Yeshayahu, chapter 56. So says Hashem: keep justice and do righteousness, for My salvation is near to come and My righteousness to be revealed. "So says Hashem, keep justice and do righteousness" - according to the Radak, after the Holy One began to speak about the redemption, He says to Israel: do you know what is delaying the redemption? Justice and righteousness. If you improve your ways, keep justice and do righteousness, then "My salvation is near to come," the salvation will arrive speedily. And if it is delayed, that is only because you have still not done justice and righteousness. This is a continuation of the previous chapter, where He said that My words will not return empty, for I will do all that I desire and prosper, and so on, in joy you will go out and in peace you will be led, the mountains will burst forth sweet wine before you, in place of the thornbush a cypress will rise. All these things are promises of what is destined to be. Says the Radak: here the condition is stated, keep justice, do righteousness, and then indeed My salvation is near to come and My righteousness to be revealed.
The Malbim explains that "justice" (mishpat) is a consistent principle with the Malbim, that mishpat always refers to matters between a person and his fellow, "and these are the ordinances that you shall place before them." And "righteousness" (tzedakah) is always between a person and Hashem. So as not to get confused: tzedakah here does not mean giving a coin to charity, but rather doing acts of righteousness between a person... excuse me, doing righteous acts between a person and Hashem. This is always the meaning of tzedakah: to be righteous in the service of Hashem. So tzedakah is between a person and Hashem, and "keep justice" is always between a person and his fellow.
According to what we explained in the previous chapter, says the Malbim, the kindness of Hashem is like rain. The kindness is constantly ready, and upon whom does it depend? Upon the recipients. It depends on what you sow. If you sow thorns, thorns will grow; if you sow grain, grain will grow. That is to say, the kindness of Hashem does not change, rather the kindness of Hashem is constant and depends on what you do in order to receive it. About this He says, "for My salvation is near to come and My righteousness to be revealed." "My righteousness" refers to how Hashem, as it were, justifies His creatures, grants them merit through righteousness. What does this mean? Not according to the strict letter of the law, He does kindness with us. Through righteousness, says the Holy One, I will send you the salvation. So the righteousness is already present, the kindness of Hashem is already present. It already exists in reality, you simply do not see this righteousness, it is hidden from your eyes. Through your doing justice and righteousness, through this that very righteousness will be revealed, and then the salvation will come. Notice, says the Malbim, that the salvation is not yet present, whereas the righteousness and kindness of the Holy One is indeed present here, only it is hidden from our eyes. Therefore notice, He says "for My salvation is near to come," meaning My salvation has not yet arrived, the salvation of Hashem is not yet here in the blink of an eye, we await it. Says the Holy One: conduct yourselves with justice and integrity and it is near, I will bring it to you soon. In contrast, the kindness of Hashem, as we said, is always present, only we do not yet see it openly. Therefore He says "and My righteousness to be revealed." It exists, but we are only waiting for it to be revealed. My righteousness is near to be revealed.
Fortunate is the man who does this and the son of man who holds fast to it, who keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Perhaps first, in the previous pasuk, He says "keep justice and do righteousness." The Malbim explains this too: why regarding justice is the term "keeping" used, while regarding righteousness the term "doing" is used? Because justice is between a person and his fellow. What are you careful about in matters between a person and his fellow, in the justice between a person and his fellow? Not to harm him, not to speak lashon hara about him, not to curse him, not to do anything that could cause damage to the other, not to rob him. This is always justice. Justice, then, is to refrain. To sit and not act. "Beware lest," this is do not do. Keep justice, guard the justice, not to harm the other, not to do him evil. This is always to restrain oneself so as not to act. In contrast, righteousness is to be righteous between Hashem and... between a person and Hashem, one needs to perform actions. To put on tefillin, to keep Shabbat, to learn Torah, to do kindness between a person and his fellow, for that too is between a person and Hashem. All of these are actions requiring doing. It is not like justice, where the law tells you what to be careful not to do. Do not harm, do not curse, do not speak lashon hara, do not... all these are between a person and his fellow, they are "do not." So it is enough to keep. To restrain oneself from transgressing. But righteousness one must do, to be righteous between a person and Hashem. A person who sits all day at home doing nothing cannot say that he is a great tzaddik. A great tzaddik must say what he does. He learns Torah, he fulfills mitzvot, he prays, all these are doing. Therefore regarding righteousness, which is between a person and Hashem, it is written "and do righteousness." Here doing is required.
"Fortunate is the man who does this and the son of man who holds fast to it, who keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it and keeps his hand from doing evil." This is a paradox. Decide: does he keep the Shabbat or does he desecrate it? He keeps it from desecrating. "Who keeps the Shabbat" as if it were written "desecrating it." "Who keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it" means from desecrating it. He keeps and is careful about desecrating the Shabbat, not that he keeps Shabbat and desecrates it, right? That is certainly not the intent. "Fortunate is the man who does this." What is this? It refers to keeping the Shabbat, the Radak explains. "And the son of man who holds fast to it." Well, he already does it, what is "holds fast to it"? With things we do on a one-time basis, we have no problem. The entire problem is with things that require perseverance, with things that require daily effort. So He says: not a one-time thing, rather "and the son of man who holds fast to it," not only doing it once, but being careful about it all his days. "Who keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it," desecrating it through some labor. In general, keeping the Shabbat, says the Radak, also means to sanctify it. As it is written, "Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it." What is it to sanctify the Shabbat? With what do I sanctify it? Says the Radak, I distinguish it from the rest of the days. Every matter of holiness is a separation from something else. "Aharon, to sanctify him," to distinguish him from the rest of his brothers the kohanim, he is the Kohen Gadol. "The kohanim, to sanctify them" from the rest of humanity, for the kohanim are servants of Hashem. "Behold you are sanctified to me," set apart for me from the rest of mankind. Until now any man could marry the woman, and now "you are sanctified to me," set apart for me from them. And so too the sanctification of the Shabbat. With what do I distinguish the Shabbat? With what do I sanctify it? Chazal say: with food, with drink, with clean clothing. In matters of the body it is distinguished from the rest of the days. Distinguished, that you have different clothing, that you have different food, a different number of meals. Every day they would eat two meals, on Shabbat three. In matters of the soul, that his soul be free from the affairs of the world and set apart from them, and occupied with matters of Torah and wisdom, and contemplating the works of God. This is the language of the Radak. Therefore a person on Shabbat must strengthen his forces for Torah. Not that he should occupy himself on Shabbat with physical matters, with earthly matters, occupy his thoughts, read newspapers full of all kinds of nonsense. I am speaking even about the religious newspapers. That he should occupy himself with all kinds of political matters, this is not fitting. Rather, that the soul be free from the affairs of the world and set apart from them, and occupied with matters of Torah. On Shabbat take yourself a book that is a book of halachah, a book of study, a book of insights on the parashah, a book that contains words of Torah, a lesson of words of Torah.
And why did He mention here the matter of Shabbat? Says the Radak, because here He is speaking to the exiles, wishing to tell them what the path is by which they will be redeemed. "Keep justice, do righteousness, for My salvation is near to come." How will I bring the salvation? By what merit? "Who keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it." Through their keeping the Shabbat. And why specifically keeping Shabbat? Because the Gemara says that on account of the sin of Israel desecrating Shabbat they were exiled from their land. "I saw in Yehudah those treading winepresses." So the pasuk says. They would tread winepresses on Shabbat. On Shabbat they would make wine. That is to say they would desecrate Shabbat. Both the Shabbat of creation and the Shabbat of the land. They had two things: both actual desecration of Shabbat, and desecration of the Shabbat of shemittah, the Shabbat of the land. So since this was the cause of the exile, this too will be the cause of the redemption. How? "My salvation is near to come, who keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it," keep the Shabbat from desecrating it. Chazal say: Yerushalayim was destroyed only because they desecrated the Shabbat in it. As it says, "and from My Shabbatot they hid their eyes and I was profaned among them." Chazal say: if Israel keeps two Shabbatot, they are immediately redeemed. As it is written, "who keep My Shabbatot." It is written "My Shabbatot." What is written afterward? "And I will bring them to My holy mountain." They will keep My Shabbatot, and afterward you will merit to reach redemption. And by mentioning here the mitzvah of Shabbat, says the Radak, He comes to hint to us also about the rest of the positive commandments. Why did He choose specifically Shabbat? Because Shabbat is stringent, right? And it contains both a positive commandment and a negative commandment. And afterward He says generally, "and keeps his hand from doing any evil." So that you should not think that everything is exhausted in this, that I will keep Shabbat and afterward do what I want. No. "Keeps his hand from doing any evil," this is the negative commandments.
Only there is here, seemingly, a difficulty in the pasuk. You say "fortunate is the man who does this and the son of man who holds fast to it." What is "it"? Masculine or feminine? Feminine. "Who keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it (mechallo)." How is Atzeret written? "Mechallah." Right? Says the Radak, nevertheless one may use the feminine form for Shabbat, for Shabbat is feminine. And if you wish to speak of it, you may speak of it also as masculine, because you are speaking of the day of Shabbat. When I refer to the day of Shabbat, "day" is masculine. When I refer only to the term Shabbat, Shabbat is feminine. So both the masculine expression and the feminine expression fit the word Shabbat.
It is said in the name of... I believe it was Rav Shapira, the rabbi of... the founder of the Daf Yomi, I believe this is said in his name, that he said there are three expressions, as is known. In the prayer there is "in it (bah)," "in it (bo)," and "in them (bam)." "And they shall rest in it (bah)," "and they shall rest in it (bo)," "and they shall rest in them (bam)." Among the Sefaradim there are versions that say them all the same way. But among the Ashkenazim there is a difference. In the evening prayer of Shabbat night they say "and they shall rest in it (bah)." In the morning prayer they say "and they shall rest in it (bo)." In the afternoon prayer, "and they shall rest in them (bam)." So he asked: why, what is the source of this change? What is the source of this difference? So he described the reality that was common back then in Europe. He says: on Shabbat night, the person, well, it was a regular workday for them, we are talking about among the gentiles. So the Jew who had a store would leave his store open, finishing work at 8:00 at night. So who was resting? He or his wife? Only his wife, because he was still working. In contrast, the next day, the man would already close the store in the morning, would not open the store. But in contrast, the woman would go to the theater, to all kinds of shopping, to all kinds of things. So who was resting? Only the man was resting. In contrast, in the afternoon, at the time of minchah of Shabbat, he says, he does not open the store, she has already finished the shopping, now both are resting. So he says, this is what is written here. At night, "and they shall rest in it (bah)." She rests. He is still at the store. During the day, "and they shall rest in it (bo)." He rests, she goes shopping. And then in the afternoon, "and they shall rest in them (bam)." That's it, now everyone rests, it is rest for all. Such, unfortunately, was the reality.
The Malbim explains: "fortunate is the man who does this and the son of man who holds fast to it." We said that the righteousness and the salvation are ready to come. They are already about to arrive. Says the Holy One, this is what is called "draw it," "bring it," it depends on your hand. It depends on the deeds of man. "Fortunate is the man who does this." How? Through his deeds he reveals the righteousness and the salvation. And even a son of man who does not do it fully, for "son of man," says the Malbim, is always smaller than "man" (enosh). In any case, "holds fast to it." What is "holds fast to it"? Even if he does not fully fulfill it, he still holds on a little, so that it does not collapse. How? By keeping the Shabbat from desecrating it. "Keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it" is corresponding to between a person and Hashem, keeping Shabbat. "And keeps his hand from doing any evil" is corresponding to between a person and his fellow, not to do evil to his fellow. The Malbim says that "son of man" (ben adam) is always smaller than "man" (enosh). Enosh indicates a small man. This is perhaps what is called in the Zohar "bar nash." A small man is called enosh. In contrast, "son of man" is an additional deficiency, that not only is he small but he is even born from man (adam). In contrast to "sons of God," which refers to angels, to the separate powers. And this is why when they wish to mention Yechezkel in a diminishing way, He calls him "son of man." What is "son of man"? To state his lowliness, that he is born from man, that he is not like those supernal spiritual powers.
And let not the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to Hashem say, "Hashem will surely separate me from His people." And let not the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." "And let not the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to Hashem say" - that is, the son of the foreigner who converted, let him say, why should I convert? For when the Holy One pays the reward of Israel, He will set me aside. Why? Because I am not original, I am an imitation, "made in China." I only converted. So the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to Hashem might come to err. "And let not the eunuch say," why should I improve my ways? What is the eunuch? The eunuch is the person who is unable to bear children. And so he would say, why should I improve my ways? For I am like a dry tree, meaning I have no continuity. The eunuch has no children. The Radak explains why He mentioned here the son of the foreigner and the eunuch specifically from Israel: because the son of the foreigner has the drawback that he has no inheritance in the land. The son of the foreigner does not receive a portion in the land of Israel. The land was divided among the tribes. That is to say, the members of the tribe of Dan will inherit in the portion of Dan, the members of the tribe of Reuven in the portion of Reuven. But now a convert would come and say, I too want a portion and inheritance in the land. They would tell him: from where? From which tribe are you? To whom exactly did this story happen, that he did not deserve an inheritance and they drove him out? The blasphemer and reviler. Who came to a tribe, to pitch his tent among the tribe of Dan, and they told him, you are not of the root of Dan. He thought that because of his mother he would be able to. But indeed "according to their families, by their fathers' houses." And since you are not of the root of Dan, no, from the tribe of Dan they did not give him. So the son of the foreigner has no inheritance in the land. The eunuch has no inheritance for his son to inherit. For he has no children. So both are essentially devoid of inheritance. So let them not say, since we are separated from the land of Israel, that I the son of the foreigner have no inheritance in the land, and I the eunuch also in practice have no inheritance because my son does not inherit my land, so both these have no inheritance, let them not think that if so they are separated from the land of Israel, then what have I to do with all the promises about the land of Israel? Says the Holy One, I promise them other good things. Even though you have no portion in the land, no inheritance in the land, other good things I can indeed promise you, and these you will indeed have.
The Radak asks: we find in Yechezkel that converts will indeed have an inheritance in the land of Israel. So how do you say here that they have no inheritance in the land? Says the Radak, one must distinguish between converts who bore children after they converted, and converts who converted without children. Corresponding to converts who converted and did not bear children after converting, he is truly like a eunuch who has no such thing. Even if he has children from before, they do not inherit. So he is truly similar to a eunuch. Therefore He compared him here. But in contrast, what Yechezkel spoke of, that converts will indeed receive a portion in the land, he spoke of converts who bore children, and now these children are part of the people of Israel. As part of the people of Israel, they will indeed receive in the future as a citizen in Israel.
This separation being spoken of here, the Radak explains, is that the son of the foreigner would say, even though I joined, I connected, I am part of the Jewish people, since I have no son in Israel, I will not be part of them, neither in this world nor in the world to come. The same the eunuch would think: I will not be part of them, neither in this world nor in the world to come, since I did not leave a son like myself. And we have regarding this matter what Chazal say, that anyone who does not leave a son to inherit him is like one excommunicated by Heaven. And the Holy One left the world in order that they be fruitful and multiply in it. "He formed it to be inhabited," be fruitful and multiply. And I did not merit to leave a son, so, God forbid, at my death my name and memory will be cut off from the world, and the Holy One, as it were, has no interest in me. About this Chazal say, whoever does not leave a son to inherit him is like one excommunicated by Heaven. Says the Radak, what can be demanded of him? What can he do? He has no son, poor fellow. Why do you say that he is excommunicated? Why should he be excommunicated? So it is possible to explain that "did not leave" means deliberately. He could have engaged in being fruitful and multiplying, but no, he decided that he is still not... he is not yet ready for the institution of marriage, he is not yet... he wishes to enjoy life a bit longer. So some say that it is regarding these that it was said he is like one excommunicated by Heaven. But the Radak says, no, it is possible to explain it also regarding people who did not merit surviving offspring. And in any case he says "like one excommunicated by Heaven," be precise, it is not written "he is excommunicated." If it were written "he is excommunicated," you would say it is a punishment. This is his punishment, he is excommunicated. Rather he says he is "like one excommunicated by Heaven." He appears like one excommunicated by Heaven. And then he might think to himself: behold, I did not merit a son, so perhaps it is as if from Heaven they have excommunicated me. So if so, what have I to await for the future redemption? About this He says, no, know that the Holy One has good promises even for these people to whom it seems, I came as a gentile, I did not merit children, this is the convert, this is the eunuch. It seems to them that they are of inferior status. Says the Holy One, I have many more good things to promise you. Come, attach yourselves to the inheritance of Hashem, says the Holy One, and I will give you good promises about what is destined to be.
The Malbim explains: there is preservation in the individual and there is preservation in the species. I will explain this statement. Says the Malbim, there is preservation, a preservation of the soul, in the individual, meaning in the personhood of the person. And there is preservation in the species, in the very physical body itself. Like our preserving the human species, right? Says the Malbim, the preservation in the species depends on the chain of those born. He had a father, sons were born, these sons will be fruitful and multiply, will bear more sons. But in contrast, the personal preservation of the soul does not depend on parents. The soul can exist whether he had parents or not, whether he will have children or not. The soul itself endures. The soul itself has preservation. However, the holy Arizal writes, thus I bring also in the book, that one who did not merit children, says the holy Arizal, his soul, as it were, did not even begin its rectification, it must return anew. Right? But this is only one who did not merit children in any incarnation. But if in one of the incarnations he already had children, then that is enough, he does not need to reincarnate because he now does not have children, because he does not presently have children. And we are all indeed already reincarnated. So says the Malbim, corresponding to what He said that everything depends on the preparation of the recipient, He says know that the recipient, as we said, I repeat again. We said that the flow of the Holy One is like rain, and everything depends on the preparation of the recipient. The rain always falls, and everything depends on you. What will you sow in your garden? Sow good things, good things will grow. Sow thorns and briars, thorns and briars will grow. So everything depends on the preparation of the recipient. Says the Holy One, the recipient, whoever he may be. Even if it be some son of the foreigner or eunuch. And behold, the eunuch worries that he lacks lineage after him. And the son of the foreigner worries that he lacks lineage before him. As it were, where did you come from? From gentile parents. Says the Holy One, whether it be one who lacks lineage before him, or one who lacks lineage after him, says the Holy One, I will not separate him, rather he is joined to Hashem. Nevertheless, says the Holy One, I will not relate to him as a dry tree. Since in any case there is the continuity, as we said, of the spiritual dynasty. What does this mean? As we explained, it is possible that a person perhaps has no physical continuity, what is called the continuity of the species, he does not continue to bear children. But still, in any case, he has the spiritual root. And the spiritual root can indeed exist forever. And we know that in spirituality there is no nullification. There is no cancellation in spirituality. It is something that always exists forever. If so, even though they lack the root of continuity of the seed as we explained, still the preservation of the soul, this thing still exists. And now this is a promise that the Holy One promises.