Chapter 2 of Yeshayahu opens with a magnificent vision of the End of Days: all the nations stream to the mountain of the House of Hashem to seek the word of Hashem. Yet the prophet is not content merely to describe the future. From this vision, he turns to the people of his generation and tells them: If the nations, who are currently steeped in darkness, will ultimately come to walk in the light of Hashem - why should you, to whom the light has already been given, not walk in it right now? This is the core rebuke of the chapter. And as the prophet contrasts the future of the nations with the state of his own generation, he is appalled by what he sees and bursts forth in harsh words of rebuke.
הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר חָזָה יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶּן אָמוֹץ עַל יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ - The word that Yeshayahu son of Amoz envisioned concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
One reading the following verses, which speak of nations journeying to the mountain of Hashem, might think this is a prophecy addressed to the nations of the world. Indeed, the prophets were not sent exclusively to the Jewish people; they bore many messages for the nations as well, as we will see later in the book. Therefore, Yeshayahu prefaces: Do not be mistaken. This is not a prophecy for the nations, but a prophecy spoken to the people of Israel so that they may take a moral lesson from what the nations will do in the future. This is why the opening verse specifies as an introduction: "Concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim."
וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית ה' בְּרֹאשׁ הֶהָרִים וְנִשָּׂא מִגְּבָעוֹת וְנָהֲרוּ אֵלָיו כׇּל הַגּוֹיִם׃ - And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the House of Hashem shall be established at the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all the nations shall stream unto it.
"In the end of days" - the Messianic era. "Shall be established" - it will be firmly founded, standing upon its base in all its beauty and splendor. "The mountain of the House of Hashem" is the mountain upon which the Beis HaMikdash will be built, the Temple Mount, and it will stand at the head of the mountains and exalted above the surrounding hills. Hills are lower than mountains, as the verse states: "The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs" - rams being large and lambs small - and through the surrounding hills, the mountain will stand towering and prominent, visibly exalted.
"And all the nations shall stream unto it" - related to the word nahar (river), meaning that the nations will be drawn to the mountain of the House of Hashem like water flowing in a river. By nature, a river flows downward to a low place, yet here it speaks of a high place, both in physical elevation and in spiritual stature as something exalted and sublime. The verse teaches that out of sheer yearning, the waters will stream toward it even uphill.
וְהָלְכוּ עַמִּים רַבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר ה' אֶל בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב וְיֹרֵנוּ מִדְּרָכָיו וְנֵלְכָה בְּאֹרְחֹתָיו כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר ה' מִירוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃ - And many peoples shall go and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of Hashem, to the House of the God of Yaakov, and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of Hashem from Yerushalayim."
Why specifically "the House of the God of Yaakov"? Rashi explains: because it was Yaakov who called the place a "house" - "Beit-El." Avraham called it a "mountain," Yitzchak called it a "field," and Yaakov called it a "house." There is also in this a reflection of the gradual elevation of the place: initially it was in the category of a mountain, a rugged mountain; then a field, a cultivated area that is sown and put to use, though without dwellings; and when Yaakov came, the place had already been perfected and elevated through the spiritual service of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, becoming a house - a place fit for habitation. Since the verse here speaks of the reality of a house, it mentions "the House of the God of Yaakov," who was the one to call it a house.
"And many peoples shall go and say" - nation will go to nation, one saying to another: "Go, and we will ascend with you to the mountain of Hashem." And from the mountain we shall ascend to the House of the God of Yaakov, for the mountain is the Temple Mount and the House is the Beis HaMikdash itself.
Notice the difference: in the previous verse it says, "and all the nations (goyim) shall stream to it," whereas here it says, "and many peoples (amim) shall go." The Malbim explains a fundamental principle that we will encounter many times: Amim ("peoples") are on a higher level than goyim ("nations"). A goy refers to a gathering of people without a governing body over them, lacking rule and law. An am refers to a collection of people governed by law, justice, order, and government. To use an analogy: in the primeval jungles of Africa there are goyim, whereas in Europe there are amim. At first, "and all the nations (goyim) shall stream to it" - those who lack law, justice, and government anyway. Yet one should not think that it will only be them; rather, in the second stage, "and many peoples (amim) shall go" - even the civilized, educated nations, which possess government, law, and order, will also say to one another, "Come, let us go up."
"That He may teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths" - what is the difference between "ways" (derachim) and "paths" (orachot)? The Malbim explains: A derech is the main road, the highway. Orachot are the small paths branching off from the major roads, as in "winding paths" (orachot akalkalot). And they say: Let us go up to the House of the God of Yaakov, and Hashem will teach us the core principles of His service - only the broad highway, the fundamentals, not clauses and sub-clauses. And not even all the principles, but "of His ways" (miderachav), a portion of them, akin to the Thirteen Principles of Faith. Once He teaches us the core principles of His ways, "and we will walk in His paths" - we ourselves will already search out the minor clauses, the minutest details. Note the precision: "of His ways" - a part; whereas "in His paths," not "of His paths" - all the paths, every single detail and nuance of the service of Hashem.
"For from Zion Torah shall come forth, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem" - in Zion was the seat of the Sanhedrin, the Kohen Gadol, and the Davidic monarchy, and from there Torah went out to the entire world: "If a matter of judgment is beyond you... you shall arise and go up to the place that Hashem shall choose," and that was only in Jerusalem. By contrast, "the word of Hashem" refers to prophecy, and prophecy was found throughout Jerusalem, as the prophets would gather in the city, which is an auspicious place for Ruach HaKodesh, drawing the Divine Spirit throughout the entire city. Therefore it does not say "and the word of Hashem from Zion," because Zion represents the Beit HaMikdash where the Sanhedrin sat, whereas prophecy was spread across the entire city.
וְשָׁפַט בֵּין הַגּוֹיִם וְהוֹכִיחַ לְעַמִּים רַבִּים וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת לֹא יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה׃ - And he shall judge between the nations, and admonish many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
When they come and seek Hashem, this is how it will truly be: Melech HaMashiach will be the judge, and he will also be the admonisher. The Malbim explains that military force and war are needed in two situations. First, between one nation and another. Separate nations have separate laws, and one cannot say that the law will decide, for it was not like our day where there is international law and the Geneva Convention accepted by civilized nations. In their time, the law of one nation was not the law of another, and to resolve disputes they decided by the sword: whoever triumphed was the ruler. The second situation is the force of the sword that a ruler needs to maintain his own regime, as is common in third-world countries, where a king maintains an army not to fight an external enemy, but to prevent a coup and rebellion. In ancient times, all states were monarchies, and the king maintained an army to control his people so they would not violate his decrees. Notice: within a nation, there is no dispute over the law itself, since the law binds all citizens of the country, and the only need is to maintain order so that everyone observes it. This is not the case between two nations, where the dispute is over the law itself.
Thus the prophet comes and says: In the future to come, disputes between nation and nation - he will judge; and matters of contention within the nation itself, between the king and his people - he will admonish. There will be no need for nations to fight one another, nor will there be a need for an army to enforce the law within a country.
The Malbim adds a wonderful insight: A judge decides based on law, whether Divine law or legislation passed by a parliament. An admonisher does not speak of law, but of ethics and reason: what you are doing is unfitting, what you are doing is unjust. Seemingly, it should have been the reverse: between nation and nation, where there is no shared legal system, that is precisely where Mashiach should have to institute law; whereas within a country, which already has internal law, it should be simple to judge. But the verse teaches us the greatness of his stature: "And he shall judge between the nations" - even between two distinct peoples with different religions, he will have the power to formulate an established code of judicial law acceptable to both, and decide by force of law. "And admonish many peoples" - within a nation he will not need law at all, but will address them based on ethics, and mere admonition will suffice for the people to accept it. This is the tremendous stature of Melech HaMashiach: to both arbitrate legal codes between nations, and to admonish the nations internally through moral power alone.
"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares" - since they will no longer have any need for war, for there is someone to arbitrate, they will use swords for tilling the soil, and spears will become pruning hooks to prune the vineyard. "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation," and consequently, "neither shall they learn war anymore" - they will not need military academies or institutions to study strategy, and will have no concept of what war even is.
Today, there are countries that disarm due to treaties and commitments. In fact, missiles - made of expensive, durable, and lightweight materials unavailable on the commercial market - are sometimes melted down to manufacture high-quality luxury items, and even prestigious titanium pens. This is indeed a modern resonance of the prophecy: "and they shall beat their swords" - into pens.
בֵּית יַעֲקֹב לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה בְּאוֹר ה'׃ - O House of Yaakov, come, let us walk in the light of Hashem.
Rashi explains that the nations say this to one another, and as they ascend the mountain of Hashem, they also call upon the House of Jacob to accompany them. Radak and Malbim, however, do not explain it this way. In their view, after this entire introduction, the prophet turns to the Jewish people and says: House of Jacob, this entire introduction was meant for you. Learn a *kal vachomer* (an a fortiori deduction): if the light of Hashem will shine upon the nations only in the future, at which point they will begin to understand and follow Him, you are certainly not like all the nations. They must seek Hashem out of the darkness, waiting for the coming of Mashiach to illuminate them; "they shall be silenced in darkness." But upon us, the light of Hashem has already shone; we were already given the Torah, we have already had prophets, and we know what Hashem desires of us. If so, why do you not walk in the light of Hashem already today?
כִּי נָטַשְׁתָּה עַמְּךָ בֵּית יַעֲקֹב כִּי מָלְאוּ מִקֶּדֶם וְעֹנְנִים כַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים וּבְיַלְדֵי נׇכְרִים יַשְׂפִּיקוּ׃ - For You have forsaken Your people, the House of Jacob, because they are filled from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and are satisfied with the children of foreigners.
In light of this, the prophet is deeply stirred, seeing the shortcomings and sins of the people of his generation, and he turns to the Holy One, Blessed be He. According to Malbim, the word ki is understood here in the sense of "if": if You have forsaken, Master of the Universe, Your people, the House of Jacob - You have done so justly, in accordance with fairness and righteousness. For they are filled with sins, and they have even lost the lineage and distinction of "Your people, the House of Jacob."
"Because they are filled from the east" - they are filled with the practices of the Arameans who dwelt in the east (kedem), imitating their deeds. "And are soothsayers like the Philistines" - they act like the Philistines who dwelt in the west of the Land of Israel, resorting to sorcery and divining auspicious times: this season is favorable for this, this date is suitable to begin, this hour is propitious for that activity; if a black cat crosses one's path, he will not succeed that day, will lose the deal, and suffer harm. Yet this is not our way at all; we walk according to the way of Hashem. In this respect, they are no longer behaving as "Your people Israel," for it is stated, "For there is no divination in Jacob," yet among them there is divination - and so they are no longer worthy of being called by the name of Jacob.
"And are satisfied with the children of foreigners" - they marry foreign women and father children with them, and they are content with that; they see no need to also marry a Jewish woman so that they would at least have Jewish continuity, since a child born of a Jewish woman is a Jew. A person says: these children are enough (maspikim) for me. The result is that they cut off the branch, the name of the House of Jacob is no longer upon them, and they have lost their lineage - and justly, the names of Jacob and Israel can no longer continue to be called upon them.
וַתִּמָּלֵא אַרְצוֹ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וְאֵין קֵצֶה לְאֹצְרֹתָיו וַתִּמָּלֵא אַרְצוֹ סוּסִים וְאֵין קֵצֶה לְמַרְכְּבֹתָיו׃ - His land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to his treasures; his land is filled with horses, and there is no end to his chariots.
Now the prophet comes to emphasize the gravity of the people's sin, showing both the sin itself and the factors that brought it about. He begins with the causes: "His land is filled with silver and gold" - I multiplied silver for them, but they used the gold for the Baal; "You grew fat, thick, and gross." "And there is no end to his treasures" - there was no limit and no end to his treasures. Furthermore, through the multitude of horses they would descend to Egypt, whereas the Torah warned not to return the people to Egypt in order to multiply horses, permitting a king only what was strictly necessary for his chariots - yet here everyone went down to Egypt to acquire horses.
וַתִּמָּלֵא אַרְצוֹ אֱלִילִים לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֶצְבְּעֹתָיו׃ - His land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of his own hands, to that which his fingers have made.
And here lies the magnitude of the sin: what ingratitude! Hashem bestowed economic prosperity upon you, silver and gold and boundless treasures, yet out of that very success and abundance, instead of serving Hashem out of abundance of all things - "His land is filled with idols."
And what is the difference between "the work of his hands" and "that which his fingers have made"? The Malbim explains: "The work of his hands" also includes whatever is done under a person's instruction, as in the words of Shlomo: "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought" - did Shlomo craft them with his own hands? Everything was done by servants following his instructions, yet what one directs another to do is also called the work of one's hands. The verse comes to teach that he does not merely bow to the work of his hands, but "to that which his fingers have made" - literally with his own hands, which is a far greater foolishness. Had he bought the idol in a shop, that might be understood; but he shaped it with his own fingers just ten minutes ago! As the prophet reproves them elsewhere, half of the wood serves to bake bread in the oven, and from the other half he fashions a god and says, "You created me." Furthermore, the term "finger" denotes one's very self, as in "This is the finger of God" - nature is the emissary of the Holy One, blessed be He, whereas the "finger of God" denotes the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself.
וַיִּשַּׁח אָדָם וַיִּשְׁפַּל אִישׁ וְאַל תִּשָּׂא לָהֶם׃ - And man shall be bowed down, and each person humbled, and do not forgive them.
The prophet says: even if "man shall be bowed down" - submitting in his heart, and even if "each person is humbled" - lowering his body in fasting and acts of repentance, nevertheless, "do not forgive them" - Master of the Universe, do not pardon their iniquities.
The Malbim explains the distinction between being bowed down (shechut) and being brought low (hashpalah): bowing down applies to the body of the object itself, whereas being brought low is on account of its location. A tree that was upright and bent over is described as bowed down (shach), because the change is within its own body. But a tree standing in a valley, lower than the rest of the trees, is described as low (shafel), since the lowliness comes from its position rather than from itself.
So too in the analogy: "And man shall be bowed down" refers to submission of the heart, wherein he relinquishes the stature and greatness he possessed and humbles himself. By contrast, "and each person humbled" refers to a standing that does not stem from himself but from his surroundings, an incidental advantage. Wealth is not an intrinsic virtue - he remains the same person, just one with money or without money. Wisdom, however, is an intrinsic virtue; one cannot say "he is the same person, only with intellect or without intellect," because the intellect is an integral part of him.
The Malbim further explains the distinction between ish and adam: adam refers exclusively to the human species, whereas ish is a general designation for all existing entities, related to the word yesh (existence). A proof of this is found in the Torah portion: "Of the beasts... a male and his mate [literally ish ve'ishto]" - showing that the concept of ish ve'ishto applies even to animals. There is also an additional lesson here, that a husband and wife can act like beasts. From this distinction: to ish, derived from yesh, is attributed the subjugation of one's physical existence in practice, through bodily fasting - "and each person humbled [vayishpal]." Meanwhile, to adam, which indicates the superior status of man compared to all other creations, is attributed the bowing down - the submission of the heart and inner standing, "and man shall be bowed down [vayishach]."
בּוֹא בַצּוּר וְהִטָּמֵן בֶּעָפָר מִפְּנֵי פַּחַד ה' וּמֵהֲדַר גְּאֹנוֹ׃ - Enter the rock and hide in the dust from the dread of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty.
The prophet says: Master of the Universe, do not accept their repentance; rather, let them receive their punishment and be forced to enter the rock and hide in the dust. The Malbim explains that here the clauses of the verse are parallel in a crisscross fashion. As noted on several occasions, the rule is: a sentence composed of four parts - A, B, C, D - where part A corresponds to part C, and part B corresponds to part D. Here: "Enter the rock" (A), "and hide in the dust" (B), "from the dread of the Lord" (C), "and from the splendor of His majesty" (D). Thus: enter the rock - from the dread of the Lord; and hide in the dust - from the splendor of His majesty. The Malbim applies this interpretive principle in numerous places throughout Tanach.
And what is the reasoning behind this parallel? Rock is solid and sturdy, capable of providing shelter and saving one from actual harm: if arrows are shot at you and you are behind a rock, you are saved, and even from an explosive, if the rock is strong enough. Dust, on the other hand, provides no such barrier; "hide" [hitamen] simply means concealing oneself from the sight of the pursuer, but if he shoots in that direction one will be struck, for it is merely a mound of dirt. Therefore, "from the dread of the Lord," which refers to fear of punishment - "enter the rock," where alone one can find refuge and be saved. By contrast, "the splendor of His majesty" refers not to fear of punishment but to awe of Divine transcendence - and against this, hiding in the dust suffices, like a bat that cannot bear to look upon the light and flees to a dark place. This is also like Adam HaRishon, who, when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to him, went immediately and hid behind the tree, unable to bear the splendor of God's presence.
עֵינֵי גַּבְהוּת אָדָם שָׁפֵל וְשַׁח רוּם אֲנָשִׁים וְנִשְׂגַּב ה' לְבַדּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא׃ - The haughty eyes of man shall be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; and Hashem alone shall be exalted on that day.
"The haughty eyes of man (adam) shall be humbled" - those who are elevated in their very essence, possessing intrinsic virtue, not those whom wealth made prominent or whom political appointments made important, but rather those elevated in wisdom and valour - they will lower their eyes and submit themselves before Hashem, blessed be He. "And the loftiness of men (anashim) brought low" - even those who possess only incidental status, such as the wealthy or holders of high office, their haughtiness too will be bent low and their stature brought down before Hashem. Consequently, "and Hashem alone shall be exalted on that day" - only the Holy One, blessed be He, will be exalted, and there is none besides Him.
כִּי יוֹם לַה' צְבָאוֹת עַל כׇּל גֵּאֶה וָרָם וְעַל כׇּל נִשָּׂא וְשָׁפֵל׃ - For a day is set by Hashem of Hosts against all that is proud and lofty, and against all that is lifted up and low.
And what will stir them to submit and repent? A day prepared by Hashem, blessed be He, in which He will call everything to account. The Malbim explains the distinction between "lofty" (ram) and "lifted up" (nissa): "ram" denotes intrinsic height, whereas "nissa" implies being elevated by outside factors, climbing higher and higher. "Against all that is proud and lofty" - one who truly possesses intrinsic virtue and takes pride in it, which is repulsive in the eyes of Hashem. "And against all that is lifted up and low" - one who has no intrinsic virtue at all and is inherently base, yet seeks to elevate himself and strives to attain status. On that day, the Holy One, blessed be He, will exact retribution from all of them.
וְעַל כׇּל אַרְזֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן הָרָמִים וְהַנִּשָּׂאִים וְעַל כׇּל אַלּוֹנֵי הַבָּשָׁן׃ - And against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, and against all the oaks of Bashan.
From here onward, each and every verse corresponds to these two categories: against the "proud and lofty," and against the "lifted up and low." The cedars of Lebanon represent those with intrinsic stature, for the cedar is mighty and strong - an allegory for the proud and lofty who possess inherent distinction, whether in wisdom or in valour. The oaks of Bashan are smaller than the cedars, corresponding to the "lifted up" - those who are base in their own right, yet attempt to elevate themselves and put on an imposing show as though they were great.
וְעַל כׇּל הֶהָרִים הָרָמִים וְעַל כׇּל הַגְּבָעוֹת הַנִּשָּׂאוֹת׃ - And against all the high mountains, and against all the exalted hills.
The high mountains stand tall and safe from enemies, offering a place of refuge and deliverance; they serve as an allegory for great warriors, corresponding to the "proud and lofty." The smaller hills correspond to the "lifted up and low," who have no intrinsic virtue of their own, but merely try to make an impression. And Hashem will call them all to account.
וְעַל כׇּל מִגְדָּל גָּבֹהַּ וְעַל כׇּל חוֹמָה בְצוּרָה׃ - And against every high tower, and against every fortified wall.
The high tower is built atop the wall and is more fortified than it, as arrows were shot from it; warriors stood within it and struck at the enemy through its battlements. Therefore, the high tower is the stronger of the two, corresponding to the cedars and to the "proud and lofty." The fortified wall, which is inferior in strength to the tower, corresponds to the "lifted up and low," who is inherently base yet still seeks to puff himself up. And Hashem will take vengeance upon all of them.
וְעַל כׇּל אֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ וְעַל כׇּל שְׂכִיּוֹת הַחֶמְדָּה׃ - And against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all delightful craft.
The ships of Tarshish are the ships that sail on the Sea of Tarshish. King Solomon sent from there to bring ivory, peacocks, and gold - and from where? From Africa. And here is a reminder of the need to review Sefer Melachim, for the phrasing recurs there.
"Delightful imagery" (s'chiyot hachemdah) - Rashi explains this from the root maskit, as in "and a figured stone (even maskit) you shall not place in your land," a stone used for paving the ground upon which it is forbidden to prostrate oneself. From this, in places with actual stone flooring, doing push-ups presents a genuine halachic difficulty, as some authorities are concerned about the prohibition of even maskit, and one who wishes to do so should place a mat or carpet there. With ceramic tiles there is more room for leniency, since it is not natural stone itself but crushed stone that was remanufactured; but on genuine stone, the halachic authorities state that one should be careful, always placing a cloth, mat, or blanket rather than doing them directly on the stone. According to this, s'chiyot hachemdah refers to an opulent place paved with the most precious stones, luxurious marble slabs, with chemdah meaning something that one covets and desires.
The Radak explains s'chiyot chemdah as paintings or imagery, from the expression "each man in his painted chambers" (ish bechadrei maskito) - inner rooms that were painted and decorated with murals on the walls, where people would store their treasures and coveted possessions. According to this: "Upon all the ships of Tarshish" refers to those who boast of their immense wealth, importing gold from Ophir across the Sea of Tarshish, corresponding to the proud and lofty. "And upon all delightful imagery" represents a lower level: one who does not possess silver and gold brought from Tarshish, but possesses delightful treasures hidden in his chambers and takes pride in them, corresponding to the elevated who shall be brought low.
וְשַׁח גַּבְהוּת הָאָדָם וְשָׁפֵל רוּם אֲנָשִׁים וְנִשְׂגַּב ה' לְבַדּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא׃ - And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day.
When the glory of Hashem is revealed, it will become clear that all the honor and greatness a person imagined he possessed are absolute nothingness, utter vanity and delusion. What virtue or greatness can one claim compared to the greatness of Hashem, blessed be He? To what may this be compared? A person walks around with a candle and boasts about it. His fellow comes and says to him, "You have a candle, but I have a flashlight." A third arrives and says, "What is a flashlight? I have a searchlight; see how much light I cast!" Suddenly the sun appears - and what is the value of the searchlight? Nothing at all. It may even cast a shadow by comparison, and he would do better to turn it off. Only then is its utter insignificance laid bare. This is the meaning of "And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled" - those possessing intrinsic stature, "and the loftiness of men brought low" - those who rose to prominence even though they lacked true stature. And the underlying reason: "And the Lord alone shall be exalted on that day."
וְהָאֱלִילִים כָּלִיל יַחֲלֹף׃ - And the idols shall utterly pass away.
Radak wrote approximately seven hundred years ago that already in his time idol worship had ceased among most nations, yet it still remained in the far reaches of the east, the Far East. The reason for this is that when Avraham Avinu gave gifts to the sons of the concubines, he imparted to them names of impurity to operate sorcery, and sent them away - "eastward, to the land of the east" (kedmah el eretz bnei kedem). The Ha'amek Davar observes with precision: Why is the expression kedem repeated twice? This indicates the east of the east, the Far East. And there we find that until this day they used names of impurity. This is also the origin of the expression "abracadabra" - in Aramaic, avra ka'dibra, "what Avraham spoke," as if to say that before every act of sorcery they would claim to have received it from Avraham, thereby working their magic. And even though idolatry is already greatly diminished today, Scripture states, "shall utterly pass away" - they will be abolished entirely, until there will no longer be any entity worshipped as an idol, and none will remain besides Hashem alone.
וּבָאוּ בִּמְעָרוֹת צֻרִים וּבִמְחִלּוֹת עָפָר מִפְּנֵי פַּחַד ה' וּמֵהֲדַר גְּאוֹנוֹ בְּקוּמוֹ לַעֲרֹץ הָאָרֶץ׃ - And they shall enter into the caverns of the rocks and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty, when He arises to shatter the earth.
The Malbim explains: What the prophet urged in verse 10, "Enter into the rock and hide in the dust," will indeed take place in reality when Hashem reveals Himself to shatter all tyrants and all the wicked who inflict suffering on the earth. Here as well, the parallel clauses of the verse match: "And they shall enter into the caverns of the rocks" parallels "from before the terror of the Lord"; "and into the holes of the earth" parallels "from the splendor of His majesty." And when? "When He arises to shatter the earth" - the word la'arotz being related to lerotzetz, to crush and break.
And what is the difference between a cave and a tunnel? A cave forms naturally, whereas a tunnel is something humans dig and construct themselves. Therefore, tunnels are in the earth, for no one digs tunnels into rock, as that is extremely difficult, certainly with the mechanics of their time. And in earthen tunnels there is no way to be saved from the sword and from harm, but only to hide from the majesty of His pride, so that the light of Hashem should not shine upon him, out of shame before Him. But to the caves of the rocks they will go to be saved, as it were, from punishment before Hashem, because rock is strong.
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יַשְׁלִיךְ הָאָדָם אֵת אֱלִילֵי כַסְפּוֹ וְאֵת אֱלִילֵי זְהָבוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לוֹ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לַחְפֹּר פֵּרוֹת וְלָעֲטַלֵּפִים׃ - On that day, man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made for him to bow down to, to the moles and to the bats.
"To the moles and to the bats" - the Malbim explains that these were types of idols, and it is a wondrous thing. One can understand a person making an idol in the form of a wild ox, a large and fearsome beast, or a lion. But why would a person make an idol in the shape of a mouse or a bat?
Rather, the ancients attributed divine powers to the forms of animals when they wished to utilize that form for their needs. Land animals, domestic animals, creatures of the desert and the sea, and winged birds - they had all of them as types of idols, from which they would supposedly draw spiritual influences for success in the specific areas they needed. If one needed success on his journey through the desert, he would take the form of a desert animal and worship it so that it would channel positive influences for him in the desert. If he was about to set sail on the sea, he would worship Dagon, in order to draw influence from the god of the sea. And if he needed to dig tunnels in the earth, he would make an idol of a mole that burrows in the ground, and of bats that rule over caves and excavations, where their natural habitat lies. For every need, they had a specific form of idol worship.
Therefore, when they would have to hide in caves and tunnels, according to their way of thinking they would need to bow down to the forms of moles and bats, which rule over those places. The verse comes to teach: on that day, man will cast away even the idols of silver and idols of gold that he possessed previously. And if you might say that he would now make idols according to the new need, since he is hiding in a cave and a tunnel and requires an idol of a bat or a mole - even those he will cast away and not worship them.
לָבוֹא בְּנִקְרוֹת הַצֻּרִים וּבִסְעִפֵי הַסְּלָעִים מִפְּנֵי פַּחַד ה' וּמֵהֲדַר גְּאוֹנוֹ בְּקוּמוֹ לַעֲרֹץ הָאָרֶץ׃ - To enter the clefts of the rocks and the crevices of the cliffs, before the dread of Hashem and the majesty of His pride, when He arises to terrify the earth.
And this is the reason: after all, the reason he enters the clefts of the rocks is out of the dread of Hashem, out of fear of punishment and awe of His exalted majesty. How could it be that within that very tunnel where he seeks to be saved from Hashem, he would worship another deity? There, they will already abandon their idols and the pagan practices that were prevalent at the time.
And the Malbim notes with precision: a neker (cleft) is a round cavity, which is why it is used for gouging out eyes (nikur einayim), where a round socket is formed; similarly, "the hole of the pit from which you were dug (nukartem)," where the pickaxe creates a round hole. This was found in flint and hard rocks, where they would hide. A cliff (sela), on the other hand, is softer relative to hard rock (tzur), and it contains branches and fissures, a tunnel that branches off this way and that - therefore the verse says "and the crevices of the cliffs," places branching out from one spot to another.
חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר נְשָׁמָה בְּאַפּוֹ כִּי בַמֶּה נֶחְשָׁב הוּא׃ - Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what account is he?
While recounting all the delusions of the people of that generation, who exchanged their glory for futility and vanity and bowed down to creeping creatures, moles, and bats, to the point that these were considered in their eyes greater than man himself - for if one bows down to a mole, who is more important? The mole, since the lowly one always bows to that which is loftier than him - the prophet tells them: If this is what you do, cease from man; stop calling yourselves by the name of man whose breath is in his nostrils. You do not belong to humankind at all.
The Malbim explains: Any statement whose beginning contradicts its conclusion, in order to resolve it, one must modify either its beginning or its conclusion, for otherwise a contradiction remains. Now, the premise that man should bow down to animals is an inherent contradiction: adam (man) signifies a being of superior standing, possessing exalted rank and stature; yet if he bows down to animals, he is degraded. It must be one of two things: either he should not be called adam, for he possesses no superiority, or we must say that animals have no superior standing. But one cannot claim that man is superior and nevertheless bows down to animals. Therefore, the prophet says: "Cease from man" - cease calling yourselves adam; "for what is he accounted of?" - what significance do you possess if you bow down to animals? Consequently, the title adam is no longer worthy of being applied to you.
The chapter opens with the vision of the End of Days, in which the mountain of the House of Hashem will be established at the top of the mountains, the nations will stream to it, and the peoples will go to it to seek Torah. King Mashiach will judge between the nations by the power of the law he enacts and will rebuke the peoples through the power of moral rebuke, until war is eradicated from the world. From this vision, the prophet calls to Israel with a kal vachomer (an a fortiori argument): "O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of Hashem" - if they will arrive at this from out of darkness, then you, who already have the light in your hands, why should you wait? From here the prophet turns to rebuke: the abandonment of Hashem's ways through soothsaying and marrying foreign women, the wealth and horses that bred pride, and the idols made with their own fingers. The chapter concludes with the day of Hashem upon all that is proud and lofty and upon all that is uplifted and low, in which all height will be bowed down and all haughtiness brought low, the idols will utterly pass away, and Hashem alone will be exalted on that day.