Sefer Yechezkel, chapter 25. "And the word of Hashem came to me, saying: Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon and prophesy against them." Now he begins to describe for us the punishments of the nations that were neighbors of the Land of Israel, these nations we shall now mention, nations that oppressed us, both at the time of the destruction and before the destruction, and who also always rejoiced over our downfall and our troubles, and who many times also acted actively to torment us. And the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from them as well. And there are prophecies also concerning the nations, as we have seen in many places that there are prophecies about the nations, and here is one of those places. For example, Sefer Ovadyah is a prophecy against Edom, and in other places too we see there are prophecies against the nations, and this is one of those places. "Son of man, set your face toward the children of Ammon and prophesy against them." After he finished speaking about the destruction of the Land of Israel, he now begins to speak about the destruction of the nations.
"And you shall say to the children of Ammon: Hear the word of Hashem Elokim. Thus said Hashem Elokim: Because you said 'Aha' over My Sanctuary when it was profaned, and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and over the house of Yehudah when they went into exile." "And you shall say to the children of Ammon: Hear the word of Hashem Elokim. Thus said Hashem: Because you said 'Aha' over My Sanctuary when it was profaned." When you saw that My Temple was desecrated, "nechal" meaning from the language of being profaned, you said "Aha." "Aha" means an expression of joy, aha, how wonderful, what joy, at last the Temple is destroyed. You said "Aha." So first, their joy was over the destruction of the Temple. Second, "and over the land of Israel when it was made desolate." The land of Israel became a wasteland, and over this too you had great joy. And the third thing, "and over the house of Yehudah when they went into exile." The third thing, that also the people dwelling in Tzion, the house of Yehudah, went into exile, this was a third reason for your joy. So these three matters, we shall soon see that they are destined to give an accounting.
And the Radak explains what is written, "the land of Israel when it was made desolate," that we are speaking here about the land of the Ten Tribes that had already stood desolate since the sixth year of Chizkiyahu. "Therefore, behold, I give you to the children of the East as a possession, and they shall set their encampments in you and place their dwellings in you; they shall eat your fruit and drink your milk." "Therefore, behold, I give you to the children of the East as a possession." "To the children of the East," here there are opinions among the commentators as to who these children of the East are. Rashi explains that the intent is the Chaldeans and the Arameans, who are to the east. In contrast, the Radak explains that we are speaking here about Madai and Persia. And here they will pay for the three kinds of joy they had. For the fact that they rejoiced over the Temple, as we saw, over its destruction, about this he says, behold now in your place they will set their encampments in you. In the places designated for their idol worship, against this the children of the East will come, whether Chaldeans and Aram or Madai and Persia, and they will set their encampments there, in your place, the place of idolatry. This is against the Temple. Against the fact that you rejoiced over the land of Israel, as we saw that it was conquered, against this "and place their dwellings in you," they will settle their dwellings in your land. And against the fact that you rejoiced over the exile of Israel, about this it is said, "they shall eat your fruit and drink your milk," for you shall go into exile. Ammon will be exiled, so consequently whoever inherits and eats the fruit and drinks the milk of all that they labored for, that will be the nations who conquer them.
"And I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and the children of Ammon a resting place for flocks, and you shall know that I am Hashem." "And I will make Rabbah" - Rabbah is called Rabbat Bnei Ammon, it is called Rabbah. Many times we see it mentioned in the Tanach by the name Rabbah. I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels. The intent is, after the time that Madai and Persia, according to the Radak's explanation at least, leave them of their own accord, or another people comes upon them, afterward it will become a pasture for camels, it will be destroyed. It will become a pasture for camels and a resting place for flocks, and this is always an expression for a place that no one inhabits, so what will happen is that camels and flocks graze there, this is an expression for destruction and desolation. So now the Radak explains that this is after a time when Madai and Persia leave them, since seemingly this contradicts the previous verse. For in the previous verse we saw "they shall set their encampments in you and place their dwellings in you, they shall eat your fruit." So how can you now say that this place will become a resting place for flocks, a pasture for camels? Therefore the Radak says, after a time when Madai and Persia leave them of their own accord, or Madai and Persia are conquered, then the place will become a wasteland as is stated here. "And you shall know that I am Hashem." You shall know that I am Hashem who has the ability. And what came upon the people of Israel, over whose downfall and troubles you rejoiced, this was from Me, says Hashem. And what befell you, this too is from Me, because instead of understanding that I punished Israel and sharing in their trouble, you went and rejoiced. Says Hashem, so you too shall receive your punishment from Me.
And why does he mention here the matter of camels and flocks? Says the Malbim, the children of the East are engaged with camels and flocks, and this royal city will become a pasture for camels and the whole land will become a resting place for flocks. "For thus said Hashem Elokim: Because you clapped your hand and stamped your foot and rejoiced with all your contempt in the soul over the land of Israel." "Because you clapped your hand and stamped your foot." Clapping of hands and stamping of the foot, Rashi explains, these are expressions of joy. And although in Yechezkel above in chapter 6 we saw the opposite, "strike with your hand and stamp with your foot and say Aha," there it is said regarding mourning. Rashi says do not be surprised, there are things that are done both for mourning and for joy, but their matter is not the same. That is, this is a different type of clapping the hand and stamping the foot, but it can be both for mourning and for joy. Like flutes for a bride and for the dead. The Gemara says that when a person would pass away, they would bring mourning women and would bring flutes, to hire flutes for him. Flutes would accompany the funeral with some sad and painful melody. And also for a bride, to distinguish, there are flutes, only there it is with a joyous melody. In any case, what do we see? That both of these matters, mourning and joy, both have the same methods to intensify the mourning or to intensify the joy. Incidentally, this is very similar also to the matter of weeping. When a person is in sorrow he weeps, and there is also weeping of joy. So we see that in essence all these matters are an abundance of emotion. They are a vessel to release the abundance of emotion. So there can be an abundance of emotion in sorrow, and there is an abundance of emotion, to distinguish, also in joy.
And about this he says that this matter will be "with all your contempt in the soul over the land of Israel." "Sha'atcha" is written shin, aleph, tet, kaf, and this is from the language of scorn. As it is written, "and Esav despised the birthright," Esav scorned the birthright. So it emerges that this is an expression of scorn according to the Radak's explanation. "With all your contempt in the soul over the land of Israel," the meaning is that you scorned the land of Israel. Another explanation the Radak gives, that it is possible to explain "sha'at" as being from the language of straying. Yes, I said the Radak, all that I explained just now is from Rashi. Yes, another explanation Rashi gives, that it is in the sense of "sha'at" from the language of flowing. Yes, like an abbreviation of "flowing." And then the meaning is "with all your contempt in the soul over the land of Israel," the intent being what you were flowing with in your soul toward the land of Israel. The Malbim says that now he gives them an additional punishment against the joy they had also after the destruction. To the point that they not only rejoiced and not only distributed candies, yes, as is customary, but they also showed joy in practice through dancing. They rejoiced over the land of Israel, ah, how wonderful, the land of Israel was destroyed. And it is brought that the children of Ammon also settled after the destruction on the land of Israel. So this is not merely joy, this is joy of and you also inherited afterward. As it is written in Yirmiyahu 49, "Why has Malkam inherited Gad, and his people dwelt in its cities?" Over their splitting open the hills of Gilead in order to widen their border. That is to say, we see that they entered also into Gilead, they widened their border. We see that Malkam inherited Gad and his people, they entered also into the portions of Gad and Israel in order to conquer them. So about this he says, they will receive a separate punishment. What is "bisha'atcha"? The Malbim explains that it is from the language of "shot," a whip. For the whip indicates striking. And this is like "hasotim otcha," which means the thorns that prick and pain you. Like "velishotet betzidechem" that is written in Yehoshua, which means the thorns that pain their sides. And if he pains through scorn and mockery, not through thorns, this is called "sha'atat hanefesh." "Sha'atat hanefesh" is from the language of something that pains in the soul, not in the body. For thorns pain in the body, but mockery is a thorn to the soul, to the nefesh. About this it is written "bisha'at nefesh." As we shall see further on in chapter 36 verse 5, and also here, "with all your contempt in the soul," this is the source of the expression that people use today, "bisha'at nefesh." The intent is regarding something that pains the soul.
"Therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you and given you as spoil to the nations, and I have cut you off from the peoples and destroyed you from the lands; I will annihilate you, and you shall know that I am Hashem." "Therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you," that even after the destruction, among the nations you will find no rest. "And I have given you," says the Malbim, there is a difference, take note, "and I have given you as spoil to the nations and cut you off from the peoples." And the Malbim has already explained to us several times that there is a difference between "goyim" (nations) and "amim" (peoples). "Goyim" are the lesser ones, the less organized lands, places that have no king. The "amim" are the more important peoples, that have a king. Like if we want to divide between Europe, then we would call this "amim," versus, say, the countries of Africa, which is more fittingly called "goyim." Although there is there some ruler who arose, but it is not exactly a king who runs a country. It is more factions in most of what happens there. So he says, behold, there is here also an aspect of "amim" who are the important ones with a monarchy, and there are also "goyim" who are a collection of people who have no king, the lesser ones. So regarding the lesser nations, there you will dwell among them, he says "and I have given you as spoil (bag) to the nations." Take note, it is written "bag," and we read "baz." It is not that it reads here "bag" and therefore this is how it is read. What is the matter of "bag"? The Malbim explains, and so too the Radak says, that the intent is from the language of food. As we saw with Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah, "patbag hamelech," not to defile themselves with the king's patbag. "Bag" is from the language of food. Yes, so he wants to say, you are in the hand of the nations who are the lesser ones, these are the peoples without a monarchy who are the lowly peoples, they will eat you like bread. You will be patbag to the nations. They will eat you as one eats bread. Whereas the important peoples, there I will altogether cut you off completely, "I have cut you off from the peoples," that you will not be able to dwell among them at all. Among the lowly nations you will be able to dwell, but they will torment you, they will eat you. And if you want to settle in lands on your own, neither of the lesser nations nor of the important peoples, he says through this you will perish from the settled world, "and I destroyed you from the lands." Through this you will perish completely, and through this "I will annihilate you," I will destroy you entirely.
"Thus said Hashem Elokim: Because Moav and Se'ir said, 'Behold, the house of Yehudah is like all the nations.'" Another matter, this is Moav. We spoke, until now we spoke about Ammon, now we shall speak about Moav. And Moav too were oppressors and tormentors of us. "And thus said Hashem Elokim: Because Moav and Se'ir said, 'Behold, the house of Yehudah is like all the nations.'" Here Se'ir is also added, and Se'ir means Edom. And they say "the house of Yehudah is like all the nations," the Holy One, blessed be He, no longer loves them. The love of the Holy One, blessed be He, has ceased from them, says Rashi, and they have become despised. To be given into the hand of Nevuchadnezzar like the rest of the idol worshippers, that He no longer has a connection with them. Midrash Aggadah: when they entered the Sanctuary and stripped off the form of the keruvim that Shlomo had carved on the wall of the Sanctuary, embracing like a man and his companion, and brought them outside, they said, "See these who displayed themselves as modest, with what are they engaged." When they entered the Sanctuary they took out, this is very interesting, because in this Midrash it is written that they took out the keruvim that stood in the Sanctuary. In truth we need to understand the language here a bit, "stripped off the form of keruvim that Shlomo carved on the wall of the Sanctuary." It is implied from this that the form was engraved on the wall of the Sanctuary. In contrast, when we learned in Sefer Melachim the design of the Sanctuary, there it is implied that there were two large keruvim that stood and spread their wings toward each other, apart from the two keruvim that were upon the Ark. But here it is implied that he is speaking neither about the keruvim upon the Ark nor about the standing keruvim, which is what would seemingly be implied in the plain sense. Since he speaks about "stripped off the form of keruvim that Shlomo carved on the wall of the Sanctuary." It is implied, "kiplu" (stripped off) is like "kilfu" (peeled off). The meaning is that this was engraved in the wall of the Sanctuary and this they peeled off and took down. If it were referring to the keruvim themselves, then seemingly they could take them out as they were. There is here no matter of peeling, since they stood on the floor of the Sanctuary. So this Midrash requires more understanding, or perhaps to look at variant readings in order to understand more precisely what is written here. In any case, the accepted view is to say that they took out the keruvim that were upon the Ark. But it is very difficult to say this, since we know that the Ark was hidden away even earlier. And if the Ark was hidden away earlier, then it is a mistake to say that the enemies took out the Ark and the keruvim. There was no Ark and keruvim already at the end of the days of the First Temple. They hid it, they already knew that the Temple would be destroyed, they hid it beforehand. And therefore we must say that this refers to the other keruvim. But why explain that these are the keruvim engraved in the Sanctuary, that is, as though carved into the Sanctuary, this needs to be understood. In any case, says the Midrash, they took this out. And they said, "See these who displayed themselves as modest, with what are they engaged." If I am already speaking about this, then seemingly it is difficult to explain that we are speaking about the standing keruvim. Because the standing keruvim did not spread wings toward each other embracing, rather they stood in such a way, spreading wings from right to left. Where the right wing, for example, of one keruv touched the left wing, the left wing of the other keruv, with their backs, as it were, to the Sanctuary and their faces toward the one entering. So it is impossible to explain the Midrash as saying that they entered and saw keruvim embracing each other. What, where are there here keruvim embracing each other? Yet another difficulty now comes to my mind, so this subject truly requires clarification. Another difficulty comes to my mind, it is written that the keruvim were embracing each other as a sign that the people of Israel do the will of the Omnipresent. And when not, then they would turn back to back. Seemingly this is said regarding the keruvim on the Ark. And if the Ark was hidden away, then how can this be explained regarding the keruvim on the Ark? The Ark was hidden away even earlier. So we have another problem with another Midrash, which is written that when they came out the keruvim were embracing each other, this is essentially the same Midrash, yes? So but the embracing each other applies to the keruvim on the Ark, it does not apply either to the keruvim whose backs were to the wall of the Sanctuary, who were altogether standing and never embracing each other, and also seemingly where have we heard that there were keruvim upon the wall that would change. When they do the will of the Omnipresent then upon the wall they were engraved embracing, and when they do not, then upon the wall they are engraved not embracing. This matter requires explanation, now it comes to my mind that there is truly here a great difficulty and this matter needs study. In any case, let us stay with the Midrash in its plain sense. They entered and saw keruvim embracing each other, and through this they scorned the people of Israel. They took them outside and said, "See these who displayed themselves as modest, with what are they engaged." About this it is said, "embracing like a man and his companion," like a man embracing his companion. And about this it is said, "for they uncovered her nakedness." What does this mean? The hidden inner matters of the connection between the Holy One, blessed be He, and the people of Israel, this they uncovered and brought outside. And through this, he says, behold you see, "Thus said Hashem: Because Moav and Se'ir said, 'Behold, the house of Yehudah is like all the nations.'" You saw these, these whom you cursed a curse and blessed a blessing, engaged in this? That is, the people of Israel, we thought them righteous, holy, behold, see what example they have inside the Temple, of a boy and a girl, a child and a maiden, with their wings spread, spread toward each other, as though joined one with the other. To them this matter was considered a great scorn, and they did not for a moment consider that here it is speaking about the connection between the Holy One, blessed be He, and Knesset Yisrael. And we have already spoken about this once, that a person judges his fellow according to his own world of concepts. And we already told about that man, what the Gemara tells, that when they were guests at a certain innkeeper woman, and she went to great lengths for them, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachyah and his student, that man, she went to great lengths for them. And there it is brought that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachyah said, "How lovely is this inn." The intent is how much she goes to great lengths for us. "Inn" here referring to the place of lodging, how lovely it is, how much they go to great lengths for us. And that man said to him, said to him Rabbi, her eyes are bleary. Honored Rabbi, he has no taste in women. She is not much, her eyes are not much. Terrible of terribles. He said to him, wicked one, with this you are engaged? He brought out four hundred shofarot and excommunicated him. What is the terrible thing here above all? That he was also not willing to accept him afterward. What is the terrible thing here above all? Not that he engaged in this. Since we have already heard of cases of a Torah scholar whose reputation is bad. There were already cases where it could be that there was a Torah scholar who stumbled in a transgression, that is not the point. The point is that you think that even your Rabbi is in the same mud as you. You sit exchanging impressions with him about the mistress of the house. And this was a very lowly thing, that showed his lowliness. And therefore he excommunicated him, this showed how bad he was. So the same thing here too. Since these nations are lowly people, and since all their occupation is matters of filth and lowliness, so when he sees such a thing in the Holy of Holies, where does he take it? To the places where he himself is. His interpretation is according to the manure and refuse in which he is mired. He is certain that the people of Israel too, Holy of Holies, inside the greatest and holiest and most exalted place, are engaged in the foolishness that the nations are engaged in.
The Radak says, "and behold, the house of Yehudah is like all the nations." Says the Radak, the house of Yehudah remained after the exile of Israel, and they thought that the house of Yehudah would not be exiled. And why? Because we have what the Ten Tribes do not have. We have a Temple. And we have already explained this matter several times in the past, that they would always say "the Sanctuary of Hashem, the Sanctuary of Hashem are these." You have nothing to worry about, we have the Sanctuary, we have the Temple, and as long as sacrifices are offered we are protected. And there is no need to alarm and frighten, everything will be fine. Hashem will not destroy His House. And therefore we explained that there was a terrible shock when the Temple was destroyed. It was in complete surprise, as we saw above regarding the death of Yechezkel's wife, that it was sudden, in a plague, this was for them some terrible break. And now when they see that behold they are going into exile, they say "the house of Yehudah is like all the nations." Like all the nations, all the nations were struck by Sancheriv and Nevuchadnezzar, and come see, the house of Yehudah too was struck by them. What, a Temple? Behold, see, the Temple did not save them. Hashem dwells inside His House? Behold, Hashem did not save them. This is the statement "behold, the house of Yehudah is like all the nations." The house of Yehudah, we thought they have a Temple and it will save them, so at least they too thought, and behold see that this did not help them at all.
The Malbim says that Moav, unlike Ammon, did not take a portion of the inheritance of Israel. He only rejoiced over their fall. But he did not take a portion of their inheritance. And it is brought that he was a partner also with Se'ir, in what he said "behold, the house of Yehudah is like all the nations," the meaning being that the people of Israel too are subject to nature, the Holy One, blessed be He, no longer watches over them. This is what we said, that Chazal say they took out the keruvim and they were certain, says the Malbim, that they worshipped the keruvim just as the nations worship their images. That is to say, they thought that there was here also some kind of idolatry to some corporeal figure. And this is what he says in Yirmiyahu, "and were you not a laughingstock, Israel, was he found among thieves?" About this he reproaches them that they made a laughingstock of the house of Israel and mocked them. "Therefore, behold, I open the flank of Moav from the cities, from its cities on its frontier, the glory of the land: Beit HaYeshimot, Baal Meon, and Kiryatayim." "Therefore, behold, I open the flank of Moav," says the Malbim that the enemy will enter from the side of the cities of the land. He will not enter from the side of the desert, but only from the side where the cities are located. And he will begin the destruction from its cities on its frontier. As is explained in Yirmiyahu there, all the cities of Moav that the enemy conquered. And the purpose of the destruction of Moav is that he opens an opening. In essence, the fact that he opened an opening, this is the main destruction. "To the children of the East, against the children of Ammon, and I will give it as a possession, so that the children of Ammon shall not be remembered among the nations." "To the children of the East," I will summon them to come against the children of Ammon, so the Radak explains. And here the Radak says he repeats the matter of the children of Ammon. Since we already saw earlier he mentioned the matter of the children of Ammon. Why does he mention the matter of the children of Ammon again? He says why, since they did evil to Israel and reviled her more in their exile. As it is written in the prophecy of Amos, "over their splitting open the hills of Gilead in order to widen their border." The intent, "the hills (harot) of Gilead" are the cities of Gilead, that is the meaning. "Harot Gilead" in the additional sense are the pregnant women in Gilead, yes, or from the language of mountains. "In order to widen their border," they went to take a portion of the Land of Israel. So too it is brought in the prophecy of Tzefanyah, "I have heard the taunt of Moav and the revilings of the children of Ammon." You see that the children of Ammon multiplied revilings. So it is written, "behold, because you said Aha, because you clapped your hand and stamped your foot and rejoiced." We see here expressions of very great hatred from Ammon toward the children of Israel. And therefore the Radak says, we see that their matter is repeated twice here in the evil prophecy against them. He says therefore he multiplies here the punishment and repeats their prophecy once more. "And I will give it as a possession," the children of the East will inherit their land. The Malbim explains that through the opening by which the cities of Moav were opened, through there the children of the East entered in order to settle in the cities of Ammon. And that which I gave it as a possession, the purpose is that the children of Ammon shall not be remembered among the nations. "And I gave it as a possession to the children of the East," that through this the children of Ammon shall not be remembered among the nations. Why? Since he no longer has a land. His region of land is already inhabited by the children of the East. So this is like today, search for where the Aztecs are. They have no region of land, and this is a nation that was wiped out. So consequently it is not remembered among the nations. So the same thing thus with the children of Ammon. The children of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. This is not like Egypt, where you say there was once Egypt, there is also Egypt today. It is not certain that these are the same Egyptians, but there is something there. It is remembered among the nations, since you see it is the same name. But here it will not be remembered among the nations, since there is no longer a land for the children of Ammon, but rather the children of the East entered and inherited it. This was measure for measure. For it has already been said, "I will not give you an inheritance from his land, for I have given it to the children of Lot as an inheritance." What is inheritance, says the Malbim? What the children of Ammon received is something that has no cessation. This is called inheritance. Only they took the inheritance of Israel, you were not satisfied with the inheritance that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave you, children of Ammon, Rabbah, you were not satisfied with this. You went and took the inheritance of Israel, as we saw above, that they took and conquered portions of the Land of Israel. Therefore they were punished measure for measure, that their inheritance was taken and given to the children of the East. And it is known, says the Malbim, that for each and every people the Holy One, blessed be He, set the boundary of their inheritance. "When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel." The Holy One, blessed be He, set the boundaries of the peoples. The intent is that to each nation He gave its border, He gave it its portion. After He set the boundary of the inheritance of the children of Ammon, and now their inheritance was taken from them and given to another, necessarily by this they ceased to be a nation. They will not be remembered among the nations. And so it is with all the nations. All the nations, the moment they no longer have their land, their inheritance, they are erased. The people of Israel are the only nation that was designated to be a people even before it had a land. And with all the nations it begins the opposite way. First of all they settle in a particular place, they begin to coalesce, and then they establish for themselves a kingdom. They fight usually against another nation, or the nation within which they dwell, like the Turks whom the Kurds within them fight in order to obtain self-determination and so on in this manner. They fight internally against the nation, and obtain for themselves some region of land where they define themselves as a nation in its own right. With the people of Israel it was the opposite. The people of Israel coalesced into a people while not in their land. In the desert. To tell you, the people of Israel are a people without connection to a region of land. And the people of Israel is the only people that preserved its identity even while in exile. Since our being a people is not dependent on a region of land, so consequently even when the people of Israel is exiled 2000 years, and the people of Israel remains, its vigor has not fled and its spirit has not dimmed. We see that the people of Israel remains the same people, with the same Torah, with the same rabbis, with the same halachot. A Jew who arrived here from Yemen and had not been here in this place for more than 2000 years, and a Jew, and even more, since from Yemen they were already exiled from the First Temple, 2500 years. And a Jew who arrived here from the lands of Ashkenaz, or from Iraq, or from Morocco, or from Persia, or from Algeria, or from any other land, all came with the same tefillin. No one came with green, yellow, red tefillin or anything else. They all have the same passages in the tefillin, they all have the same Torah scrolls. There is no change in a single word between one Torah scroll and the next. This is something that is exceedingly rare. In the New Testament, for example, there are 24,000 versions. 24,000 versions, which is very fresh compared to the Torah. Since we are speaking about something that is less than 2000 years old, when the Torah is speaking about 3300 years. That is to say, we see that the people of Israel is not connected to a region of land. And consequently they have existence in every place where they are. But the rest of the nations, as we said, the Holy One, blessed be He, set boundaries for them. And if they are within their boundary, they exist. The moment they leave and disperse from there, they have no existence. There is no such nation, at most there can be these wandering tribes. Where, where are the Gypsies? Is there such a nation? And so on in this manner. One can see that many nations that were separated and exiled, and afterward assimilated into the new places to which they arrived, and their name shall not be remembered anymore. So consequently this matter guarantees that the children of Ammon shall not be remembered among the nations, since their land will be a possession for the children of the East. "And on Moav I will execute judgments, and they shall know that I am Hashem."
Moav, they did not take from the inheritance of Israel, they only rejoiced over the fall of Israel. Says the Holy One, blessed be He, that here the punishment will be lighter. I will not take their land forever, I will only execute judgments. As it is written in Yirmiyahu, "until now is the judgment of Moav." The meaning is that the judgment of Moav had a limit. "Until now is the judgment of Moav." But in contrast the judgment of the children of Ammon, as we said, even though it is written there afterward "and afterward I will restore the captivity of the children of Ammon," so behold you see that seemingly their judgment too is not absolute, Hashem will restore their captivity. Says the Malbim, do not be confused. This was in the first fall. But in the second fall, it is finished, the Holy One, blessed be He, erased them from being a nation and they returned no more. So then what is written "I will restore the captivity of the children of Ammon," this was the first time they were struck. The second time they were struck, they no longer existed at all. According to this the Malbim explains wonderfully the dispute brought in Berachot page 28. It is written that on that day Yehudah, an Ammonite convert, came before them in the Beit HaMidrash. Rabban Gamliel said to him, you are forbidden to enter the congregation. "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of Hashem." Rabban Gamliel forbade him to enter the congregation. Ah, and seemingly it is written that Sancheriv mixed up the nations. And therefore today we do not have at all all these categories of an Egyptian convert, an Ammonite convert, a Moabite convert. Sancheriv mixed up the nations. The intent is he took nations from here, for example the people of Israel, exiled them to Kuta, to Ava, to Sefarvayim, and so forth. He took a nation from there, brought them, the Kutim, brought them here, and so forth. So then it emerges that we no longer have the possibility to determine, the people dwelling in Egypt these are ancient Egyptians. The people dwelling in Ammon these are ancient Ammonites. So if so, the Gemara immediately asks, how did you forbid this Ammonite convert? For this is a convert who came from Ammon and Sancheriv mixed up the nations. Says the Gemara, Rabban Gamliel answered them, is it not written "and afterward I will restore the captivity of the children of Ammon"? Regarding the children of Ammon it is written that Hashem will restore their captivity. Rabbi Yehoshua disagrees. Rabbi Yehoshua says, he said to him, you are permitted to enter the congregation. And why indeed did he permit him to enter the congregation? Says the Malbim, according to what you now understand, this is very wonderful. For although Hashem restored their captivity, but the second time they were exiled without returning. And this is as we explained, that the children of the East came and settled in their land. This was the second time. And through this they will not be remembered anymore. So then it emerges that in truth he is not really an Ammonite, and so indeed the halachah was decided like Rabbi Yehoshua, that if an Ammonite convert comes, the law is that he is permitted to enter the congregation.
"Thus said Hashem Elokim: Because Edom acted in taking vengeance against the house of Yehudah, and they became very guilty and took vengeance on them." "And they became very guilty and took vengeance on them." In fact, when there are two consecutive shevas, the grammatical rule says that the second sheva becomes a sheva na (vocal). And here since there is "vayashmu," the first sheva is in any case nach (silent), and the second sheva is na (vocal). The sheva na we need to read it, according to the custom of the Sephardim they read it similar to a tzeireh. So therefore "vayeshmu." According to the custom of the Yemenites they read it similar to a patach. So therefore they read it "vayashmu." Yes, so this should be somewhat close to a patach. Says the Malbim, "because Edom acted." "Thus said Hashem Elokim: Because Edom acted in taking vengeance against the house of Yehudah." Edom, says the Malbim, did evil to the people of Israel at the destruction of the First Temple, and they did this out of vengeance. As it is written, "because you had an eternal enmity and delivered the children of Israel to the sword." And this is what is written, "because Edom acted in taking vengeance." They did this in a manner of vengeance. A manner of vengeance is an expression of hatred. Afterward in the Second Temple, they were circumcised and converted by the kings of the Hasmonean house. The Edomites converted. But after this, when the Romans came here, they suddenly turned their coat and joined the Romans in order to help them to destroy Yerushalayim. And this is what is written "and they became very guilty," who? The Edomites, guilty, and they transgressed the covenant, "and took vengeance on them," they took vengeance on the people of Israel. And the vengeance, as we said, indicates hatred. And this also includes what they took vengeance on them during the exile, in the forced conversions and destruction. And as we said once, that the blood spilled by Edom, even if the Arabs will still spill blood for many long years, they will not reach what the Edomites did to us. They will not reach it. They have not yet had time to forget. They will not reach it. I am not only speaking about the terrible Holocaust that was in Europe, whoever reads about the terrible pogroms that were in the cities of Edom, the decrees of 5408 and 5409, Chmielnicki and his associates, and all that was in history, rivers upon rivers of blood were spilled there. So as much as we regard the Arabs as murderers, this is still little compared to what "they became very guilty," the people of Edom throughout the course of history. Today they would also like to continue in their way, but what can be done, it is not politically correct, so they do it through the institutions of the UN, they do it in all sorts of ways in which they tie our hands so that the Arabs will strike us. So they feel good, they feel their hands are clean, they did nothing. But every time we want to respond, they tie our hands and then through this we do not respond and through this the Arabs do the work and the task. This is essentially their plan, and therefore you will never hear a condemnation of what the Arabs do, because it always suits them. That is to say it is excellent for them, someone does the work for us. But if we do something or respond in some way, we are forbidden to respond. We need to be constantly in absorption readiness, only that they kill us and slaughter us and strike us, and thus Edom carries out its plan without even dirtying its hands with blood. So this is what the Malbim says, that this includes all that the children of Edom took vengeance on the people of Israel during the exile, in the forced conversions and destruction. Let us note, it is written "and they took vengeance (venikmu) on them." We can read "venakmu on them," and we can write it with a dagesh and then it will be "venikmu on them." And we explained several times that always when the verb is written in the heavy conjugation, this is called the heavy conjugation. "Nakmu" is in the light conjugation. But "nikmu" is in the heavy conjugation. Heavy since it weighs on the organs of speech. And always the heavy conjugation comes to show the force and strength of the action, the persistence of the action. So he tells you, they did not merely take vengeance on the people of Israel. "Nakmu" is light. "Nikmu on them," this means they took vengeance and returned and took vengeance and persisted in their action, and this shows the strength and force of the vengeance and the forced conversions and the killing that the Edomites did to the people of Israel. Says the Malbim, take note, it is not written "and they took vengeance from them (mehem)," it is written "and they took vengeance on them (bahem)." What is the difference between "nikmu bahem" and "nikmu mehem"? So as we understand, so indeed as we already understand in the Holy Tongue, when we say "they took vengeance from them," this means to repay you for something you did to me. You acted against me and I took vengeance from you. But in contrast, that it is written "and they took vengeance on them," this means an action out of hatred that does not come as a response to an action that I did against you. If it were written "to take vengeance from them," this means to take vengeance following what they did to them, so I took vengeance from him, I took my revenge from him. But if it is written "and they took vengeance on them," this is not out of an action they did to them earlier, but rather only out of hatred they went and struck them, Israel.
"Therefore, thus said Hashem Elokim: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it man and beast, and I will make it a ruin from Teiman, and those of Dedan shall fall by the sword." Therefore says Hashem, "I will stretch out My hand against Edom." This was by the hand of Nevuchadnezzar and by the hand of the Hasmoneans who cut off from Edom man and beast. In the first time says Hashem, "and I will make it a ruin from Teiman." As it is written, "and your mighty men, O Teiman, shall be dismayed." The meaning is that from the side of Teiman, Teiman meaning from the south side, there will be for them a ruin. And the second time, "and those of Dedan shall fall by the sword." "And those of Dedan shall fall by the sword," the intent is the side where the children of Dedan were, the children of Dedan were a nation, this was the other side, that the children of Dedan were then under their hand, they fell with them by the sword. And why? Says the Malbim, because only in the second time were the children of Dedan with them. In the first time the children of Dedan were not with them. And therefore in the first time only "and I will make it a ruin from Teiman." From the south side it will be destroyed, but the children of Dedan were not there. But in the second time when the children of Dedan joined with them, then they too were struck. And this is what he says, "and those of Dedan" in the second time "shall fall by the sword." For in the first time it is written that they separated from them, as it is written in Yirmiyahu 49, "dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan." The intent is they dwelt deep, distanced themselves. And consequently the blow was not upon them. But in the second time when they were indeed closer, then the children of Dedan too were struck.
"And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they shall act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath, and they shall know My vengeance, says Hashem Elokim." "And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel," says Rashi, they will be My agents to take My vengeance. The Radak says, from this it appears that this prophecy is for the future. Since we have not yet reached a situation of My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel. Where did the people of Israel take vengeance on Edom? He says it is quite possible also to explain that this was in the Second Temple, when the hand of the people of Israel prevailed over them and they destroyed them. And so indeed as we saw above, that there was such a reality in the time of the Hasmoneans. So then it is possible also to say that this was also in the Second Temple. Only the Radak says about this, he qualifies, and this we do not know, for the matters of the Second Temple were not written in a book of prophecies. That is to say, about the matters of the Second Temple we have no prophecies. About what was in the First Temple we have prophecies. So we see precise descriptions of when the enemy came, how they fought against him, whom he exiled in the first exile, whom he exiled in the second exile. All these we have prophecies, we have books in which the matters appear in the Holy Writings. But in the Second Temple, prophecy ceased immediately at the beginning of the Second Temple. Chaggai, Zecharyah, and Malachi, they were the last prophets who were at the beginning of the Second Temple, and afterward there was no longer prophecy. So consequently the Radak says, it is difficult for us here to determine what was in the period of the Second Temple because we have no detailed prophecies about this period. The Malbim says, "and I will lay My vengeance upon Edom," the intent is afterward I will take vengeance on Edom, which is essentially vengeance for the name of Hashem that was profaned among the nations. For when the people of Israel are lowly, we explained several times in the past, the name of Hashem is profaned. For they say, are these not the people of Hashem, and from His land they went out, so how do they suffer so much? And through this the name of Hashem is profaned, as it were, from Hashem's inability to save His people. Says Hashem, for this profanation of the name I will lay My vengeance on the nations by the hand of My people Israel. The Malbim also explains that this speaks about the future. Says the Malbim, by way of Mashiach ben Yosef. And then "they shall act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath." This is what is destined for the end of days. And this is what is written, "and saviors shall ascend on Mount Tzion to judge the mountain of Esav, and then the kingship shall be Hashem's." Hashem will take vengeance on Edom. And it is written that this is the great and awesome Day of Judgment when the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from Edom. And therefore also Yaakov said to Esav when he parted from him, he said to him, "until I come to my lord, to Se'ir." What is "I will come to my lord, to Se'ir"? Immediately there Rashi brings a Midrash of Chazal, Chazal ask, we never saw that Yaakov went to Se'ir, so did he promise and not fulfill? "Grant truth to Yaakov." What is "until I come to my lord, to Se'ir"? Yaakov said to him, we will still meet. When at the end of history you will need to give an accounting for all that you did, then I will come to my lord, to Se'ir. "And saviors shall stand on Mount Tzion to judge the mountain of Esav." This is Mount Se'ir. "I will come to my lord, to Se'ir," to bring you to judgment for all that you perpetrated against us throughout the course of the days of history, then I will come to my lord, to Se'ir. This will be the only meeting I am willing to have with you. But beyond this for additional meetings, these meetings always end not well from my perspective, and therefore such meetings I forgo.
"Thus said Hashem Elokim: Because the Philistines acted in vengeance, and took vengeance with contempt in the soul, to destroy with eternal enmity." "Because the Philistines acted in vengeance." The Philistines too acted out of enmity and out of hatred, says the Malbim, this is the meaning of "in vengeance." And this was at the beginning in the days of Yehoyakim, Hashem sent against him the bands of the Philistines. Afterward at the time of the destruction, also then we saw that they took vengeance in enmity, as he says here. And the verse that proves this, is like it is written "for three transgressions of Aza, over their exiling a complete exile." Aza is the Philistines, yes. "Over their exiling a complete exile to deliver to Edom." And in Yoel chapter 4 verse 4 it appears that they sold the children of Yehudah to the children of the Greeks. And this is what is written that they took vengeance to destroy by way of eternal enmity. The intent is, they did this out of enmity that they had toward us. And some say that these are the modern Philistines, this is the Palestinians, those who dwell in those same places, in Gaza and in those places of the ancient Philistines. And then "and took vengeance with contempt in the soul." What is "with contempt in the soul"? Scorning them in their very being. They would do evil to them by way of scorn and disgrace. You can kill someone in a respectable way, and you can kill him in a disgraceful way. And therefore King David, whenever he exacted punishment from them, it was in a disgraceful way. He cut off a hundred foreskins of the Philistines. This is in a disgraceful way, since their way was always in a way of mockery and disgrace, as the Philistines were mockers, and their way was always in acts of disgrace. Therefore so too. "Therefore, thus said Hashem Elokim: Behold, I stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Keretim, and destroy the remnant of the seacoast." "Thus said Hashem Elokim: Behold, I stretch out My hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Keretim." What is "Keretim"? So there are two explanations of this and we already saw above these explanations. One explanation, Keretim, a people that is obligated to drink poison. They are a wicked people whose sentence is annihilation. This is the meaning of Keretim, whose sentence is to be cut off. Rashi brings another explanation, he says, since I saw in another place that it calls the Philistines Keretim, "woe, inhabitants of the region of the sea, nation of Keretim," in Tzefanyah we learned this there. He does not call another nation by this name. Therefore he says it appears that here it is not in the sense of Keretim who will be cut off, but rather in the border of the Philistines there is a place called Kereti. And this is the meaning here of Keretim. As appears in Sefer Shmuel Aleph in chapter 30, regarding the band that burned Tziklag, it is written "we raided the Negev of the Kereti." Behold again you see an expression of the Negev of the Kereti, and indeed the Philistines are on the Negev side, they are to the southern side of the Land of Israel. And so too says the Radak, that Keretim is a great family of the Philistines. As it is written "we raided the Negev of the Kereti" or "nation of Keretim." And so too he says, "and destroy the remnant of the seacoast." Ah, so it perished in the destruction of the Land of Israel, the last sea is their border, and the land of the Philistines too has part of it on the seacoast, as we know that Gaza too sits on the coast. And that part that remained after the destruction of the Land of Israel, about it the Holy One, blessed be He, says that it too will perish. About this it is said "and destroy," a perishing after a perishing, as the Malbim says. "And I will execute upon them great vengeance with wrathful chastisements, and they shall know that I am Hashem when I lay My vengeance upon them."