The conclusion of Chapter 59 deals with the great transition: after the prophet described at length the sins of the generation and the absence of justice and truth, the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself arrives and brings about salvation. "And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor" - there are no merits, there is no one to stand in the breach, and therefore "His own arm brought salvation to Him." In the passage before us, the prophet describes the Holy One, blessed be He, as a warrior going out to battle, and from the description of His garments we learn the character of the future redemption.
וַיִּלְבַּשׁ צְדָקָה כַּשִּׁרְיָן וְכוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וַיִּלְבַּשׁ בִּגְדֵי נָקָם תִּלְבֹּשֶׁת וַיַּעַט כַּמְעִיל קִנְאָה׃ - He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and clad Himself with zeal as a cloak.
The Radak explains that Hashem's garments in His battle against the nations are of two kinds. There are garments of righteousness and salvation, whose purpose is to save the people of Israel, and there are garments of vengeance, whose purpose is to punish the enemies who oppressed and afflicted us. The prophet compares the instruments of salvation, whose role is to protect us from the nations, to a breastplate and a helmet - for what is defensive armor if not protection for the warrior? As it were, through this the Holy One, blessed be He, shields us, like an umbrella protecting us against the nations.
And here Radak notes an astonishing point. A breastplate and a helmet are not permanent garments, but temporary ones worn only at the time of battle - a person does not go out to work wearing armor. Radak writes: "The salvation will be drawn out from its beginning until Israel is in their land and during the war of Gog and Magog." That is, the salvation will begin, but it will take time. We see this prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes - the salvation did not begin and end in a single day; rather, it is a long, comprehensive process. It is clear to us that the process has begun, clear that we are in the midst of it, but the salvation takes time from the moment it begins.
By contrast, the prophet compares the instruments of vengeance to garments and a cloak: "and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and clad Himself with zeal as a cloak." Why? Because ordinary garments are worn continuously, whereas armor is worn only temporarily. Protection for us is needed only at the beginning, at the time of redemption, to extract us from exile; afterwards, armor is no longer necessary, for the nations will be subservient to Israel - "and they shall rule over their oppressors," "strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers," "kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers." The most prominent among the nations will be the lowest among us, and kings and princesses will serve us. But the vengeance against the nations for having subjugated us throughout the exile will continue for years, which is why it is likened to permanent clothing.
Why does the verse say "He put on garments of vengeance" (vayilbash) and then add "for clothing" (tilboshet)? Radak explains that tilboshet is a noun, in contrast to lilbosh ("to wear"), which is a verb. Just as there are "to run," "you will run," "they will run" - which are actions - and there is "running," the noun form; and we have a grammatical principle: wherever the verse transitions from describing an action with a verb to adding its cognate noun, it signifies that the act was done with great intensity and force. So too in the examples: "David fasted a fast" (vayatsem David tsom), "Hashem was wrathful with your fathers with wrath" (katzaf Hashem... ketzef), "and commits a trespass against Him" (uma'alah vo ma'al), "to make a slaughter" (lema'an tevo'ach tevach) - in all of these, the noun follows the verb to teach that the matter was executed with supreme force and vigor.
The Malbim notes: In order to properly understand this verse, one must possess fundamental insights into Lashon HaKodesh (the Holy Tongue), as there are numerous apparent redundancies here. What is a breastplate, and what is a helmet of salvation? What is tzedakah (righteousness), and what is yeshuah (salvation)? What is nakam (vengeance), and what is kin'ah (zeal)? What is the act of wearing (levishah), and what is clothing (tilboshet)? And why does it say "cloak" (me'il) in one place and "garments" (bigdei) in another? If we understand these terms accurately, we will also understand the nature of the future salvation and redemption.
First, the distinction between justice (mishpat) and righteousness (tzedakah). "Justice" pertains to the human sphere - aiding one's fellow according to the law; similarly, when it is said that the Holy One, blessed be He, executes justice, it means He repays a person according to what he deserves based on his deeds and merits. "Righteousness" in human terms always reflects deeds between man and God; a tzaddik is evaluated in relation to God. Therefore, when we say that the Holy One, blessed be He, performs tzedakah with us, it stems from God's perspective, not man's: we are not worthy, we have no merits, but the Holy One, blessed be He, acts out of His boundless lovingkindness, from His own side and His divine attributes. Justice is from our side, what we deserve; righteousness is from His side, blessed be He.
Second, when "righteousness" and "salvation" appear together, the Malbim explains that this refers to a comprehensive, universal salvation reserved by Hashem to rectify the entire world, representing the realm of the Divine Providence of Absolute Unity (Hanhagat HaYichud) - "there is none else beside Him." The Holy One, blessed be He, decreed that there will be a designated time for the coming of Mashiach and a time for universal salvation, whether people are worthy or not, deserving or not - there is a divine plan, and it will surely come to pass.
The prophets who come to describe Hashem's actions face a difficulty: the Holy One, blessed be He, cannot be grasped in His essence at all. To what may this be compared? To a person you see and do not know, yet you know he is distinguished - how? By his garments. He comes in a tailored suit and tie, and you understand that this is a person of stature. In the same way, when one wishes to describe the Master of the Universe, He cannot be described in His essence, but only according to His "garments" - and garments, regarding the Master of the Universe, are His modes of conduct and His actions. When the Holy One, blessed be He, performs an act of mercy, we say that Hashem had mercy on us, and when He acts with judgment, we say that Hashem exacted retribution from us. One cannot know His essence, blessed be He, but from the action received, one understands the mode of conduct.
Here, the judgment that the Holy One, blessed be He, will execute against the nations is depicted as a war, and the prophet describes Him through the battle gear of a warrior setting out to fight. The warrior's attire indicates to us the nature of the warfare, and therefore the entire verse is a wardrobe: armor, a helmet of salvation, garments of vengeance, an outfit, a cloak.
The Malbim explains: among weapons of war, there are offensive weapons and there are defensive weapons. One does not attack with armor, but defends oneself, and the helmet is meant to shield the head from arrow and sword. The armor and helmet help prevent defeat, whereas with the sword and spear one vanquishes enemies. When we speak of the Holy One, blessed be He, going out to fight - does He need defense? Rather, Hashem fights our battles, and when there is armor, it means that we are not harmed. Harm is irrelevant to Him, blessed be He; rather, this comes to express that the Holy One, blessed be He, delivers us and shields us so that we are not defeated and not harmed by the enemies. This is the righteousness, and this is the salvation.
וַיַּרְא כִּי אֵין אִישׁ וַיִּשְׁתּוֹמֵם כִּי אֵין מַפְגִּיעַ וַתּוֹשַׁע לוֹ זְרֹעוֹ וְצִדְקָתוֹ הִיא סְמָכָתְהוּ׃ - "And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no intercessor; therefore His arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness sustained Him."
This verse comes to answer: by virtue of what are you worthy of the helmet and armor, by virtue of what do you deserve protection? After all, it was already stated, "there was no man," "there was no intercessor." And the answer: "therefore His arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness sustained Him." Righteousness (tzedakah) - as we explained - is from the perspective of His being God, and not based on what man deserves. What is deserved is called justice (mishpat), and through justice we have no merit to be acquitted; but Hashem acts with righteousness. Righteousness is like armor shielding the body, and salvation is the helmet shielding the head.
And why are both righteousness and salvation needed? Because the beginning of thought is in the head, mirrored by the helmet, whereas the armor is the practical protection for the body so that no sword pierces it. It is clear to all of us that the future redemption is not something the Holy One, blessed be He, will plan only when the time arrives; from the prophets we see that it has already arisen in thought before Him, blessed be He, and the promises have already been uttered, and everything is prepared in advance. And where does one plan? In the head. Therefore, "a helmet of salvation upon His head": salvation is the conduct of Divine unity (hanhagat hayichud), in which the Holy One, blessed be He, looks neither at merits nor at liabilities, but redeems the Jewish people and protects them, and this is planned in advance and symbolized in the head. And from this emerges the category of righteousness - that the Holy One, blessed be He, will act with us according to His righteousness and not according to what we deserve. All these are protective modes of conduct, through which the Jewish people are not harmed by their enemies.
Afterward begins the stage in which the Holy One, blessed be He, executes judgment upon the nations and exacts punishment from them. These are two stages: the first stage is to extract us from beneath their oppressive boot, and the second stage is that they begin to pay the price for what they did to the Jewish people. Corresponding to this, the Holy One, blessed be He, dons "garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak." These garments teach that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not come merely to save - for to save, armor and a helmet would suffice - but also to exact vengeance. Indeed, it is the way of warriors to signal their purpose: there is a special marking for one who comes merely to rescue, so that he will not be targeted, as it says, "Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Botzrah?" Naturally, in warfare one does not shell an ambulance, knowing it is a medical unit; rather, one shells armor. That is to say, among warriors it was known who came merely to protect and who came to actively fight.
Furthermore, there is a difference between an ordinary garment (beged) and a cloak (me'il). The cloak is draped over all garments from above, serving as the outermost and visible layer, whereas the garment is inner. Likewise, there is a difference between zeal (kin'ah) and vengeance (nekamah). Vengeance is always for something done to me in the past - "You shall not take vengeance nor bear a grudge." By contrast, being zealous with zeal for Hashem means acting at the very moment the disgrace is taking place. Thus Moshe said to Yehoshua, "Are you zealous for my sake?" when Yehoshua came and said to him: My master Moshe, imprison them, they are prophesying right now, there is a desecration of Hashem's name here - that is a form of zeal. Zeal is action taken while the trouble or evil situation is actively occurring, whereas vengeance is retribution and exacting payment for what occurred in the past.
Another difference: for one who avenges, it is enough to repay evil for evil even in private. Even if retribution is exacted without anyone else knowing, as long as he and the perpetrator know, he already derives satisfaction from vengeance, since the goal is: know not to mess with me next time. In contrast, one who is zealous for someone's honor acts specifically in public, since that is the entire objective. Hashem's honor was desecrated - it is inconceivable to act zealously for Hashem's honor in secret. This is what Pinchas did: he took a weapon, struck, and paraded the act through the entire camp. Zeal is always in public.
According to this, the verses become clear: "He put on garments of vengeance" refers to what the oppressors did to harm Him; and these garments are described as an enduring "attire", not something temporary, worn to take vengeance on the enemies for causing us distress. Beyond this, for the desecration of His glory and majesty and for the desecration of the Heavenly Name across the world, "He wrapped Himself in zeal like a cloak." Because zeal must be open and public, it is compared to a cloak, which is the outermost and visible garment, so that through this, His Name that was desecrated among the nations will be sanctified, and through this He will conquer the enemies.
כְּעַל גְּמֻלוֹת כְּעַל יְשַׁלֵּם חֵמָה לְצָרָיו גְּמוּל לְאֹיְבָיו לָאִיִּים גְּמוּל יְשַׁלֵּם׃ - According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay: fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompense.
The plain meaning of the verse: according to their deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, will recompense them. Radak explains: just as He donned zeal corresponding to the deeds He repaid to Pharaoh, Sennacherib, and all the oppressors of Israel, so will He don zeal in the future. "Accordingly He will repay" - just as He repaid our enemies back then, so will He repay current enemies now. "Fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies" - the recompense is measured against the evil recompense they dealt to the people of Israel. Furthermore, "to the islands He will repay recompense", meaning the distant lands of the nations: since the people of Israel are scattered throughout all the maritime borders and distant lands, recompense will reach everyone. Do not think that any nation that distressed us, pained us, or harmed us will be forgotten; in the end, everyone will pay the price.
The Malbim, in his characteristic approach, reveals parallel clauses here that directly continue the previous verse: "He put on garments of vengeance as attire" is completed by "accordingly He will repay: fury to His adversaries"; while "He wrapped Himself in zeal like a cloak" is completed by "according to their deeds, recompense to His enemies". To understand this, two additional linguistic keys in the Holy Tongue are necessary.
The first key is the distinction between payment (tashlum) and recompense (gemul). Payments are calculated strictly according to the deed: as much as one did, so he will pay, without feelings and without emotional arousal. If you take a taxi, you pay the fare; if the grocer hands you milk, you pay and leave - there is nothing emotional involved. But gemul is used when there is emotional involvement in the payment itself on the part of the one paying, whether out of love or out of hatred and anger. This is true in everyday language as well: someone helped me immensely, and out of love, I reciprocated with a kind return. Gemul always expresses an action that stems from an inner emotional response.
The second key is the difference between an adversary (tzar) and an enemy (oyev), which the Malbim explains in several places (and similarly in Megillat Esther: "An adversary and enemy, this wicked Haman"). A tzar is someone who actually causes distress, bringing trouble upon me. An oyev comes from the root of enmity (eivah), someone who harbors hatred in his heart, even if he does not actively cause harm. There can be an adversary who is not an enemy: he oppresses me not out of hatred, but for his own business or pleasure; he gains a benefit from it and does not care that I suffer, yet he has nothing personal against me. And there can be an enemy who is not an adversary: he harbors intense enmity in his heart but has done nothing to harm me. One who both harbors enmity and causes actual harm is both an adversary and an enemy.
With regard to Hashem: one who commits actual sins falls into the category of a tzar to Hashem, because he adds strength to impurity, taking from holiness and channeling it to the forces of defilement, magnifying the power of the Sitra Achra and, so to speak, introducing weakness into the Holy One, blessed be He - the opposite of one who fulfills the mitzvot, of whom it is said, "Ascribe strength to God." He actively causes distress and creates spiritual filth across all the upper worlds, as explained in Nefesh HaChaim. In contrast, one who denies Hashem and degrades the honor of Heaven falls into the category of an oyev: he may not have committed an overt sin, having neither worshiped idols, nor stolen, nor eaten non-kosher food, yet inside he is a heretic, harboring enmity toward the Holy One, blessed be He.
Now everything comes together. "He put on garments of vengeance as attire... accordingly He will repay fury to His adversaries": the adversaries are those who sin in practice, not out of spite, but for their own pleasure. Toward them, zeal does not apply, for zeal is directed against one who disgraces the Name of Heaven, whereas this person does not seek to disgrace; rather, he sins for himself out of his desires, eating non-kosher food in his home because he is hungry and enjoys it. Recompense (gemul) does not apply here either, because recompense stems from emotion, and here there is no emotional hatred toward Hashem. What does apply? Vengeance and payment: he caused actual damage, and now it must be set right and exacted from him for what he did in the past. That payment corresponds strictly to the value of the deed, without emotional arousal; each sin carries its fixed rate.
In contrast, "He wrapped Himself in zeal like a cloak... according to their deeds, recompense to His enemies". The enemies are those who rebel against Hashem, who refuse to accept His sovereignty and deny His divinity. Toward them, vengeance and cold payment do not apply, for they did not cause concrete harm nor did they perform a physical act against Him. But zeal does apply, for zeal is always stirred by the desecration and degradation of His Name, like Pinchas, who was zealous with Hashem's zeal at the moment of the sin. And recompense (gemul) applies, because recompense is always accompanied by emotion: they hate the Holy One, blessed be He, and therefore the retribution exacted from them comes through enmity and anger, measure for measure.
Therefore it specifically says "like a cloak": the cloak is the outermost, visible garment, and this retribution will be one that resounds, which everyone will see and recognize, for the sanctification of Hashem's Name can occur only in public. And this retribution will be exacted not only from the nearby nations that were actual oppressors, destroying the Beit HaMikdash and Jerusalem, but also "to the islands" - to the distant nations who did not actively cause us harm simply because it was not in their power to do so, yet hatred and enmity toward Hashem's people filled their hearts. From them as well, the Holy One, blessed be He, will exact retribution.
וְיִירְאוּ מִמַּעֲרָב אֶת שֵׁם יְהֹוָה וּמִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ כִּי יָבוֹא כַנָּהָר צָר רוּחַ יְהֹוָה נֹסְסָה בוֹ׃ - And they shall fear the Name of Hashem from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun, for the adversary shall come like a rushing stream, driven by the spirit of Hashem.
Regarding the reading itself, the Minchat Shai cites two opinions: the Ibn Ezra notes that it is an expression of fear (yirah), and also cites an explanation that it is an expression of seeing (re'iyah). However, according to our Masorah there is no question, for it is written with two yuds - "וְיִירְאוּ" (veyir'u) - which is certainly an expression of fear (whereas with a single yud it would mean seeing). The meaning is: after the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from the nations, everyone will fear His Name.
"For the adversary shall come like a river" - the Radak cites in the name of his father, who explained "yavo" in the sense of sinking or setting, as in "the sun sets [u-va hashemesh] and he becomes pure": the oppressor and enemy of the Jewish people will sink like a receding river. And "the spirit of Hashem nosesa bo" - from the root lanus, to flee, meaning that the spirit of Hashem will put him to flight. Rashi explains that "nosesa" is the name of a worm, as in "and it shall be like the rotting of a worm [ki-msos noses]", meaning that the spirit of Hashem will consume him like a worm that eats through wood.
Concerning this, Chazal expound: If you see a generation upon which many troubles come like a river, prepare yourself, and know that "a redeemer will come to Zion." Salvation is near and the redemption is near. And there is no generation like our own, with troubles from within and without; therefore, salvation is indeed close at hand.
The Radak further explains that "for the adversary shall come like a river" is the reason for what was stated previously, "and they shall fear the Name of Hashem from the west": Gog and Magog, who is the adversary, will come to the Land of Israel like a river rushing forward, and the spirit of Hashem will eradicate him from the world, as explained in the prophecies of Yechezkel and Zechariah. From this, the entire world will revere the Name of Hashem, when they see the miracles Hashem will perform for us against Gog and Magog.
Here the Radak says something akin to prophecy: Even though Israel will already be in Jerusalem before Gog and Magog arrives, when he does come, they will say that no redeemer has come for them, since the nations are attacking and waging war against them. But when God executes judgment against him with pestilence, blood, torrential rain, and hailstones, then they will say that a redeemer has truly come to Zion "and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," for then all of Israel will return in complete repentance. The Radak is thus taking a stance on the unresolved debate over whether we are in the beginning of redemption (atchalta degeulah): as long as Gog and Magog has not come and victory has not been achieved over him, we will not yet feel that "a redeemer has come to Zion"; only when the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from Gog and Magog will they know that we have merited the complete redemption.
The Radak offers another explanation for "the spirit of Hashem nosesa bo": it is from the root nes, banner, as in "Raise a banner [nes] toward Zion" - the pole upon which a flag is hung is called a nes. It is the way of the world that the standard-bearer marches at the head of the army, delivering the first strike against the enemy. In this manner, the spirit of Hashem is, as it were, the standard-bearer that strikes the forces of Gog and Magog.
The Malbim explains: The "Name of Hashem" is what is heard from afar, while the "glory of Hashem" is what is seen up close. Glory can only be seen when one is in His sanctuary, in the place where He is; from a distance, one does not see glory, but rather hears the renown of His Name. The Ten Tribes were exiled to the east, as it is written, "From the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you," and that is where the miracles and wonders will first be revealed, since the redeemer is revealed in the east - "Who aroused righteousness from the east, calling it to his feet?" - and therefore in the east they will "see His glory." In the west, where Yehudah and Binyamin are dispersed, they will only hear of the miracles from afar, which is why "they shall fear the Name of Hashem from the west." And when will this occur? When the adversary comes like a rushing river - this refers to the camp of Gog - and the spirit of Hashem stirs it up and raises its waves, and then salvation will arrive.
וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל וּלְשָׁבֵי פֶשַׁע בְּיַעֲקֹב נְאֻם יְהֹוָה׃ - And a redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says Hashem.
Rashi cites (and this textual variant appears in certain manuscripts): As long as Zion is in ruins, the redeemer has not yet come. Is Zion built today? Certainly Zion is in ruins! They built a courthouse complex there - that is destruction added upon its ruins; they built the Knesset - that is yet another destruction. Everything built today in Zion is merely ruin upon ruin. The true rebuilding is when the Beit HaMikdash, the sanctuary of Hashem, will be built - and that is still in ruins.
"And a redeemer shall come to Zion" - this refers to the King Mashiach. "And to those in Jacob who turn from transgression" - this already contains a prophecy that in that generation there will be those who repent of sin, and they too will merit to be included in the redemption. Whoever jumps onto the wagon at the final moment will be part of the wagon. As the Metzudat David explains: Mashiach will redeem even those who turn from their transgression, restoring the crown of Zion, the Beit HaMikdash, and the Sanhedrin to those who turn from transgression in Jacob - to the children of the exile who return in repentance.
וַאֲנִי זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אוֹתָם אָמַר יְהֹוָה רוּחִי אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ וּדְבָרַי אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בְּפִיךָ לֹא יָמוּשׁוּ מִפִּיךָ וּמִפִּי זַרְעֲךָ וּמִפִּי זֶרַע זַרְעֲךָ אָמַר יְהֹוָה מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם׃ - And as for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the Lord: My spirit that is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children's children, says the Lord, from now and forever.
How will the Jewish people survive until a redeemer comes to Zion? The Holy One, blessed be He, says: I have provided you with two things - prophecy and the Holy Scriptures. Until the era of Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, prophecy accompanied us, providing the oxygen to keep our heads above water while the torrential flood of exile washed over us. But once prophecy ceased, "My spirit that is upon you" was no longer present - and what remained was "and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children." What has sustained Am Yisrael throughout the long years of exile is the Oral Torah that we study, which gives us life. This is an everlasting covenant of salt, ensuring that the people of Israel will never perish, their offspring will never be lost, and their name will never be extinguished.
Similarly, on the plain meaning of the verse, Rashi explains: I have made a covenant with them that even during their exile, the Torah will not be forgotten. There is no need to worry that the Torah will fade into oblivion - there is a covenant, and the Torah will never be forgotten. Radak, however, explains that the covenant refers to the spirit of prophecy that they will possess, and in his view, these words refer to the future. Unlike the Malbim, who explained what would sustain us until the arrival of the redeemer, Radak holds that the Holy One, blessed be He, made a covenant that they would be granted a spirit of prophecy, as it is written: "your prophets shall see visions and your young men shall dream dreams," "I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh." There will be an aspect of prophetic spirit granted to all of Israel, a prophecy that will never cease: "shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children's children" forever, and all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. "My spirit that is upon you" - this is the spirit of purity that the Holy One, blessed be He, will spread throughout the world, "and I will put My spirit within you," eradicating all idols, all warped notions, and all corrupted worldviews.
Therefore, the message is always: do not be alarmed. A person walking with a million-dollar diamond in his pocket does not worry that he currently lacks breakfast; he is calm, for he has a diamond in his pocket. And we have a million-dollar diamond in our pocket. Let the Supreme Court say whatever it wants, let the politicians do as they please - they are all transient. The holy Torah is eternal, Judaism is eternal, the word of Hashem is eternal, and prophecy is eternal. And what does it matter that enemies have risen against us? Where is Achashverosh, where is Pharaoh, where is Nevuchadnezzar? They are all in the dustbin of history. Criminal sanctions and economic sanctions may make life harder and demand greater resilience, but to be frightened of them? A wind will carry them all away. When one hears such prophecies and sees that the Jewish people exist beyond the laws of nature, he fears nothing and dreads nothing. Rather, he knows that ultimately, "My spirit that is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth" are what will endure forever, and everything else is fleeting.
The conclusion of the chapter depicts the Holy One, blessed be He, as a warrior going out to battle, and His garments teach us about the nature of the redemption: breastplate and helmet - righteousness and salvation, temporary defensive gear to bring us out of exile unharmed, by virtue of His righteousness rather than our own merits, according to the overall plan of salvation conceived from the beginning; and by contrast, garments of vengeance and a cloak of zeal - an enduring and ongoing reckoning with the nations. To the tormentors, who inflicted active distress, Hashem will repay according to the measure of their deeds; and to the enemies, who harbored malice and denied His honor, He will administer recompense with deep emotion and openly like a mantle, until His Name is sanctified throughout the world. In the end, the oppressor will come like a rushing river, and the spirit of Hashem will consume him. Then the entire world will revere the Name of Hashem and His glory, "and a redeemer shall come to Zion," even for those who repent of transgression. Until then, the eternal covenant remains intact for us: the Torah will never depart from our mouths or the mouths of our descendants forever - and this is the diamond in our pocket, thanks to which we have nothing to fear.