Chapter 3 of Yeshayahu is a harrowing depiction of a process of disintegration: the removal of all supports from Jerusalem and Judah, the collapse of leadership, and a moral decline that culminates in destruction. In the section before us, we delve into the depths of this process: what happens when no one wants to lead, what lies at the root of the corruption, what is truly the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked, and finally, the lengthy rebuke of the daughters of Zion and their jewelry and seductions. We will follow the order of the pesukim based on the commentary of the Malbim, alongside the insights of Rashi, Radak, and Chazal.
"You Have a Cloak; Be Our Chief"
כִּי־יִתְפֹּשׂ אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו בֵּית אָבִיו שִׂמְלָה לְכָה קָצִין תִּהְיֶה־לָּנוּ וְהַמַּכְשֵׁלָה הַזֹּאת תַּחַת יָדֶךָ׃ (ו) - "For a man will seize his brother of his father's house: 'You have a cloak; be our chief, and let this ruined heap be under your hand.'"
The Malbim explains: in the past, everyone ran after positions of authority. Everyone sought to be leaders and chiefs, as it brought honor both to the individual and to the entire family. Now the tables have turned: a person will seize his brother or a member of his father's house and tell him, "You have a cloak" - you possess garments of honor; you are fit to be our chief, and this will bring honor to you and your family. Not only that, but "and let this ruined heap be under your hand" - all the insolence of the youth, what we read earlier as "the youth will act insolently toward the elder," is in your power to address. It is within your ability to change reality. Therefore, if you do not rectify it, the guilt will rest on you.
However, the Malbim notes that there is also an element of irony here: look what kind of leader there will be in those days. The decline will be so severe that simply possessing a fine cloak will qualify someone to lead. People will not look for substance or inner depth. If someone speaks well, dresses well, and looks good on camera - that is enough; they put him at the helm. "You have a cloak" - it is enough that he has fine clothing for him to be considered a distinguished person worthy of leading the nation. This illustrates the deterioration: people of true substance and stature will no longer be found, and only base individuals will rise, whose sole virtue is their attire.
There is a wise saying: when small men cast long shadows, it is a sign that the sun is setting. When the sun sets, a small object appears large. When you suddenly see a small person casting a long shadow, it signals a complete decline, a terrible situation on all fronts.
Rashi cites the words of Chazal offering a different explanation: "You have a cloak" - you are rich in Torah, and Torah is as clear to you as a spread-out garment; you are proficient in it. Therefore, "be our chief" - come and teach us. "And let this ruined heap be under your hand" - our stumbling in matters of prohibited and permitted, ritual impurity and purity, is your responsibility. If you do not teach us and instruct us, we will naturally fail to act properly.
Another explanation concerns monetary matters: "You have a cloak" - you have wealth, and it is in your power to clothe the poor who go naked due to their extreme poverty. "And this ruined heap" - the fact that people are starving and have nothing to eat - is "under your hand," since you have the means to feed and sustain them. Therefore, be our chief.
The Response: "I Will Not Be a Ruler"
יִשָּׂא בַיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר לֹא־אֶהְיֶה חֹבֵשׁ וּבְבֵיתִי אֵין לֶחֶם וְאֵין שִׂמְלָה לֹא תְשִׂימֻנִי קְצִין עָם׃ (ז) - "On that day he will swear, saying: 'I will not be a binder of wounds, and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; do not make me a chief of the people.'"
"He will swear [yisa]" - Rashi explains that yisa is an expression of taking an oath. He swears to them that he will not accept the position. According to the spiritual interpretation mentioned earlier: "I will not be a chovesh" - I will not even be among those who occupy [chovshei] the study hall. "And in my house there is neither bread nor clothing" - I possess neither the flavor of Mishnah nor the depth of Aggadah. That is to say: You think I know something? In truth, I have nothing at all. This represents decline within decline: they assume he is knowledgeable, yet he replies that he has nothing to offer them.
According to its simple meaning, Rashi explains: chovesh means a judge, from the root of machbosh - a prison. A judge possesses the authority to imprison people in jail, and so he tells them: I will not be a leader who imprisons people.
The Malbim continues along this line: In the past, it was a great honor to be a leader, but in this generation a state will be reached where it is a disgrace. Therefore, he will answer them: I will not even be a "healer" (chovesh). In earlier times, there was honor and glory for one granted authority, for insolent people were not common. But now he says: I will not be a leader, but at most a jailer, an officer who imprisons offenders in jail - because the brazen and the unruly have multiplied, and how could I lead? And he adds: I cannot even be a jailer, for if I engage in repairing the ruin and putting the criminals, rebels, and brazen into prison, I will have to neglect all my business, and from what will I make a living? This is the meaning of "and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing" - I would be forced to lose my wealth and abandon my affairs to deal with the state of the people. Therefore, "do not make me a leader of the people."
The Root of the Downfall: Hypocrisy
כִּי כָשְׁלָה יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וִיהוּדָה נָפָל כִּי־לְשׁוֹנָם וּמַעַלְלֵיהֶם אֶל־יְהֹוָה לַמְרוֹת עֵנֵי כְבוֹדוֹ׃ (ח) - For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their tongue and their deeds are against Hashem, defying the eyes of His glory. (8)
Jerusalem is the royal capital, and when the capital stumbles, Judah, which is governed by it, inevitably falls as well. When the leader falls, the subjects fall too. And what is the reason? "Because their tongue and their deeds are against Hashem." The Malbim explains that they were hypocrites in two realms: both in matters between man and God and in matters between man and his fellow man. In the mitzvot between man and God, they presented themselves as righteous when they were not - wearing a hairy mantle to deceive, projecting the image of a tzaddik and God-fearing person, like a miracle-working "baba," so people would be drawn after him. In his speech and his deeds, he proclaims that his sole desire is to serve Hashem and that only Hashem's will is before his eyes. But what good is that when he defies the eyes of Hashem's providence - as if Hashem does not see? Does Hashem not see what you profess, and does He not know the secrets of your heart?
הַכָּרַת פְּנֵיהֶם עָנְתָה בָּם וְחַטָּאתָם כִּסְדֹם הִגִּידוּ לֹא כִחֵדוּ אוֹי לְנַפְשָׁם כִּי־גָמְלוּ לָהֶם רָעָה׃ (ט) - The look of their faces testifies against them, and their sin they declared like Sodom, they did not conceal it. Woe to their soul, for they have dealt evil unto themselves! (9)
Furthermore, one cannot deceive people for long either. Hypocrisy and flattery, says the Malbim, are noticeable on the face, and the face bears witness to what lies deep within the heart. It is apparent from the face who truly fears Hashem and who is a counterfeit and a hypocrite. Do you think you are only deceiving Hashem? You are not even deceiving people.
And a third point: Even if he commits sins between man and God in secret, "and their sin they declared like Sodom" - interpersonal sins are open matters. When a person robs, defrauds, and steals, it cannot be done in secret. One can pretend to be a righteous and God-fearing person while being wicked at heart, but one cannot hide sins between man and his fellow man. "They declared, they did not conceal" - these sins, as it were, proclaim and publicize to everyone the wickedness of these leaders, as if they had committed them in plain sight. Who could mistakenly think you are a tzaddik? And even if you think you can fool everyone, know that you are only harming yourself - and this will be explained in the coming verses.
Regarding the phrase "testified against them" (antah vam): The Malbim notes that the root anah appears in several forms, which carry completely different meanings. La'anot et means answering a question - I answered him regarding what he asked. La'anot le is like ve'anita ve'amarta, an expression of raising one's voice. La'anot be can mean affliction (inui), and also testimony, as in "Do not bear false witness against your neighbor" (lo ta'aneh vere'acha). Here, "the look of their faces testified against them" (antah vam) with the preposition bet is an expression of testimony: the look on his face already testifies that this person is wicked and deceitful, and that everything about him is merely an outward show.
Righteousness is Good in Itself
אִמְרוּ צַדִּיק כִּי־טוֹב כִּי־פְרִי מַעַלְלֵיהֶם יֹאכֵלוּ׃ (י) - Say of the righteous that it is good, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. (10)
Sometimes a person wants to perform an act of righteousness or a good deed for external gain: so people will respect him, to receive a reward, or to be given an office. He acts righteously not for the sake of righteousness itself, but for personal gain. To this, the prophet says: Tell the righteous that righteousness is good in itself, and not merely a tool to attain something else. This can be compared to a person who plants a tree - what does he wish to gain from planting it? Fruit. He does not plant a tree that bears fruit merely to acquire some third thing through it. The benefit of the tree is the very fruit it produces. So too, the benefit of righteousness is the very fact that justice and righteousness were done. "For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" - the righteousness itself is already the desired outcome; it is the fruit. Do not seek additional rewards.
Woe to the Wicked, Evil - The Recompense of His Hands
אוֹי לְרָשָׁע רָע כִּי־גְמוּל יָדָיו יֵעָשֶׂה לּוֹ׃ (יא) - "Woe to the wicked, it is evil, for the recompense of his hands shall be dealt to him." (11)
Often, a wicked person commits a deed and thinks that no harm resulted from it. The prophet tells him: you are mistaken. Wickedness in and of itself is the evil. The very act of doing what is not good is intrinsically an evil thing. This is the meaning of "Woe to the wicked, it is evil" - the worst thing of all is the wickedness itself. Do not say, "In the end, no one was harmed, so what came of it?"; the transgression itself, the very corruption, is the evil. And this is what is meant by the verse, "For evil and bitter is your forsaking Hashem your God."
What is the reward of the righteous? The very fact that righteousness exists in the world. And what is the evil of committing wickedness? The very fact that evil exists in the world - that is the most terrible thing, even without being told that there is a punishment and that you will pay a price.
In deeper terms, the Malbim explains: when a person commits a sin, he does not receive an external retribution; rather, "the recompense of his hands shall be dealt to him." To use an analogy: if you drove at excessive speed, a policeman pulled you over, and you received a ticket - the punishment is external to the deed you did; there is no necessary connection between the harm and the action. But if, Heaven forbid, a person drove at excessive speed, could not brake in time, and as a result was involved in an accident and severely injured - is that punishment external to the violation? That is literally "the recompense of his hands shall be dealt to him"; you reap what you sow. There is no one from the outside coming to punish; it is not like a policeman handing out a ticket, and it is not like an official in Heaven reviewing a ledger and imposing a fine. Rather, you harm yourself.
For in truth, when a person commits an evil deed, he creates a destructive force, and this destroyer must be sustained and fed by something. What does the Holy One, Blessed is He, do? He tells it: "Behold, what is yours is before you; this person created you, so go to him to sustain you." And how does the destroyer sustain itself from the person and draw nourishment from him? By afflicting him. It turns out that the one who harms the person is the person himself, the work of his own hands. This is why the prophet says, "Your own wickedness will chastise you" - it is not a separate punishment. Likewise, "A man's foolishness perverts his way, and his heart frets against Hashem." A person's foolishness leads him to pervert his way, and then he suffers blows. He walks down a treacherous, obstacle-strewn path and falls into pits, and afterward he complains: "Master of the Universe, why did You make me fall?" But I put signs up for you! The paved road is here, and there is the treacherous path, yet you insisted on walking there.
Therefore, scripture specifically says, "Woe to the wicked, it is evil." What is the greatest "woe"? When a person harms himself. When someone else causes harm, there is someone else to blame and one does not feel guilty. There was once a person, may Hashem have mercy, who was a heavy smoker, fell ill, and passed away. He said something that expresses this exact point: "What comforts me is that I did not contract lung cancer, but a different form of cancer." Why did that comfort him? Because the hardest thought for a person to bear is, "What a fool I was; I killed myself." He said: "This is unrelated; even a healthy non-smoker can contract leukemia or other illnesses." A person is facing death, and what calmed him was knowing that he had not brought the harm upon himself. This is "Woe to the wicked, it is evil" - the great woe is that the wicked person harms himself, for the recompense of his hands is dealt to him, and that is the greatest heartache of all.
The Sages' Teaching: A Good Righteous Person and an Evil Wicked Person
Our Sages expound: "Say of the righteous that he is good" - is there then a good righteous person and a righteous person who is not good? Rather, one who is good to Heaven and good to people is a good righteous person, and regarding him it is said, "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" - he enjoys their fruit in this world while the principal remains intact for him in the World to Come. One who is good to Heaven but not good to people, who does not get along with others, is a righteous person who is not good. Likewise, "Woe to the wicked, it is evil" - is there an evil wicked person and a wicked person who is not evil? Rather, one who is evil to Heaven and evil to people is an evil wicked person; one who is evil to Heaven but not evil to people is a wicked person who is not evil. And as for the evil wicked person - the recompense of his hands will be dealt to him in this world.
They further taught: Merit has principal and it has fruit - when a person performs a mitzvah, he has principal and also accrues dividends, as it is said, "for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds." A sin has principal but has no fruit, as it is said, "for the recompense of his hands shall be dealt to him" - what you did is what you will receive. That is, unless the sin bore fruit, such as when one engaged in an illicit union and fathered a child through it, in which case the transgression also has fruit that develops from it later on.
"My People, Its Oppressors Mock It"
עַמִּי נֹגְשָׂיו מְעוֹלֵל וְנָשִׁים מָשְׁלוּ בוֹ עַמִּי מְאַשְּׁרֶיךָ מַתְעִים וְדֶרֶךְ אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ בִּלֵּעוּ׃ (יב) - "As for My people, its oppressors mock it, and creditors rule over it; My people, your guides lead you astray and destroy the direction of your paths." (12)
The Malbim explains that the sequence of the verse is: My people mocks - meaning scoffs at - its oppressors who exact taxes from it, because creditors rule over it - "nashim" here being from the root noshim, meaning creditors. The situation of the Jewish people had deteriorated so drastically that when the oppressors came to collect the king's levy, the person would scoff at them and say: "What did you come to take? Search, and if you find anything, take it." Why? Because the creditors already held sway over him; he owed so much money to so many people that he had nothing left to his name. This is a terrible decline: he does not even have enough to pay taxes, on account of his overwhelming debts to creditors.
"My people, your guides cause you to err" - those who are supposed to set you on the blessed path, the straight path, are the very ones leading you astray from the proper path. And not only that, but also "and destroy the way of your paths" - even the straight path you were accustomed to, they corrupted, so that you would not be able to return to it, as if it were swallowed up and gone.
The Malbim explains: The path of the Torah is called a paved highway, an established and straight road, and from this road branch out crooked paths. One who walks in the path of the Torah walks on the main highway, and one who strays from it walks on winding trails. Those "guides" promised immediate and readily available happiness - lusts, pleasures, and worldly matters - and led the person astray from the road. But they feared that he might yet return to the right path, so they corrupted and distorted the central highway itself as well. They thereby ensured that when he eventually realizes that the crooked paths lead nowhere, he will have nowhere to return to. The moral: they distorted the fundamentals of faith. As long as they retained the fundamentals of faith, even if a person walked on crooked paths, he could still return to the paved road, to faith in Hashem. But once they corrupted their minds, their intellect, and the fundamentals of faith - the paved highway itself was swallowed up and destroyed, leaving no way back.
The Malbim adds that the repetition of "My people... My people..." refers to two types of success. Regarding material success - wealth and livelihood - he said, "its oppressors are babes, and women rule over it," meaning they have no financial success. And regarding inner, spiritual success in the service of Hashem - "your guides cause you to err," for those who are supposed to ensure your spiritual bliss deceive you and promise you fulfillment in idols and falsehoods.
Standing to Contend and Arising to Judge
נִצָּב לָרִיב יְהֹוָה וְעֹמֵד לָדִין עַמִּים׃ (יג) - Hashem stands up to plead, and arises to judge peoples.
The prophet says: When Hashem comes to judge His people for their evil deeds, it will become clear that the primary blame rests upon the elders, the judges, and the leaders, for they are the ones who corrupted the people. Therefore, as it were, a court session will be convened to judge them. "And arises to judge peoples" - to judge them, including the leaders of the Jewish people, the judges, and the elders who did not guide the people onto the right path. And the Holy One, blessed be He, will as it were also be the prosecutor: the plaintiff is called the ba'al riv (adversary in dispute), for there is a dispute between parties, and the judge is called the dayan. "Hashem stands up to contend" - the Holy One, blessed be He, stands ready to prosecute those judges and elders.
The Malbim analyzes the difference between nitzav and omed, a distinction familiar in Hebrew to this day: Omed simply means standing (the opposite of sitting), whereas nitzav means standing firmly in place, standing with resolve and firmness. Thus, anyone who is nitzav is omed, but not everyone who is omed is nitzav; one can stand passively without being nitzav. Furthermore, nitzav denotes confronting, standing directly opposite someone in challenge. Therefore, regarding the dispute, Scripture says nitzav - the Holy One, blessed be He, as a litigant coming to present His claims, stands firmly and confronts the defendant. But regarding judgment, it says omed - those who stand before the judge merely stand, and the judge evaluates both sides equally, without an attitude of confrontation.
The Elders and the Leaders
יְהֹוָה בְּמִשְׁפָּט יָבוֹא עִם־זִקְנֵי עַמּוֹ וְשָׂרָיו וְאַתֶּם בִּעַרְתֶּם הַכֶּרֶם גְּזֵלַת הֶעָנִי בְּבָתֵּיכֶם׃ (יד) - Hashem will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and its leaders: "For you have eaten up the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses."
This is the continuation of the previous verse: With whom is Hashem about to enter into judgment? With the elders of His people and its leaders. Toward the elders, who are supposed to guide the people in mitzvot between man and God, He says: "For you have eaten up the vineyard." The Jewish people are compared to a vineyard, as we will see later in chapter 5 where they are called the vineyard of Hashem, and the fruit of the vineyard represents mitzvot and good deeds. You, the elders, were supposed to be the keepers of the vineyard and ensure that the Jewish people perform mitzvot and good deeds; not only did you fail to protect it, you yourselves consumed and ruined the vineyard.
And toward the leaders, who are supposed to guide the people in legal and judicial matters, in areas between man and his fellow man, He says: "The plunder of the poor is in your houses." You were appointed to rescue the poor from their oppressors, and not only did you fail to rescue them, you yourselves plundered them. Thus, Hashem enters into judgment with the elders regarding the vineyard, and with the leaders regarding the plunder of the poor.
You Crush and You Grind - and Why?
מַה־לָּכֶם תְּדַכְּאוּ עַמִּי וּפְנֵי עֲנִיִּים תִּטְחָנוּ נְאֻם־אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה צְבָאוֹת׃ (טו) - "What do you mean that you crush My people, and grind the face of the poor? says the Lord, God of Hosts."
The Malbim analyzes the precise difference between tedak'u (from the root of crushing or pounding) and titchanu (from the root of grinding). When dealing with something large, one first pounds it into small crumbs, and only afterward can it be ground into flour; these two actions require two distinct utensils. One who takes a mortar and pestle will not produce flour, but only coarse crumbs; flour is produced solely in a mill. On the other hand, a large piece cannot enter between the millstones at all; it must already be broken down and fine, like individual grains of wheat or barley, which are then placed into the inner ring to be ground. Therefore, in order to grind, one must first crush. This is why the verse states, "And I beat it, grinding it thoroughly" - first pounding it into small pieces, and only then grinding. Likewise, "And they ground it in mills or pounded it in a mortar": if they wanted flour, they ground it in mills; if they did not want flour but intended to cook it - into groats, for example - they pounded it in a mortar and cooked it in a pot, which was a cooking vessel.
The parallel is clear: Initially, to obtain silver, gold, and bribes, the oppressors targeted those of means - the wealthy - and "crushed" them, since something large is pounded to extract what is inside. But once crushed, that person became impoverished, and what has already been crushed cannot be pounded again. What did they do to extract even more from him? They ground him. This is the meaning of "and grind the face of the poor": after reducing him to poverty through crushing, you continue to grind him down fine to wring out the very last remaining crumbs.
Because the Daughters of Zion Are Haughty
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה יַעַן כִּי גָבְהוּ בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וַתֵּלַכְנָה נְטוּיוֹת גָּרוֹן וּמְשַׂקְּרוֹת עֵינָיִם הָלוֹךְ וְטָפֹף תֵּלַכְנָה וּבְרַגְלֵיהֶם תְּעַכַּסְנָה׃ (טז) - And Hashem said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and glancing eyes, walking with tripping steps, and tinkling with their feet.
These two pesukim form a question and an answer. "What do you mean that you crush My people, and grind the face of the poor?" - Why is this happening? "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty." Hashem asks why they crush His people, and answers, as it were, Himself: because of your women. The women were haughty and squandered vast fortunes on jewelry, perfumes, and all manner of vanity, demanding that their husbands satisfy their endless desires. To keep up with these extravagant demands, the husbands were driven to steal, extort, and take bribes. This is why, immediately after the rebuke of unbridled greed, the prophet enumerates all the expensive jewelry they would wear.
Anyone reading the upcoming verses stands in astonishment: it is as though the prophet were standing in our own generation, rebuking the people for their shortcomings. And this does not merely refer to the secular boulevards of modern cities; a word to the wise is sufficient.
Rashi explains that these verses refer to the women who dominated the leadership: "Because they are haughty" - their wigs and braided hairstyles were piled high. "Glancing eyes" - this has two explanations: either from the idea of scanning and gazing everywhere to draw attention, or from sikra (red dye), meaning they painted their eyes with bold pigments to attract notice, using gaudy makeup, dye, and kohl. "Walking with tripping steps" - Rashi explains that tafof relates to floating above another, as a tall woman would intentionally walk beside a short one; wishing to stand out, she chose a short companion so that she would appear towering and floating above her.
Another explanation may be suggested: although not strictly implied by the formal grammar of Lashon HaKodesh, it captures a recognizable reality. Tafof evokes rhythmic tapping (*tifuf*). Many women seeking attention walk in noisy shoes or clacking heels audible from down the block, making sure everyone knows they are coming. While strictly speaking the root for drumming in Lashon HaKodesh begins with a tav, whereas tafof is spelled with a tet, the phonetic letters tet and tav often interchange.
Rashi further explains that they would weave artificial wigs and detached locks into their own hair to make it appear exceptionally thick and voluminous; if a woman lacked full hair, she would add hairpieces to create the impression of density and abundance. "And tinkling with their feet" - when passing young men in the marketplace, she would brush or tap him with her foot as a suggestive overture, as though giving him a slight kick to force him to look up at her. Chazal offer an additional explanation: they would place a vial of perfume in their shoes, and upon approaching a man, she would stomp her foot to spray the scent toward him and incite his evil inclination. This is why the word is akas, reminiscent of the venomous serpent (*echis*) - Rashi notes that the lust entered him like a serpent's venom. Yet another interpretation connects tafof to taf (young children), meaning they paraded through the street taking childish, mincing steps, or that an older woman walked beside a young child to highlight her own presence.
The Punishment: Scabs on the Scalp
וְשִׂפַּח אֲדֹנָי קׇדְקֹד בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וַיהֹוָה פׇּתְהֵן יְעָרֶה׃ (יז) - Therefore the Lord will smite with scabs the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Hashem will lay bare their secret parts.
From here begins the description of the punishment of those women who caused terrible, immense damage: both by demanding from their husbands and leading them to rob the poor, and by igniting the fire of lust in men. "And He will smite with scab (vesipach)" - Malbim explains that this is related to sapachat, a malignant scabrous lesion. Although sapachat is spelled with a samech and vesipach with a shin, shin and samech are interchangeable, like cheres (earthenware or sun) which appears with both a shin and a samech, and like ka'as (anger) which appears in Iyov with both a shin and a samech. This is a very common phenomenon: the letter shin in the Torah often becomes a samech in the language of Chazal, in order to create a distinction between shin and sin - like ta'aras in the Torah which is always spelled with a shin, while in Chazal it is always with a samech.
Thus, "the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion" - Hashem will afflict them with a malignant scab that will cause their hair to fall out, leaving them bald. Measure for measure: because they went about with elaborate, flowing locks that provoked desire, that very place will now be covered with tzara'at and scabs. And "will uncover their secret parts (pot·hen ye'areh)" - Malbim explains that the very place that was once adorned with hair will now be laid bare and covered with tzara'at.
There are other interpretations as well. Rashi cites the exposition of our Rabbis that vesipach is related to shifchah (a maidservant) - that they would become downtrodden maidservants. Others expounded that He would multiply upon them families upon families (mishpachot) of lice, sipach being related to mishpachah, or that swarms of lice would attach themselves (yistapchu) to them - and notice that this affliction strikes the head, corresponding to the sin that was centered on the head with those locks of hair mentioned by Rashi.
"Will uncover their secret parts (pot·hen ye'areh)" - Rashi explains that He will pour out their vessels, pot meaning a vessel, as in patya uchma (a black pot). Why? Because they used to say, "Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work" - I am not worried about the destruction; a Gentile officer or foreign soldier will come, see how beautiful and adorned I am, and take me as a wife, so I will not starve or suffer punishment. And when the calamities came, Nevuchadnetzar's officers indeed took them as wives because of their beauty - their plan seemed to have worked. But the Holy One, blessed be He, gave a sign, and they began to discharge menstrual blood like liquid poured from one vessel into another. Once they were afflicted with this issue of blood, they became loathsome to the officers, who cast them down to the ground from their carriages. The Targum renders this, "and He will remove their glory," stripping them of their splendor and dignity. This is the meaning of pot·hen ye'areh, both in the sense of pouring from vessel to vessel, and in the sense of exposing and laying bare. That is: you thought you would escape the decree, but on the contrary, all the physical beauty you took pride in will become utterly repulsive in the eyes of the foreign officer, and far from desiring them, he will despise them.
The Removal of the Jewelry
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָסִיר אֲדֹנָי אֵת תִּפְאֶרֶת הָעֲכָסִים וְהַשְּׁבִיסִים וְהַשַּׂהֲרֹנִים׃ (יח) - "On that day, the Lord will remove the beauty of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents."
Rashi explains: When the Holy One, blessed be He, brings Israel back to Him, He will remove from them the splendor of the anklets, so that they will no longer place their pride in the adornment of women's jewelry and in wanton matters. Ha'achasim (the anklets) were the shoes or foot-ornaments with which they jingled, as in "tinkling with their feet." Ha-shevisim (the headbands) - nets or bands worn on the head for ornament. Veha-saharonim (the crescents) - Targum Yonatan translates this as sevachya, types of netted hairbands or ornaments.
Radak explains that achasim were a sort of bells worn on the feet, so that as they walked in their shoes, they jingled and drew attention. Lehavdil, to make a vast distinction, there are bells on a Sefer Torah - and when the Sefer Torah is taken out, everyone immediately knows and stands; similarly, they placed bells on their feet, so that whenever a woman walked down the street, everyone immediately looked and noticed. Ha-shevisim, according to Radak, is related to shibatzim, from the root of mishbetzet and ketonet tashbetz, garments woven in a checkered pattern. Saharonim were ornaments shaped like a crescent moon, from the word sahar. All the jewelry with which they glorified themselves, took pride, and enticed others - Hashem will strip away from them.
הַנְּטִפוֹת וְהַשֵּׁירוֹת וְהָרְעָלוֹת׃ (יט) - "The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils."
"The pendants (ha-netifot)" - The Targum renders this as unkayya, from the phrase "and necklaces (anakim) for your neck," a necklace worn around the neck, called netifot because it hangs down (notefet) and drops along the body. And incidentally, why is a giant called an anak? Rashi explains, based on the Gemara: because they "surround the sun" (ma'anikim chamah) with their stature. When a smaller person stands looking up at a giant while the sun is behind him, the orb of the sun appears to shine around his neck like a necklace (anak).
"The bracelets (ha-sheirot)" - A shir is a bracelet or ring, as in the Mishnah, "an animal may go out with a ring (shir)." And why is it called a shir? Because it goes around and returns continuously, just like songs (shirim) where a person sings several lines and returns to the refrain, or always comes back to the same rhyme. But at its root, shir means a circular ring, and sheirot are the bracelets they would place upon their arms.
"The veils (ha-re'alot)" - A veil, like what is known today as a burqa or face veil, covering the entire face except for the eyes. At first glance, one might wonder: is this not a garment of modesty? Why does the prophet count it among the corrupted adornments? Rashi explains: ha-re'alot are veils with which they wrapped their entire faces except for the pupils of their eyes, specifically so that men would yearn to feast their eyes upon them. This too was done to attract attention, so that a person would long to catch a glimpse of their faces.
הַפְּאֵרִים וְהַצְּעָדוֹת וְהַקִּשֻּׁרִים וּבָתֵּי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהַלְּחָשִׁים׃ (כ) - The headdresses, the step-chains, the ribbons, the perfume bottles, and the amulets.
"Hape'eirim" (the headdresses) - Targum Yonatan translates this as "kelileya" (crowns), related to the expression "pe'eirei hamigba'ot" (the turbans), a type of head ornament they would wear. "Vehatze'adot" (the step-chains) - an etz'adah, a kind of garter or ornament worn on the lower legs. "Vehakishurim" (the ribbons) - decorative ribbons and bands that girls use to tie braids and ponytails, which they would make of gold. "Uvatei hanefesh" (the perfume bottles) - jewelry worn over the heart. "Vehalechashim" (the amulets) - rings they would place in the ear, a kind of earring; they are called lechashim from the root of whispering (lechishah), since one whispers into a companion's ear, so they were named after the place where whispering occurs.
הַטַּבָּעוֹת וְנִזְמֵי הָאָף׃ (כא) - The rings and the nose rings.
Rings in their simple meaning, and nose rings in their simple meaning.
הַמַּחֲלָצוֹת וְהַמַּעֲטָפוֹת וְהַמִּטְפָּחוֹת וְהָחֲרִיטִים׃ (כב) - The robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the purses.
"Hamachalatzot" (the robes) - "kitonya" in the Targum, the tunic, specifically a garment worn directly over the body; it is called machalatzot because when a person undresses, they pull it off (choletz) the body. "Hama'atafot" (the mantles) - Rashi explains these as bed linens, sheets, and "vehamitpachot" as tablecloths. Radak explains that ma'atafot are a wrap used for covering oneself, and mitpachot are a kind of scarf.
"Vehacharitim" (the purses) - according to Rashi and the Targum ("mechakhya" and "chumaz"), this refers to a corset or girdle, a special item placed against the womb; and machokh is also related to chiyukh (laughter/flirtation), an expression of promiscuity, levity, and immorality. Radak explains charitim just as the word is used in modern Hebrew: a pocket, a kind of small bag or ornate purse that they would carry. Radak notes that a pocket or pouch in Arabic is called kharita, and one should not be surprised that the letters chet and chaf interchange in many places, so charitim is like keritim. Radak similarly notes regarding the verse "Tevo'ach tevach vehachen" ("slaughter the meat and prepare") that in Arabic the cook is still called a tabakh. Semitic languages are known to be closely related - Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic - and many words can be understood by comparing one language to another.
וְהַגִּלְיֹנִים וְהַסְּדִינִים וְהַצְּנִיפוֹת וְהָרְדִידִים׃ (כג) - The mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils.
"Hagilyonim" (the mirrors) - Rashi explains these as mirrors, as the Targum translates "machzyata"; they were called gilyonim because they reveal (megalot) the appearance of the face. Rashi brings another explanation: their mirrors may have been rolled up - like reflective wallpaper that is unrolled - and therefore they were called gilyonim (scrolls). "Vehasadinim" (the linen garments) - linen sheets that they would wrap themselves in. "Vehatzenifot" (the turbans) - a kind of cloth head-wrap, from the root yitznof (to wind). "Veharedidim" (the veils) - a kind of pin or clasp used to fasten and bind the garment. Radak notes that this entire curse, everything Yeshayahu enumerates here until the end of the passage, was fulfilled in the days of Achaz. Now he describes what the punishment will be.
In Place of Perfume - Rot
וְהָיָה תַחַת בֹּשֶׂם מַק יִהְיֶה וְתַחַת חֲגוֹרָה נִקְפָּה וְתַחַת מַעֲשֶׂה מִקְשֶׁה קׇרְחָה וְתַחַת פְּתִיגִיל מַחֲגֹרֶת שָׂק כִּי־תַחַת יֹפִי׃ (כד) - And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spice there shall be rot, and instead of a belt, a rope; and instead of dressed hair, baldness; and instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.
"Instead of sweet spice there shall be rot" - in the very places where they would apply perfume to their bodies to entice, the flesh will rot away until it is impossible to place any perfume there; decay will set in there.
"And instead of a girdle, a rent [or: bruising]" - and the Malbim's phrasing is astonishing: the place where "they would tightly fasten their garments." Even back then, he speaks of those who walked in tight-fitting clothes. That very place where they would gird themselves tightly will be bruised and battered, to the point that they will no longer be able to wear a belt there. From the multitude of wounds and pain, it will be impossible to cinch their garments as they did before.
"And instead of well-set hair, baldness" - and another fascinating detail that they already practiced in their day: they would stiffen their hair so it would stand in sculpted curls, much like people use hairspray, gel, and the like today. And instead of that place where they stiffened the hair, there will be baldness, completely devoid of hair.
"And instead of a rich robe [petigil], a girding of sackcloth" - the Malbim notes: "Petigil has no equal," meaning we find no comparable word throughout all of Scripture. We are familiar with the word from Tikkun HaTal and Tikkun HaGeshem, but beyond that, it has no parallel in Tanach. The Malbim explains that it is a compound word: "patya" means a vessel or garment, and "gil" means joy - a garment they customarily wore on a day of rejoicing, a day of delight. And instead of that festive garment, there will be a girding of sackcloth, which is the attire of mourning and grief. "Patya" means a vessel in Aramaic, as in "patya uchma" (a black pot), and garments are also called "keilim" (vessels).
Rashi explains that "petigil" is two words: a vessel that brings about rejoicing, referring to the womb, and in place of that area there will be a girding of sackcloth. "Ki tachat yofi" (for/a brand instead of beauty) - the Malbim explains, as already taught by Chazal, that "ki" here is an independent word meaning a burn or brand: a brand will replace their beauty, and every place that was once beautiful on her will become a place of burns. Rashi, on the other hand, interprets "ki" as providing a rationale: "for" this is fitting for them in place of the beauty they previously flaunted.
Your Men Shall Fall by the Sword
מְתַיִךְ בַּחֶרֶב יִפֹּלוּ וּגְבוּרָתֵךְ בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃ (כה) - Your men shall fall by the sword, and your might in battle.
"Metayich" (your men) does not derive from "meitim" (the dead), as it is vocalized with a sheva, whereas if it derived from dead it would be vocalized with a tzeirei. Rather, "metayich" means your men, as in "meteiy me'at" which means few men, and as in "we utterly destroyed the entire city of men [ir metim]." Thus, your weak men will fall by the sword inside their city and their homes, while "and your might in battle" - those who are supposed to be the warriors and go out to fight will fall on the battlefield; they will go out to wage war and fall there.
Notice the Malbim's keen observation: it does not say "and your warriors [giborayich] in battle," but rather "and your might [gevuratech] in battle." When a warrior falls in battle, the very fact that he fought and performed an act of valor grants him an honorable title - indeed he fell, but he fell as a hero. Here, the opposite is true: the war will expose just how weak they were. All their might will dissolve and collapse in battle, and people will say: Are these the heroes we thought were mighty? Are these the fortifications we relied upon? They are worth nothing. It turns out that not only the warriors fell in battle, but also the very title of "might" that was attached to them. On the day of battle, it will become clear that all your might was merely on paper, and there was no true courage in you at all.
And Her Gates Shall Lament and Mourn
וְאָנוּ וְאָבְלוּ פְּתָחֶיהָ וְנִקָּתָה לָאָרֶץ תֵּשֵׁב׃ (כו) - And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she, stripped bare, shall sit upon the ground.
"And her gates shall lament and mourn" - the gateways of Zion will be in mourning. "Venikatah" (and she shall be emptied/cleansed) - all the virtues, advantages, and special qualities she once possessed will be cleared away from her. We have seen that the prophet presents a succession of curses, descent after descent, until there is no one left from whom to even collect taxes, for everything has been surrendered to creditors and they possess no money of their own. It ultimately reaches a state of "venikatah" - an utter and absolute clearing out.
The Malbim adds a fascinating explanation here: it was the custom of ancient nations not to mourn a warrior who fell in battle, so as not to weaken the resolve of the people. On the contrary, they made the day of his death a day of feasting and celebration, to show that he had acquired an everlasting name and that this was his supreme happiness; they would even punish the warrior's relatives and his widow if they mourned for him. We are somewhat familiar with this from our cousins: when a person dies in battle, they glorify and praise him, hold feasts and celebrations, and distribute sweets. When they see our soldiers going to a funeral and weeping, they laugh and mock: "They are like women, crying at a funeral." Among them, they do the reverse, celebrating and claiming that he died valiantly. Yet in truth, how did he die? He died like a coward - going to blow himself up in a restaurant. Is that heroism? He took pills to numb his senses and then went and detonated himself. There is no heroism in that at all. Nevertheless, in their eyes, if you weep for a fallen warrior, it is as though you are saying his death was in vain; therefore, on the contrary, they rejoice, asserting that his death is an honor for him.
And regarding this, the prophet says: a situation will arise where all the mighty men will die, and their widows - "her gates shall lament and mourn" - the doorways of that widowed woman, the warrior's wife. Seemingly, she would deserve punishment, for the royal regime used to punish any woman who mourned the death of her warrior husband, as if to imply that the king had sent him to his death and his death was not worthwhile. It was forbidden to mourn and forbidden to set up a house of mourning; on the contrary, they were expected to rejoice in his death, as though he had the privilege of laying down his life on the altar of the king. Even so, the prophet says, "and she will be cleared" - she will not be punished for this. And why? Because her mourning will not become known to anyone, nor will anyone's heart melt on account of her mourning, for there will no longer be anyone left to come and mourn with her, and she will mourn all alone. All the mighty men will die and all the warriors will be broken, until no one will care any longer lest her mourning melt the heart of the people - because there is no longer anyone's heart left to melt. Such a terrible crisis, where there are no more mighty men, no strong men, and no one left to fight. And this is descent after descent, all the way down to the lowest depths.
In summary:
The chapter depicts a total collapse: leadership that no one desires, to the point where having a mere "cloak" is enough to become a ruler; leaders who are approached and answer, "I will not be a healer," because they have nothing to give and nothing to forfeit; hypocrisy that deceives neither the Holy One, Blessed is He, nor fellow men, for "the look on their faces testifies against them." Amidst this, the Malbim taught us a great principle: righteousness is intrinsically good, and its fruit is the very existence of righteousness in the world; while wickedness is intrinsically bad, and its punishment is not like a police fine, but rather "the recompense of his hands shall be dealt to him" - man harms himself, and that is the greatest "woe" of all. From here, the prophet proceeds to the root of the robbery: the lusts of the women and their jewelry, which drove the princes to oppress the wealthy and grind down the poor, and therefore punishment will arrive measure for measure - a scab instead of styled hair, rottenness instead of perfume, baldness instead of braided hair, and sackcloth instead of garments of joy. And finally, the fall of the warriors and their valor alike, until "cleared out, she will sit upon the ground" - descent after descent, all the way down to the lowest depths.