The final chapter in the Book of Yeshayahu is a concluding chapter: the consolation of Jerusalem on the one hand, and retribution exacted from the wicked and the nations who march against her on the other. In this part, we begin from verse ten, with the call to rejoice with Jerusalem, and continue to the end of the book: the abundance of the redemption, the War of Gog and Magog, the gathering of the nations, the return of the dispersed, and finally the sight of the corpses of the transgressors. We will proceed through the verses according to the Malbim, together with the insights of Rashi and the Radak.
שִׂמְחוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וְגִילוּ בָהּ כׇּל אֹהֲבֶיהָ, שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ כׇּל הַמִּתְאַבְּלִים עָלֶיהָ׃ - Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn for her.
Corresponding to what was stated earlier, "A voice from the Sanctuary," a heavenly voice issues from the Sanctuary announcing to rejoice with Jerusalem. In this single verse, three distinct terms for joy appear: simchah, gilah, and masos (sason). The Malbim explains that there are precise distinctions between them. Both simchah and gilah indicate an internal joy of the heart, yet simchah is constant and enduring - a person is steadily joyful, not due to sudden news; whereas gilah is a renewed internal joy - good tidings arrive, stirring something fresh in the heart. In contrast to both of these, sason denotes outward joy: one can see that the person is overjoyed, his face radiates, he dances, and the joy is plainly visible on the outside.
With this, the wording of the verse becomes precise. To those who love Jerusalem, the prophet says, "Rejoice (simchu) with Jerusalem" - an enduring, steady joy; "and be glad (gilu) with her" - from time to time, as new miracles will constantly unfold, and every renewal produces a fresh gilah. However, "rejoice with her in joy (shisu itah masos)" is said specifically to "all you who mourn for her," for the mourners demonstrated their grief through visible, external signs: they wore sackcloth, sat on the ground on Tisha B'Av, refrained from haircuts and shaving from Shiva Asar B'Tammuz (and for Sephardim, during the week of Tisha B'Av) - all outwardly noticeable expressions. Measure for measure: just as their mourning was outwardly apparent, so their joy will be outwardly visible, in the sense of "oil of joy instead of mourning," as we saw earlier in chapter 61.
לְמַעַן תִּינְקוּ וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם מִשֹּׁד תַּנְחֻמֶיהָ, לְמַעַן תָּמֹצּוּ וְהִתְעַנַּגְתֶּם מִזִּיז כְּבוֹדָהּ׃ - That you may nurse and be satisfied from the breast of her consolations; that you may suckle and delight in the radiance of her glory.
"The breast (shod) of her consolations" is related to the word for breasts, expressing abundance, which is why the verse uses the imagery of nursing - like an infant nursing at its mother's breast. The Radak also explains it this way, comparing it to "and you shall nurse the breast of kings," as an allegory for the delight the Jewish people will take in the future abundance. And this is the reward corresponding to the mourning they endured.
"From the ziz of her glory" - Rashi explains this from the root of movement (lazuz): from the great glory that is stirring and approaching her. The Radak explains that ziz is akin to ziv (radiance), where the letters vav and zayin interchange, corresponding to Targum Yonatan's rendering, "from the desire of her glory" - something a person covets and treasures.
The Malbim offers a third explanation. He compares Israel to children in their mother's embrace: at first they nurse and become satisfied from the breast of consolations, and afterward they suckle merely for delight. This is like an infant who nurses from his mother, and afterward is given a pacifier - which contains no food at all, but is pure comfort, and one sees how much pleasure he derives from it. Or in adult terms: there is a main meal that satisfies one's hunger, after which ice cream is served - which is no longer sustenance, but pure delight. (It is told of Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz that he never ate ice cream in his life, except once in his childhood, around the age of ten. He tasted it and said: "This is too delicious; it belongs to worldly pleasures and desires" - and from then on, he never tasted ice cream again.)
Accordingly, "ziz of her glory," in the Malbim's view, refers to a round drop of honey, like a small sweet confection served at the end of a meal purely for enjoyment. "The breast of her consolations" is the main course from which one is sated, while "ziz of her glory" is the small sweet at the end that one simply sucks on. The verse teaches us that the bounty the Holy One, blessed be He, will bestow will be complete: both a main course and dessert, and nothing will be lacking in that boundless spiritual bliss that Hashem will shower upon us.
כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה, הִנְנִי נֹטֶה אֵלֶיהָ כְּנָהָר שָׁלוֹם וּכְנַחַל שׁוֹטֵף כְּבוֹד גּוֹיִם וִינַקְתֶּם, עַל צַד תִּנָּשֵׂאוּ וְעַל בִּרְכַּיִם תְּשׇׁעֳשָׁעוּ׃ - For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream, and you shall nurse; you shall be carried upon the hip, and dandled upon the knees.
"Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river" - peace, redemption, and rest from enemies will arrive like a gently flowing river, constantly swelling and expanding. This serves as a metaphor for what we saw earlier with the "breast of consolations": through this they will find comfort from all their troubles, and through this they will satisfy their hunger. For many years we have hungered for peace, tranquility, and rest, yet remained far from them. Someone once noted that we have a recurring ritual of a war every two years, each time called by a different "operation" [in Hebrew, *mivtza* also means a retail sale]. And someone asked: after a few sales, every store holds a liquidation sale - so after so many "operations," isn't it time for a total wrap-up? Clearly, this path of endless operations does not work. And beyond our hunger for peace and quiet, we hunger for closeness to Hashem, for we currently find ourselves distant from Him, blessed be He.
"And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream" - just like a rushing stream that sweeps away everything in its path, so will the wealth and glory of the nations arrive here. It will be just as it was during the Exodus from Egypt: after everything we suffered from Pharaoh, he himself took care of bringing all the silver and gold all the way to the Red Sea, so that we would not have to bother going back to Egypt to collect it - he had wagons and chariots, and everything reached us in the spoils of the sea. The sea washed it all ashore, "like the sand upon the seashore." And this corresponds to the Malbim's explanation of "the abundance of her glory," which is strictly for pleasure, for what we truly hunger for at our core is that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea," that the Holy One, blessed be He, will be our King and leader; the silver and gold are merely the sweets.
"And you shall nurse; you shall be carried on the side" - having compared them to a nursing infant, the prophet continues comparing them to a baby carried on the side: either the child is guided in taking small steps alongside its mother, or the mother carries the child on her hip, supporting it with her hand. In the same way, you will be lifted up and carried out of exile even if you cannot walk on your own. This corresponds to the "breast of consolations" and "like a river of peace" - you will arrive with ease and comfort. One might even suggest that modern air travel and airplanes reflect this concept of being "carried on the side." In the past, people had to travel on foot and with donkeys - ask those who fled Iran about the immense self-sacrifice that required; ask those who came from Yemen how many children were lost along the way, may Hashem protect us; ask those who came from Ethiopia, how many set out from a large family and how few made it - not counting those who arrived directly on airplanes. The prophet does not describe concepts beyond the people's comprehension, so he spoke in terms they understood: like someone picking you up and carrying you. It was not for nothing that the Yemenite immigration was called "On Eagles' Wings," expressing that effortless arrival - within a few hours, you are here.
"And dandled upon the knees" - having compared us to an infant, a baby is indeed a delightful child, and the father or mother sits the child on their knees and plays with him. This corresponds to "the abundance of her glory" and "like an overflowing stream the glory of the nations" - the aspect of playfulness and delight, like that sweet treat at the end. That is to say, the wealth and honor of the nations you receive afterward will come in an atmosphere of love and delight.
כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אִמּוֹ תְּנַחֲמֶנּוּ כֵּן אָנֹכִי אֲנַחֶמְכֶם, וּבִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם תְּנֻחָמוּ׃ - As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Like a person whose mother comforts him for all the hardships he has endured. And why specifically his mother? Radak explains: because a woman is more coaxing and soothing with words than a man. As the Gemara explains, concerning the mitzvah of honoring parents it says, "Honor your father and your mother," mentioning the father first, whereas regarding reverence it says, "Every man shall revere his mother and his father," mentioning the mother first. The reason is that a child naturally tends to honor his mother more, because she draws him close with kind words and knows how to speak to his heart; whereas he naturally fears his father more, for a father is less given to persuasion with gentle words, but knows how to deliver a reprimand when necessary. Therefore the Torah says, "Honor your father" - to ensure you also honor your father; and "Every man shall revere his mother and his father" - to ensure you also revere your mother. In any case, we learn that a woman excels at comforting with words, and therefore the consolation is compared to a mother's comfort.
And the Malbim explains "As one whom his mother comforts" differently: like a person who mourned for his mother, believing she had passed away, since she had gone far away to another country and he was certain she died, and suddenly it is revealed that she is alive, and she returns to him and comforts him for all his grief. This is like the many survivors who returned from the Holocaust and could not find their relatives, certain that their father or mother had perished, and years ago there was a radio program for "tracing missing relatives," and suddenly it was discovered that the person was alive. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Over what did you mourn? Over the exile of the Shechinah, over the Shechinah having departed from Her home and no longer being with us, represented by "*Anochi*" (I), the holy Shechinah, the aspect of *Malchut*. And when the Shechinah returns - "I (*Anochi*) will comfort you": you mourned over Me, and I am the One who comforts; and you also mourned over Jerusalem - "and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem." The very things you mourned over will themselves comfort you. This is also why we say to mourners that Hashem should comfort them among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem: when the great joy of the rebuilding of Jerusalem arrives, all the mourning, sorrow, and everything we endured through the years of exile will be forgotten. This corresponds to "Comfort, comfort My people, says your God" - consolations that will cause all troubles to be forgotten, and then there will be only abundance and goodness to counter all the years we saw evil.
וּרְאִיתֶם וְשָׂשׂ לִבְּכֶם וְעַצְמוֹתֵיכֶם כַּדֶּשֶׁא תִפְרַחְנָה, וְנוֹדְעָה יַד יְהֹוָה אֶת עֲבָדָיו וְזָעַם אֶת אֹיְבָיו׃ - And you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward His servants, and He shall show indignation toward His enemies.
Do bones ever actually flourish like grass? Rather, as the verse says, "a crushed spirit dries up the bones" - when a person is in a state of depression, a crushed spirit dries out his bones. Therefore, when the prophet comes to tell us that you will not have a crushed spirit, but rather gladness and joy, he says that not only will the bones not dry up, but "they shall flourish like grass."
The Malbim explains: Until now, you believed with hopeful anticipation in what the prophecies promised you, but you did not see it with your own eyes. Now you will see it directly - "And you shall see," and therefore "your heart shall rejoice." As explained several times based on the Malbim, simchah is internal joy, whereas sason is when it bursts forth outwardly; this joy will spread from the heart to the external limbs, until even dry bones will flourish like grass.
"And the hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants" - the hand of Hashem will be with His servants for good, and against His enemies for retribution. Until now, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not openly reward the righteous nor overtly punish the wicked, and as a result, heretics and idolaters proliferated because they did not see the hand of Hashem openly revealed. But then, the world in its current state as an arena of trial and testing will come to an end, and the world of recompense will begin. Then all will clearly see how the Holy One, blessed be He, bestows goodness upon His servants, and on the other hand, "and His indignation toward His enemies" - how He pours out wrath upon those who violate His covenant.
כִּי הִנֵּה יְהֹוָה בָּאֵשׁ יָבוֹא וְכַסּוּפָה מַרְכְּבֹתָיו, לְהָשִׁיב בְּחֵמָה אַפּוֹ וְגַעֲרָתוֹ בְּלַהֲבֵי אֵשׁ׃ - "For behold, the Lord shall come with fire, and His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger in fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire."
Just as it is written in Yechezkel's prophecy concerning the war of Gog and Magog, "and torrential rain and great hailstones, fire and brimstone will I rain upon him and upon his hordes," so too here: the hand of Hashem will come with fire. "And His chariots like a whirlwind" - the Radak explains that the decrees descending from heaven will strike like a whirlwind, with great power and immense force.
The Radak notes that af denotes anger, while cheimah denotes a far greater wrath where things become heated, corresponding to Targum Yonatan's rendering: "with intense fury" - a much fiercer rage. Regarding the word lehashiv ("to render" or "to bring back") - some explain it in the sense of "to bring," but the Radak cites in the name of his father, and the Malbim explains similarly, that it derives from shevivei eish (sparks of fire): sparks of fiery wrath that express His indignation.
The Malbim explains: Corresponding to "the voice of the Lord rendering recompense to His enemies," Scripture illustrates here how He will exact retribution from them - through fire. And since fire naturally spreads rapidly on a tempestuous wind, the verse adds, "and His chariots like a whirlwind." We all remember, may such tragedy never happen again, the Carmel forest fire: within mere minutes people were enveloped by flames, something no one could have anticipated, because ferocious winds drove the fire and ignited everything around them. A storm carries fire from place to place in an instant. Scripture comes to teach that it will not be then as it is today, where the Holy One, blessed be He, is slow to anger and defers punishment - "He is patient, but eventually collects His due" - even postponing it after death to the punishment of Gehinnom. Today matters operate with delay, but then, the retribution will be as swift as a storm scattering fire, and like a chariot racing at full speed.
"To render His anger in fury" - the Malbim explains that the difference between cheimah (fury) and af (anger) is that af is external and cheimah is internal. (Based on this, there is a wonderful explanation on Megillat Esther regarding the verse "and his wrath burned within him.") In brief: cheimah is internal, which is why it says "burned within him" - inside; whereas af is visible outwardly, as in "a fire is kindled in My nostrils (be'api)," where smoke is visibly seen issuing from the nostrils, an outwardly noticeable anger. This is the meaning of "to render His anger in fury": the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, fans and inflames His af - the external anger - by means of the internal cheimah. For if an internal sense calms the external anger, the anger subsides; but if internal fury inflames the anger, it flares up all the more. Therefore, "and His rebuke with flames of fire" - the rebuke that the Holy One, blessed be He, directs at the wicked and the nations will be with a tremendous, blazing fire.
כִּי בָאֵשׁ יְהֹוָה נִשְׁפָּט וּבְחַרְבּוֹ אֶת כׇּל בָּשָׂר, וְרַבּוּ חַלְלֵי יְהֹוָה׃ - "For by fire will the Lord contend, and by His sword with all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many."
Seemingly, the verse should have said shofet ("judges"); what is the meaning of nishpat? Rashi explains that nishpat means entering into judgment with him, contending alongside him in trial, as in "and I will enter into judgment with him (venishpatti) with pestilence" and "behold, I will enter into judgment with you (hineni nishpat otach)" - presenting the case and confronting him in judgment.
The Malbim explains: In the war of Gog and Magog, Yechezkel makes clear that at first every man's sword will be turned against his fellow, and only afterward will the Holy One, blessed be He, rain down fire and hailstones upon them from heaven. The fire is the direct judgment of Hashem, a heavenly punishment, which is why it says, "for by fire will Hashem contend." But regarding the sword, it does not say "by the sword Hashem will contend," but rather "and by His sword with all flesh" - meaning that all flesh will slaughter one another, without us needing to raise a hand against them; they will bring about their own downfall through friendly fire. They will destroy themselves, whereas the fire is the direct heavenly punishment coming from the Almighty Himself.
הַמִּתְקַדְּשִׁים וְהַמִּטַּהֲרִים אֶל הַגַּנּוֹת אַחַר אַחַת בַּתָּוֶךְ, אֹכְלֵי בְּשַׂר הַחֲזִיר וְהַשֶּׁקֶץ וְהָעַכְבָּר, יַחְדָּו יָסֻפוּ נְאֻם יְהֹוָה׃ - Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, following one in the midst, eaters of swine's flesh, the creeping creature, and the mouse, shall perish together, says Hashem.
What is the meaning of "who sanctify themselves" (hamitkadshim)? Rashi explains: they designate themselves. For a kedeshah refers to a woman designated for prostitution, and conversely, a holy person (kadosh) designates himself for the service of Hashem. The root k-d-sh is used both negatively and positively. Here it means that they arrange appointments with one another: "Come, tomorrow let us go to such-and-such an idol; tomorrow let us go to such-and-such an ashei-rah." "And purify themselves" - they purify themselves for the sake of their idolatrous service. And "to the gardens" - Rashi explains that they would sow vegetables in gardens, and in those pleasant places they would set up idols. This is also the reason Navot of Yizreel adamantly refused to sell his vineyard to Achav, as he knew Achav wanted the vineyard for idolatry, which is why he said, "Hashem forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you" - shall I give my sacred ancestral inheritance for you to practice idolatry in it? (This was elaborated upon in the shiurim on Sefer Melachim.) It was thus their common practice to erect idolatrous shrines in such beautiful gardens.
"Following one in the midst" - Rashi follows Targum Yonatan: "group after group." "In the midst" means in the center: they would set up the idol in the middle of the garden, and group after group would worship it; as soon as one group finished, the next began.
Radak explains that they would perform actions to prepare themselves for idol worship, noting precisely about the word mitkadshim ("sanctifying themselves") that verbs in the reflexive hitpa'el form often denote an imagined or feigned state rather than a reality - an insight followed by the Malbim as well. As in: "There is one who feigns wealth, yet has nothing" - he is not truly rich; "There is one who feigns poverty, yet has great wealth" - he is not truly poor. Here too, "those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves" - they do not truly become holy or pure, but merely imagine themselves to be so. Radak adds that they portray themselves as holy while in truth they are defiled. Likewise, "those who purify themselves" refers to the Persians, who continually washed and purified their bodies, yet were defiled and filthy with their evil deeds, presenting themselves as pure when they were not.
And what is "to the gardens" according to Radak? It refers to the pools of water in the gardens, where they would bathe and sanctify themselves. Thus, according to Rashi the gardens were the site of the idol worship itself, whereas according to Radak they were the place of immersion in preparation for the idolatry. According to this, "following one" means they followed the large, special pool in the center of the garden. The written text (ketiv) is echad (masculine) while the reading tradition (keri) is achat (feminine). Radak explains that one can refer to it in both genders: referring to the spring, which is the water's source, it is masculine, while referring to the pool itself, it is feminine; hence the keri and ketiv. Radak also cites another explanation, that "following one" refers to following one of the asheirot inside the garden, noting: "Behold, nowadays there are no worshippers of asheirot," though perhaps some remain in the far corners of the earth - for already in his day, worshippers of asheirot were practically nonexistent.
"Eaters of swine's flesh, and detestable things, and mice" - Radak says this refers to the Persians, who ate repulsive creatures and mice. "The detestable thing" (hasheketz) is a collective term for all kinds of abominations and swarming creatures, and "the mouse" is singled out specifically. "Shall perish together" - in the war of Gog and Magog, for all these kingdoms will exist at that time, corresponding to the fourth kingdom in the visions of Daniel, which is regarded as one empire because a single world dominion will hold sway, characterized there by iron and clay. (One can listen to the recordings on Sefer Daniel, where the four kingdoms were detailed and explained according to the Malbim as to how they manifest in our time.) Here the prophet foretells that all of them will perish together.
The Malbim explains, like Radak, that they merely feign sanctifying and purifying themselves. However, in his view, "following one" refers to following an idolatrous form that existed among them, which they considered an intermediary force between themselves and Hashem. That is, "in the midst" (batovech) receives a new explanation in his commentary: whereas all other commentators understand "in the midst" as the center of the garden - whether the pool or the idol - according to the Malbim, it refers to the idol itself as an intermediary (metavech), serving as a mediator between them and Hashem, for they did not worship it as an independent deity.
וְאָנֹכִי מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֵיהֶם בָּאָה לְקַבֵּץ אֶת כׇּל הַגּוֹיִם וְהַלְּשֹׁנוֹת, וּבָאוּ וְרָאוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדִי׃ - And as for Me, their works and their thoughts - the time is coming to gather all the nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.
The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Their deeds and thoughts have come before Me, and they compel Me to gather all the nations and demonstrate that their deeds are futile, and that the thoughts they entertain - ostensibly for the honor of Hashem - are false; this is not how Hashem is worshipped. And when will the Holy One, blessed be He, gather all the nations? Rashi explains: This is what is stated in Zechariah, "And I will gather all nations against Jerusalem" - the war of Gog and Magog. "And they shall come and see My glory" - as stated there, "their flesh shall rot away, and their eyes, and their tongue," where there will be great miracles through which the glory of Hashem will become evident.
Radak explains: I will reckon with the deeds and thoughts of those nations, for the time has come to gather the nations, and I will bring it about that all will see the glory of Hashem and recognize that there is no ruler other than the Master of the Universe. This will happen by force, as it is written, "And I will put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth... and lead you up and bring you." Of their own accord they would not want to come here; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, will draw them like a beast pulled by hooks, all in order to bring about their downfall here in Jerusalem. And there it is said, "Things shall come into your heart, and you shall devise an evil thought," regarding which the verse states here, "And as for Me, their works and their thoughts" - all those thoughts have come before Me, and I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem. (These prophecies were discussed at length in the shiurim on Zechariah and Yechezkel, which are available on Kol Halashon.)
The Malbim explains: The deeds of the adherents of these beliefs, along with their thoughts and their distorted, corrupt faith, have come before Me, so that through this I will assemble them and they will recognize the oneness of Hashem. For the ultimate purpose of this entire process is "and they shall come and see My glory," so that it will be fulfilled: "And Hashem alone shall be exalted on that day," "And Hashem shall be one and His Name one," and "May everything that has been made know that You have made it, and may every creature understand that You have created it, and may everyone with breath in his nostrils proclaim: Hashem, the God of Israel, is King, and His kingship rules over all." This is the ultimate goal, and therefore the gathering of all nations and tongues is for the purpose of "and they shall come and see My glory."
וְשַׂמְתִּי בָהֶם אוֹת וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי מֵהֶם פְּלֵיטִים אֶל הַגּוֹיִם תַּרְשִׁישׁ פּוּל וְלוּד מֹשְׁכֵי קֶשֶׁת תֻּבַל וְיָוָן, הָאִיִּים הָרְחֹקִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶת שִׁמְעִי וְלֹא רָאוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדִי, וְהִגִּידוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדִי בַּגּוֹיִם׃ - "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations: to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, drawers of the bow, to Tubal and Javan, the distant isles that have not heard My fame and have not seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the nations."
There is a difficulty here: if all who come to wage war will die, whom will Hashem send to the nations to report the downfall of the peoples? Rashi therefore explains "survivors" (peleitim) - those who are saved from the war. There will be individuals who escape and survive, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will spare them so they can go and proclaim His glory to the distant isles, recounting what they witnessed in the war.
And regarding those very survivors, it is said: "And I will set a sign among them" - no one will emerge unscathed or completely intact, but rather it will be clearly recognizable upon them that they escaped from the battlefield and were harmed. It is well known what the Vilna Gaon writes concerning the future war, that it will last twelve seconds, and Scripture states that they will stand while their flesh rots away upon their skin and melts. One cannot fathom such a thing unless it refers to an atomic weapon, for no conventional method produces such an effect, certainly not in so brief a time. If the Gra wrote this long before the invention of the atomic bomb, it undoubtedly refers to this kind of weapon, unless an even more advanced weapon is developed; but for now, this is the blow that can decide a war in twelve seconds. Moreover, anyone who flees from there will not escape safe and sound, but afflicted with heavy radioactive fallout. This is the meaning of "And I will set a sign among them": it will be unmistakably clear upon them that they fled the battlefield, and from their condition, it will be evident what became of their comrades - observers will see how badly injured they are and understand how the others perished. All this is meant to inform those far away that the armies besieging Jerusalem were struck down by this plague.
The Radak explains that "And I will set a sign among them" corresponds to what is written in Zechariah, "and their eyes shall rot in their sockets" - this is the visible sign God will place upon them, and those returning to the nations will bear witness to it. Furthermore, "and I will send survivors from them" corresponds to the verse: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year" - thus, survivors will remain, and some of them will subsequently make the pilgrimage. The Holy One, blessed be He, will spare them in order to reveal His glory among the nations: to show those who did not march on Jerusalem their flawed and lacking state, and to demonstrate the high stature of those who do come to pray, prostrate themselves, and offer sacrifices. For Scripture states that not everyone will come, and some will remain in Egypt, "and if they do not come up, there shall be no rain upon them," and so forth, as explained at length in the prophecies of Ezekiel and Zechariah. These survivors will journey through all lands to spread the word, including among the "drawers of the bow" - and interestingly, the Radak notes (perhaps based on their well-known expertise with archery in his era) that "drawers of the bow" refers to the Turks.
Regarding "Tubal and Javan" - Scripture states, "Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal"; how then can any of those who came to fight survive? The Radak explains that this means messengers from among the combatants will go, and these heralds will report to those who remained behind in their native lands. That is, the armies themselves will fall there, but messengers will survive to relay the news and publicize it throughout the nations.
The Malbim explains that this refers specifically to the distant islands. There are far-off isles where people still practice idolatry, "who have not heard My fame" - who have never even heard of the concept of God. For as is well known from the Rambam, the spread of the major world religions served the historical purpose of propagating awareness of God throughout the world. Both Christianity and the more refined monotheism of Islam - which no longer worships wood and stone but believes solely in the Master of the Universe - serve as stepping stones on the path toward true belief in God. Before them, people engaged in absolute pagan idolatry, whereas now the nations recognize that there is a singular, incorporeal God Who must be served. Yet the Malbim points out that there are still populations living on distant islands, practicing outright idolatry, who have neither heard His fame nor seen His glory - and the survivors will reach even them, proclaiming to them the reality of Hashem.
וְהֵבִיאוּ אֶת כׇּל אֲחֵיכֶם מִכׇּל הַגּוֹיִם מִנְחָה לַיהֹוָה בַּסּוּסִים וּבָרֶכֶב וּבַצַּבִּים וּבַפְּרָדִים וּבַכִּרְכָּרוֹת עַל הַר קׇדְשִׁי יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם אָמַר יְהֹוָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר יָבִיאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַמִּנְחָה בִּכְלִי טָהוֹר בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃ - "And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to Hashem, on horses, in chariots, in covered wagons, on mules, and on swift beasts, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, said Hashem, just as the Children of Israel bring the meal offering in a pure vessel to the House of Hashem."
Rashi explains tzabim as covered wagons, similar to a tortoise (tzav) covered by its shell, and like the covered wagons (eglot tzav) in the wilderness, of which the princes brought six covered wagons - wagons covered with a canopy. Just like the covered wagons depicted with the early American pioneers, a wagon beneath a large arched canvas - so will they travel in the time to come.
"And on kirkorot" - there are several interpretations for this word. Many draw upon the familiar description of King David, who was "leaping and dancing" (mefazez u'mecharker), meaning their arrival will be marked by song and jubilation, celebrations, leaping and dancing. Rashi cites Menachem, who connects it to the word for a ram or sheep (kar), as in "Send a ram (kar) to the ruler of the land" and "the pastures are clothed with flocks (karim)," referring to animals; according to this view, part of the tribute will also include sheep. And what is meant by "an offering to Hashem"? Just as a meal offering is brought in a pure vessel and accepted favorably, so too will your brethren be brought as an offering to Hashem, and it will be accepted with favor before Him.
The Radak explains that "And they shall bring all your brethren" refers to the people of Israel - those who remained in the distant isles and had not yet ascended, who lived dispersed among the nations. When they hear of the immense wonder the Holy One, blessed be He, performed against the camp of Gog and Magog, they will resolve on their own to go up and join their brethren in the Land of Israel. Then the nations will escort them on horses and in chariots as an offering to Hashem, dressed in magnificent garments, riding upon horses and chariots; the nations will convey Israel clad in handsome, clean, and pure clothing. "And in tzabim" refers to covered wagons, following Rashi's explanation based on the Targum of eglot tzav as "covered wagons" (kad mechafyan), canopied litters; or wooden structures used to carry people atop animals, like a howdah mounted on an elephant's back. Why are they called mechafyan? The Radak explains that they would drape and line the interior with fine textiles, cushioning and upholstering the inside.
"And on dromedaries (uvakarcarot)" - according to the Radak, these are camels or swift beasts of burden, and they are called this because the person riding upon them bounces and sways (mekharker); when running, the camel seems to dance, and from their great speed they appear to be dancing. This connects to the expression "David was dancing (mekharker)" (II Samuel 6:14), which refers to dancing. Incidentally, even those who understand karcarot as literal carriages, as we use the word today, follow the same concept: the passenger in a carriage bounces and leaps up and down, as this vehicle jolts along, which is why it is called a karkarah. And all of them will arrive "upon My holy mountain."
The Malbim explains that this will occur with tremendous honor and great speed, which is the meaning of "on horses and in chariots." Moreover, the Jewish people in the distant isles, even those assimilated among the nations, will not merely return to Jerusalem on their own; rather, the nations will bring them, in purity, just as one brings an offering in a pure vessel to the House of Hashem. It can also be noted that covered wagons (tzav) are called this because they are covered with partitions and a canopy, named after the tortoise (tzav) that always travels with its roof and home on its back; so too, these wagons always carry their covering and canopy over them.
וְגַם מֵהֶם אֶקַּח לַכֹּהֲנִים לַלְוִיִּם אָמַר יְהֹוָה׃ - "And from them also will I take for Kohanim and for Levi'im," said Hashem.
Who are "from them also"? Radak explains: even those who were deeply immersed among the nations, those in the distant isles of whom we have heard nothing at all - them too I will bring, and from them also I will take Kohanim and Levi'im. Radak adds, "and it is possible that they deviated somewhat from the religion," meaning that because they were so deeply submerged among the nations, they no longer observe the mitzvot properly; nevertheless, from them I will take Kohanim and Levi'im, because these are families of Kehunah and Leviyah, and I will take them to serve before Me.
Our Sages offer two explanations for this. The first, as explained, is that "from them also" refers to the Jewish people. The second is that it refers to the nations: for the verse stated that they will bring an offering to Hashem from all the nations, and upon this it says "and from them also" - from the nations - I will take for Kohanim and Levi'im. How could this be? Radak explains that there were individuals sold as slaves in the past who were forgotten and became like gentiles, assimilating among the nations, yet the Holy One, Blessed be He, knows that they are Kohanim and Levi'im, and concerning this He said "from them also will I take." Yet this is somewhat difficult, for they did not assimilate yesterday (unless one speaks of those who assimilated in our own generation, not necessarily as slaves, but even into Reform movements); if several generations have passed, the mother is already a gentile, so what good is it that the father is an Israelite? The person is halachically a gentile, cannot be called an Israelite, certainly possesses no sanctity of Kehunah, and in any event has been profaned (chalal). Therefore, the more plausible explanation is that which Radak cites in the name of his father: "And from them also will I take for the Kohanim and the Levi'im" - for the needs of the Kohanim, to serve them as hewers of wood and drawers of water. The gentiles will come, and I will take from them to serve the Kohanim and the Levi'im. For the prophet Zechariah says, "And there shall be no more trader (Canaanite) in the House of Hashem of Hosts" (Zechariah 14:21), and Chazal explain that the Gibeonites will no longer serve in the Beit HaMikdash. Who then will serve? The leaders and prominent figures of the nations! The President of the United States will come and say, "I will draw water for the Beit HaMikdash, let me!" And they will say to him, "No, you opposed us, stand aside; there are gentiles better suited than you. We will take el-Sisi from Egypt, he will draw water." In short, the nations will come and plead for the privilege of performing the tasks of woodchoppers and water-drawers for the Beit HaMikdash.
כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר הַשָּׁמַיִם הַחֲדָשִׁים וְהָאָרֶץ הַחֲדָשָׁה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה עֹמְדִים לְפָנַי נְאֻם יְהֹוָה, כֵּן יַעֲמֹד זַרְעֲכֶם וְשִׁמְכֶם׃ - "For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I make remain before Me," says Hashem, "so shall your seed and your name remain."
What are the "new heavens"? Radak explains: they are called "new" because they endure in their pristine renewal; they have never worn out and never will wear out. Similarly, the "new earth" endures in its freshness, for while that which is born upon it wears out, the earth itself does not wear out. The earth has remained the same earth for six thousand years, and the heavens remain the same heavens, as Shlomo HaMelech said: "A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever" (Kohelet 1:4). The reason is that the One Who establishes and sustains them is the Holy One, Blessed be He. Thus Hashem says: Just as I sustain them in their freshness, so shall your seed and your name endure. You must not think that perhaps redemption will arrive in our time only for exile to return tomorrow or the next day and for your seed to be scattered among the nations once more. Rather, just as the heavens and earth are maintained and renewed by the Holy One, Blessed be He, every single day, so too with you there will be constant renewal; you will endure forever, and Israel will never fall from its high standing.
The Malbim explains that this is a continuation of what we saw in the previous chapter, "Behold, I create new heavens": a new reality that contains no decay or loss. In our current reality, everything deteriorates and wears away, and no natural object is free of decay. But in the future reality, there will be a new nature untouched by destruction. For destruction is an expression of death; just as there will be no death in the physical reality of human beings, so will there be no death in the physical reality of inanimate objects - rot, rust, and the like are forms of death. There will be new heavens and a new earth containing neither death nor decay. And just as the new heavens endure before Him, so will the people of that generation endure: "your seed" will not perish through slaughter, and "your name" will not perish through converting to idolatrous religions. Thus, you will endure both in bodily well-being and in spiritual bliss, in both physical and spiritual existence.
וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחׇדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ יָבוֹא כׇל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְפָנַי אָמַר יְהֹוָה׃ - "And it shall be that from month to month, and from Shabbat to Shabbat, all flesh shall come to prostrate themselves before Me," said Hashem.
"From month to month (midei chodesh bechodsho)" means from one month to the next, and the term midei indicates that this is constant and uninterrupted. "All flesh shall come" - all human beings, including from other nations, will come to prostrate themselves before Hashem. "All flesh" is used here just as in the verse, "and let all flesh bless His holy Name" (Tehillim 145:21), meaning all nations and all people; everyone will come to bow down and give thanks to Hashem. This aligns with what is stated in the prophecy of Zechariah: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to prostrate themselves before the King, Hashem of Hosts, and to celebrate the festival of Sukkot" (Zechariah 14:16).
The Malbim explains: Every month and every Sabbath, new people from among the nations will arrive - those who once worshiped idols - and they will come before Him to cast away their futile beliefs and accept the true faith. Thus, according to the Malbim, this is a gradual process: month by month and Sabbath by Sabbath, more and more people will come to cast off their beliefs and embrace faith in Hashem, Blessed be He.
וְיָצְאוּ וְרָאוּ בְּפִגְרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפֹּשְׁעִים בִּי, כִּי תוֹלַעְתָּם לֹא תָמוּת וְאִשָּׁם לֹא תִכְבֶּה, וְהָיוּ דֵרָאוֹן לְכׇל בָּשָׂר׃ - And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men who rebelled against Me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence unto all flesh.
Those gentiles who come to prostrate from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath will go outside of Jerusalem to the Valley of Yehoshaphat, and there they will see the carcasses of what remains from the camp of Gog and Magog. At first glance this seems difficult, for it is known that they will bury the bodies for seven months, so how could it say "and they shall go forth and look"? The Radak answers that even though they will bury them for seven months, this may refer to that seven-month period itself, before they have finished burying them. Then they will go out and look upon the corpses of those who came to rebel against Hashem, conquer Jerusalem, and wage war against the Jewish people - Gog and his army.
The Radak and the Malbim explain that there is a miracle here, for worms and fire do not normally go together: the fire consumes them, yet despite this, their worm does not die from the fire, but continues to consume while the fire burns within them. The fire consumes the people yet does not consume the worms, and it burns without being quenched - a miracle within a miracle.
"And they shall be an abhorrence (dera'on) unto all flesh" - when all those who come to prostrate see what became of those who rose up to rebel against Hashem and wage war against Hashem's people, and see their corpses being consumed by worms while fire burns within them, the Radak says: "Their stench will rise into their nostrils" - the foul odor will enter their nostrils, they will be loathsome in their eyes, and they will turn away from them, for after seeing their judgment, they will not be able to stand there for even a single hour due to the overwhelming stench. "Dera'on" means abhorrence, something a person cannot even approach, and they will be an eternal abhorrence. The Radak also cites an explanation that dera'on is related to a species of worm, as in Chazal's expression "the hadara and the kana in the grain," which are names of worms; according to this, the worms of dera'on will consume them.
The Radak cites yet another explanation: that "the carcasses of the men who rebelled against Me" does not refer to those who came to wage war against Israel, nor is it speaking of Gog and Magog, but rather, as Chazal expound, this is the Day of Judgment for the transgressors of Israel. The righteous will go outside Jerusalem to the Valley of Ben Hinnom and witness the judgment executed upon the wicked of Israel. Some explain that this will occur after the Resurrection of the Dead, when the wicked will awaken as well, and concerning them it is said, "and these to shame and everlasting contempt (dera'on olam)" in contrast to the righteous who awaken to eternal life - and this is "and they shall be an abhorrence unto all flesh."
Some say that "neither shall their fire be quenched" refers to the soul, which will not depart from their corpse; for if the soul departs and ascends to a spiritual realm, that is wondrous, but if not, it is burned in the sphere of the sun, in the sphere of fire. That is, there is a state where that soul will not merit eternal existence, but will instead be burned and endure an aspect of dera'on. Rashi explains dera'on as an expression of disgrace, and brings another explanation that dera'on means "sufficient sight" (dai re'iyah), as the Targum renders: "Until the righteous say concerning them, 'We have seen enough'" (mist chazeina). According to this, "dera'on" is a combination of two words: dei ra'inu - "we have seen enough."
And because we do not conclude on a negative note, we repeat and read: "וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחׇדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ יָבוֹא כׇל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְפָנַי אָמַר יְהֹוָה" - "And it shall come to pass, that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to bow down before Me, said Hashem." Completed and concluded is the Book of Yeshayahu. May Hashem assist us, and just as we have merited to complete the Book of Yeshayahu, so may we merit to learn and to teach, to safeguard, to do, and to fulfill many other books, Amen and Amen.
In this final section, we saw the concluding sequence of the Book of Yeshayahu: a call to rejoice with Jerusalem on three levels - constant internal joy, renewed jubilation, and outward exultation specifically for those who mourned over her, measure for measure. Following this was the portrayal of abundance like a nursing infant - the "breast of her consolations" as the main sustenance and the "splendor of her glory" as a dessert of delight, peace like a river and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream, carried upon the side and dandled upon the knees, and comfort like a mother's solace returned from the brink of loss. In contrast, we saw the retribution upon the enemies: fire and whirlwind, internal fury inflaming the nostrils, the downfall of Gog and Magog by fire from heaven and every man's sword against his brother, and the annihilation of the idolaters "who sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens." Finally, the ultimate purpose: the gathering of all nations to behold Hashem's glory, survivors bearing the tidings to the distant isles, the return of the outcasts of Israel as a grain offering in a pure vessel, gentiles ministering to the Kohanim and Levites, new heavens and a new earth untouched by decay - and just like them, our seed and our name shall endure forever, until all flesh comes to bow down before Him, Blessed be He.