Chapter 61 of Yeshayahu is a chapter of glad tidings. The prophet opens with an important introduction: All the words of consolation that I have spoken and everything I am destined to say are not from me, but the spirit of Hashem has rested upon me. The Holy One, Blessed be He, sends me to herald the coming good to the Jewish people so that they do not despair of redemption. For the hardship is immense and the suffering terrible, and the nation must be encouraged and strengthened so that their spirit is not crushed by the prolonged exile, but rather that they continue to yearn for Hashem's salvation.
ר֛וּחַ אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהֹוִ֖ה עָלָ֑י יַ֡עַן מָשַׁח֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֹתִ֜י לְבַשֵּׂ֣ר עֲנָוִ֗ים שְׁלָחַ֙נִי֙ לַחֲבֹ֣שׁ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֔ב לִקְרֹ֤א לִשְׁבוּיִם֙ דְּר֔וֹר וְלַאֲסוּרִ֖ים פְּקַח־קֽוֹחַ׃ - "The spirit of the Lord Hashem is upon me, because Hashem has anointed me to bring good tidings to the humble; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and release from prison to those who are bound."
Radak explains: These are the words of the prophet. The Holy One, Blessed be He, sent me to speak and record these matters, to bring good tidings with them to the people of the exile, since they are humble and brokenhearted. This means: these people are in a lowly state like the humble, and they are brokenhearted - enduring difficult crises, in a state of gloom and sorrow, while the nations seek to distance them from the service of Hashem. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, sent me to speak words of comfort, encouragement, and strength to them.
"Hashem has anointed me" - Radak explains that the concept of anointing here signifies elevation, advancement, and appointment. Just as it is written, "and you shall anoint Chazael to be king over Aram" - did he truly go and anoint him with anointing oil? After all, the kings of the gentile nations were not anointed with sacred oil. Although the root of the word originates from the pouring of oil upon the head, which was an act of appointment and distinction, the term broadened into a general expression for receiving any prestigious appointment and prominence. Similarly, "and Elisha son of Shaphat you shall anoint as prophet in your place," and likewise, "Do not touch My anointed ones" - meaning My appointees, those whom I have elevated and exalted.
"Because Hashem has anointed me to bring good tidings to the humble" - this is the purpose and reason for this prophetic appointment: to herald to the people of Israel the favorable prophecies destined to come upon them. Everything I speak is solely because the Holy One, Blessed be He, granted me this appointment for this very purpose.
"To proclaim liberty to captives" - those currently held captive by the nations will have deror, meaning freedom. "And to the bound, pekach-koach" - Radak explains that these two words share a single theme: opening the prison. Alternatively, they can be understood as two distinct words: pekach connotes opening, just as a closed eye is opened, so too a person bound in prison is "opened" from his confinement; koach connotes taking - taking him out of his imprisonment and leading him out of exile. Thus, there are two stages: opening and taking out. Radak further cites in the name of his father that the prison itself is called koach, since prisoners are taken by force into this confinement, and pekach-koach means: open them up and release them from the confinement in which they are held captive.
The Malbim explains: When I say, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Hashem has shone upon you" - I say this through the spirit of Hashem. The spirit of Hashem rests upon me to herald the future salvation. The Malbim notes that there are two distinct groups within the Jewish people. One group is the category of the "humble" - those who are lowly and wait for salvation, who do not grumble or level complaints against the Holy One, Blessed be He. Concerning them it is said, "to bring good tidings to the humble." The second group is the "brokenhearted" - those who have reached their breaking point, who are already despairing, immersed in gloom and desolation from the sheer weight of sorrow, troubles, and suffering, whose hearts are broken from the endless yearning for redemption. The prophet is sent on a special mission to them as well, to tell them not to give up hope: there is hope, there is what to look forward to, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, will ultimately redeem them.
The Malbim states that the prophet was sent to proclaim three matters, the first of which already appears in this verse - the future redemption. Know that you will be freed from the hands of the nations. There are those who are merely held captive, and freedom will be proclaimed to them. And there are those whose situation is far more severe: they are both captive and bound in chains, as is done with the most dangerous and difficult prisoners, who are held in captivity with shackles on their hands and feet. Even for these - "pekach-koach": the Holy One, Blessed be He, will open their bonds and take them out of their confinement.
לִקְרֹ֤א שְׁנַת־רָצוֹן֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וְי֥וֹם נָקָ֖ם לֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ לְנַחֵ֖ם כׇּל־אֲבֵלִֽים׃ - To proclaim a year of favor for Hashem, and a day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all mourners.
"To proclaim a year of favor for Hashem" - the year of redemption will be a year of favor (ratzon), as it is written, "and in My favor I have had mercy on you." This favor comes to exclude a year of wrath (ketzef), for everything we endure at present is in a state of wrath, as though the Holy One, Blessed be He, is angry with us; but a time of favor will come, as it is said, "For in My wrath I struck you, and in My favor I have had mercy on you." "And a day of vengeance" - this is the day of Gog and Magog, on which the Holy One, Blessed be He, will take vengeance on the nations for what they did to the Jewish people. And after that, "to comfort all mourners," the details of which are elaborated in the next verse.
The Malbim explains that this verse encompasses both aspects together: a good reward for the righteous and punishment for the wicked. "A year of favor for Hashem" - that there will be goodwill and favor from Hashem to bestow an abundance of good upon those who have suffered until now, the righteous who hoped and believed in Hashem, Blessed be He. This is the Attribute of Mercy, and therefore it is expressed with the Four-Letter Name of Hashem. "And a day of vengeance for our God" - the name Elohim represents the Attribute of Justice, to exact retribution from the nations that oppressed us.
The Malbim makes a keen observation: Why is favor described as a "year" while vengeance is described as a "day"? Rather, salvation, which stems from the measure of goodness, will endure for an entire year; whereas vengeance will take place in a single day, for in one day the Holy One, Blessed be He, will exact retribution from all the wicked and destroy them. Thus, the time of vengeance is exceedingly brief.
The Holy One, Blessed be He, promises an additional thing here: to comfort them for the past as well, for the misfortune they endured and the good they lost: "to comfort all mourners." A person grows weary and laments: How much we have suffered, how much we have lost, how many have died and how many have been tormented! The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to him: When I inform you that for this very suffering you will receive good, through this I comfort you. For it will become clear that all those who died, suffered, and were afflicted did not do so in vain, but rather there was purpose and benefit in it.
A story illustrates this: There was once a beloved and close friend of the king, and one of the royal ministers was exceedingly jealous of him. The king went away on a journey and appointed his friend as his viceroy, while also appointing that minister as a viceroy during his absence. The minister said to himself: Here is my opportunity to take revenge on the king's friend. He searched for a pretext to evict him from his home, claiming, "This house belongs to the crown." When the friend initially refused, the minister ordered him to be lashed fifty times. The poor man suffered brutal blows, and all that time he waited anxiously: When will the king finally return? When the king finally came back, the friend approached him in tears and recounted all the minister's deeds and how he had abused him. The king listened and burned with anger, saying, "For every blow he struck you, you will receive a thousand rubles!" A thousand rubles was an immense fortune. Thus, the man received fifty thousand rubles, and from where? From the treasures of that wealthy minister, who was nearly bankrupted as everything was transferred to the king's friend. The man returned home weeping. His wife asked him, "Well, what did the king say?" He replied, "The king fully defended me, and decreed that I receive a thousand rubles for every blow." She asked, "Then why are you crying?" He answered, "Because he only struck me fifty times instead of a hundred!"
We learn from this that true comfort occurs when one understands that the blow was not mere meaningless suffering, but was for ultimate good and merit, and that for the suffering itself one receives even greater blessing. This is "to comfort all mourners" - know that for everything you have undergone, for the past as well, there will be comfort. And this comfort will manifest in three matters, which will be detailed in the following verse.
לָשׂ֣וּם ׀ לַאֲבֵלֵ֣י צִיּ֗וֹן לָתֵת֩ לָהֶ֨ם פְּאֵ֜ר תַּ֣חַת אֵ֗פֶר שֶׁ֤מֶן שָׂשׂוֹן֙ תַּ֣חַת אֵ֔בֶל מַעֲטֵ֣ה תְהִלָּ֔ה תַּ֖חַת ר֣וּחַ כֵּהָ֑ה וְקֹרָ֤א לָהֶם֙ אֵילֵ֣י הַצֶּ֔דֶק מַטַּ֥ע יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר׃ - To provide for the mourners of Zion, to give them glory instead of ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit, and they shall be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of Hashem, that He may be glorified.
The Malbim explains that these matters are stated as an allegory: we are compared to mourners, people who were plunged in grief and mourning, and now the prophet describes how, corresponding to each dimension of mourning, joy and gladness will arrive. A mourner experiences shame, disgrace, and suffering in three distinct respects.
The first relates to his physical place: a mourner sits in the dust, as in "and rolled my horn in the dust." Corresponding to this: "to give them glory instead of ashes" - in place of the ashes and dust in which they sat, they will have splendor.
The second relates to the practices of mourning: a mourner does not anoint himself with oil and does not bathe his body. Corresponding to this: "oil of joy instead of mourning." The Metzudas David explains why it is called "oil of joy": sometimes oil is applied for healing, when one has a wound and spreads oil over it; here it means not medicinal oil, but an oil of refinement and pleasure, as one who anoints his body with oils for delight. That is, your condition will be so favorable that you will have no need for healing at all, and any anointing with oil will be solely for enjoyment, pleasure, and joy.
The third relates to his inner spirit: a mourner is steeped in grief, sorrow, and depression, full of worry, his spirit dim and his light lowered. Corresponding to this: "a cloak of praise instead of a dim spirit." A "dim spirit" is a state of dejection and depression, while a "cloak of praise" describes a person who walks with self-confidence, praising and rejoicing in his state. This does not mean arrogance, Heaven forbid - which is a flawed and foul trait - but rather that out of an uplifted spirit, they will be lauded publicly. They will possess such inner joy, fulfillment in their deeds, and contentment with their standing, that an aura of joy will constantly radiate from them, like someone who walks proudly in his fortunate state - in sharp contrast to the mourning, depression, and sorrow in which they were previously plunged.
"And they shall be called terebinths [elei] of righteousness" - Rashi, the Radak, and the Malbim all explain that "elei" means trees, as in "from the terebinths [eilim] that you desired." And why not interpret it as strength and power, as in "the mighty of the land [eilei ha'aretz]"? Rashi explains: because the verse says "the planting of the Lord," and since it speaks of plantings, it clearly refers to trees.
And what are these trees of righteousness? The Malbim offers a fascinating explanation: in ancient times, it was customary to plant trees as symbols for various matters. As the Gemara in Tractate Gittin recounts, when a boy or girl was born, they would plant a tree for good fortune, and from those very trees they would later fashion their chuppah; it was on account of this custom that Tur Malka was destroyed. Likewise, trees were planted alongside idolatrous altars - the asherot - which was a negative practice. But they also planted trees to symbolize justice: when people gathered to deal with legal matters and justice, they would assemble under those trees, and they were called elei hatzedek - the place where justice was adjudicated, judgments were issued, and ordinances and upright conduct were established.
And the Jewish people will be called "elei hatzedek": they will become the sign and symbol of integrity and righteousness. "The planting of the Lord to be glorified [lehitpa'er]" - "lehitpa'er" here does not denote boastfulness, but rather derives from porot (branches), which constitute the tree's glory: its canopy and boughs that extend far and wide. That is to say, they will be great trees whose branches reach far into the distance - their righteousness will resound afar, be seen, and be practiced, sending forth branches and offshoots that spread outward in every direction.
Sadly, our standing on this point today is at a low ebb. In the eyes of much of the world, the image of an Israeli has become associated with wheeling and dealing, cutting corners, trickery, and dishonesty. There are places where Israelis are denied entry, and not necessarily out of antisemitism; often, travelers arrive and behave as though they own the place. One hotel owner explained why he stopped accepting Israeli guests: after the last time when guests made a barbecue inside the room, burned the carpet, and filled the room with stench, and when confronted, even threatened the owner that they would file a complaint, claiming that since they rented the room they could do as they pleased. He also related: thirty young men sitting in the hallway, pulling out chairs, chatting loudly, smoking, and breaking out bottles, while European guests who came seeking quiet could not bear it. He decided: no more Israelis, even at the cost of losing significant business from travel agencies. And this is not even speaking of the Supreme Court, where "justice" is nothing more than the Hebrew name of Jupiter; it is about the ordinary person on the street. Yet the prophet declares that this will be rectified: the Jewish people will be called elei hatzedek - they will become the emblem, the paragon, and the shining model of justice and uprightness, the trees from which everyone will learn and emulate.
וּבָנוּ֙ חׇרְב֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם שֹׁמְמ֥וֹת רִאשֹׁנִ֖ים יְקוֹמֵ֑מוּ וְחִדְּשׁוּ֙ עָ֣רֵי חֹ֔רֶב שֹׁמְמ֖וֹת דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃ - And they shall build the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
"And they shall build the old ruins" - those very trees, the elei hatzedek, are the ones who will build. Notice how the metaphor continues: from trees, houses are built. And the lesson is clear: through the strength of this model and paragon of justice, the ancient ruins and former desolations will be rebuilt. Everything that until now lay ruined and desolate - when justice was downcast and integrity and truth were degraded - will now be rebuilt through the power of that conduct of righteousness and uprightness, and the structures will be renewed until the former desolation is no longer recognizable.
The Malbim explains that this applies as well to the ruin of faiths and the desolation of philosophies: the false beliefs, flawed ideologies, and vain superstitions to which people clung. When Hashem will be King over all the earth, Hashem is one and His Name is one, and "they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," knowledge will abound, many will search and find Hashem, and "your prophets will dream dreams" - in that reality, righteousness will proliferate. For until then, the world does not run on justice and integrity; it is an alma deshikra, a world of falsehood, where people walk around with thousands of corrupt beliefs and ideologies that offer no expression of divine justice, of fulfilling the will of Hashem and walking in His ways. But when knowledge expands and the Holy One, blessed be He, pours out His spirit upon mankind, the trees of righteousness will multiply. Those trees - the Jewish people - will rebuild the ancient ruins and the former desolations, clearing away all the warped ideologies of prior generations that had taken root generation after generation. In their stead, true and enduring perceptions will be constructed: the ways, statutes, teachings, and judgments of the Creator, blessed be He.
The Malbim notes the precise difference between a ruin (chorbah) and a desolation (shemamah): what is ruined is not necessarily desolate - the city walls may have been destroyed while inhabitants still remain; and what is desolate is not necessarily ruined - a place may not have been destroyed, but everyone abandoned it, and once abandoned it became desolate. The verse states, "ancient ruins, the desolations of early generations": both what was ruined without being desolate, and what was desolate without being ruined - they will raise up, renew, and rebuild it all, through a path of truth and justice, and "they will all know Me, from the smallest of them to the greatest of them."
וְעָמְד֣וּ זָרִ֔ים וְרָע֖וּ צֹאנְכֶ֑ם וּבְנֵ֣י נֵכָ֔ר אִכָּרֵיכֶ֖ם וְכֹרְמֵיכֶֽם׃ - Strangers shall stand and shepherd your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
"Strangers shall stand" - Radak explains: they will step forward on their own initiative, not because we demand or compel them. And they will shepherd your flocks. "And foreigners shall be your plowmen" - field laborers; "and your vinedressers" - those responsible for tending and cultivating the vineyards.
The Malbim notes a nuance: why does it say "strangers" (zarim) in one place and "foreigners" (bnei nechar) in the other? We have already noted the distinction: a zar is simply someone not belonging to this group or matter - he may be from another nation, another family, or another region, and not necessarily a non-Jew. An Israelite is called a zar in relation to a Kohen, and terumah is forbidden to a zar. By contrast, bnei nechar specifically refers to gentiles. Therefore: the flocks will not be entrusted to bnei nechar, but rather to zarim, since there is sensitive work there that could be mishandled; but field labor, which is physical and mundane with little room for corruption - "and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers."
וְאַתֶּ֗ם כֹּהֲנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ תִּקָּרֵ֔אוּ מְשָׁרְתֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ יֵאָמֵ֖ר לָכֶ֑ם חֵ֤יל גּוֹיִם֙ תֹּאכֵ֔לוּ וּבִכְבוֹדָ֖ם תִּתְיַמָּֽרוּ׃ - But you shall be called the priests of the Lord, ministers of our God shall be said of you; you shall eat the wealth of nations, and in their glory you shall be exalted.
If they perform all these tasks, what will we do? "And you shall be called priests of the Lord" - you will be the priests of the Lord, dignitaries of the Holy One, blessed be He. "You shall eat the wealth of nations" - the property of the nations, just as the Targum renders: "the wealth of the nations you shall eat." "And in their glory tityamaru" - according to Rashi, this means you will replace them, taking over the dignity and honor they held until now. According to other commentators, tityamaru derives from amir (a high treetop), an expression of height, as in "You have exalted [he'emarta] the Lord this day, and the Lord has exalted [heemircha] you this day" - that is, you will be elevated and rise high through their glory. Interestingly, the common Hebrew idiom today, "he aspires/claims to be" (mityamer lihyot) - one who tries to assume another's role - corresponds precisely to Rashi's interpretation.
Radak explains: you will not need to engage in physical labor, for the foreigners will do the work. Consider: the Kohanim are the servants of Hashem; who does the work? We do, the Jewish people. Where do the Kohanim obtain their livelihood? They possess neither fields nor vineyards - we work and give to them, and through the twenty-four gifts of the priesthood, they are free to devote themselves to the service of Hashem. In the future to come, the dynamic will shift and everything will rise a level: the gentile, who until now engaged in vanity, will work for us - becoming our plowman, our vinedresser, and our shepherd. Those who were absorbed in vanity will now provide our livelihood, and we will become like the Kohanim.
And if we have no need to pursue a livelihood, what is left for us? To immerse ourselves in Torah. To come to the beit midrash, to sit and learn. There is nothing else to do. Whoever is already here now is already living in the days of Mashiach, already tasting the life of the World to Come. And as for those who are not, in the future we will need to expand, with God's help, and everyone who remains will come here to delve into Torah. They will have no need to work, and no one will be able to claim, "I have a job." What is this labor to you? There are gentiles, there are shepherds, they do everything for you; you need not lift a finger, only sit and learn. Just as the Kohanim were dedicated to the service of the Beit HaMikdash without any financial burden, so too the Jewish people will dedicate themselves to God's Torah and words of wisdom to know Hashem, entirely free from the burdens of earning a living.
And as if that were not enough, to give even greater reassurance, Scripture adds: "You shall eat the wealth of nations." Do not worry - everything the gentiles accumulated, all their assets, you will consume. Why? Because in addition to working for you, they will also bring tribute, in the manner of subjects bringing tribute to the kings they served. They will bring gold, silver, and the finest bounty of their lands, so much so that "in their glory you shall be exalted" - through their honor and greatness we will be elevated and rise, from the root of amir, signifying a lofty stature and exaltation. And Onkelos translates "you shall indulge" (titpankun), an expression of delight and pampering.
The Malbim explains: "And you" - the Jewish people, who until today held the status of ordinary Yisraelim compared to the Kohen, will become like Kohanim in relation to the nations of the world, for we will all be in the aspect of a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation," just like the Kohen who stands apart relative to the entire nation. Ibn Ezra and Radak explain similarly. And just as the Kohen did not engage in working the land or grazing the flock, so too the nations will supply all our needs. "You shall be called Kohanim of Hashem" - that we will be of noble standing, like the seed of Aharon the Kohanim who are fit for the service of the Beit HaMikdash. By the way, it is written that in the future the firstborns will serve as Kohanim; meaning, not only will we possess a spiritual standing like that of the Kohanim, but the actual service will be performed by Yisrael, through the firstborns who will become Kohanim. This will not displace the Kohanim - it does not mean the Kohanim will be set aside - but in any event, the firstborns will also perform the divine service and serve in the House of Hashem.
The Malbim adds: A "Kohen of Hashem" refers strictly to one who serves in the House of Hashem and does not engage in mundane matters, which is why the verse also says, "Ministers of our God shall be said of you." The term "minister" (mesharet) is a broader expression: it is said of the Kohanim who minister in the House of Hashem, and it is also said of the servant of an ordinary person, a prophet, or a king, such as "to the youth, his attendant [mesharto]." Thus, ministering applies to earthly matters as well and not exclusively to the priesthood, which is why both titles are stated.
Finally, these correspond to the two special distinctions of the Kohen: First, that he receives terumot and ma'asrot - and corresponding to this is "You shall eat the wealth of nations," for those who currently occupy the position of an ordinary Yisrael relative to us are the nations, and from them you will receive sustenance analogous to terumot and ma'asrot. Second, that people would honor the Kohen to speak first and make the blessing first - and corresponding to this is "and in their glory you will glory," that you will be exalted and praised with their honor, and everyone will accord you honor. Thus, you will possess the standing of the Kohanim in both respects: in matters of tithes and sustenance, which will come from the wealth of the nations, and in matters of honor, where the Kohen always comes first. You will be in the aspect of Kohanim and in the aspect of ministers of our God, performing the service of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in an intimate, devoted manner.
May it be Hashem's will that we merit this speedily in our days.