In the first chapter of Isaiah, the prophet rebukes the people for the profound gap between outward actions and the inner heart. In this part of the chapter, we deal with the rebuke concerning sacrifices, the festivals, and prayer, and from there move to the proper path of repentance and the great promise that nothing stands in the way of teshuvah. We will follow the order of the pesukim according to the commentary of the Malbim.
לָמָּה־לִּי רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר יְהֹוָה, שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים, וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים לֹא חָפָצְתִּי׃ - "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" says the Lord. "I am sated with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; and I do not desire the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats."
The people in that era were accustomed to bringing numerous, fattened sacrifices, thinking that by doing so they would gain favor from Hashem - a kind of bribe. "True, we are not behaving properly, and true, we do not heed the words of the prophets, but look at the sacrifice I brought today! Surely my livelihood is secured; my week and month will be fine." They thought they were buying off the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it were, and bribing Him with their sacrifices. To this, Hashem says to them: "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" When deeds are devoid of proper intent and carry no genuine desire to bring gratification to Hashem, they are like a body without a soul - and if so, what is the true purpose of the sacrifices?
The Malbim divides the sacrifices here into four categories, and against each one the prophet offers a distinct response. The first category: voluntary offerings (nedavah). In voluntary offerings, there are two types - an offering that is entirely for Hashem, which is the olah (the burnt offering, which one is not obligated to bring), and an offering from which the altar receives only the fat while the meat goes to the owner, which are the shelamim (peace offerings) and todah (thanksgiving offering). Against the olah, Hashem says, "I am sated with burnt offerings of rams," and against the shelamim and todah, "and the fat of fed beasts." That is: Do you think that you are sating Me? That I am hungry, as it were, and you are feeding Me? I am already sated. After all, the purpose of these sacrifices is to acknowledge Hashem's kindness and to give thanks for what He has bestowed upon you, yet you do not intend this at all; rather, you imagine that the sacrifice comes to satisfy hunger. Therefore it is said: I am already sated, I no longer need them.
The second category: obligatory offerings brought for sin atonement - a chatat (sin offering) for desecrating Shabbat and the like, and the various guilt offerings: asham gezelot (robbery), asham me'ilot (misappropriation of sacred property), asham shifchah charufah (designated bondwoman), asham nazir, and asham sotah. The Gemara teaches that the essence of atonement depends on the sprinkling of the blood, but for atonement to take effect, a person must genuinely regret, confess, declare "I have sinned, iniquitous, and transgressed," and resolve never to stumble again. Yet you do not repent when bringing the sacrifice; if so, your entire intent is merely to offer the blood before Me, as if I need the blood sprinkled upon the altar. Regarding this, the verse says: "and I do not desire the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats" - I have no use for the blood itself in and of itself.
כִּי תָבֹאוּ לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי, מִי־בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי׃ - "When you come to appear before Me, who has requested this of your hand, to trample My courts?"
The third category: voluntary offerings that Hashem made obligatory - the olat re'iyah (pilgrimage burnt offering) and shalmei chagigah (festival peace offerings). If a person does not make the pilgrimage, he is not obligated in the sacrifice; but once he ascends and appears in the Temple courtyard, he becomes obligated, as it says, "And none shall appear before Me empty-handed." And what is the purpose of the pilgrimage? "Three times a year all your males shall appear" - so that a person will learn the Torah of Hashem, "for the lips of the kohen should safeguard knowledge, and they shall seek Torah from his mouth," so that he strengthens his service of Hashem and learns His ways from the kohanim and prophets, as the Torah explicitly states: "so that you may learn to fear Hashem your God." Along with all this, Hashem commanded to bring a gift when coming to appear before Him, to show you that He desires you, for He has accepted a gift and offering from your hand. When fire descends upon the altar, it is a sign that the offering is accepted favorably, and this is how the Holy One, Blessed be He, shows that your coming is close to Him and pleasing before Him.
And regarding this, the verse states: "When you come to appear before Me" - on the three pilgrimage festivals, when I command you to ascend and appear before Me, and you claim that you are obligated to bring a sacrifice since "none shall appear before Me empty-handed." Hashem says to them: "Who has requested this of your hand, to trample My courts?" - Your very entrance into the courtyard, who obligated you in it? After all, the obligation of the pilgrimage offering applies only if you arrived at the courtyard; if you did not arrive, there is no obligation at all. It would have been better had you not come and not sacrificed, for you do not intend to ascend to see the countenance of Hashem, to learn from the kohanim, and to be strengthened in His service. If so, there is no mitzvah here at all; you have merely come to dirty the courtyard, to trample My courts. This is comparable to a person entering a synagogue with muddy shoes: if he came, sat, listened to a shiur, and was inspired - so be it, even though the floor got a little dirty. But if people merely walk in, pace around, dirty the floor, and walk right out - can we say they came to the courts of Hashem? No, they merely came to trample the court of Hashem.
לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ הָבִיא מִנְחַת־שָׁוְא, קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא לִי, חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא, לֹא־אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה׃ - "Bring no more futile meal offerings; it is abominable incense to Me; New Moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies - I cannot endure iniquity along with solemn assembly."
Since the very trampling of My courts is against My will, all the more so should you not add sin upon transgression by bringing against My will a "futile meal offering" - these being the festival offerings and pilgrimage offerings that I do not desire at all. "It is abominable incense to Me" refers to the cloud of smoke ascending from the offering that you bring. This is comparable to someone who enters the king's courtyard when the king does not wish to see him, and on top of that fills the courtyard with smoke; the king wishes to exit and sees a screen of smoke before him. Had I requested you to burn incense before Me, so be it, but that is not what I requested. Therefore, your incense is like smoke in the eyes, an abomination to Me.
The fourth category consists of the Mussaf offerings, which the community brought on Shabbatot, Roshei Chodashim, and the festivals. Their purpose was distinct: these are holy days intended for a person to disengage from the vanities of this world and sanctify himself for the service of Hashem. Therefore, special offerings were instituted on them, around which the community gathered at the Beit HaMikdash to be restrained before Hashem in prayer, to set aside worldly vanity, and to sanctify a day that is in the nature of an atzeret - holding oneself back from all mundane pursuits and standing before Hashem.
On these days there are two dimensions. In one place scripture states, "an assembly [atzeret] for Hashem your God," and in another place, "an assembly [atzeret] it shall be for you." Chazal asked: For whom is the assembly? And they answered: Half of it is for you, and half of it is for Hashem. Part of it is for eating, drinking, pleasure, and joy, and part of it is for the service of Hashem. Yet even the mitzvot of delight and rejoicing must be performed for the sake of Heaven - a person must not say: For half the day I will feast and indulge without giving any thought to Hashem's command, and for the other half I will learn and pray. Eating, too, must be for the sake of Heaven, akin to the principle that "the Kohanim eat and the owners achieve atonement," so that his eating is an actual fulfillment of Hashem's command to rejoice before Him.
This is the meaning of "new moon and Shabbat, the calling of convocations" - the appointed times that you designate as holy convocations. "I cannot bear iniquity and solemn assembly" - even during the first half of the day, when you hold yourselves back before Me in the Beit HaMikdash, I cannot tolerate this assembly, because your heart is full of iniquity. You possess no good intention to fulfill Hashem's will, no desire to sanctify yourselves before Him, and even the act of gathering is not for the honor of Heaven, but vanity.
חׇדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי, הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח, נִלְאֵיתִי נְשֹׂא׃ - Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hates; they are a burden upon Me, I am weary of bearing them.
How much more so does this apply to the second half, which is entirely "for you." In the first portion, there was at least a positive action accompanied by flawed intent; but in the second portion, the deed itself is material - the physical act of eating - and the intention is negative as well, containing nothing for the sake of Hashem. Therefore, scripture does not merely say "I cannot bear," but rather "My soul hates."
"They are a burden upon Me, I am weary of bearing them" - the Malbim notes a distinction between these two expressions. A heavy burden weighs on a person even for a short duration: if you are asked to lift a bag of cement, even two minutes feel oppressive. By contrast, a light object is not heavy in itself, yet over time it becomes burdensome: if you are told to hold a tissue in an outstretched hand for ten minutes, after three minutes your arm will already ache; indeed, even without a tissue, merely holding your arm aloft. The passage of time turns even a light burden into an intolerable strain. Therefore, both expressions are stated here: "They are a burden upon Me" - on account of the act itself, which runs contrary to My will and is thus inherently heavy and burdensome to Me; "I am weary of bearing them" - on account of the bearer, for you persist and repeat the sin over an extended period, and the sheer duration makes it unbearable.
וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם, גַּם כִּי־תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ, יְדֵיכֶם דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ׃ - And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply prayer, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.
Until now, the prophet rebuked them for a good deed devoid of heart - which is completely worthless, for on the surface they bring offerings to bring satisfaction to God, yet their entire intent is to persist in their evil deeds and, as it were, bribe the Creator of the world. Now he turns to address the opposite situation: what happens when there is an outpouring of heart but the deeds are evil, when pure and heartfelt intentions accompany dishonest and corrupt actions.
"And when you spread forth your hands" - when you raise your palms in prayer. "Even though you multiply prayer" - and the term tefillah (prayer), says the Malbim, denotes the outpouring of the soul, referring specifically to prayer offered with genuine, clear, and pure devotion. Nevertheless - "I will not hear." Why? "Your hands are full of blood" - for you shed innocent blood. The wickedness of one's deeds causes all sincerity of heart and purity in prayer to be of no avail, because a person approaches laden with all his sins and says, like Adam HaRishon: I have sinned, I have eaten, and I will eat again. You intend to continue in your evil ways, and if so, "what does it avail when he makes his voice gracious?" He comes and offers supplications, yet in truth has no intention of abandoning his corrupt behavior.
The conclusion is clear: for divine service to be whole and complete, both a person's practical deeds and the thoughts of his heart must be intact, and only then are both favorably accepted before Hashem. From this we also understand why, when a person faces distress - may no misfortune befall anyone - he turns to a tzaddik to pray on his behalf. Can he not pray from the depths of his own heart? Of course he can, and perhaps he might even pray with greater intensity than the tzaddik, for the tzaddik is occupied with three hundred other petitioners while this person prays solely for himself. Rather, the tzaddik possesses a virtue that the petitioner lacks: the tzaddik is cleansed of sin; his hands are not full of blood. With the tzaddik, when he "spreads forth his hands" and "multiplies prayer," the Holy One, Blessed be He, listens. But for us, whose prayer is accompanied by "your hands are full of blood," by what merit will the prayer be accepted?
רַחֲצוּ הִזַּכּוּ, הָסִירוּ רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם מִנֶּגֶד עֵינָי, חִדְלוּ הָרֵעַ׃ - Wash yourselves, purify yourselves; remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes; cease doing evil.
לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט, אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ, שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם, רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה׃ - Learn to do good, seek justice, guide the oppressed, judge the orphan, plead the case of the widow.
Here the prophet teaches the proper way to serve Hashem. Rashi cites Chazal's teaching that there are ten expressions here, ten admonitions of teshuvah: wash, purify yourselves, remove, cease, learn, seek, guide, judge, plead, come - corresponding to the Ten Days of Repentance, and corresponding to the ten verses of Malchuyot, ten of Zichronot, and ten of Shofrot.
The Malbim explains: First, "wash" - wash away the stains of the sins you committed in the past through regret and abandonment of sin. Yet merely washing is not enough, and therefore "purify yourselves" - a complete refinement, removing the stain entirely. This refers to repentance out of love, through which the blemish itself is transformed into a precious stone, and the wrongdoing becomes something good and praiseworthy. For repentance out of love transforms intentional sins into merits, whereas repentance out of fear only reduces intentional sins to unintentional ones. It is worth noting that repentance out of love is no simple matter at all, and would that we even merit repentance out of fear; repentance out of love is an exceptionally lofty level.
Based on this, commentators explain what is said regarding the festival of Sukkot, "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day," about which Chazal stated: the first day for the reckoning of sins. Some explain simply that until Sukkot, a person has no free time to sin: immediately upon the conclusion of Yom Kippur he builds a sukkah, rushes to find the Four Species, and everything is done in haste. Sometimes only two days remain, or Shabbat falls in between, leaving no time at all. Only on Chol HaMoed does he rest a bit, and from there the reckoning of sins begins. But there is another explanation: Yom Kippur is the service of Hashem out of fear - "A lion has roared, who will not fear?" - characterized by fasting, affliction, and "fearing, trembling, and quaking before You." Sukkot, by contrast, is the service of Hashem out of love, from joy - "And you shall rejoice in your festival," a mitzvah to be joyous all seven days. Thus, what was until now repentance out of fear is now elevated to repentance out of love. And when there is repentance out of love, one begins searching out and remembering which sins were committed in the past, for upon every sin one now receives merit and reward. This is "the first day for the reckoning of sins" - the day when one begins calculating how many sins were committed, because every sin now turns into a merit.
"Remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes" - regret alone suffices for transgressions between man and God, where the sin no longer tangibly exists in reality. If a person desecrated Shabbat two weeks ago, the desecration occurred at the very moment he kindled the flame; what was done is done, and the sin no longer exists in tangible form, so regret is sufficient. But for sins that still persist in reality, such as interpersonal offenses - if one stole ten shekels from another, the sin still exists; even if the money was already spent, the sin of theft remains until it is repaid. Therefore, the prophet adds: "Remove the evil of your deeds" - the sin that still endures in reality must be physically removed by returning what was stolen, refunding monetary deceit, returning a pledged garment ("If you take your neighbor's garment as a pledge"), and appeasing someone harmed by slander.
All this addresses repairing the past. From here on, the prophet speaks about the future. "Cease doing evil" - a resolution for the future, not to commit evil deeds any longer. "Learn to do good" - this does not mean studying Torah well, but rather training yourselves to do good, accustoming yourselves to doing good. "Seek justice" - regarding interpersonal disputes: do you have a conflict? Go and seek out the judge; let the dayan tell us what to do - this party claims one thing, that party claims another; do not evade the matter. "Guide the oppressed" - once you determine who is the robber and who is the victim, the word ashru is an expression of guidance: guide the wronged party along the path of justice on how to secure the return of his stolen property.
And not only should you seek justice when both litigants present themselves before you, but "judge the orphan" - even though the orphan is a minor and does not know how to litigate against his adversary, look out for him and adjudicate his case; even if both parties do not come to court because the orphan does not understand, serve as a mouthpiece for him. Nor is it enough to adjudicate the case of an orphan, which is defined, fixed, and clear according to Halachah - for the orphan succeeds his father in inheritance and the halachot in his case are clearly established - but also "plead the case of the widow." First, the widow lacks the ability to summon her adversaries to court; she lacks the strength and emotional resolve, and has no one standing behind her. Second, her legal situation is not as clear-cut as that of the orphan: in matters of the ketubah, there are competing claims and denials; some heirs may claim that the husband already handed her bundles of money during his lifetime, with one claiming it was on account of the ketubah and another claiming it was a gift. There are many complications, compromises, and arguments, and one must contend and litigate to arrive at justice. This is the precise distinction made by the Malbim: "pleading" means sorting through the arguments in matters that are not yet clarified, whereas "judgment" refers to a clear-cut matter that only requires issuing a ruling and determining who is liable and who is exempt. Therefore, regarding the orphan it says "judge," while regarding the widow it says "plead" - hear both sides and bring justice to light.
לְכוּ־נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה יֹאמַר יְהֹוָה, אִם־יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ, אִם־יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ׃ - "Come now, and let us reason together," says Hashem. "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be like wool."
In Tanach, the term nivachechah derives from reasoned debate. This does not mean a mere argument where one person says yes and the other says no, but rather demonstrating a matter through evidence, reasoned arguments, and intellectual proofs. When one has proof, logical reasoning, and evidence that can persuade, that is the meaning of this debate. Such was the nature of the debate between Iyov and his companions: arguments and counterarguments, they contend and he refutes, he brings proofs and they bring evidence. Hashem says to them: Come, let us reason together; I want to understand why you do not return to Me in the manner I have instructed you. What are you afraid of? Why do you fear returning? Even if your sins are dyed deep red "like scarlet" - referring to the scarlet thread, which is vivid red - if you wash and purify yourselves, "they shall be as white as snow," and you will be cleansed of all sins.
Not only this, but "though they be red like crimson (*tola*)." And what is the difference between *shani* (scarlet) and *tola* (crimson)? *Shani* is the dyed fabric, whereas *tola* is the dye itself with which the fabric is colored. This implies two differences: First, the *tola* is inherently red, while the *shani* merely absorbed color from the outside. Second, the *tola* dyes other materials, whereas the *shani* has no power to dye others - it is dyed, but does not dye. Through this distinction, the prophet presented a parable for two types of sins. The first: if you have become like the *tola* - rooted so deeply in sin that it has become part of you, not like a white cloth dyed red, but inherently red; a sin born of heresy and rebellion rather than an incidental, inadvertent lapse. And the second: the *tola* dyes others - you did not sin alone, but caused others to sin as well.
Regarding both of these, he tells them: "they shall be like wool." For there is no doubt that the whiteness of snow surpasses the whiteness of wool; wool is grayish, leaning slightly toward a cream shade, whereas snow is purely white. That is to say: even if you argue that we were like crimson, that sin became ingrained within our very nature and that we caused others to sin as well, know that in any event, teshuvah will bring you to the state of "they shall be like wool." If so, why do you not repent? Nothing stands in the way of teshuvah.
A homiletic interpretation is cited in *Me'orah shel Torah* in the name of the *Tiferes Uziel*. In a young man, the blood boils within; but an elderly adulterer is something intolerable to reason. As the Gemara lists: a lying rich man, an arrogant pauper, and an elderly adulterer. Why should a wealthy person lie? You have plenty - would you go steal for another hundred shekels? An arrogant pauper - what do you have to be proud of, seeing that you are destitute? And an elderly adulterer is simply arousing the evil inclination upon himself. This is the allusion in "though your sins be like scarlet (*kashanim* / as years)" - if the sins correspond to your years (*shanim*), a twenty-year-old sinning the sins of a twenty-year-old, "they shall become white as snow"; he repents and is cleansed. But if the sins do not match the years, if he is eighty and still acts immorally, then rectification is exceedingly difficult. At the very least, let sins be proportionate to one's years.
אִם־תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם, טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵלוּ׃ - If you are willing and obey, you shall eat the good of the land.
וְאִם־תְּמָאֲנוּ וּמְרִיתֶם, חֶרֶב תְּאֻכְּלוּ, כִּי פִּי יְהֹוָה דִּבֵּר׃ - But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
These two verses are a continuation of the previous one. In verse 18 He said, "Come now, let us reason together" - I am ready to pardon the iniquities, and they shall become white as snow; if so, why will you not repent? And now He promises: "If you are willing and obey, you shall eat the good of the land" - if you consent and heed what I ask of you, you shall partake of the bounty of the land. On the other hand, consider what harm will befall you if you persist in evil deeds: "But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword." And why should you not think this is an empty threat? "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken" - not a single word of Hashem's pronouncements has ever fallen to the ground, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not retract a decree He has issued.
The Malbim explains the progression: a person refrains from doing something for only one of two reasons - either the task is too difficult for him, or he fails to recognize its benefit. The Holy One, Blessed be He, addresses both. Against the difficulty: "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall become white as snow" - in a single moment a person can repent and all his scarlet sins turn white; it is not burdensome. And regarding the benefit: if you do the will of Hashem, you will gain the benefit - "you shall eat the good of the land"; and if you do not, harm will overtake you - "you shall be devoured by the sword." And Hashem speaks, and when Hashem promises, His words are fulfilled one hundred percent.
Now let us examine the language closely. Throughout the Book of Yeshayahu, the Malbim dwells extensively in the section titled *Be'ur HaMilot*, because prophetic expressions often repeat themselves in what the Radak generally terms "repetition of the subject in different words." As is well known, the Malbim strongly opposes this view: there is no such thing as repetition of meaning with different words. If the wording is duplicated, the idea is also multifaceted, and every duplication has a distinct purpose; each word comes to express something different, as discussed at length in the Malbim's introduction.
Therefore, the Malbim asks here: What is the difference between *eino oveh* (is unwilling) and *mema'en* (refuses)? Seemingly, these are two expressions for the same concept. However, *mema'en* is expressed with the mouth, whereas *oveh* is in the heart. A person can be both *oveh* and *mema'en* at the same time: in his heart he desires it very much, but when it is offered to him, he says, "No, there is no need, I am not interested" - yet in his heart he desires it (*oveh*, related to *ta'avah*, the desire of the heart). The opposite can also occur: he is unwilling in his heart, yet does not refuse with his mouth - where his mouth and heart are not aligned. If so, the verse should have written, "If you are willing and obey... and if you are not willing and rebel," using the exact same phrasing. Why did it switch to "and if you refuse (*va'im tema'anu*)"?
Notice how precise the words are. On the positive side, He tells them: It is not enough that you obey in action while deep down you do not want to; rather, "if you are willing and obey" - there must also be the desire of the heart, and then I promise, "you shall eat the good of the land." On the side of punishment, however, it says, "and if you refuse" - even if in your heart you are willing, if in speech and action you refuse, you will be punished. Why? Because, explains the Malbim, the majority of sinners who are not deliberate rebels actually desire in their hearts to obey; it is only their yetzer hara that overcomes them. Most people who sin and stumble truly want in their hearts to do the will of Hashem. Yom Kippur bears witness to this: the entirety of the Jewish people fill the synagogues, because deep down every individual desires to do Hashem's will. Why, then, does a person refuse in practice? Because the yetzer overpowers him; yet in his heart, he longs to be God-fearing, to serve Hashem, and to observe His mitzvos. Therefore, Scripture did not say "and if you are not willing," for there is no need to reach the extreme of being unwilling even in the heart. Even if you desire in your heart, as long as you refuse in practice - "you shall be devoured by the sword." It is not enough to say, "My heart is pure and I want to do good"; refusal in practice is sufficient to bring about punishment.
A beautiful explanation is cited in the sefer Peninim Yekarim, offered as a homiletic insight. The commentators note: the Gemara in Kiddushin states, "There is no reward for a mitzvah in this world" - reward for mitzvos is not paid in this world. This seems to suggest, heaven forfend, that the Holy One, Blessed is He, violates the prohibition of withholding a worker's wages (bal talin), since man is laboring here! One resolution is that bal talin applies within the same day, and "a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday" - thus, in the divine realm it is still the very same day, and no violation has occurred. Another explanation: one who hires a worker through an agent does not violate bal talin. If an employer personally hires someone for the day and fails to pay him on time, he violates the prohibition; but if he sends an agent to hire him, even if payment is delayed for months, the employer does not violate the biblical prohibition. While such conduct is certainly improper, the specific negative commandment is not transgressed. And indeed, the Jewish people received the entire Torah from Hashem through an agent - through Moshe Rabbeinu - so bal talin does not apply.
However, there are two mitzvos regarding which Hashem hired us directly: "I am Hashem your God" and "You shall have no other gods." These two commandments we heard directly from the Almighty (Mipi HaGevurah), before the people pleaded, "Speak you with us and we will hear, but let God not speak with us lest we die." Consequently, for these two fundamental mitzvos, payment must be rendered in this world; otherwise, the prohibition of bal talin would apply. This is the meaning of the verse: "If you are willing and obey, you shall eat the good of the land" - right here in this world. And if one asks: is there not a principle that there is no reward for a mitzvah in this world? To this, the conclusion answers: "For the mouth of Hashem has spoken." What did He speak of here? The rejection of idolatry - and the prohibition against idolatry was heard directly from the mouth of Hashem Himself. Since the mouth of Hashem spoke directly, He is, as it were, bound to pay the reward here in this world; therefore, "you shall eat the good of the land."
The prophet rebukes the people on two extremes. First, action without heart: sacrifices, burnt-offerings, festivals, and solemn assemblies performed as a form of bribery and out of mere rote habit, without the intent to bring satisfaction to Hashem - these are like a body without a soul, of which it is said: "I am sated," "I do not desire," "It is an abomination to Me," and "My soul hates." Second, heart without action: heartfelt prayer and the pouring out of the soul issuing from hands steeped in blood - this, too, is not heard. Authentic service of Hashem requires perfection in action and thought alike. From here, the prophet charts the order of repentance through its ten expressions: washing and purifying oneself over the past, rectifying interpersonal wrongs and returning stolen property, and accepting commitments for the future - "Learn to do good, seek justice, vindicate the victim, champion the orphan, plead for the widow." Finally, the Holy One, Blessed is He, extends an invitation: "Come now, let us reason together" - no sin is too heavy, and no repentance is futile; even if sin has become deeply ingrained like crimson dye, and even if one caused others to sin, they can become white as wool. "If you are willing and obey" - through the willingness of the heart accompanied by concrete action - "you shall eat the good of the land"; but if you refuse in practice, "you shall be consumed by the sword, for the mouth of Hashem has spoken."