Chapter 9 of Nechemya is one of the greatest and most systematically ordered confessions in Tanach. The Levites stand before the people and review the entire course of Jewish history: on the one hand, an unbroken chain of Hashem's kindnesses and miraculous providence, and on the other, a chain of ingratitude, rebellion, and stiff-necked obstinacy. The section before us opens with the fulfillment of the promise - not only "and made the covenant with him," but also "and You fulfilled Your words" - and continues until describing the dire situation of the generation standing here, serving as an introduction to the renewal of the covenant in the next chapter.
וַתֵּרֶא אֶת עֳנִי אֲבֹתֵינוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם וְאֶת זַעֲקָתָם שָׁמַעְתָּ עַל יַם סוּף׃ - And You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and You heard their cry at the Sea of Reeds.
Until now, the text described the choosing of Avraham and the forging of the covenant, and now it comes to describe how the Holy One, blessed be He, not only promised but also fulfilled - "and You fulfilled Your words." The stay in Egypt was itself a prelude to entering the Land, for when Hashem promised the Land to Avraham, He prefaced it by saying, "Your offspring will be strangers in a land not theirs." The Egyptian exile was the iron furnace in which Israel was tested and refined, so that they would be worthy of entering the Holy Land.
The two halves of the verse are not repetitive; rather, they provide two reasons for two distinct actions. "And You saw the affliction of our fathers" - and because You saw how much they were being afflicted, You responded with "and You gave signs and wonders." "And You heard their cry at the Sea of Reeds" - and because of that, "and You split the sea before them" in verse 11.
וַתִּתֵּן אֹתֹת וּמֹפְתִים בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכׇל עֲבָדָיו וּבְכׇל עַם אַרְצוֹ כִּי יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הֵזִידוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וַתַּעַשׂ לְךָ שֵׁם כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - And You gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, and against all his servants, and against all the people of his land, for You knew that they acted maliciously against them; and You made a name for Yourself as it is this day.
The first reason: "For You knew that they acted maliciously against them." Pharaoh and his people deserved punishment, as they afflicted us and abused us. Although Hashem had said in advance, "and they shall serve them, and they shall afflict them," the Egyptians did not do so out of obedience to Hashem's command, but out of the wickedness of their hearts, with malice, taking pleasure in afflicting the Jewish people, and even adding beyond what had been decreed.
This explains the precise wording at the Covenant Between the Parts: "And also that nation whom they shall serve, I will judge (dan)" - it does not say "I will punish." "Judge" means applying justice and evaluation. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: I will examine the enslaving nation. If they afflicted them solely because I decreed it at the Covenant Between the Parts, I would not punish them, for they were fulfilling My word. But if they afflicted them out of the malice of their own hearts, and if they added over and above what was necessary, then I will punish them. Therefore, "I will judge": I will adjudicate and investigate their motives for enslaving the Jewish people.
The second reason: "And You made a name for Yourself as it is this day." When the Holy One, blessed be He, sends Moshe to strike Pharaoh, He tells him: "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants" - why? "So that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst," which is the first reason: to afflict him for afflicting My people. Immediately following that: "And so that you may recount in the hearing of your son and your son's son how I made a mockery of Egypt." Through the plagues of Egypt, the Creator's Name is exalted, His miraculous providence is revealed to the entire world, and everyone sees that a wicked king received his just deserts.
וְהַיָּם בָּקַעְתָּ לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיַּעַבְרוּ בְתוֹךְ הַיָּם בַּיַּבָּשָׁה וְאֶת רֹדְפֵיהֶם הִשְׁלַכְתָּ בִמְצוֹלֹת כְּמוֹ אֶבֶן בְּמַיִם עַזִּים׃ - And You split the sea before them, so that they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land, and their pursuers You cast into the depths like a stone into mighty waters.
When Israel cried out to Hashem at the sea, Moshe was told, "Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel and let them journey forth" - and this corresponds to the hearing of the outcry mentioned in verse 9, by virtue of which You split the sea for them and they passed through it on dry land. Nor did You settle for their rescue alone, but You also exacted retribution from their pursuers: "and their pursuers You cast into the depths." This specifically highlights the miraculous nature of the guidance; for had the sea merely split, one might have attributed it to some natural cause, but when that very same sea splits for us and drowns them, it is an overtly miraculous providence.
וּבְעַמּוּד עָנָן הִנְחִיתָם יוֹמָם וּבְעַמּוּד אֵשׁ לַיְלָה לְהָאִיר לָהֶם אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ בָהּ׃ - And with a pillar of cloud You guided them by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate for them the way in which they should go.
That same miraculous providence that began with Avraham and continued throughout the Exodus accompanied them in the wilderness as well. "And I will set apart between My people and your people" - the Holy One, blessed be He, guides us through supernatural providence across numerous measures. The pillar of cloud served as both a floodlight and an air conditioner, as it were: the pillar of fire provided light at night, and the pillar of cloud continually shielded them from the sun and traveled above them. It guided them on the way, leveling mountains and valleys before them so that they walked along a straight path, cleaning their garments and cooling them. They always enjoyed, so to speak, twenty-four degrees Celsius in the shade; they suffered no heat distress, nor did their feet swell - all by virtue of that pillar of cloud that guided them on the way.
וְעַל הַר סִינַי יָרַדְתָּ וְדַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם מִשָּׁמָיִם וַתִּתֵּן לָהֶם מִשְׁפָּטִים יְשָׁרִים וְתוֹרוֹת אֱמֶת חֻקִּים וּמִצְוֺת טוֹבִים׃ - And You descended upon Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven, and You gave them just laws, teachings of truth, and good statutes and commandments.
Beyond all this material providence, You revealed Yourself to them in Your personal glory to bestow Your Torah upon them. The Creator of the universe revealed Himself to the entirety of Israel and spoke to all of them; they heard the first two commandments directly from the Almighty, and the rest through Moshe.
The passage details what was given there: "Just laws" (mishpatim yesharim) - these are the civil and interpersonal laws, encompassing everything given at the Revelation at Mount Sinai, from the Ten Commandments through the end of Parashat Mishpatim, for "just as the former are from Sinai, so too these are from Sinai." They are just and upright laws; yet unfortunately, some view Ottoman, Turkish, or British law as superior, rejecting only Jewish civil law. "Teachings of truth" (torot emet) - guidance in matters of faith. "Statutes" (chukkim) - decrees that transcend human intellect, such as "You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk." "And good commandments" (u-mitzvot tovim) - commandments that lead a person on the path of goodness, such as "If you lend money to My people," acts of loving-kindness, burial of the dead, and the like.
וְאֶת שַׁבַּת קׇדְשְׁךָ הוֹדַעְתָּ לָהֶם וּמִצְווֹת וְחֻקִּים וְתוֹרָה צִוִּיתָ לָהֶם בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ׃ - And Your holy Shabbat You made known to them, and commandments, statutes, and a Torah You commanded them by the hand of Moshe Your servant.
"Your holy Shabbat You made known to them" - this refers to the Shabbat proclaimed in the Ten Commandments. And why does it say "You made known"? Because through Shabbat, the Holy One, blessed be He, made the reality of Divine providence known to Israel. Shabbat stands as testimony that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world in six days and rested on the seventh day - testimony that the world is not eternal and uncreated, but was created with a clear purpose and design, and that everything that happens to us is entirely guided by His providence, blessed be He.
"And commandments, statutes, and a Torah You commanded them by the hand of Moshe Your servant" - afterwards the rest of the mitzvos were given to them, during the time they were in the Wilderness of Sinai until they encamped in the Wilderness of Paran. All the mitzvos recorded in the books of Shemos, Vayikra, and Bamidbar up until Parashas Shelach Lecha were given to them then through Moshe.
וְלֶחֶם מִשָּׁמַיִם נָתַתָּה לָהֶם לִרְעָבָם וּמַיִם מִסֶּלַע הוֹצֵאתָ לָהֶם לִצְמָאָם וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לָבוֹא לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתָ אֶת יָדְךָ לָתֵת לָהֶם׃ - "And bread from heaven You gave them for their hunger, and water from a rock You brought forth for them for their thirst, and You told them to go in to possess the land that You raised Your hand to give them."
Even then in the desert, You watched over them and provided all their needs, bread and water, under conditions in which such a vast nation could not naturally survive for such an extended period. More than five million people wandering in the wilderness for forty years, when under ordinary circumstances one could not hold out there for even two weeks. How did such a nation survive? You gave them manna and water from a rock. And then You told them to go up and possess the land, as it says: "And I said to you: You have come to the hill country of the Amorites... go up and possess it."
וְהֵם וַאֲבֹתֵינוּ הֵזִידוּ וַיַּקְשׁוּ אֶת עׇרְפָּם וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶל מִצְוֺתֶיךָ׃ - "Yet they and our fathers acted willfully and stiffened their necks, and did not heed Your commandments."
וַיְמָאֲנוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ וְלֹא זָכְרוּ נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּהֶם וַיַּקְשׁוּ אֶת עׇרְפָּם וַיִּתְּנוּ רֹאשׁ לָשׁוּב לְעַבְדֻתָם בְּמִרְיָם וְאַתָּה אֱלוֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וְלֹא עֲזַבְתָּם׃ - "They refused to obey and did not remember Your wonders that You performed with them, but stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in their rebellion. But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, and You did not abandon them."
After describing all the abundance and goodness, all the investment and care that Hashem lavished upon us, the verse comes and says: Come and see how stiff-necked, rebellious, and ungrateful our fathers were after all this immense kindness. First, "they acted willfully" - they said, "Let us send men before us"; the promise of the Creator of the universe was not enough for them, they wanted to see and verify for themselves. Afterwards, "they refused to obey" - when Moshe told them that the land was good, they refused to listen. And once the decree was sealed and they said, "We will go up," Moshe told them, "Do not go up, lest you be struck down before your enemies," for the decree had already been issued and there was no point in forcing their way in - yet it did not help; they went by force and were struck down as far as Chormah. "And did not remember Your wonders" - and not only that, but some of them even sought to return to Egypt, saying, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt," and this is "and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in their rebellion."
And in contrast to all this: "But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, and You did not abandon them." All these offenses were sufficient reason for You to forsake them, yet despite everything You did not forsake them - showing the boundless kindness and compassion of the Creator. And this entire description is part of a complete confession: they stand and confess that after the entire exile and everything we went through, we still persist in our rebellion - we married foreign women from the peoples of the land, we returned to the Land and continue in these corrupt deeds. These are words of awakening and confession to inspire repentance for the deeds they had done.
אַף כִּי עָשׂוּ לָהֶם עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ זֶה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֶלְךָ מִמִּצְרָיִם וַיַּעֲשׂוּ נֶאָצוֹת גְּדֹלוֹת׃ - "Even when they made for themselves a molten calf and said, 'This is your god who brought you up out of Egypt,' and committed great blasphemies."
"Masechah" (molten) comes from the root of metal, something melted down - that is melted and cast. "Blasphemies" refers to provoking the Creator of the universe to anger and blaspheming Him.
וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים לֹא עֲזַבְתָּם בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶת עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן לֹא סָר מֵעֲלֵיהֶם בְּיוֹמָם לְהַנְחֹתָם בְּהַדֶּרֶךְ וְאֶת עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ בְּלַיְלָה לְהָאִיר לָהֶם וְאֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ בָהּ׃ - Yet You in Your abundant mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud did not depart from upon them by day to lead them along the way, nor the pillar of fire by night to give them light and show the way in which they should walk.
The Midrash says an astonishing thing about just how merciful the Holy One, blessed be He, is. There is an expression that describes Hashem as a "Melech aluv" (an insulted King) - meaning that people insult and disgrace Him, yet He continues to bestow goodness upon us. Who knows what they fed the Golden Calf? Manna. For what else was there for a calf to eat in the wilderness; does grass grow there? The Holy One, blessed be He, brought down manna for them, and they gave from that very manna to the calf - and that which came, as it were, to uproot faith in the Creator of the world, even that entity the Creator sustained and nourished.
It is written that the calf possessed vitality: they succeeded in drawing vitality into it from the forces of impurity, and through this the calf would say, "I am Hashem your God." The same was true with the terafim, of whom it is said, "For the terafim have spoken deceit" - they actually spoke. Through an unholy name, a force of impurity, the sitra achra and demonic forces, would descend and clothe itself in that idol, in that physical object, and speak and tell them the future and the like - and that is what attracted people. Do not think that people were simply ignorant and foolish enough to take a piece of wood, carve it, and call it a god. Such a person does not need punishment, he needs hospitalization; there are dedicated institutions that treat people like that. Rather, idolatry gave a tangible sense of actually helping; they perceived real power in it, and it visibly appeared as though bounty flowed through it - making it a very difficult test.
And despite all this, "Yet You in Your abundant mercies did not forsake them": even while they were sinning, the pillar of cloud remained above them, and the pillar of fire led them by night. Despite all the negative deeds, the Divine Providence of the Holy One, blessed be He, never departed from us.
וְרוּחֲךָ הַטּוֹבָה נָתַתָּ לְהַשְׂכִּילָם וּמַנְךָ לֹא מָנַעְתָּ מִפִּיהֶם וּמַיִם נָתַתָּה לָהֶם לִצְמָאָם׃ - And You gave Your good spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.
"Your good spirit" - this refers to what is said: "And He drew from the spirit that was upon him and placed it upon the seventy elders." By the way, notice that here the word manna appears in an inflected form - "umancha", meaning "Your manna"; if you were to say "umancha" to someone, they would have no idea what you were talking about.
וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה כִּלְכַּלְתָּם בַּמִּדְבָּר לֹא חָסֵרוּ שַׂלְמֹתֵיהֶם לֹא בָלוּ וְרַגְלֵיהֶם לֹא בָצֵקוּ׃ - For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.
The sin of the Golden Calf was neither the first sin nor the last - "and they tested Me these ten times" - and despite all this, "You sustained them in the wilderness" (kilkaltam, related to providing measured sustenance); You gave to them and bestowed upon them, and they lacked nothing. "Their clothes did not wear out," just as Moshe told them: "Your clothes did not wear out upon you" for forty years. "And their feet did not swell (batzeku)" - what is the connection to batzek (dough)? Dough rises and swells. When someone works for several hours with a hoe, what happens to his hands afterward? Edema and blisters; the hands begin to swell. Yet these people walked for forty years in the wilderness and their feet did not swell.
וַתִּתֵּן לָהֶם מַמְלָכוֹת וַעֲמָמִים וַתַּחְלְקֵם לְפֵאָה וַיִּירְשׁוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְאֶת אֶרֶץ מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן וְאֶת אֶרֶץ עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן׃ - And You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and allotted them into every corner, and they possessed the land of Sichon, and the land of the king of Cheshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.
וּבְנֵיהֶם הִרְבִּיתָ כְּכֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם וַתְּבִיאֵם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵיהֶם לָבוֹא לָרָשֶׁת׃ - And You multiplied their children like the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land of which You had promised their fathers they would enter to possess.
What is meant by "kingdoms and nations"? After all, You did not promise the Holy Forefathers the land of Sichon and Og, yet You, Master of the Universe, in Your abundant goodness granted it to them beyond Your promise - providing a bonus, as it were. And that is the meaning of "and they possessed the land of Sichon and the land of Og, king of the Bashan."
And what is "and distributed them into a corner"? There are three explanations. In Rashi's view, this refers to the Jewish people: You, Master of the Universe, set us aside and designated us as a corner. A pe'ah is a corner, just as one leaves a corner of a field for the poor - meaning You separated us so that we would not intermingle with the nations of the lands. Ibn Ezra, followed also by the Metzudat David, explains that this does not refer to us at all, but to the nations: when You gave us kingdoms and nations, You scattered them to all corners of the earth. And the Malbim explains "and distributed them into a corner" - that You separated two and a half tribes from them to settle in Transjordan. For what is spoken of here? The land of Sichon and Og, which was granted beyond the promise, and there You placed a corner: Reuven, Gad, and half the tribe of Menashe. And all this because "You multiplied their children" - they had numerous children and required an expansive territory.
Thus, You, Master of the Universe, fulfilled Your part of the covenant above and beyond, bestowing generosity exceeding what had been promised. And all of this only magnifies the indictment against us, as will soon be explained: look at what You did, and on the other hand, how we repaid You in return.
וַיָּבֹאוּ הַבָּנִים וַיִּירְשׁוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וַתַּכְנַע לִפְנֵיהֶם אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִים וַתִּתְּנֵם בְּיָדָם וְאֶת מַלְכֵיהֶם וְאֶת עַמְמֵי הָאָרֶץ לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם כִּרְצוֹנָם׃ - So the children entered and possessed the land, and You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them as they pleased.
The children came to Eretz Yisrael and inherited it, and not only that, but You subdued the nations before them. Such was the case with the Girgashite, who turned and departed to Africa and is heard from no more; and such was the Hivvite, namely the Gibeonites, who came and made peace with them. As for the rest of the nations that came to wage war against us - "and gave them into their hand," You delivered them into our hands, and we conquered them and their kings, to do with them as we wished and wipe them out from the face of the earth.
וַיִּלְכְּדוּ עָרִים בְּצוּרֹת וַאֲדָמָה שְׁמֵנָה וַיִּירְשׁוּ בָּתִּים מְלֵאִים כׇּל טוּב בֹּרוֹת חֲצוּבִים כְּרָמִים וְזֵיתִים וְעֵץ מַאֲכָל לָרֹב וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׂבְּעוּ וַיַּשְׁמִינוּ וַיִּתְעַדְּנוּ בְּטוּבְךָ הַגָּדוֹל׃ - And they captured fortified cities and rich land, and possessed houses full of all good things, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance; and they ate, were satisfied, grew fat, and delighted in Your great goodness.
The Malbim demonstrates that this entire verse is modeled after the verses in Parashat Va'etchanan: "When Hashem your God brings you to the land that He swore to your forefathers... great and good cities that you did not build" - corresponding to "fortified cities" here. "And houses full of all good things that you did not fill" - corresponding to "and possessed houses full of all good things." "And hewn cisterns that you did not hew" - these are the water cisterns mentioned here. "Vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant" - corresponding to "vineyards and olive groves." "And you shall eat and be satisfied" - corresponding to "and they ate, were satisfied, and grew fat." And what does Scripture immediately warn there after "and you shall eat and be satisfied"? "Beware lest you forget Hashem," as well as "And Yeshurun grew fat and kicked."
Note the precision of the language: "satiety" (sova) is fullness, whereas "fatness" (shuman) is beyond fullness. This is also the distinction between seven (sheva) and eight (shemoneh): everything in the physical world has six directions, and the inner point is the point of seven - it is the essence and the fulfillment. Eight already expresses that which goes beyond, something that fattens (mashmin), overflowing and spilling outward. Therefore, it says first "and were satisfied" and then "grew fat." Seven represents the miraculous concealed within nature, while eight represents the realm of miracles that transcend nature.
וַיַּמְרוּ וַיִּמְרְדוּ בָּךְ וַיַּשְׁלִכוּ אֶת תּוֹרָתְךָ אַחֲרֵי גַוָּם וְאֶת נְבִיאֶיךָ הָרָגוּ אֲשֶׁר הֵעִידוּ בָם לַהֲשִׁיבָם אֵלֶיךָ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ נֶאָצוֹת גְּדוֹלֹת׃ - Yet they were disobedient and rebelled against You, cast Your Torah behind their back, and killed Your prophets who warned them to bring them back to You; and they committed great provocations.
After all this - see how they forgot Hashem. At first it was merely "they were disobedient," defying Your word; in the end "and they rebelled against You," rising in open rebellion against Hashem, may He be blessed, casting the Torah behind their backs.
"And they killed Your prophets" - who were they? Zechariah son of Jehoiada, who was killed by King Joash. And Joash was that very child of seven whom Jehoiada the Kohen hid and saved - the father saved him, and he killed his son! And another prophet: Isaiah the prophet, who was killed by Menashe. Even Jeremiah was nearly killed, thrown into the pit in the court of the guard until Ebed-melech the Cushite came and rescued him.
וַתִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד צָרֵיהֶם וַיָּצֵרוּ לָהֶם וּבְעֵת צָרָתָם יִצְעֲקוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְאַתָּה מִשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁמָע וּכְרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מוֹשִׁיעִים וְיוֹשִׁיעוּם מִיַּד צָרֵיהֶם׃ - And You gave them into the hand of their oppressors, who afflicted them; and in the time of their distress they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven, and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their oppressors.
וּכְנוֹחַ לָהֶם יָשׁוּבוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת רַע לְפָנֶיךָ וַתַּעַזְבֵם בְּיַד אֹיְבֵיהֶם וַיִּרְדּוּ בָהֶם וַיָּשׁוּבוּ וַיִּזְעָקוּךָ וְאַתָּה מִשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁמַע וְתַצִּילֵם כְּרַחֲמֶיךָ רַבּוֹת עִתִּים׃ - But when they had rest, they would return to do evil before You, so You abandoned them into the hand of their enemies, who dominated them; and they returned and cried out to You, and You heard from heaven, and You delivered them according to Your mercies, many times.
"And when they had rest" does not mean living in comfort, but rather when they were granted rest - when the oppressors let up on their harassment, they returned to doing evil. This is the exact description of the era of the Judges: "And the land had rest for forty years," and immediately afterward, "And the children of Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of Hashem."
The Malbim explains that these two verses depict two distinct stages. First, "You gave them into the hand of their oppressors (tzareihem)," and later, "You abandoned them into the hand of their enemies (oyveihem)." What is the difference between an oppressor (tzar) and an enemy (oyev)? A tzar is one who distresses and harasses, yet his heart is not necessarily filled with hatred - he harasses for his own benefit or sport. An oyev is one who harbors deep hatred in his heart. Falling into the hand of an enemy is far more perilous, for one who acts out of malice strikes with utmost severity.
Therefore, at first, "You gave them into the hand of their oppressors, who afflicted them," and then "they cried out to You" and You heard, "and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them saviors." Who were these saviors? Ehud son of Gera, Deborah, and all the judges of that period, through whom Hashem delivered us from those who distressed us. But the second time, when You saw that they returned to sin again and again - "You abandoned them into the hand of their enemies," and enemies are far harsher than mere oppressors. The enemies no longer merely besieged them (the word tzar relates to matzor, siege), but rather out of hatred exiled the people of Israel; hence, it adds here "and they dominated them" - subjugation and torment, for we are dealing with a sworn hater.
Thus, in the first instance it says "according to Your abundant mercies," whereas in the second it says merely "according to Your mercies," omitting "abundant." For by now they had repeated their sins time and again, and they were facing hostile enemies, and this prolonged over "many times," through long eras. For this reason, "saviors" are not mentioned here either: it does not say "You gave them saviors who saved them," because the deliverance here came solely from the Creator of the world, rather than through emissaries who liberated them entirely from their distress like Gideon, Deborah, and Barak son of Avinoam - it was merely a temporary respite.
וַתָּעַד בָּהֶם לַהֲשִׁיבָם אֶל תּוֹרָתֶךָ וְהֵמָּה הֵזִידוּ וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ לְמִצְוֺתֶיךָ וּבְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ חָטְאוּ בָם אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם וְחָיָה בָהֶם וַיִּתְּנוּ כָתֵף סוֹרֶרֶת וְעׇרְפָּם הִקְשׁוּ וְלֹא שָׁמֵעוּ׃ - And You warned them to turn them back to Your Torah, yet they acted willfully and did not listen to Your commandments, and against Your ordinances they sinned, which a person shall perform and live by them; and they turned a stubborn shoulder, and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
Afterward, during the era of the Kings, when they began sinning continuously from the days of Jeroboam onward, You warned them - and they "acted willfully" (hezidu). A zed is someone who defies with a high hand; they openly defied You. "And did not listen to Your commandments" - which pertain to the realm between man and God. "And against Your ordinances they sinned" - they no longer observed interpersonal laws either, which a person should perform and live by them. Even in state leadership, their conduct was thoroughly corrupt, as seen in the episode of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, where they went and seized the vineyard from his hand.
And what is "a stubborn shoulder"? It is the counterpart of "stiff-necked." Why is one who refuses to listen called "stiff-necked"? A person is walking down the wrong path, heading toward an abyss. Someone calls out to him: Stop! But he does not listen and does not turn his head; he charges straight ahead like an ox. That is "stiff-necked" - his neck is rigid, unable to turn left or right. So too with "a stubborn shoulder": instead of turning around to face the speaker and asking, "Yes, please, what do you need?", he shrugs his shoulder, turns his back, and points his head the other way. This is how they responded to the rebukes that admonished them and to the punishments that struck them - they stiffened their neck and refused to accept rebuke.
וַתִּמְשֹׁךְ עֲלֵיהֶם שָׁנִים רַבּוֹת וַתָּעַד בָּם בְּרוּחֲךָ בְּיַד נְבִיאֶיךָ וְלֹא הֶאֱזִינוּ וַתִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצֹת׃ - You bore with them for many years, and forewarned them by Your spirit through Your prophets, yet they would not listen; so You handed them over to the peoples of the lands.
The Holy One, blessed be He, did not exact retribution from us immediately. According to Rashi, vatimshoch ("and You extended") refers to mercy: You extended mercy over them for many years and did not destroy them. According to Ibn Ezra, vatimshoch refers to the years: Israel's rebellions dragged on for many years, yet throughout all those years You still did not make a complete end of us. "And forewarned them" - You sent the prophets to admonish them, and they all spoke of exile, of punishment, and of the decree that would be sealed if we did not repent, "yet they would not listen." Finally, "so You handed them over to the peoples of the lands": first the exile of the Ten Tribes at the hands of Assyria, and afterward the exile of Yehudah and Binyamin at the hands of Nevuchadnezzar.
וּבְרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים לֹא עֲשִׂיתָם כָּלָה וְלֹא עֲזַבְתָּם כִּי אֵל חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם אָתָּה׃ - But in Your abundant mercy You did not make an end of them, nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and merciful God.
Even with all this, You had compassion on them and did not destroy them entirely, for You are a gracious and merciful God. Even when they were in exile, You were as one looking through the windows and peering through the lattices, as it is said, "Yet even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them nor spurn them to destroy them, to break My covenant with them." You still preserved for us the covenant and kindness You promised to the Patriarchs: "Then I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, and also My covenant with Yitzchak, and also My covenant with Avraham I will remember, and I will remember the land" - I will remember the land to restore you to it. Although we deserved a far more severe punishment, You exiled us, yet even in exile You maintained Your connection with us.
וְעַתָּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא שׁוֹמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד אַל יִמְעַט לְפָנֶיךָ אֵת כׇּל הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאַתְנוּ לִמְלָכֵינוּ לְשָׂרֵינוּ וּלְכֹהֲנֵינוּ וְלִנְבִיאֵינוּ וְלַאֲבֹתֵינוּ וּלְכׇל עַמֶּךָ מִימֵי מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - And now, our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God, Who keeps the covenant and lovingkindness, let not all the hardship seem minor before You - that which has befallen us, our kings, our princes, our kohanim, our prophets, our fathers, and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
Now they turn in prayer and say: Master of the Universe, since You still preserve the covenant and kindness for us, and the fact that You did not abandon us stems from Your keeping the covenant made with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov - we therefore ask: Let not all that we have already endured seem minor in Your eyes. Take all our suffering into account and consider it as an atonement for all that we have done. May all this suffering be viewed before You as a form of Gehinnom here on earth: just as Gehinnom Above purges and cleanses the soul from the filth of its contamination, so too may the suffering we endured. All the hardship that has befallen us, our kings, our princes, our kohanim, our prophets, and our fathers, from the days of Assyria until this day - may all of this serve as an atonement for our iniquities.
וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כׇּל הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ כִּי אֱמֶת עָשִׂיתָ וַאֲנַחְנוּ הִרְשָׁעְנוּ׃ - You are righteous in all that has come upon us, for You acted faithfully, but we acted wickedly.
Immediately they clarify: Let my words not be construed as lodging a complaint against the exile and the harsh suffering. Far from it! I believe, justify the judgment, and accept it - "You are righteous in all that has come upon us." First and foremost from our own side: "For You acted faithfully, but we acted wickedly" - even though such troubles befell us, they stemmed from our own actions; and even though You dealt with us according to what we truly deserved, we did not take it to heart to repent, but continued in our ways.
וְאֶת מְלָכֵינוּ שָׂרֵינוּ כֹּהֲנֵינוּ וַאֲבֹתֵינוּ לֹא עָשׂוּ תוֹרָתֶךָ וְלֹא הִקְשִׁיבוּ אֶל מִצְוֺתֶיךָ וּלְעֵדְוֺתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הַעִידֹתָ בָּהֶם׃ - Our kings, our princes, our kohanim, and our fathers did not observe Your Torah, nor did they heed Your commandments and Your warnings with which You admonished them.
וְהֵם בְּמַלְכוּתָם וּבְטוּבְךָ הָרָב אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּ לָהֶם וּבְאֶרֶץ הָרְחָבָה וְהַשְּׁמֵנָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּ לִפְנֵיהֶם לֹא עֲבָדוּךָ וְלֹא שָׁבוּ מִמַּעַלְלֵיהֶם הָרָעִים׃ - Even in their kingdom, and amid the great bounty that You gave them, and in the broad and fertile land that You placed before them, they did not serve You, nor did they turn from their evil deeds.
Furthermore, it was coming to us on account of our ancestors as well. In earlier eras, we still had kings and officers, and they had no distress or hardship: the power was in their hands, they dwelt here in the land, sovereignty was completely theirs, and they had no troubles - and despite all this, "they did not serve You." Even during those times, they did not keep Your commandments and did not turn back from their evil deeds.
הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ הַיּוֹם עֲבָדִים וְהָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ לֶאֱכֹל אֶת פִּרְיָהּ וְאֶת טוּבָהּ הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ עֲבָדִים עָלֶיהָ׃ - Here we are today, slaves; and the land that You gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its goodness, here we are slaves upon it.
It turns out that we rebelled against Your word both when things were good for us and when things were bad for us. Now they come to rectify the sin of our fathers and turn away the wrath of the Creator from us: instead of our ancestors, who despite all the goodness they enjoyed in this land did not serve You - we, despite all the hardship we endure, with the poverty, deprivation, and difficulty, will indeed serve You! Through this there will be a tikkun: whereas out of an abundance of everything they did not serve You, we will now serve You in nakedness and lack of everything. "And the land that You gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its goodness" - they enjoyed its fruit and its goodness - "here we are slaves upon it"; we want to be slaves upon it, Your servants, Master of the Universe, to counter the fact that they were not Your servants. Rashi explains "we are slaves upon it" - that today, due to our sins, we are in the status of slaves, for we pay tribute to the nations, and the moment we pay tribute, we are as if in exile within the land itself: there is a foreign king who rules over us, and we are not free men.
וּתְבוּאָתָהּ מַרְבָּה לַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה עָלֵינוּ בְּחַטֹּאותֵינוּ וְעַל גְּוִיֹּתֵינוּ מֹשְׁלִים וּבִבְהֶמְתֵּנוּ כִּרְצוֹנָם וּבְצָרָה גְדֹלָה אֲנָחְנוּ׃ - And its yield yields abundantly for the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins, and over our bodies they rule and over our cattle as they please, and we are in great distress.
For the grain that we receive, we pay interest to the kings who rule over our bodies and our cattle. Here he clarifies just how dire our situation is: we do not even have grain, and we are forced to borrow with interest in order to obtain produce from the kings whom You have placed over us because of our sins. Originally, we ruled over ourselves, and now foreign kings rule over us - and not just over the grain, but "over our bodies they rule and over our cattle as they please"; they rule over our very bodies as well, "and we are in great distress."