"Tarshish was your merchant because of the abundance of all riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead they traded in your wares." Now he describes her commerce and wealth, how these too were not her own, but were gathered from all the inhabitants of the world. He now describes four things: commerce (mischar), merchandise (marcholet), consignment (izavon), and pledge (eravon). He explains that the great merchants would bring their goods, and mischar always refers to those who buy in large quantities, wholesalers. So the great merchants would bring their goods to Tzor. There they would deposit the merchandise in storehouses in the hands of the people of Tzor, and this is called izavon. The meaning is not what we today call an inheritance, but izavon means those who leave their merchandise in the hands of others, entrusting their goods to others. Afterward the peddlers would come and buy from the goods that were held in izavon. This is like a place, what today would be called a hangar, where all the merchandise is stored, for example an importer bringing goods from abroad, and afterward the merchants come and take goods from there in order to sell them in their shops to individuals, what is called retailers. So then, the merchants would bring the goods and deposit them in izavon, that is, leave them there, and then afterward the peddlers would come and take from the izavon, from the goods they left and deposited there, in order to sell, they would take from there in order to sell to others, and this one is called a rochel, this is "your peddlers." And when they would take the goods as merchandise, one has to pay. But usually there was no money to pay, since he takes a large sum in a large quantity, so from where would he have to pay? So they would bring a pledge for the money. And this is what is called "your pledge," as we will see further on, ma'arav, ma'aravech, eravonech, they would give a pledge, other goods and the like, so that they could draw the merchandise. What today is done by check, in their day they would give goods to serve as a pledge. Here now he describes and says that Tarshish was the great merchant. He brought silver, iron, tin, lead. This was found abundantly in Tarshish, which is Spain. What is Sefarad? Aspamia, that is Spain. And they gave in your izavon, they deposited their goods with you.
"Yavan, Tuval, and Meshech, they were your peddlers; with the souls of men and vessels of bronze they gave your wares." Yavan, Tuval, and Meshech, these are nations, they would take the goods that Tarshish brought in order to sell them retail. And this is called a peddler, "they were your peddlers." So what the merchants left there with Tzor, meaning deposited there, Yavan, Tuval, and Meshech would come and take it, they would buy it and sell it to individuals. And they gave your ma'arav, meaning they would give the pledge, goods of their own, which would guarantee that in the end they would pay for the goods that they take.
"From the house of Togarmah they traded in your wares with horses, horsemen, and mules." From the house of Togarmah, Togarmah, Targum Yonatan says the province of Germamya. It is known that Germamya is Germany. So from the house of Togarmah, horses, horsemen, and mules, they would bring horses, horsemen, and mules. Simply, horses and mules is self-evident. But what are horsemen (parashim)? Would they also bring horsemen? Horsemen would seem not to be something that is sold. So what is meant here by parashim? The Radak explains that the meaning is a type of good, swift horses. So then it is written here horses, parashim being swift horses, and also mules. It comes out then that all three are types of horses. And why does he call them parashim? Because just as horsemen have an advantage over other people in war, being upon a horse compared to a person on foot, so too these horses have an advantage over the other horses. Along with this he says one can also explain it according to its plain meaning, that parashim means people, those who ride upon horses. Because in those places where people are sold, just as today Africans were sold as slaves, some of them are fit to be slaves and some are fit to be horsemen and horse riders. Just as in their day there were places that had a slave market, where they sell people, so too they would sell horsemen. So then it is not strange to say that from the house of Togarmah they brought horses and horsemen, meaning men expert in riding horses, who are slaves whom they also sold them, and mules. And they gave your izavon, they would bring this from Yavan, Tuval, and Meshech, and they gave your izavon, yes, as we said, this was the merchandise that they left with you in izavon, as we explained, which is essentially what is deposited there so that afterward the smaller merchants would come, buy it, and sell it in their places.
"The men of Dedan were your peddlers; many islands were the market of your hand; they returned horns of ivory and ebony as your payment." The men of Dedan were your peddlers, they were the peddlers who would take the horses and the horsemen that were left, we saw, by the house of Togarmah, who left goods in the quantity of horses and horsemen, the men of Dedan, the peddlers, would come and take it in order to sell it to individuals, to single persons, what is called retail, to where? To the islands that are around them. So it is written "your peddlers, many islands." "The market of your hand," they would also take the merchandise that was made by their hands, that is, apart from what the surrounding nations brought, there were also goods that were made there in Tzor itself, the merchandise of the craftsmen of Tzor, this is "the market of your hand." And they would return your eshkar, horns of ivory and ebony. What is this eshkarech that is written here? The Malbim explains that eshkarech is a word derived from the word sachar, that is, connected to the matter of wage and profit, like "they shall bring eshkar." In contrast the Radak explains that eshkarech is a tribute. Like "and they returned to the king your eshkar," and there are several places where one sees that it means tribute. But the Malbim says, like "they shall bring eshkar," so according to the Radak it would be explained as "they shall bring a tribute," but according to the Malbim it would be explained as connected to the matter of wage and profit, what they earned they shall bring. So they return your eshkar, horns of ivory and ebony. What are these hovnim of which he speaks here? Some say the meaning is a horn, a type of animal horns, yes, these are the hovnim. Some say the meaning is types of wood. All these returned your eshkar, this they would give you as your payment.
"Aram was your merchant because of the multitude of your works; with emerald, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies they traded in your wares." Aram was your merchant, they were your merchants, and through the multitude of your works, meaning what you would make and produce, through this they would bring you in exchange emerald, purple, they would deposit in your izavon their goods with you in izavon, for the purpose, as we said, of the peddlers who would come and take this izavon and sell it to individuals. So this is the merchandise that they would bring, with emerald, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies. Nofech is the name of a precious stone. Argaman are garments dyed with the color purple, which is an important color, a color of techelet. Rikmah, these are garments that were embroidered with various colors, meaning several colors. Butz is fine linen. And ramot and kadkod, the meaning is precious stones, important stones, like "and I will make your windows of kadkod and your gates of carbuncles," where the meaning is precious and special stones. All this they gave in your izavon, meaning there in those places in Tzor, in order to sell it, as we said, to the retail merchants.
"Yehudah and the land of Yisrael, they were your peddlers; with wheat of Minit, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm they gave your wares." Yehudah and the land of Yisrael, they were your peddlers. Yehudah and the land of Yisrael too were peddlers, coming to take goods from you and taking this izavon in order to sell in the towns among them. And what was the pledge that they would give for the goods, since as we said they had no money to give, so they would give a pledge, goods of their own, which would guarantee that in the end they would pay for the goods that they take.
00:00 water for the pledge. What was the pledge? They would bring wheat of Minit, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm. They would bring wheat of Minit. What is the wheat of Minit? Rashi says that the place is called Minit, as we saw in Shofetim 11, "until you come to Minit." So then wheat of Minit is wheat coming from the place called Minit. Chazal expound wheat of Minit to mean wheat that is fine and large and sold by count. That is, you buy wheat by the kilo, but there they would say bring me four grains of wheat, and from this he would make bread for the whole week. Understand, there were large grains of wheat, as the Gemara brings that they were like kidneys, so this is wheat of Minit, wheat sold by count. Rashi says an additional interpretation, that Minit is from the language of manot, food and prepared. The meaning is something designated for food and prepared for eating. This is like manot, mishloach manot, which means something designated, the portion designated for eating.
And Pannag, what is Pannag? Rashi brings from the Book of Yosef HaKohen, meaning from the books of Josephus Flavius, that this is the afarsimon (balsam). The afarsimon is called Pannag, and it is known that the afarsimon is not at all related to the persimmon that we have today. The afarsimon of Chazal was a type of fruit that gave off a very special fragrance. And Rashi brings that it is called Pannag, this is what is called here Pannag, and it was found in Yericho, and therefore Yericho was called after the good fragrance (rei'ach), and this is called balsam in the vernacular, that special fragrance of the balsam oil. So these things were found in the land of Yisrael, as we saw from Yericho, since he speaks of Yehudah and the land of Yisrael being your peddlers, so they would come to take goods, and on the other hand they would give as a pledge, they would give wheat of Minit and Pannag and honey and oil and balm, all this they gave, yes, balm like tzori and tziporen and so on, this they gave as a pledge.
"Damesek was your merchant because of the multitude of your works, because of the abundance of all riches, with wine of Chelbon and white wool." Damesek was your merchant because of the multitude of your works, because of the abundance of all riches. Damesek too, which is the royal city of Aram, they too were your merchants, who through the multitude of your works, meaning if they would bring white wool so that there, through the multitude of your works, works meaning spinning that one does. Spinning she would do from the white wool, meaning white, clean wool, from this they would make garments. Through the abundance of all riches they would bring wine of Chelbon to drink. Presently we will explain what white wool is and what wine of Chelbon is. Regarding this, note, says the Malbim, it is not written that they gave this in your izavon. Since this the people of Tzor themselves would consume. This they themselves would take, these essential things. So therefore he does not say that this was in your izavon, for in your izavon means that this he would bring so that there you, the people of Tzor, would sell it to the small merchants; no, rather the people of Tzor would take this for themselves.
What is wine of Chelbon and white wool? Rashi says wine of Chelbon means white cooked wine. In contrast he brings that Menachem connected the word Chelbon here with chelev chitim (the fat of wheat). The meaning is fine wine, this is the meaning of wine of Chelbon, wine that is like the fat of wheat, the finest of wines. White wool, literally the meaning is clear white wool. But the Gemara says how they would arrive at this, how they would make white wool? The Gemara says amar milat kevina. The meaning is that on the day the lamb was born, the mother, as it comes out of its mother's womb, the mother would lick it, clean it, and afterward they would take some cloth and sew it upon it. The meaning is they cover the body of the offspring with cloth and sew it. And then it would grow, the cloth would stretch, but it would grow in this manner, and afterward when they wanted to shear it, they would remove this cloth that wrapped it and the wool was completely clean. In contrast, if they had not done so, then as is known the sheep go and rub themselves in mud and sit on the ground and so on, and all this causes the wool to become dirty. Here they would ensure that the wool remained white, yes, clean, like white she-donkeys, meaning white and clean.
"And Dan and Yavan traveling gave in your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were in your market. Dedan was your merchant with garments of freedom for riding." And Dan and Yavan traveling (me'uzal). The interpretation of the word me'uzal, as the Radak explains, is from the language of going. And this is an expression that appears often in Aramaic, like azil, azal ve'ata, yes, it is from the language of going, from the language of walking. And this also appears in the verses, "the waters shall fail from the sea and shall dry up," yes, one sees that this means from the language of walking. And today we use the word azal in the sense of finished. What happened? Is there none left? You say azal. What is azal? It went. This is the meaning of azal, finished, this is the meaning of the word azal. So then, so too here Targum Yonatan says that this means walked, its meaning is went, so he wants to say Dan and Yavan, Dan here means Dedan, yes? And Dan and Yavan traveling gave in your wares. The meaning is, they would travel regularly in caravans, this is what me'uzal means. They would come to you and travel regularly, to bring you goods in caravans. So too translates Yonatan, and Dan and Yavan in a caravan. So me'uzal means from the language of traveling in caravans.
They gave in your wares. What is "they gave in your wares"? So the Malbim explains that they would bring goods to sell there. But in contrast the Malbim explains that what is written me'uzal does not mean the language of walking, but rather means spun things. This is what me'uzal means. And if you want to understand how it is connected, since spinning, they would bring precious spun things, which is the spinning of silk, as Rashi explains. And silk means silk, and silk is drawn from the silkworm. Therefore it is called uzal, because it is like azil minei, like flowing and going out of its body. So therefore it is called uzal. So then, what is written here, and Dan and Yavan me'uzal gave in your wares, they would give in your wares spun things. The meaning is they would bring cloths that were spun and woven from silk. And they also brought goods for a pledge, for the merchandise that they take. What was the merchandise? The merchandise was wrought iron, cassia, and calamus. Wrought iron, cassia, and calamus, that is, Yavan, they were the peddlers with Tuval and Meshech, and they gave as a pledge, we saw, the souls of men and vessels of bronze, all this they would give as a pledge. Dan too would give wrought iron, and Dedan too would take your merchandise, they would also take goods of Tzor. And what was the merchandise? Garments of freedom for riding. The meaning is, they would take special garments, precious garments, that were fit for important people. This is the meaning of garments of freedom, garments of free men. And these are garments for riding. With them they would make the fitting out of the chariot. Their chariot in their day they would line it with precious cloths from the inside. So this is the meaning, from the garments, from these cloths, they made garments of freedom for riding, from the spun material that the men of Dan brought, which as we said are the men of Dedan, the men of Dedan, from this they took the garments of freedom made from the spun material, as we saw, for merchandise, in order to sell it there to others. The expression eshet, what is written here "cassia and calamus," wrought iron (barzel ashot), the Radak explains that the meaning is refined iron. It is known that iron undergoes refining. So this is what is called wrought iron, refined iron, this is like polished ivory (eshet shen). And this is the iron they call Indian. Yonatan translated with rods of iron. Good.
Let us continue. "Arav and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of your hand; with lambs and rams and goats, in these they were your merchants." Arav and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of your hand. The meaning here is the Arabs. Kedar are the... this is an expression for the Arabs. And they would do trade with you yourself. With what? With lambs and rams, in these they were your merchants. This is the meaning, this you would buy for your own needs with full money for the purpose of your eating. What are karim? So Rashi explains that these are sheep. In contrast he brings from Targum Yonatan who translates that the meaning is oxen, and so too he translated "a hundred thousand karim" that appears regarding Meisha king of Moav, where he explains that the meaning is oxen. But Rashi explains that karim are sheep, like "the meadows are clothed with flocks." So then one sees that this is more connected and related to the matter of sheep.
"The peddlers of Sheva and Ra'mah, they were your peddlers; with the finest of all spices, and with every precious stone and gold, they gave your wares." The peddlers of Sheva and Ra'mah, the sons of Ra'mah, Sheva and Dedan. Yes? So then now he moves to speak, after he spoke of Dedan, now he speaks of Sheva, and speaks of Ra'mah, who as it were is the mother. They were your peddlers, the goods that they at first would buy in Sheva, this they would buy from you. The goods that they brought from Sheva they bought from you. Why? Because with the finest, says the Malbim, with the finest of all spices and with every precious stone and gold, all of which we saw the Queen of Sheva brought to Shlomo, all this they gave in your izavon. What were the important things we saw that were there in Sheva, this they gave to you in izavon, so that from this you would take these things and sell them onward. The peddlers would buy this from you, what at first they would buy in Sheva. Sheva, so to speak, instead of being a direct marketer, began to market through sub-agents, and the sub-agent was Tzor. And therefore they would bring this, the peddlers of Sheva and Ra'mah were your peddlers, and they would bring all that they would buy from them in Sheva, now they brought to Tzor so that in Tzor they would sell it, because apparently Tzor proved its strength in marketing. And it had aggressive marketing. And since this was so, everyone anyway comes here, so anyone who wants to bring his things in order to sell, the central market was here.
"Charan, and Kaneh, and Eden, the peddlers of Sheva. Ashur and Kilmad were your merchants." Charan and Kaneh and Eden. These too were the peddlers of Sheva. Note, there is here a survey of all the nations that were around. Not one is missing. Charan and Kaneh and Eden, they too were the peddlers of Sheva. Ashur and Kilmad were your merchants. The meaning is, when Ashur learned and became accustomed, kilmad meaning from the language of learned, when he became accustomed to take your merchandise, from then he no longer goes to Sheva, but would bring this only from Tzor. What in the past, as we said, Sheva's way was that they were the marketers, but now after Tzor took over the market, then Sheva marketed through Tzor. So Charan and Kaneh and Eden who were the peddlers of Sheva, Ashur and Kilmad were your merchants, Ashur became accustomed and began to take the goods and the merchandise from you.
"They were your peddlers in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in treasure chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and made of cedar, in your market." They were your peddlers, they would take goods from you in order to sell to individuals, as we said this is called a peddler. What were the goods? In choice wares, in wrappings of blue. The Malbim explains that gelumei is from the language of gelimah (cloak). The meaning is, the cloak, a cloak is considered, the Gemara says because it presents the person as a golem. What is golem? Golem means something that has not yet been shaped into a vessel. So the person who wears a cloak, the cloak was not tight to the measure of his body, but it is like a simple robe spread over him. So therefore he looks entirely like a golem, meaning yes, one golem. "Your eyes saw my unformed substance (golmi)," "and he took his mantle and wrapped it (vayiglom)." This is a garment that is made and makes the whole body like one golem. Regarding this he says, these goods in choice wares included wrappings of blue, meaning special cloaks of blue, and embroidered work, and in treasure chests of rich apparel. The meaning is treasure chests of heights, meaning special garments that were called in the Arabic tongue beromia. This is the meaning of ginzei beromim. These goods they would place, they would tie them with cords bound and made of cedar. That is, there apparently is the first place where they already began to sell things in packages. It was not just, but it came in packaging. He tells you "bound with cords," meaning bound is closed, they would bind them with cords, just as a person binds with a bandage, so they would tie this with cords, so they did in your market, they would sell it packaged.
"The ships of Tarshish were the caravans of your market; and you were filled and made very heavy in the heart of the seas." The ships of Tarshish, all the ships that there were, were serving you. What is "your servants"? The Malbim explains they would serve you. And they were your market, the meaning is, they were surety for you, they were all yours. And through this and by virtue of this, they would be filled with goods, and this is what he says, and you were made very heavy in the heart of the seas. You were heavy with goods in the heart of the seas. Some explain the ships of Tarshish as your caravans, sharotayich meaning from the language of caravan (shayara), so the Radak explains. Caravans go with your goods. So the ships of Tarshish were caravans, sending out caravans of goods from Tzor. And she, of whom he says and you were filled and made very heavy in the heart of the seas, the Radak says, as if you were in the middle of the seas. The ships come to you from all the seas, yamim meaning sea in the plural. You were as if built there in the middle, that you are a central point that everyone comes to in order to deposit goods with you and take goods from you. This is a second interpretation. Your caravans, from the language of caravans. There is a third interpretation, that Rashi explains that sharotayich is from the language of mishor (plain). The meaning is, the ships of Tarshish were for you like a wilderness plain. Just as the plain is a paved way to bring goods through it, not a way of mountains and valleys, so too the ships of Tarshish were like a plain with which they would transport the goods. What is called when one wants to say something goes straight without interruptions, "my foot stood in the plain," yes? Or "goes straight (le'meisharim)," meaning something that goes on a plain is something that flows. There is no problem of ups and downs, no difficulties, no situation where one has to strain. So too the ships of Tarshish, your caravans, would pass on a plain, they would go, as it were, smoothly and easily in order to transport your goods.
"On great waters your rowers brought you; the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas." On great waters your rowers brought you. Tzidon and Arvad, who were your rowers, and the Malbim explains that hashatim is like those who trouble you, yes? They brought you on great waters. Tzidon had a connection to the matter of the downfall of Tzor. As it is written "be still, O inhabitants of the isle, the merchants of Tzidon; be ashamed, O Tzidon." Tzidon was jealous of the greatness of Tzor. As we saw, Tzor was a center of world trade, so on the contrary, they even helped its fall. And this is what he says, the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas. For when the ship is close to the shore, then if there is an east wind there are still people who can rescue, they quickly send boats in order to rescue. But if the ship sinks in the heart of the seas, there is no one to rescue it. Regarding this he says the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas, and on great waters your rowers brought you, those who hate you, those who seek your downfall, who are the Tzidonians, further helped your downfall, Tzor, and brought you on great waters so that your fall would be an absolute fall, a fall after which there is no rising. The Radak explains hashatim otach, the Radak says that its meaning is plunder and spoil. Like "and Esav despised the birthright," the Targum says "and Esav despised (ve'shat) the birthright." So hashatim otach are those who come and take from you your spoil. The east wind broke you, the Radak says, this is an allusion to Nevuchadnetzar. That Nevuchadnetzar was a mighty king with a leading wind, so Targum Yonatan explains. A king who came with a strong wind in order to conquer you.
"Your riches, and your wares, your market, your sailors, and your pilots, those who repair your breaches, and those who traffic in your market, and all your men of war who are in you, and in all your assembly which is in your midst, shall fall in the heart of the seas on the day of your ruin." Through this, your riches, meaning your own wealth, and your wares, meaning what the merchants left with you and entrusted with you, and this as we explained so that you would sell it to others. And likewise your market, what others deposited with you as a pledge in order to guarantee that they would repay the money owed to you, which essentially includes all the property. Not only they, but also the people. And the people, as he compared it at the beginning to a ship, he continues with the same image, and says your sailors and your pilots, the sailors are the leaders of the ship, and your pilots are the captain, the meaning is both the people and the officers, this is what he means to say by the image here. And likewise those who repair your breaches, who are the leaders, and those who traffic in your market, these are the wealthy. And likewise all your men of war, these are the mighty who are the men of war. And likewise all your assembly, all the people who were in you, all the assemblies that were in you, all of them shall fall in the great waters. Because as we explained Tzor sank and nothing remained of it. So consequently he comes and announces, nothing will remain of this. The sea rose, swept away everything, so that nothing remained except only what remained, as we saw at the beginning, this was a rock, a bare rock, upon which the fishermen would spread their nets in order to dry them, as we opened with. This is what will remain of Tzor.
"At the sound of the cry of your pilots the open lands shall shake." At the sound of the cry of your pilots, the meaning is when the pilots cry out, who are essentially the officers, at the sound of their cry the open lands shall shake. Who are these open lands (migreshot) that shall shake? The Malbim explains that the meaning is there is the city and around it were open lands (migrashim). So in the language of Chazal, the empty portion that is around the city is called migrash. So as it were he says in a figurative expression, that when they hear the cries of the pilots, when the calamity comes upon Tzor, then the open lands that are around the city, not only the city will shake, but also the open lands around the city, all of them will tremble, all of them will be terrified by the cries of the leaders when this place, when Tzor sinks, when the ruin comes upon Tzor.
"And all who handle the oar shall come down from their ships; the mariners, all the pilots of the sea, shall stand upon the land." Consequently, when there is no longer a place of commerce, then people who were shipowners will come down from their ships, or what is called they will do a career change. He comes down from the ship, seeks himself some work here on the ground. Because until now he had work on the ships, transporting goods. But if Tzor sank and there is no longer anything to engage in in commerce, then he shuts down the ships, and then all who handle the oar shall come down from their ships, the mariners, all the pilots of the sea, shall stand upon the land. They will stand upon the land, seek themselves commerce in the commerce of the land and not in the commerce that is the commerce of the sea.
"And they shall make their voice heard over you, and cry bitterly, and cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow in ashes." And they shall make their voice heard over you, they will sound a cry of bitter lament over your downfall. Also they will cast up dust upon their heads, their way was that mourners, as we saw with the friends of Iyov, mourners would cast dust upon their heads, and they would also sit in ashes. And they will come down, as we saw further on, and all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, meaning they will have a very very great downfall. "And they shall make themselves bald for you, and gird themselves with sackcloth, and weep for you with bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning." And they shall make themselves bald for you, this too was the way when they would mourn over the death of some close person, they would make a baldness. And the Torah warns "you shall not make cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor make any baldness upon your head." The matter of not making baldness and not cutting themselves, this was the way of the gentiles, and the Torah does not want the people of Yisrael to be like the pagans, so says the Ramban, that they should tear themselves by making themselves bald and cutting themselves, the Torah is not interested in this. And on the contrary, when a person passes away, a person would do this as it were over the loss of that relative. But if a person knows that everything is from Hashem, and the Holy One Blessed be He took him and he passed a phase from here to another reality, then he understands that passing is not annihilation, but passing is only a transition from a temporary world to an eternal world. So consequently there is no place to make such harsh expressions of grief by a person cutting himself and making his head bald, these are things that are not fitting to do. By the way, to this day the Lebanese, for example, when they mourn over their dead, this is how they do. They cut themselves, they do all that... the Gemara brings as the ways of the nations, to this day one sees that this thing is accepted among them. It may be in other Arab countries too, but someone who was in Lebanon told me that this is how he saw them do at funerals, at their funerals. So "and they shall make themselves bald for you" for mourning, "and gird themselves with sackcloth," when a person would mourn he would gird sackcloth, "and weep for you with bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning." With bitterness of soul they will make a mourning over you.
"And in their wailing they shall take up a lament for you, and lament over you: Who is like Tzor, like the one silenced in the midst of the sea?" And in their wailing they shall take up a lament for you. Bnei hem means from the language of nehi (wailing), this is the meaning of bnei hem. It is not bneihem from the language of sons, but bnei hem from the language of wailing and lament. So they will take up bnei hem, meaning in the language they will lament a lament. They will take up over you bnei hem, a lament, and they will lament over you, they will say over you laments. And why is this called bnei hem? The Malbim explains that the way was that one would lament a lament and the listeners would answer nehi and hoi. And whoever knows, this was the way once, that they would lament in a manner where one says and the rest answer him. To this day this is accepted among the Yemenites, this matter that one says and the rest answer him. And in Chazal one sees that this way was very accepted, that one would say and the rest would answer him. Among the Yemenites it is not specifically in laments, it is also in Shabbat songs and more, they were very accustomed that there is one who says and the rest answer him. In Chazal one also sees that this was very accepted, that the Gemara says the men sing and the women answer, the women sing and the men answer, there was a situation where the men say and the women answer or the reverse, fire in tow, as the Gemara brings regarding a woman's voice. So in any case, this is what is written here, one would lament a lament and those who listen would say nehi and hoi, they would say sounds of grief and heartache. What would they lament over you? Who is like Tzor, like the one silenced in the midst of the sea? Who was like Tzor in its tranquility, and who is like the one silenced in the midst of the sea, who was like it when it was likened, in the midst of the sea in its destruction. Domah is from the language of "my soul was silenced in stillness (domiyah)," like something silent. So that is, who was like it in its greatness and who is like it in its lowliness. There was no one who reached its immense height, and there was also no one who fell its great fall. This is what he wants to say. That is, Tzor was extreme both in its height and in its ruin.
"When your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with the abundance of your riches and your merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth." When your wares went out from the seas, the goods that belonged to others, what we explained that the merchants would leave and deposit here so that you would sell it to the small merchants, from there it would go to the peddlers and from this it would reach all corners of the earth, he says when your wares went out from the seas, you satisfied many peoples. Through this you would satisfy the many peoples, that the many peoples would be satisfied from the goods that were with you, and from what you would give and sell them, from this they were satisfied. With the abundance of your riches and your merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth. With the abundance of your riches, meaning your wealth, and your merchandise, which is the goods that they gave you as a pledge, as we explained that they would give goods as a pledge for the goods you give, you enriched the kings of the earth. Here they speak of the wealth actually of Tzor itself and its merchandise, with this it enriched the kings. "When you were broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your assembly fell in your midst." Now he returns to explain "like the one silenced in the midst of the sea," the meaning is, whoever reached such a terrible ruin as Tzor, which now is sunk in the midst of the sea. And he describes and says when you were broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, just as your greatness was from the seas, as we saw further on that they would bring for trade from all the seas, from all the seas that are in the world, meaning ships would arrive from every kind of sea in the world in order to bring you your goods, so now too you were broken by the seas, by reason of the sea. How? The sea rose and covered you and you sank into it. And there your merchandise, there your merchandise fell, and all your assembly, all the people who were there, fell in your midst. They fell there within and nothing remained of them. And nishberet is an expression, says the Malbim, that we see many times appearing regarding a ship. The ship was reckoned to be broken. And just as he compared Tzor throughout to a ship that has upon it captains and sells goods and so on, so too here he likens it to a ship that was broken in the many seas and sank in the depths. "All the inhabitants of the islands were appalled at you, and their kings shuddered greatly, they were troubled in their faces." All the inhabitants of the islands were appalled at you. The inhabitants of the islands, what we saw at the beginning that you satisfied many peoples, you gave food to many peoples who were around you because they would take the goods from you, now all the inhabitants of the islands were appalled at you, now they are desolate in your wake. There is no one to give them goods, so behold they are desolate. As we saw further on, now the islands shall tremble on the day of your downfall. Since at first you enriched the kings of the earth and gave them goods, now when the islands will hear that Tzor fell, they entered into pressure, so from where will we eat and from where will we survive. At the beginning you enriched the kings of the earth, but now the kings shuddered greatly (sa'aru sa'ar). The kings have a sa'ar, which the sa'ar means an inner storm. This is the meaning of sa'ar here. They were storming over this downfall. And apart from this there was also an external sa'ar, which is what he adds, ra'amu fanim. Their faces also became troubled, in their externality troubling was recognizable upon them, it was recognizable upon them that they were pressured by this whole matter, when they fear that this ruin that came upon you will not also come upon them. Rashi explains that ra'amu fanim means faces of anger. As it is written regarding "and because her rival provoked her sorely to make her fret," so there the meaning is so that her face would rage, so that her face would be angry. And so too Rashi says every complaint is called tor'amta. Yes, the meaning is from the language of complaining and grumbling. "The merchants among the peoples hissed at you; you have become a terror, and you shall be no more forever." The merchants among the peoples hissed at you. Also the merchants who were among the nations, they too hissed at you. The meaning is the hissing comes to express some pain, some astonishment and shock. And we always see expressions in the scriptures "everyone who passes shall be appalled and hiss." Everyone who passes will be astonished and hiss, when the hiss expresses some kind of alarm, some kind of pressure from the terrible situation. So he says they hissed at you, because now the merchants among the peoples lost their commerce. You have become a terror, you have become a terror, balahot means like demons (shedim). For demons are something that is only in the imagination, and we already saw balahot further on that some explain that this is from the language of behalot (alarms). This is the meaning of balahot, like something alarming, something that causes fear. And you shall be no more forever. As if you were some demon that came for a moment and vanished. Like demons, for balahot the Malbim explains is from the language of shedim. So just as the demon for a moment appears and afterward vanishes, so too you have become a terror and you shall be no more forever. Afterward you will vanish from the world eternally, so shall all the enemies of Hashem perish.