eat the best of the land."

“Ta'avu.” You shall desire, as it is said: “If he refuses” (Deuteronomy 25:7).

"If you please and are willing and heed My words, then you shall eat the good of the land. And it is fitting for you to set upon your heart the harm that will befall you from evil deeds and from withholding repentance, for behold:"

"For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." And where did He speak? "And I will bring upon you the sword" (Leviticus 26:25).

"And if, etc." The meaning is: "If you will listen, you will eat [the good]; and if you rebel, you will eat the eating of the sword." Alternatively, the letter bet is missing, as found in "the house of the Lord" (2 Kings 18:16). And this is the truth, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

"And if you refuse and rebel: You shall not eat, but rather be eaten by the sword." "חרב" (sword). Like "בחרב" (with a sword), which is spelled defectively, lacking the letter bet; so too are the following: "בית ה'" (the House of the Lord), "לזנות בית אביה" (to commit harlotry in her father’s house), "ויקברוהו ביתו" (and they buried him in his house), "ירחצו מים" (they shall wash with water), "כי ששת ימים" (for six days), and similar cases. "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." And since He has spoken, He will fulfill His word.

"And if you refuse." If you are stubborn in refusing to heed My words and transgress: "The sword shall devour you." You shall not be the ones eating, but rather you shall be eaten by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. And it is in His power to fulfill His word:

You refuse. The term is from the language of "refusal" and "rejection." And you shall return. The word is from the root of "rebellion" and "rebellion."

"If you refuse to listen and rebel against My word, behold, you shall be consumed by the sword, for the word of the Lord has been spoken, and it shall not fall to the ground void. And if so, why do you not fear the Judge? Why do you not return to the Lord?" (And indeed, a person may refrain from doing a certain thing either because attaining that thing and performing it is heavy and difficult for him, or because he does not recognize benefit in its performance and loss in its neglect. In contrast, the value of the Lord’s argumentation is to demonstrate: 1. That attaining repentance and the good path is easy for man, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 30:11), "For this commandment which I command you... is not too wondrous for you..."; 2. That abandoning it will bring about the sword, while its presence will bring about happiness and good to its possessors). (Thus far has been the prophecy concerning Judah; from now on, the prophecy concerning Jerusalem will begin and continue until verse 27):

To a harlot. "She has gone astray from her God": A city. It was faithful and full of justice and righteousness; it dwelt therein, but now it is full of murderers. "She was full of judgment," as it is stated, "great among the peoples" (Lamentations 1). “Righteousness shall dwell in it.” The daily morning offering used to atone for transgressions of the night, and the between-the-evenings offering used to atone for transgressions of the day. Another interpretation: They would spend the night in it [the court] with cases of capital punishment. When they did not find merit for him on the first day, they would not conclude his judgment until the next day, perhaps they would find merit for him. And now they have become murderers. And we find in the Pesikta that Rabbi Menachem bar Oshaya said: “There were houses of study in Jerusalem corresponding to the numerical value (gematria) of the word melati.” "And now, murderers." They killed Uriah; they killed Zechariah.

"Eichah" ("How"). [And so on.] Behold, the prophet rebuked them, yet they did not listen. "to a harlot." In place of another woman, after she had been a faithful wife. The letter Yud: "she was full of justice" – an additional [interpretation]: Just as the letter Yud is written in "stolen" (Genesis 31:39), so too... “Righteousness shall dwell in it, and now [it is] of murderers.” The reason is that it refers to a present time, for there is no marker [for the present tense] in the Holy Tongue. "murderers." It is a transitive verb that takes two objects, and the meaning applies to the judges:

How! A harlot is not faithful to her husband, but rather deceives him and commits adultery behind his back. So too was Jerusalem, which was faithful to God in the days of David, in the days of Solomon, in the days of Asa, and in the days of Jehoshaphat; they did not offer sacrifices or burn incense on the high places, but only in the Temple. Afterwards, however, she reverted to being a harlot, abandoning the House of the Lord, and they offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places and to the Asherah poles. "I have filled with justice." The yod is an additional letter, indicating that Jerusalem was originally filled with justice, for Jehoshaphat appointed judges in all the cities of Judah and said to them, "Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man, but for God," etc. And even in Jerusalem he established judges for the Lord and for disputes, etc. But now there is no justice in it, as stated immediately afterward: "All of them love bribes and chase after rewards." “Righteousness shall dwell in it.” “Shall dwell” is not the language of actual overnight lodging, but rather the language of steadfastness and persistence in a matter. Similarly, “mine eye abides (talan) in their provocation” (Job 17:2), “in his neck abides strength” (Job 41:14), “and it shall lodge in the midst of his house” (Zechariah 5:4), and their like. And in Jerusalem, righteousness was permanent within it, but now [it is filled] with murderers. Furthermore, “Their silver has become dross,” etc.—all of this is the opposite of righteousness. And our Sages of blessed memory said: Monetary cases are concluded on the same day, whether for acquittal or for conviction; but capital cases are concluded on the same day for acquittal, and on the following day for conviction. And they made this verse a support for this ruling, and they counted [the city] as “murderers” when they do not “lodge” capital cases [i.e., delay their judgment], but rather judge them on the same day.

Lamentations. It laments, saying: How has Jerusalem, the city of faithfulness, been transformed into a deceiver, betraying the Lord like an adulteress who deceives her husband? "I have been filled." From of old, she was filled with judgment and justice, which abided in her; but now people have turned into murderers.

A city. A town: “mila’iti.” The yod is added, and because of the addition of the yod, the heh is changed to a tav for the purpose of attaching to the yod. Yalin. The matter of tamid (continuity), and similarly, "and it shall lodge within his house" (Zechariah 5:4):

"How!" the prophet depicts, in his rhetoric, as if a certain anonymous man had seen Jerusalem recently, and it was in the utmost righteousness and faithfulness, and now he has come again into it and seen that they have all turned to evil, both before the Lord and before men, and he is astonished and asks how this change could have happened suddenly. For if it were to happen that a completely righteous person would corrupt his way and become a completely wicked person, it would necessarily be by degrees: first he would begin to transgress minor sins, and thus he would collapse from his righteousness little by little until he would return to being a completely wicked person. But it is impossible in reality that in one moment, while he is a completely righteous person, he would turn into a corrupt man. And so, he wonders how such a sudden change could have occurred in Jerusalem? It was a harlot, because the perfection of man depends on two matters: 1. In the deeds between him and his Creator; 2. In the deed of righteousness between him and his fellow. Therefore, He repeated His words, meaning: If it is regarding the perfection between man and the Divine, was she not at that very moment a faithful city, utterly faithful to her God? And how is it that while she was called by everyone’s mouth by the name of a faithful city, she turned to betray the Lord, like a harlot who betrays her youthful husband? And if it is regarding the perfection between man and his fellow, was she not full of justice in all her streets? Do not think that this was only in ancient times, but rather, “righteousness dwelt in her,” meaning that even on this past night, righteousness dwelt within her and remained there until morning. And so, how is it that now, on the coming night, murderers dwell in her to murder souls?

“Your silver has become dross.” This refers to the practice of making copper coins and plating them with silver in order to defraud people with them. Your wine is diluted with water. Your libations are mixed with water, as stated in the Pesikta: "diluted" means "mixed," and there is no parallel for this term in the Bible. And a midrashic interpretation explains it from "of laughter I said: it is mad (meholal)" (Ecclesiastes 2:2) — [meholal meaning] "mixed up."

“Your silver” is a metaphor for the judges and the princes; therefore, immediately following it is “your princes are rebels,” meaning that the most distinguished among them are dross. The letter heh in "mahul" is a root, and it has no partner in the Bible.

“Your silver” – they make counterfeit coins from it, and people think that it is entirely silver, whereas it contains dross, copper, tin, and the like, and is plated with silver, and they deceive people with it. Similarly, wine sellers deceive buyers into thinking they are purchasing pure wine, whereas it is mixed with water. “Your wine” – this is the wine sold in taverns, because those who come there are empty-witted and foolish, and they become drunk there. mahul. Mixed, and it has no companion in Scripture, and my master and father brought it a companion from Arabic, almahel:

"Your silver." The silver that you give to another is dross, and you deceive him and treat him with contempt.

"l'sigim" – this refers to the dross of silver, just as it is written: "silver" (Ezekiel 22:18). Savach. So are called intoxicating beverages, as it is stated: "And she was filled with strong drink" (below, 26a). mahul. Mixed and blended, and similar to it is the word "shachuk" (laughter). I said, "mahullal" (mad) (Ecclesiastes 2:2):

"Your silver" — the prophet responds to the inquirer who is astonished, saying: Do not imagine in your heart that this transition from righteousness to murder occurred suddenly. Not so is it; rather, they had previously begun to deviate from the straight path little by little, until they went from bad to worse. For already many days ago they were mixing dross into the silver to deceive people with it, and even before that, the sellers of intoxicating drinks were mixing water with wine to deceive. For this was considered a minor sin in their eyes, and from this they went from one slide to another, until they finally reached the utmost evil of murdering souls.

"Rebellious ones." They turn away from the straight path: And “one who pursues recompense” [rodef shlemunim]. The Aramaic Targum renders “recompense” [tashlumim] as follows: A man says to his fellow, “Do me a favor in my lawsuit, and I will repay you in your lawsuit.” Consider a judge who was a robber, and the victim cries out against him before another judge. The robber says to him, “Do justice for me today, and I will repay your reward when they cry out against you before me.” Be one who pursues the repayment of rewards. "And the quarrel of a widow shall not come to them." The widow comes to cry out, and the orphan goes out, and she bumps into him and asks him, "What have you achieved with your crying out before the judge?" And he says, "All this day I have toiled for him in labor, and in the end, I have achieved nothing." And she turns back and says, "If this man has not been of any help, how much less am I?" Hence: "The orphan shall not be judged unjustly, and the quarrel of a widow shall not come to them at all."

Your judges. Bribes. From the root shalem, yishalem (Exodus 22:5). And the meaning is that they were upright in judgment, and the judge would say, “Give me thus, and I will pay you the reward for judging fairly with your fellow.” An orphan. Since they do not fear him, they do not render him justice. "And he shall contend for the widow" – that is, she has a plea. They will not be willing to listen to her; therefore, [the matter] will not come to them.

Your princes. The princes who were supposed to rectify the corruption are rebels who distort what is straight, and they are companions of thieves, for the thieves share with them; therefore, they do not discipline them, nor do they prevent them from stealing. "All of them." This is a general statement referring to the princes, since they all act in the same manner. Therefore, it says "all of them" in the singular form. And they are fond of accepting bribes and perverting justice. "And he who pursues bribes." As its Targum translates: "A man says to his fellow, 'Do good to me in my judgment, and I will repay you in your judgment.'" They do not judge the orphan against those who oppress him. "Let not a dispute come before them." For they do not desire to judge her judgment or to plead her cause against those who oppress her; therefore, do not bring a dispute before them, for it will be of no avail. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated in the Targum: "The plea of the widow did not come before them," meaning that she cries out before them regarding her dispute, and they do not heed her.

"Rebellious ones." They turn away from the good path and associate with thieves. All of them. All the people: Shelmonim. One says to his fellow: "Judge me favorably in my case today, and tomorrow I will judge you favorably in your case." He shall not come. Upon seeing that even the orphan did not avail, although he is a man, and all the more so she, she ceased to come.

Shelmonim. The word is related to tashlumin:

“Your princes” — this means that the primary cause of the breaches among the people were the princes and the deputies, who had strayed from the path and joined themselves to the thieves, giving them a share of the stolen goods so that they would turn a blind eye. Although this did not include all the princes, for not all of them were associates of thieves, nevertheless, all of them loved bribes. In their love of bribes, all the princes were equal; there was not one who was innocent of this sin. And because they loved bribes, they were seekers of compromises. They were constantly engaged in settling cases brought before them by mediating between the parties, for initially they took bribes from both sides, and thus they could not acquit or condemn either of them. Therefore, they were compelled to make peace and compromise between them, in such a way that it seemed to each party that he had profited through the bribe he had given. But the orphan, who did not give a bribe, they did not judge his case at all, nor did they even engage in mediation, for they did not receive a bribe except from the opposing party. “And strife” — this means that the orphan’s case was in the hands of the court, who are the fathers of orphans, and his case is clear (as stated above, verse 17). Nevertheless, they did not judge it. And consequently, the widow’s case, whose judgment is not clear, did not come to them at all. Now, the divine rebuker who is engaged here to heal the brokenness of His people’s daughter arranged His words like an expert physician seeking a cure for a severe illness. For after he inquires to know the nature of the ailment and its condition, he searches for the proximate cause that brought about the illness, and after that, he searches for the primary cause. So too, after He stated the nature of the ailment — that the people were afflicted, the general multitude of the House of Israel, having become harlots and now murderers — He clarified the proximate cause in the statement, “Your silver has become dross,” and after that, the primary cause for all, which is “Your princes are rebels.” Just as a faithful physician, in his treatment, first strives to remove the disease itself, and then strives to remove the proximate cause, and after that, the primary cause, so that the affliction will not return and break out again, so too He arranged His words here: first, He explains how He will heal the ailment itself, saying:

Says the Lord: That everything is His and in His hand to uproot you from your land and to plant there others. "Hero of Israel." The strength of Israel: "Hoi" is a term of appointment and proclamation, and similar to it is "Hoi, flee from the land of the north" (Zechariah 2:10). And all shall know that I will take vengeance upon My adversaries, who angered Me through their deeds.

Therefore, "na'um" is a proper noun, like "wayyanamu na'um" (and they spoke a discourse). And one who says "nam" in place of "na'um" is mistaken, for the aleph will not be omitted. And the meaning of "the master" is on account of the judges, who are the lords of the land. And the meaning of "the Lord of Hosts" is that He is truly the Master, and the hosts serve as witnesses. And why is the Name attached to "Hosts"? It is explained in the Book of Samuel: "Mighty One of Israel." This refers to those who are in the camp opposite the Hosts on high, for they too are called the Hosts of the Name, as it is written in the Torah (Exodus 12:41): "Hoy! Just as it is said, 'Woe to them when I do so.'" "Anachem." I shall find comfort because they have angered me, according to the manner of human speech:

Therefore, “the Lord.” For at that time, all will recognize that He is the Lord of all, as it is said: “The Lord of Hosts above and below.” "Avir Yisrael" – that there will be further strength for the oppressed among Israel, and He will take vengeance from those who oppress them, who are their adversaries and enemies; complete vengeance will He take from them, until He will leave them [no more], meaning that His anger will be exhausted and He will be comforted. And the word "Hoy" I have explained.

The Master, to whom all things belong and are in His hand, against whom there is no one to protest: I will be consoled. Through repaying [them] their recompense, I will be consoled for the anger they caused Me.

Avir. The matter is of strength, as in: “From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24).

Therefore, the Lord declared, that they are all His servants, and the rebel against Him deserves punishment—Hashem Tzevaot, for all the hosts of heaven and earth are in His hand to punish. "Hoi" is the name of the call. "I will find relief from My adversaries": the "oppressors" are those who actively afflict, and the "enemies" are those who hate Him. Here, the term "oppressors" is applied to those who transgress sins between man and his fellow, for they are not enemies of God, since they do not act to provoke Him, but for their own pleasure; however, they are His oppressors. He says that He will find rest from them and be comforted from the mourning He had because of them. And the term "enemies" here is applied to those who deny Him and reject His power and providence, and from them He will take vengeance. By this, He explained how He will remove the sickness: in that the city of Jerusalem was a harlot to her gods, she will be healed by removing the harlots from her and taking vengeance on her enemies; and in that there were murderers among her, she will be healed by comforting her from her oppressors. Now He explains how, after removing the sickness, He will remove the immediate cause that brought on the illness, which is what He stated: "Your silver has become dross," as He will say subsequently.

"And I will lay My hand upon you." [This means] blow after blow, until the transgressors are consumed. “Kevor.” The term “borit” in the language of the gentiles (French), and its meaning is “cleansing,” as in “and he who has a clean heart” (Psalms 24:4). See there, that it cleanses the garment from its stains. "Your dross." Just as it is stated above, "Your silver has become dross," where a mixture of copper in silver is called "dross," so too here, a mixture of the wicked with the righteous— I will consume the transgressors, who are the dross. "All your tins." Tin mixed with silver, meaning the wicked among you; "Asteys" in the vernacular.

"And I will turn My hand." [This means] My blow, as it is written: "Behold, the hand of the Lord" (Exodus 9:3). "כבור" – as if it were "כבורית"; and the correct interpretation is that it means "the cleanness of my hands" (Psalms 18:25): And the meaning of “your dross” is because it previously stated, “Your silver has become dross.” And Rabbi Moshe HaKohen, of blessed and good memory, said that the seven species of metals will not be found in the Bible in the plural form, and behold, he forgot all your tins:

“And I will stretch out My hand” – again and again, until I refine you, and you shall remain pure; the dross and the scum are the wicked. Kevor. Like the agent that clarifies silver from its dross, leaving it pure; and I have heard that "kevor" is the same as "borit" (soap, called savon in the vernacular). Just as soap removes every stain, so too will I remove your dross and your tin. What is the meaning of "your tin"? For tin is mixed with silver until it is purified from it. And He used the plural form "your tins" in order to include all the mixtures that are combined within it.

And I will turn. To strike you blow after blow: "And I will refine." I will remove from you the dross, just as stains are removed from garments by means of soap. And this means that I will consume from among you the sinners and the rebels.

"And I will refine." The meaning is clarification and refining. Kevur. A *kevorit*, in which one washes garments to remove their stains, is made of *badil*. It is a type of metal, like the phrase "and the *badil*" (Numbers 31).

“And I will turn My hand against you,” repeatedly, and I will refine. First, I will refine the silver, the firstborn, in order to clarify and separate the dross from the silver, so that it will not be mixed with it. And after the dross is recognized by itself, then “I will remove all your tin,” so that they will not be found in the world at all, and those who counterfeit will not find base metals with which to counterfeit the silver. (And this statement can also be explained as a metaphor, in that the wicked are likened to dross among the silver, and the righteous to the silver; and He said that He will separate the mixed-in from Israel, and after they are recognized by themselves, He will cut them off and remove them from the world.) Now He explains how He will remove even the primary cause of all sins, which were the evil judges. He said:

As in the beginning: “I will set up for you judges who are righteous.” "The city of righteousness." Just as at the beginning it is stated: "Righteousness shall dwell in it."

“And I will restore your judges.” The meaning is that Israel will go into exile, along with their judges, and the judges of Ahaz will also be removed, and Hezekiah will appoint righteous judges, as it is written: As it was at first: “In the days of David and Solomon,” and the letter bet is added.

“And I will restore your judges as at first.” Just as it says, “I have filled it with justice,” and this will be in the days of the Messiah, when all the wicked will be destroyed, and the remnant of Israel will do no wrong and speak no lies.

“And I will restore.” I will appoint over you righteous and upright judges, as it was from of old.

“And I will restore your judges” — these are the judges who adjudicate between man and his fellow as in the beginning, when [Jerusalem] was filled with justice; “and your counselors” — those who counsel in matters between man and the Divine as in the beginning, when [Jerusalem] was a faithful city. This was achieved through good counselors afterward. This is the statement that limits [the scope]: by virtue of “I will restore your judges as in the beginning,” you will be called “City of Righteousness” with regard to matters between man and his fellow; and by virtue of “I will restore your counselors as in the beginning,” you will be called “Faithful City” with regard to matters between man and the Divine.

"In judgment shall you redeem it." Through the fact that those who are in it (i.e., the community) do justice. You shall redeem. From her iniquities: And her captives. Those who do teshuvah among them (through charity, through the righteous themselves, through justice, and through righteousness among them):

Zion. Because of justice, she will be redeemed from the hand of Sennacherib. And their captives. They shall redeem them, namely those who have done teshuvah.

“Zion.” Through the justice that Israel will practice, she will be redeemed; that is to say, they will be redeemed and return to her. And through the righteousness that they will practice, the exiles from her will return to her. This is the meaning of “and her captivity shall be redeemed with righteousness.”

In judgment. By means of the judgment that will be executed upon her, she will be redeemed. "And their captivity shall be returned." The return from exile will be through the charity that they will perform.

Zion. After he concluded the prophecy that he prophesied from the beginning of the book until here concerning Judah and Jerusalem, and when you look carefully, you will see that the majority of the reproof with which he reproached from the beginning of the book until verse 21—which is the prophecy specifically concerning the tribe of Judah—was regarding deeds between them and the Omnipresent, concerning sacrifices, repentance, and prayer. And the majority of the reproof with which he reproached from the verse “How the faithful city has become a harlot” until here was regarding matters between man and his fellow, such as fraud, deception, and perverting justice. For among the men of Judah who dwelt outside Jerusalem, sins against the Omnipresent were more common; whereas in the royal city of Jerusalem, sins between man and his fellow were more common, due to the abundance of commerce and trade there. Now the prophet concludes his words, saying that each person’s remedy will be in the very matter in which he sinned, and by repairing his own way, he will return to his proper state. Zion, the royal city, in which she perverted justice; through justice she shall be redeemed. When she returns to do judgment, she shall find redemption and salvation. And their captivity: the tribe of Judah will return to Zion from the exile, for their sin was that they neglected charity between man and the Omnipresent; they (will be redeemed) through charity, by rectifying their deeds before their Maker and Creator.

“And the destruction of transgressors”, etc. – In all of these, He had already reproached them above, yet they transgressed against Me; a sinful nation, they have forsaken the Lord. "Wicked men" – rebels and those who serve idolatry. "And sinners" – these are transgressors who violate other prohibitions.

“And the breaking of the wicked.” These are those who rebel against authority, and they are more severe than sinners. The meaning is: all the fortified cities of Judah that were captured. “And those who forsake the Lord” — the clause is doubled [in parallelism], as is the rule.

And He shall break. Then the wicked and sinners shall be broken and destroyed together, as it is stated in the prophecy of Malachi: “And all the arrogant and all who do wickedness shall be stubble; the day that is coming shall burn them up.”

And they shall be broken. The wicked and sinners among them shall be broken together, each one against the other; not a single person shall be missing. They were able to. Without any remainder:

And “shatter” – the measure of the verses “Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness” and “and shatter the wicked together” means that the redemption of Zion and its captives, and the shattering of the wicked and sinners, will occur together at one time. For when Zion is redeemed through justice and righteousness, at that very time the shattering of the wicked will also come, and those who forsake the Lord will be cut off from the world. And now he begins to explain how the wicked will be shattered in their two categories that he has mentioned up until now: namely, those who sin against the Lord, and those who sin against fellow human beings.

“From the oaks.” The term “oaks” refers to a species of tree known in the vernacular as “olma.” “Which you desired.” To serve under them the service of stars, as is stated: “Under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth; because their shade is good” (Hosea 4:13). From the word "gannot." There they served the stars, as it is said: "Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go into the gardens" (below 66:17).

"Ki." From the root "elim" (as in Genesis 18:6), and it is joined with a masculine sign, like "nashim" (women) and "shalosh sa'im" (three seahs), and the proof is from the gardens. Some say that the yod of "yevoshu" stands in place of the second-person tav, and many have said similarly. But in my opinion, it is attached to "they were able," and afterward it returns to address the second person, and there are many similar cases. And you shall dig. Like "they shall be ashamed":

"When they shall be ashamed." He says "be ashamed" and he says "dig," for thus is the custom of the Scriptures to speak both in the second person (direct address) and not in the second person (indirect address), as in "Hear, O nations, all of you; return and come, let us," and similar verses as we have written in the book Mikhlal. These three verses until the end of the passage do not refer to the days of the Messiah, for from the days of the destruction of the First Temple onward, there were no longer idolaters in Israel who practiced idolatry openly and shamefully, under every green tree, as they had done previously. And there is no mention of gods and shame except regarding those generations that were in the time of the First Temple, because they recalled the destruction of all the wicked, both those who served foreign gods and those who committed other sins. And this [future redemption] will be in the days of the Messiah. He said that the destruction of the idolaters will be prior to this, and this occurred in the destruction of the First Temple, when the practitioners of idolatry in Israel were eliminated, for they had chosen the shame and the terebinths for their idols. Then, in the destruction of the Temple, they will be ashamed, for they will see that their idols will not benefit them nor save them from the hand of the enemy who destroys them and exiles them. Then they will be ashamed and dig, and they will know that their trust was a lie and their service to foreign gods was futile. Therefore, in the Second Temple period, there were no idolaters at all in Israel. And "terebinth trees" is like "trees." And similarly, "those who comfort themselves in terebinths" refers to the terebinths of righteousness. And Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated: "You will be ashamed from the trees of error that you desired." And the verse is duplicated in meaning with different words, as is the custom.

"When they shall be ashamed." Those who forsake the Lord shall be ashamed then, because of what the idols coveted, namely, to establish idolatry in their shade, as it is stated: "under the oak and the poplar and the terebinth, for good is their shade" (Hosea 4:13). From the gardens. From the fact that they chose the gardens to set up idolatry in them, as it is stated: "Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go into the gardens" (Isaiah 65:3, see below 66a).

"Ma'elim." A name of a fruitless tree, like "the comforters in the oaks" (below, 57a):

“Those who forsake the Lord shall be put to shame” – these are the ones who will be put to shame then, from the gods that you desired to serve. And behold, two groups were found: some served idolatry on account of desire, for their senses and the power of imagination deceived them, leading them to believe that these gods were exalted things and that divinity was found in them. Others chose idolatry on account of intellectual choice, reasoning that it was in their power to do good and evil. At that time, they would set up idols in their gardens, so that through them the abundance and blessing of heaven – the dew and the rain – would be poured out upon their gardens. This sin was greater, for the hand of intellect and choice was involved in this transgression. Therefore, it is stated that those who chose their gardens, desiring that the idol should do good for them, will be ashamed, which is greater than mere shame.

“Novelet alah.” Its leaf withers — “fleistissant” in Old French — when heat or frost comes upon it; it becomes dry and its moisture is lost, and it perishes and is consumed. And “novel” is not a term of rotting, like “baleh” — for the nun does not occur in that term; rather, “novel” is a term for a thing that wearies and wastes away, as in “you will surely wear away (navol tibbol)” (Exodus 18:18), which we render in Aramaic “mil’ah til’eh” (you will surely weary). “Which has no waters.” To water its seedlings with the same thing they sinned with; He matches their punishment to their sin.

"Ki [etc.]" – After having stated that they were shamed by the terebinths which they coveted and plundered, He compares them to a terebinth whose leaves have withered. And the grammatical form of "novelet" (its leaf withers) is because of "aleha" (its leaf), and similarly "and you shall perish in the way" (Psalms 2:12). And similar to what is stated in the confession: "we have stiffened our neck." And behold it has become clear that "me'eilim" is of the same grammatical form as "ka'eleh" (like a terebinth). And after this, "and like a garden."

"When you shall be." It says: "You have changed Me for gods, and you shall be like those who are withered; you have chosen disgrace, and you shall be like a garden that has no water for it." "Leaf." The plural form is missing a yod from its spelling. He said: You shall be like a terebinth whose leaves wither, so that nothing green remains in it; so shall all your land be desolate, so that not one of you shall remain in it. And you shall be like a garden that has no water to irrigate it: the greens will dry up, and the seeds will not sprout. And just as He compared them to a terebinth, He assured them that they would return to their land, just as the terebinth will produce leaves again at the time of the budding of the trees. And likewise, when water comes to the garden, it will cause its seeds to sprout, and the roots of the greens will become moist. The Targum translates "terebinth" as "botma," and likewise Rabbi Saadia Gaon translated it in Arabic as "botma." “Like a terebinth whose leaves wither.” Its meaning is: those whose foliage withers. Likewise, “those who shave their beards,” meaning their beards are shaved. And He compares them to the oak and the terebinth, and not to other trees, because when the oak and the terebinth fall, it appears that they are completely dried up more than other trees. And He mentions one of them as an example:

"When you become." Because you have chosen these [trees], you shall resemble them in the matter of punishment: you shall become withered, without any good moisture, like the leaves of the terebinth (elah), which wither most of all. She has none. To water her and to quench her thirst:

Nevelah. The matter is similar to that of withering, as in the case of the nebel of the tzitz (below, 40b): Leaf. Its leaves:

“Ki tihyu” (“When you shall be”) explains how the punishment will be measure for measure, until the punishment resembles the sin both in its quality and in its quantity. For, in opposition to the “el” trees which they coveted, thinking that there was divinity in their very essence, they will become like such trees when they wither, when their inherent power of moisture and growth ceases; and in opposition to the gardens which they chose, thinking that the gardens would receive dew and rain from the idols, they will become like a garden lacking water, deprived of the abundance that comes to it from without. Just as a garden that has no water retains neither root nor branch of its vegetables, and its loss is greater than that of the withering “el” tree, in which at least the root remains, so too does this depict a greater punishment, that they will be completely cut off, in opposition to what is stated, “and you will dig into the gardens,” which is greater than the disgrace, and the metaphor here is that the success of the people of God depends on two things: 1. Their own natural strength, whether they are mighty, wealthy, and wise; 2. Through the Divine Providence that cleaves to them. In this, He measured their punishment according to the measure of their guilt. In opposition to their coveting the idols and thinking that there was divine power in their essence, their own inherent power will be lacking from them, like an “el” and an oak in their leaf-fall season, and in this they still have hope that they will be saved by the blessing of Heaven from above, through their God who saves them. But because they chose the gardens and thought that their abundance came from the idols, and denied the goodness of God upon them, they will also lack the waters of salvation that flow from the Upper Source, whose waters do not fail. And in this, it explains the breaking of the wicked against God. Now it explains the punishment of the sinners against human beings:

Hachason. The oppressor who used to coerce the poor and plunder them, enriching himself with their money, as stated above. And the companions of thieves—let that money be for the "ne'orot," which are the [fibers] shaken out from the flax, which are light and easy to burn. And his work. And he who performs it shall be strong, as a spark of fire, and they shall burn one another. "Spark" is *isntentzia* in the foreign language. The Targum translates it as "and his work, and the work of their hands." And this is not according to the Hebrew language; for if so, it should have been vocalized *uf'olo* with a *chatef-qamats*, and we would explain it in the sense of *pa'ul* [his work]; now that it is vocalized with a *cholam*, we explain it in the sense of *po'el* [the doer]. And one does not extinguish. The Targum: And let there be no concern for them.

"And the strong one." [This means] mighty, and it is an attribute of the noun, for the noun means strength. "לנעורת" – this refers to that which is shaken out from the flax. Regarding “spark” (nitzutz): Like “sparks” (shavivim), and similar to it is “and they sparkled like the appearance of polished bronze” (Ezekiel 1:7). The meaning is concerning the idols, who will strengthen them so that they will not totter; the workers, in their time of distress, because they did not save them, will burn them; they themselves will also be burned. And this is the meaning of "and both of them shall be burned." Just as it is written, "Why does the bush not burn?" (Exodus 3:2). And one does not extinguish. And one does not assist:

“And the dry thing.” He spoke concerning the idols and their worshippers, saying that the dry and strong among the idols, as it is stated, “He chooses wood that will not rot,” said: What benefit will the strength of the idols bring them? For they will be like tinder, which is quickly consumed by a spark of fire; so too they will be burned quickly. And so it was, for Nebuzaradan burned all the houses of Jerusalem with fire, and within them were the idols and the graven images. And He said, “And its maker to a spark,” meaning that the one who made that idol is the cause of its burning, just as the spark ignites the tinder. And when the spark catches hold of the tinder, in a short time both are extinguished, for the spark is not a fire that endures, but only for a little while, and it is extinguished. And likewise, the burning tinder will not burn for long, but only for a short time, and it will be extinguished. So too will be the makers of the graven image and the idol, for the two of them will perish together. For in the destruction of Jerusalem, the houses were burned, and the idols with them, and the worshippers of the idols and those who made them were killed. And one does not extinguish. And one does not rescue them from being set on fire. "Ne'oret" is that which is shaken out from the flax, called "stop" in the vernacular; and "nitzutz" is a spark of fire, called "blaga" in the vernacular. And Jonathan rendered the verse thus: "And it shall be the power of the wicked ones, etc."

“Ha-cheson.” The idol made of strong wood, as it is stated below (40a): “A tree that will not rot shall be chosen.” “La-ne’urah.” That is, a thing that is weak and easily burned. And its work. The craftsman who makes the idol was like a spark of fire: Both of them: the idol and the craftsman. "And he does not extinguish." This means that no one will be found to extinguish [the fire], and the idol has no power to assist, nor even to help itself.

The strong one. The strong one, and likewise "He is strong" (Psalms 89:19): “l’na’urót.” This is the refuse that is shaken off from flax trees. "לניצוץ" – it is the spark that flies off from the burning fire; and similarly, "and flashing like the appearance of brass" (Ezekiel 1:7). And they shall burn it. The matter concerns burning and kindling. "Extinguishing." From the term "extinguished":

“And the storehouse” – the robbery itself, which they seized by force and strength – shall be likened to a wisp of flax, ready to be kindled easily by a spark of fire. And “its worker” – the worker of the storehouse, that is, the robber – shall be likened to the spark that ignites the wisp. The spark will set the wisp ablaze, and together they shall pass away, and together they shall all be consumed. This is a wondrous rhetorical device to say: sin is that which destroys its doer. The worker of the sin is himself preparing the sin and shaping it into an instrument of destruction, which will destroy him and cause his loss.