Introduction: A Monarchy of Righteousness and Justice
Chapter 32 in Yeshayahu continues the prophecies surrounding the days of Chizkiyahu. The prophet comes to convey: all the salvation and protection we have witnessed until now were in the merit of Chizkiyahu and the righteous character of his reign. The chapter opens by defining the ultimate purpose of monarchy in Israel, proceeds to describe the spiritual rectification that would take place in his days, distinguishes between the scoundrel and the miser versus the truly noble-hearted person, and from there transitions to a rebuke of the "complacent women" and "confident daughters", culminating in the vision of redemption and tranquility at the chapter's conclusion.
הֵן לְצֶדֶק יִמְלׇךְ־מֶלֶךְ וּלְשָׂרִים לְמִשְׁפָּט יָשֹׂרוּ׃ - Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and ministers shall rule with justice.
The prophet teaches the purpose for which Chizkiyahu was crowned king. It was not to conquer nations, nor to project dominion and power before the Gentiles. We do not crown a king merely to demonstrate our might. The king reigns for righteousness, in order to oversee the ministers so that their authority serves justice, ensuring that everything is conducted in accordance with the law and Halachah.
The Malbim notes the precise difference between mishpat (justice) and tzedek (righteousness). Justice adheres strictly to the letter of the law, and that lies within the domain of ministers and judges - "to execute justice upon them." In contrast, tzedek relates to tzedakah, acting beyond the strict requirement of the law (lifnim mishurat hadin), and this authority rests solely with the king. When a case comes before a judge, the judge is bound to rule strictly according to the law; he cannot simply grant a pardon. The king, on the other hand, possesses the prerogative to grant clemency, even if strict justice does not warrant it. Even today, pardons remain one of the rare powers reserved for a head of state, and even that is often little more than a rubber stamp: a committee convenes to decide who is worthy, and he signs what is placed before him. But in those days, a king could pardon a person sentenced to death, extending to him the golden scepter so that he might live. Therefore, regarding the ministers it is said "for justice", which is an obligation according to the strict law, while regarding the king it is said "a king shall reign in righteousness", having the prerogative to act charitably and beyond the letter of the law.
The King Who Protects from the Four Elements
וְהָיָה־אִישׁ כְּמַחֲבֵא־רוּחַ וְסֵתֶר זָרֶם כְּפַלְגֵי־מַיִם בְּצָיוֹן כְּצֵל סֶלַע־כָּבֵד בְּאֶרֶץ עֲיֵפָה׃ - And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a shelter from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a massive rock in a weary land.
The verse describes the protection provided by Chizkiyahu, a king of righteousness and justice who shielded his people through his piety. Chizkiyahu is called an "ish" (a man), a human being created according to nature, and everything natural is composed of the four basic elements - fire, wind, water, and earth. Nonetheless, he possessed the spiritual power to master all four elements and shield his people from their harm.
"As a hiding place from the wind" - like a haven where one shelters from the destructive force of the element of wind. "And a shelter from the tempest" - a tempest is a driving downpour of water, and he serves as a refuge from rushing waters, which represent the damage of the element of water. "Like streams of water in a dry land" - in an arid, scorched place of intense heat, what brings relief and life? Water, which cools and protects against fire. Thus, he has the power to shield against the element of fire. "Like the shadow of a massive rock in a weary land" - where the element of earth causes harm, such as landslides and mudslides, what provides defense? Massive boulders that halt the crumbling earth. This is the meaning of "a massive rock in a weary land": where the land has grown weary and unstable, with soil sliding down, the rock stands as a barrier. Thus, the prophet illustrates how a man composed of the four elements can protect against the afflictions of all four.
Opening the Eyes and Ears
וְלֹא תִשְׁעֶינָה עֵינֵי רֹאִים וְאׇזְנֵי שֹׁמְעִים תִּקְשַׁבְנָה׃ - And the eyes of those who see shall not be smeared over, and the ears of those who hear shall listen attentively.
Earlier, we saw that it was said: "Fatten the heart of this people, and make its ears heavy, and shut its eyes," so that they would not see, repent, and be healed - meaning the Holy One, Blessed be He, decreed that they must receive their fitting punishment. Until when? Until "cities lie waste without inhabitant", and even then, a holy seed would remain from which everything would blossom and sprout anew. They would be the ones who see, hear, and understand, and this came to fruition in the era of Chizkiyahu, an age characterized by righteous people.
Corresponding to "and smear over their eyes" - which we explained is related to smoothness, like lemishi (smoothly), as though something were smeared over them making them slick and unable to see - the prophet now says, "and the eyes of those who see will not be closed shut"; their eyes will be opened to see. Likewise, "and the ears of those who hear will listen attentively" - and attentive listening (hakshavah) is usually from a distance, meaning that even when called from afar, they will listen. The metaphor here is that they were like the blind and the deaf: the prophet came to rebuke them and show them that their path was misguided, that they were heading in the opposite direction, yet they were like a person walking with sealed eyes and stopped ears, unable to see the straight path and unable to hear the one directing him. Now, their eyes will be opened and their ears will pay heed.
וּלְבַב נִמְהָרִים יָבִין לָדָעַת וּלְשׁוֹן עִלְּגִים תְּמַהֵר לְדַבֵּר צָחוֹת׃ - And the heart of the rash will understand to know, and the tongue of the stammerers will be quick to speak clearly.
Corresponding to "Make the heart of this people fat," he says that now the fat will be removed from their heart and they will understand. A nimhar (rash person) is one who acts without thought, in haste, and suddenly his heart will understand to know. Lest you think that this understanding will be used to mock and provoke, the verse specifically says "will understand to know" - an understanding through which he attains true knowledge. Not only that, but "the tongue of the stammerers will be quick to speak clearly": they will not only understand on their own, but they will also teach others. A stammerer (ileig) is someone whose speech is halting or unintelligible, who barely knows how to speak, yet now their tongue will be quick to speak in clear, eloquent language. They will be the ones who disseminate Torah and the word of Hashem. Those whose hearts were encrusted with fat and whose tongues were stammering will become the bearers of Hashem's word, teaching others.
The End of Flattery: Naval, Keilai, Nadiv, and Sho'a
לֹא־יִקָּרֵא עוֹד לְנָבָל נָדִיב וּלְכִילַי לֹא יֵאָמֵר שׁוֹעַ׃ - No longer will a vile person be called generous, nor will a scoundrel be said to be noble.
Flattery will no longer exist. In a time of flattery, a wicked person is called righteous, and an unscrupulous person is called a good man. Now, such a reality will cease to exist.
The Malbim explains: A naval (vile person) is evil both inwardly and outwardly, openly and in his conscience, wicked toward Heaven and wicked toward his fellow human beings. A keilai comes from the root of trickster or deceiver (nochel), as in "by their conspiracies with which they plotted (nichlu) against you" - a person whose kidneys counsel evil, whose cunning is hidden in his heart, and who does not display his wickedness outwardly (it is also a term for a miser, as the word has multiple meanings). "Sho'a" - the Malbim notes - is always contrasted with the destitute (dal): "nor does He regard the wealthy over the poor," "will your wealth (shu'acha) avail?" Rashi explains that sho'a is a nobleman or master to whom everyone turns, as in "turn (tish'eh) to my prayer"; to turn to someone means to direct oneself toward him. The generous man and the master are considered a sho'a because everyone turns to them, asks of them, and depends on them. By contrast, regarding the destitute, even if he is wise, his wisdom is despised. Yet regarding the wealthy noble, even if he speaks nonsense and even if his jokes are tasteless, everyone laughs and everyone comes to shake his hand, hoping some benefit might rub off on them. This is part of the world of falsehood (alma deshikra).
According to this: until now, people engaged in flattery and called a naval a nadiv (generous), which are the two most extreme opposites. The prophet says: not only will this cease, but even far lesser distortions will not occur. Even a keilai, who is not as thoroughly evil as the naval (for the naval is corrupt inside and out, while the keilai is corrupt internally but appears outwardly respectable) - not only will he not be called a nadiv, which is the opposite extreme, but he will not even be called a sho'a, which is a lower status than a nadiv. Even such a slight distortion will no longer occur.
כִּי נָבָל נְבָלָה יְדַבֵּר וְלִבּוֹ יַעֲשׂוֹת־אָוֶן לַעֲשׂוֹת חֹנֶף וּלְדַבֵּר אֶל־יְהֹוָה תּוֹעָה לְהָרִיק נֶפֶשׁ רָעֵב וּמַשְׁקֶה צָמֵא יַחְסִיר׃ - For a vile person speaks villainy, and his heart plots iniquity, to practice hypocrisy and to speak error against Hashem, to leave the hungry soul empty and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
Here the prophet describes the baseness of the naval, who is at the extreme end of the spectrum and worse than the keilai. His baseness manifests in two respects. First, he is corrupt both openly and secretly. Openly - "speaks villainy" (nevalah yedaber): he has no qualms about uttering vile, impudent, and vulgar words publicly and shamelessly. Lest you think that on the inside he is still decent, it says, "and his heart plots iniquity" (aven) - deep within his heart there is malice, evil and destructive thoughts.
Second, his wickedness extends to three realms upon which human perfection depends: faith in Hashem, the relationship between man and God (bein adam laMakom), and the relationship between man and his fellow (bein adam lachavero), and in all of them he is completely corrupted. Regarding between man and God - "to practice hypocrisy" (chonef): every mitzvah he performs is done with hypocrisy, in order to boast or gain benefit, and not genuinely because Hashem commanded it and for the sake of Heaven. Regarding faith - "and to speak error against Hashem": alleging that Hashem supposedly acts unfairly and without justice. And regarding between man and his fellow - "to leave the hungry soul empty and to deprive the thirsty of drink": food that has already reached the hungry person's hand he comes and empties out from him, and drink that has reached a poor, thirsty person he takes away. Thus, the naval is corrupt inwardly and outwardly, utterly devoid of perfection: in matters between man and God, in matters of faith, and in matters between man and his fellow.
וְכֵלַי כֵּלָיו רָעִים הוּא זִמּוֹת יָעָץ לְחַבֵּל עֲנִיִּים בְּאִמְרֵי־שֶׁקֶר וּבְדַבֵּר אֶבְיוֹן מִשְׁפָּט׃ - And the scoundrel, his instruments are evil; he devises wicked schemes to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice.
The devious schemer (kailai) is not as evil as the villain (naval), and holds an advantage over him in two respects, explains the Malbim. First, his evil is not overt; he does not act wickedly out in the open like the villain. Second, he sins only in matters between man and his fellow, not between man and God. Yet he certainly cannot be called generous or noble (nadiv).
"His ways are evil" - his deceitfulness, his inner core, is bad, and his thoughts are corrupt. Outwardly, the schemer can appear pleasant and likeable, unlike the villain whose villainy is plain on the outside as well, just as Naval the Carmelite behaved, insulting and reviling David and acting insolently toward those who guarded his sheep. The schemer is outwardly friendly, but "he devises wicked plots," always hatching schemes in his heart. This rogue conceals his wickedness, and thereby seeks "to destroy the poor with lying words" - ruining the poor by deceiving them. "Even when the needy speaks justice" - even when the impoverished person presents a clear, just case and the law is undoubtedly on his side, he deceives him, takes from him unlawfully, and robs him.
Who Is a True Noble?
וְנָדִיב נְדִיבוֹת יָעָץ וְהוּא עַל־נְדִיבוֹת יָקוּם׃ - But the noble person devises noble things, and upon noble deeds he shall stand.
One cannot call the schemer noble, even though he is as distant from the villain as east is from west. For the noble person is the complete opposite: "He devises noble things" - and where does counsel take place? Within, in the heart, as the kidneys counsel. In his heart and conscience he is filled with generosity, contemplating how to yield to others and how to bestow goodness upon them. And this is not only within his inner thoughts, but "and upon noble deeds he shall stand."
The Malbim explains: The definition of a noble person is that his generosity is not merely incidental, sought not for its own sake, but for some ulterior motive beyond generosity. In other words, if you act generously out of self-interest, that is not true generosity. If you give because you expect to benefit from it, along the lines of "Cast your bread upon the waters," you are not a noble giver, but a self-interested strategist thinking two steps ahead. Consider someone who cares devotedly for a childless, solitary elderly man - onlookers might say: What a master of loving-kindness, what a pure heart! But one who sees through it might say: He has calculated how much longer the old man will live, anticipating that the entire inheritance will be willed to him. Can such a person truly be called noble?
A truly noble person is one who harbors no ulterior motive in his generosity; the ultimate purpose itself is generosity - to benefit and do good for others. Generosity must be an intrinsic ideal sought for its own sake, for which one disdains self-love and any personal benefits or guarantees that might arise. This is the meaning of "and upon noble deeds he shall stand": not that generosity stands upon him, but that he himself stands, meaning his very foundation rests upon generosity. The foundation of anything is its ultimate purpose. When a person makes plans, one must look at what lies at the base of the plan, after which come the means of executing it. For example, if the core objective is to amass wealth, the means of execution is establishing a business. A person could even do the very same thing by founding a gemach (free-loan fund): if the underlying purpose is accumulating wealth and the gemach is merely the vehicle, the entire enterprise becomes flawed, because the foundation is corrupt. But if the foundation is genuinely to help others, then even if along the way he amasses capital in order to help, the act itself becomes praiseworthy and noble, because the core goal is to benefit others. Conversely, when the foundation is personal gain, then even if he performs many generous acts along the way, we will always wonder where the self-interest lies and what he hopes to gain. This is the difference between the schemer and the noble: the noble person's counsel is generosity, and all his deeds are built upon the foundation of pure benevolence, not a generosity calculated to secure foreign profits and personal interests.
Complacent Women and Confident Daughters
נָשִׁים שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת קֹמְנָה שְׁמַעְנָה קוֹלִי בָּנוֹת בֹּטְחוֹת הַאְזֵנָּה אִמְרָתִי׃ - Rise up, complacent women, hear my voice; confident daughters, give ear to my speech.
Radak explains: "Women" corresponds to the Targum's rendering, "provinces"; "confident daughters" refers to metropolises and cities. These words are directed against the people of Judah who were complacent and confident: even though you are currently at ease and feeling secure, upheavals still await you, and you will yet tremble. We find this expression elsewhere as well: "Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad" - where "daughters of Judah" does not mean the literal daughters of Judah, but the surrounding satellite towns and cities.
The Malbim explains this based on the verse in Amos: "Woe to those who are complacent in Zion, and confident on Mount Samaria." To understand this, one must first distinguish between being "complacent" (shaanan) and being "confident" (botei'ach). A complacent person is one who sits in quiet and tranquility; he does not rely on his own might, nor does he truly possess might, but simply has no one troubling him and faces no wars, and for that reason he is at ease. The confident person, by contrast, relies on his own strength: he is not at ease, for threats and dangers surround him, yet he says, "Let them come, and I will show them," confident that he is strong and mighty.
According to this, the inhabitants of Zion, who are Judah, did not boast in their might, but were complacent, for Sennacherib had not yet posed an active threat to them. The inhabitants of Mount Samaria, who are the children of Ephraim, were not complacent, because the king of Assyria was actively waging war against them, but they were confident in their strength, saying: Let him come to battle and we will go out against him. Thus, "complacent women" refers to the people of Judah, and "confident daughters" refers to the people of Ephraim. Notice how remarkable this is: the origin of the monarchy was in Judah, and only after the death of Solomon, when Rehoboam ascended the throne and Jeroboam and the people of Samaria - the ten tribes - came to present conditions that were rejected, did the kingdom split. The splinter kingdom, Ephraim, is termed a "daughter" of the mother kingdom, Judah. Therefore, "complacent women" refers to the kingdom of Judah, the mother, while "confident daughters" refers to Ephraim who branched out from it, holding the status of a daughter, who were confident in their might that they would win the battle even though Sennacherib had already advanced to wage war against them.
Therefore he says: "Rise up, you complacent women, hear my voice" - the message is not addressed directly to you, yet hear my voice. Whereas "You confident daughters, give ear to my speech" - Ephraim receives a direct message, for they are already in trouble, threatened by Sennacherib and Assyria. To give ear (ha'azinah) means to pay close attention, for my speech is directed at you. But since Sennacherib will eventually come against Judah as well, this is comparable to disciplining a problematic child while wanting another child who is beginning to stray to watch and take note of what is happening to the first, so that he may fear and tremble. As the popular idiom goes: scolding the daughter-in-law while meaning the mother-in-law, or scolding the mother-in-law while meaning the daughter-in-law - rebuking one person so that another hears the message. So too here: the direct speech is addressed to the confident daughters, Ephraim, who trusted in their own might and were the first to stray; but you too, the complacent women who are not yet under threat - "hear my voice," listen to what I am saying to them, for these words have implications for your own future as well.
יָמִים עַל־שָׁנָה תִּרְגַּזְנָה בֹּטְחוֹת כִּי כָּלָה בָצִיר אֹסֶף בְּלִי יָבוֹא׃ - In days beyond a year you will tremble, you confident ones, for the vintage has failed, the harvest will not come.
"A year" in its plain sense, and "days beyond a year" means immediately after the year ends, on the first of Tishrei, a few days later. "You confident ones will tremble [tirgaznah]" - the people of Ephraim. The expression of shaking and trembling is like "he who shook kingdoms [margiz mamlachot]," meaning that they will be shaken from their place and not remain as they are. When? "For the vintage has failed [kalah batzir]" - at the end of the summer, after they have already harvested their vineyards. A person harvesting his vineyard is calm and at ease, facing no threats. Yet even though they harvested, they will not have time to bring their produce home, because even before the festival of gathering (Chag HaAsif) the enemy will come upon them. This is the meaning of "the harvest will not come [osef beli yavo]" - before you can gather in what you have harvested, the enemy will arrive.
חִרְדוּ שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת רְגָזָה בֹּטְחוֹת פְּשֹׁטָה וְעֹרָה וַחֲגוֹרָה עַל־חֲלָצָיִם׃ - Tremble, you complacent ones; shake, you confident ones; strip, uncover yourselves, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.
Here too lies an indirect message to Judah. The Malbim distinguishes between dread (charadah) and trembling or shaking (rogez): dread comes before the calamity, as one dreads the approaching disaster; shaking occurs when the trouble has already arrived. Observe how precise this is: the complacent ones have no trouble as of yet, Judah is not yet threatened, and nevertheless they are told to tremble in dread of what is to come. And why? "Shake, you confident ones" - the confident ones have already been shaken from their place. Who are they? Ephraim, who have already drunk the cup of venom to its dregs. This is an indirect message to Judah: be careful not to walk down that same path; come and see what happened to the confident ones.
"Strip, uncover yourselves, and gird sackcloth upon your loins" - the enemy first stripped off their outer garments, and then even their tunic, the garment closest to their skin. What remained? Merely a belt around the loins to cover their nakedness, the barest minimum of clothing. Come and see how they stripped and bared the people of Ephraim and conquered them ruthlessly; therefore, "Tremble, you complacent ones," so that this same scenario does not befall you as well.
עַל־שָׁדַיִם סֹפְדִים עַל־שְׂדֵי־חֶמֶד עַל־גֶּפֶן פֹּרִיָּה׃ - Smite upon the breasts, lamenting for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.
Rashi explains "lamenting upon the breasts" in the manner of a mourner who beats his chest. Our Sages expounded this as referring to the scholars of the Sanhedrin, who are like nursing breasts - breasts everywhere in Scripture, including Shir HaShirim, represent abundance, where nursing symbolizes conveying spiritual sustenance to the recipients. So too, the Sages of the Sanhedrin who nursed the nation will be mourned, for the Sanhedrin ceased. "For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine" - all this will be cut off and devastated by the nations.
The Malbim explains that this is a continuation of the description of what befell the people of Ephraim: "Shake, you confident ones" - those who trusted in their strength, Hashem shook their kingdoms; "Strip, uncover yourselves" - He stripped them bare. To this the verse adds: they lament for breasts, meaning they say, "If only we were like a little, naked child nursing at her mother's breast." An infant does not worry about livelihood and is unconcerned about what to eat for lunch, for its mother nurses it. If only they were like an infant secure at its mother's breast! The parallel is clear: if only they had fields from which to find bread - even if they lack clothing, at least they would have food. But not only were they stripped and uncovered, there is also lamentation "for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine" - they do not even have this; there is neither livelihood nor food, and this is their lament.
Why the Fields Were Desolated
עַל אַדְמַת עַמִּי קוֹץ שָׁמִיר תַּעֲלֶה כִּי עַל־כׇּל־בָּתֵּי מָשׂוֹשׂ קִרְיָה עַלִּיזָה׃ - Upon the soil of my people, thorns and briers shall come up; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.
And if you ask what happened to their fields - after all, we already said that they had a vintage and had already harvested, and only at the last moment did the enemy arrive - this verse answers that question. The fields are desolated and they have no means of livelihood. A pleasant field and a fruitful vine - all is lost, and instead of prime produce and fruitful grapes, the land sprouts thorns and briers. And why? "Yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city" - even upon the finest places, which were the joy of the entire land, upon their homes and palaces, thorns and briers have sprouted, because the people were exiled from there. And since no one remains to live there, they lie desolate. Once you realize that even the houses, places of human habitation, are desolate and overgrown with thorns and briers, it is no wonder that the fields have no one to cultivate them. All this occurred because everyone was driven into exile.
כִּי־אַרְמוֹן נֻטָּשׁ הֲמוֹן עִיר עֻזָּב עֹפֶל וָבַחַן הָיָה בְעַד מְעָרוֹת עַד־עוֹלָם מְשׂוֹשׂ פְּרָאִים מִרְעֵה עֲדָרִים׃ - For the palace shall be forsaken, the tumult of the city abandoned; citadel and watchtower shall become like caves forever, a joy of wild beasts, a pasture of flocks.
Corresponding to what was stated earlier, that thorns and briars will come up upon all the houses of joy - how is it possible for thorns to grow inside houses? "For the palace shall be forsaken," and when a palace is abandoned, thorns grow within it. And corresponding to what was said regarding the "joyous city," why did thorns and briars overgrow the entire city? "The tumult of the city is abandoned" - the multitude has abandoned the city.
"Citadel and watchtower shall become like caves forever" - the Malbim explains that this should be read: In place of caves, the citadel and watchtower have become the joy of wild beasts forever. Until now, wild donkeys, flocks, and beasts lived in caves, but now they leave the caves and move into splendid, luxurious residences. How? When we abandon our homes, the hedgehog, raven, beasts, and wild animals enter in our place, grazing inside the deserted houses. "Citadel and watchtower" (ofel vavacḥan) is always an expression denoting towers and palaces, and they served the beasts "in place of caves" - that is, as a substitute for caves. And this was not temporary, but "forever" - the place becomes "a joy of wild beasts" and "a pasture of flocks," as they graze within the houses and fortresses. Therefore, do not wonder at "upon the land of my people thorns and briars shall come up," for even the houses have already become a place of thorns and a grazing ground for beasts and wild animals.
Until a Spirit Is Poured Upon Us from on High
עַד־יֵעָרֶה עָלֵינוּ רוּחַ מִמָּרוֹם וְהָיָה מִדְבָּר לַכַּרְמֶל וְהַכַּרְמֶל לַיַּעַר יֵחָשֵׁב׃ - Until a spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted as a forest.
How long will this state of affairs continue? Until the Holy One, blessed be He, pours out upon us a spirit from on high. "Will pour" (ye'areh) implies pouring and emptying out, as in "and she emptied (vate'ar) her pitcher into the trough," and as in "and I will pour upon the house of David a spirit of grace and supplications." That is to say, until Hashem pours upon us a spirit of favor from Him, that He will desire to save us. And then "the wilderness becomes a fruitful field (karmel)" - the place that is now desolate like a wilderness will be filled with produce like a fruitful orchard. And "karmel" here does not refer to Mount Carmel, but to the land of Judah, which was not destroyed. "And the fruitful field is counted as a forest" - the land of Judah will be filled with people like a forest, where everything sprouts and flourishes.
וְשָׁכַן בַּמִּדְבָּר מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בַּכַּרְמֶל תֵּשֵׁב׃ - Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
"Justice" (mishpat) always expresses civil law between man and his fellow, as in "Now these are the ordinances (mishpatim) that you shall set before them: If you buy a Hebrew servant," and all interpersonal matters. In an unsettled wilderness, there are no disputes or quarrels, and no one claims "this is mine," for there is no settlement there. However, since this place is destined to become fertile, quarrels could potentially arise - "this is my portion, why did you encroach upon my field?" Therefore, the prophet states that even there, justice will prevail: the place will be inhabited, yet there will be no quarrels, because there will be justice and fairness among them, and they will not encroach from field to field.
"Righteousness" (tzedakah) - the Malbim explains - does not mean what we call charity today, giving to the poor, but is from the root of being righteous before the Creator of the world, like the term tzaddik, and it always relates to duties between man and God (bein adam laMakom). "And righteousness will abide in the fruitful field" - this refers to Jerusalem and its surrounding towns, where they will serve Hashem and conduct themselves in the path of righteousness.
What is conveyed by these expressions? The Malbim explains that this indicates that righteousness will be primary, while justice will be secondary. When people are primarily engaged in worldly occupations, the main matters occupying them are interpersonal laws: this person did that, another committed robbery, someone encroached on his business, and so forth. But when dealing with people whose Torah is their sole occupation (toratam omanutam), they do not have many interpersonal legal disputes; there is little commerce and few monetary dealings. Therefore it says, "justice shall dwell (veshachan) in the wilderness" - dwelling (shochen) implies a temporary presence; whereas "righteousness shall abide (teshev) in the fruitful field" - sitting or abiding (yeshivah) implies something permanent. That is, their primary pursuit will be spiritual matters, righteousness and closeness to Hashem, which are between man and God. This will be in the category of "abiding" (teshev), the primary focus, for their essence will be that their Torah is their occupation.
The Work of Righteousness and the Service of Righteousness
וְהָיָה מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה שָׁלוֹם וַעֲבֹדַת הַצְּדָקָה הַשְׁקֵט וָבֶטַח עַד־עוֹלָם׃ - And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the labor of righteousness quietness and security forever.
Here we have deed (ma'aseh) versus labor (avodah), and peace (shalom) versus quietness and confidence (hashket u-vetach). The Malbim explains: labor is always something heavier than a mere deed, something that involves toil - saying "I worked hard" expresses something burdensome, whereas "I did" can be accomplished with ease.
Righteousness (tzedakah), which encompasses mitzvot between man and the Omnipresent, is divided into two categories: rational mitzvot (mitzvot sichliyot) and traditional mitzvot based on obedience (mitzvot shim'iyot). The rational mitzvot are matters of faith and ethics, such as not stealing, not murdering, and not committing adultery, which a person comprehends through human intellect. And what a person understands intellectually, he performs with joy, because he perceives the benefit in it: he knows that society will be more refined, and that it improves his own character traits. These a person performs with a willing heart, and this is called "the act of righteousness" (ma'aseh hatzedakah) - an act, not labor, because it is not burdensome upon him.
In contrast, there are mitzvot that fall into the category of statutes (chukim): the laws of the sacrifices, shatnez, and other commandments that are beyond our comprehension. We fulfill them, but this is the service of a servant, for one does not truly understand them; one does so simply because the King's decree is upon him and the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded it. This is harder; this is no longer mere doing, but labor, requiring faith and sacrifice. If a person stumbled and must bring a sacrifice, he must spend a substantial sum of money without truly understanding what the sacrifice accomplishes - and that is far more difficult. For this aspect, "the service of righteousness" (avodat hatzedakah), the reward is vastly greater: "quietness and confidence," and furthermore, "forever," eternal.
And what is the difference between peace and "quietness and confidence"? "Peace" always expresses standard, routine success: there is peace in one's borders, there are no disturbances, but there is no exceptional triumph here. "Quietness and confidence" expresses a much higher level. "Quietness" refers to tranquility from inner turmoil: a person might appear completely fine on the outside, but inside he is conflicted, suffering from anxiety, fears, and various inner troubles. Quietness means that he is tranquil, free of internal stress and anxiety. "Confidence" (betach) is strength of heart regarding the future, having trust in the Creator of the world, and thus he is not vulnerable to external fears. We find, then, that for the act of righteousness, in matters that a person rationally understands, the reward is peace, which is the lower level; whereas for the service of righteousness, in mitzvot that are statutes, the reward is quietness within and confidence from without, and moreover, forever, without interruption.
וְיָשַׁב עַמִּי בִּנְוֵה שָׁלוֹם וּבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת מִבְטַחִים וּבִמְנוּחֹת שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת׃ - And My people shall dwell in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings, and in tranquil resting places.
"Neveh" (habitation) usually denotes a sheepfold, as we find with David, who was taken "from following the flock," from the sheepfold (neveh hatzon), and it is used metaphorically for a home. "In a peaceful habitation" - there will be peace there, with neither looters nor plunderers. "And in tranquil resting places" - the resting places refer to the unwalled towns, the open cities that have no protective wall, and they will be tranquil (sha'anan). Sha'anan is the opposite of sha'on (din): sha'on is clamor and uproar, while sha'anan means without noise, peaceful, where nothing disturbs or upsets. The unwalled towns will experience no frightening clamor and no enemy to come and disrupt their rest.
In contrast, "dwellings" (mishkanot) - a mishkan is a permanent structure, referring to a fortress and a palace, which is why it says regarding them "secure" (mivtachim). Security, as explained, is when a threat exists, yet one remains confident because one has something to rely upon: one has a fortress and walls, and should the enemy come, he will not prevail. Since one dwells in fortified habitations, he will naturally feel secure; and even the inhabitants of the unwalled towns will be tranquil, for since there will be no threat against them, they will not fear any clamor.
When the Forest Falls, and Fortunate Are Those Who Remain
וּבָרַד בְּרֶדֶת הַיָּעַר וּבַשִּׁפְלָה תִּשְׁפַּל הָעִיר׃ - And it shall fall as the forest falls, and the city shall be brought low in the lowland.
The Malbim explains that both the forest and the lowland (Shefelah) were in the territory of Yehudah. The Shefelah is explicitly listed as part of Yehudah in the Book of Yehoshua, chapter 15, and this was the region that Sancheiriv destroyed, as Lachish and Livnah, which he devastated, were cities of the Shefelah; and the forest they destroyed was along that same border, all within the territory of Yehudah.
Note carefully: "u-varad" here is not the hail that falls from the sky, nor is it the plague of hail, and we know this from the vocalization (nikkud). Had it been vocalized with two patachs, it would be a noun; but here the beit has a kamatz, meaning "and at the time it fell." This is how Rashi explains it: by necessity, this "barad" is not a noun, for its first syllable has a kamatz and its second a patach, and it is in the form of a verb - what action did it do? It fell down.
According to this: "And it shall fall as the forest falls" - when everything falls and is destroyed, when the forest is brought down and ruined; "and in the lowland the city shall be brought low" - in the Shefelah region of Yehudah, all the cities will be brought low and brought down from their stature. In that time, when everything is devastated, what will happen?
אַשְׁרֵיכֶם זֹרְעֵי עַל־כׇּל־מָיִם מְשַׁלְּחֵי רֶגֶל־הַשּׁוֹר וְהַחֲמוֹר׃ - Fortunate are you who sow beside all waters, who let the ox and the donkey range freely.
Fortunate are you, generation of Chizkiyahu, the remnant generation! When the forest falls and the lowlands are brought low, and the city in the portion of Yehudah reaches humiliation, you will be "sowers beside all waters" - beside every water source. One who sows in a place lacking water runs the risk that his seed will wither, but one who sows where a bubbling spring flows right near the field of sowing, this is "sowing beside all waters." And this sowing will flourish to the extent of "letting the ox and donkey range freely," allowing the animals to graze there, becoming a place of life and abundant produce, as it is written: "And all the hills that were hoed with a hoe... shall become a place for letting oxen range and for sheep to trample."
The lowlands will be devastated, but he will not reach the mountain. Everything surrounding it will perish - this is the lowlands, and this is "the forest coming down" - but on Mount Zion there will be refuge and it will be holy, and this is Yerushalayim. Sancheiriv will come and lay siege, destroying everything around, but he will not be able to draw near to Yerushalayim: an angel of Hashem will come and strike down around him one hundred and eighty-five thousand troop commanders, and with that his might will be broken.
In summary:
The chapter opens with the true purpose of monarchy - a king ruling in righteousness and officers in justice - and portrays Chizkiyahu as a shield against the afflictions of the four elements. In his days, eyes and ears will open, the heart of the impetuous will understand, and the tongue of the stammerers will speak clearly. Flattery will cease: the scoundrel will no longer be called generous, nor the miser called noble, for the scoundrel is wicked within and without across all three realms of perfection, while the miser's malice is concealed and calculated to ruin the poor; in contrast, the truly generous person's entire foundation and purpose is generosity free from any self-interest. The prophet then rebukes the complacent women (Yehudah) and the self-assured women (Efraim), depicting the destruction of Efraim, the stripping of their garments, the loss of their fields, and their abandoned houses turned into pastures for wild beasts. Finally, the vision of comfort arrives: until a spirit from on high is poured out upon us, at which point the wilderness will become like a fruitful field, justice and righteousness will abide, the act of righteousness will bring peace, and the service of righteousness will bring quietude and security forever. And the remnant generation in the days of Chizkiyahu - fortunate are they, sowers beside all waters, when Sancheiriv destroys everything around, while in Yerushalayim there will be refuge.