Chapter 35 of Yeshayahu is a chapter of consolation and redemption. The prophet describes how the desolate wilderness will bloom, how the redeemed of Hashem will return to Zion, and how all the obstacles that once stood in the way will be transformed. The Malbim, in his characteristic approach, analyzes every single word with precision: What is the difference between midbar (wilderness), tziyah (arid waste), and aravah (steppe)? Between sason (exultation), simchah (joy), and gil (jubilation)? Between kavod (glory) and hadar (splendor)? And between chizuk (strengthening) and imutz (fortifying)? Through these nuanced distinctions, a complete picture of the process of redemption unfolds.
יְשֻׂשׂוּם מִדְבָּר וְצִיָּה וְתָגֵל עֲרָבָה וְתִפְרַח כַּחֲבַצָּלֶת׃ - The wilderness and the arid land shall be glad for them, and the desert plain shall rejoice and blossom like the rose.
In light of this, the verse becomes clear: The lands of the nations are not fit for miracles and inner, soulful joy. What will take place there? "Yesusum" - when Edom falls, there will only be outward exultation. This is stated regarding the "midbar and tziyah": the wilderness, which is inherently unfit, and the arid land, which is intrinsically fit but prevented from producing by the blazing sun. This means that even if the nations were intrinsically suited, their root above is not fitting for the Divine light, and environmental conditions cause them not to merit it. Therefore, their joy will be merely external.
The Malbim further emphasizes that these concepts are not mutually exclusive. A person can experience sason without simchah: he may dance and wear festive clothing while his soul mourns within him - outwardly performing acts of joy, while inside he feels none. Conversely, there can be simchah without sason: a person dressed in mourner's garb who outwardly appears depressed, yet within his inner self he is profoundly joyful. It emerges that sason is external expression while simchah is internal feeling, and each can exist independently of the other.
פָּרֹחַ תִּפְרַח וְתָגֵל אַף גִּילַת וְרַנֵּן כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן נִתַּן לָהּ הֲדַר הַכַּרְמֶל וְהַשָּׁרוֹן הֵמָּה יִרְאוּ כְבוֹד יְהֹוָה הֲדַר אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃ - It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of Hashem, the splendor of our God.
As mentioned, gilah is an internal yet fleeting joy. When a person is informed that a son was born to him, it is an immense joy, but it does not last for thirty years; after a day, a week, or two weeks, that initial thrill of joy passes. Therefore, the prophet comes and says: "It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice" - that same rose of the arid plain will blossom and rejoice with perpetual joy, through the miracles that will be renewed within it at all times.
And not only this, but "even with joy and singing." All joys in this world are mingled with sighing: even when a son is born to you, the joy is great, but you know that all who are born are destined to die, and every joy is tinged with sorrow. But here there will be continuous joy without cessation, and with it "singing" - song and gladness of heart.
And why? "The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon." The Malbim explains: Lebanon refers to the forest of Lebanon, full of tall and mighty cedars. It possesses glory; you stand awestruck before it, but it lacks the splendor of ornamentation - the cedars are not adorned with delicate beauty. Carmel and Sharon, by contrast, are full of magnificent beauty, colors, and picturesque charm, yet an awe-inspiring glory is not there. And the prophet proclaims that in the future both qualities will exist together: both the aspect of the glory of Lebanon and the aspect of the splendor of Carmel.
"They shall see the glory of Hashem, the splendor of our God." Reality will be transformed when they see the glory of Hashem. "The glory of Hashem" is always an expression of general providence - that the Holy One, blessed is He, creates the world and governs it; they will see His providence over us through nature, and this is His blessed glory. Whereas "our God" - and it is a consistent principle with the Malbim that this term always expresses the special connection of the Holy One, blessed is He, with the Jewish people - expresses individual divine providence over us, through the miracles, signs, and wonders that Hashem performs for our sake. Because of this, Hashem has splendor, and we see how He bestows an abundance of good upon us. That is why there will then be continuous joy and song.
חַזְּקוּ יָדַיִם רָפוֹת וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּשְׁלוֹת אַמֵּצוּ׃ - Strengthen weak hands, and make firm stumbling knees.
Here the prophet addresses the prophets: you are commanded to strengthen the people who are despairing of the redemption. There are three causes for that weakness. The first is "weak hands": a person who has despaired and does nothing. This is comparable to one who is told, "Hold this for me, I am coming right back to take it," and he holds it and holds it, but no one arrives, until he lets go - he can no longer hold on. Those who have despaired of the redemption and whose hands have grown slack, them you must strengthen. The second is "stumbling knees": there is someone who is swift in the service of Hashem, who has not despaired out of laziness and wants to hold on, but the troubles, disasters, and suffering have exhausted his endurance, and his knees stumble. These you must fortify.
אִמְרוּ לְנִמְהֲרֵי לֵב חִזְקוּ אַל תִּירָאוּ הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם נָקָם יָבוֹא גְּמוּל אֱלֹהִים הוּא יָבוֹא וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם׃ - Say to those of hasty heart: Be strong, do not fear; behold, your God will come with vengeance, with divine retribution; He will come and save you.
This is the third reason. There are people whose hands have not grown slack and whose knees have not faltered; they enjoy tranquility, yet they still do not exert themselves in the service of Hashem. Why? Because they are "hasty of heart." They say: We have waited for ages upon ages and half an age, yet the words of the prophets have not been fulfilled; that is it, it will never come - just look how many years we have been waiting! Their heart is quick to despair. To them the prophet says: You who rush the hour, be strong and do not fear; do not worry that the Redemption might not arrive.
And if you understand why the Redemption is delayed, you will not despair. There are two reasons for the delay. The first: "Behold, your God will come with vengeance." There is a difference between simple retribution that the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts from the nations and true vengeance. Vengeance means exacting the full price for what one has done - vengeance is taken against a person in direct consequence of his actions. And the Holy One, blessed be He, says: In order for Me to take proper vengeance upon them, their measure of guilt must become full, and as long as their measure is not yet full, vengeance cannot be exacted from them.
And the second reason: "God's recompense, He will come and save you." To bring about the Redemption, you must be worthy of it, possessing mitzvos and good deeds, for recompense always comes as a result of action - you do something, and you receive a reward. Just as the nations have not yet reached the threshold of full vengeance, so too you are not yet worthy of reward on account of your deeds, and you must still exert yourselves in the service of Hashem. That is why the Redemption is delayed. If you merely wait and ask why it does not arrive, do not expect it to come. Perform good deeds, and then "God's recompense, He will come and save you."
אָז תִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי עִוְרִים וְאׇזְנֵי חֵרְשִׁים תִּפָּתַחְנָה׃ - Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Those who until now were blind and did not recognize or see Hashem's providence - their eyes will be opened. And those who until today did not heed the voice of the prophets and did not accept reproof - their ears will be opened. This corresponds to what the prophet called out to them in the past: "Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind," and now he proclaims that in the future their eyes will open of their own accord.
The Malbim explains that true human perfection is attained through three faculties: intellect, speech, and action. Here the verse addresses the intellect - contemplation, grasping the truth in beliefs and outlooks through deep reflection and immersion in the Torah. "Then... shall be opened" - the truth will be known and clear to all. Whereas today a person must invest immense toil to attain understanding in Torah and divine service, then eyes will be opened in the sense of "I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh," and it will be accessible with ease. The Malbim offers another possibility: one's eyes will be opened because he will witness wonders, or because he will accept prophecy, tradition, and the message passed down from the prophets and his ancestors. One who until now walked as if in darkness will behold miracles, divine revelation, and prophets speaking with him, and through this his eyes will be opened. Thus, "the eyes of the blind shall be opened" refers to gazing upon the work of Hashem, and "the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped" refers to hearing the words of the prophets.
אָז יְדַלֵּג כָּאַיָּל פִּסֵּחַ וְתָרֹן לְשׁוֹן אִלֵּם כִּי נִבְקְעוּ בַמִּדְבָּר מַיִם וּנְחָלִים בָּעֲרָבָה׃ - Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall sing; for waters shall burst forth in the desert, and streams in the wilderness.
After speaking of the intellect, the prophet addresses action: "Then the lame shall leap like a deer." One who was lame - crippled in the service of Hashem, limping and faltering in his divine service - will suddenly be seen rising and exulting in the service of Hashem, leaping like a deer. And corresponding to speech: "And the tongue of the mute shall sing." One who until now was mute and made no use of his mouth in the service of Hashem will break into joyous song and praise Hashem, may He be blessed.
And why will all this occur? "For waters shall burst forth in the desert, and streams in the wilderness." In the desert, where water is scarce, springs will burst forth; and in the arid plain (the aravah), where spring water might be found but flowing streams are absent, streams will break out. The Malbim explains: Three impediments prevent a person from journeying through the desert - a lack of water, the absence of a trodden path, and dangerous beasts. When those redeemed by Hashem return to Zion through the desert, these three obstacles will be removed. The first obstacle - water - is neutralized here: "Waters shall burst forth in the desert, and streams in the wilderness."
וְהָיָה הַשָּׁרָב לַאֲגַם וְצִמָּאוֹן לְמַבּוּעֵי מָיִם בִּנְוֵה תַנִּים רִבְצָהּ חָצִיר לְקָנֶה וָגֹמֶא׃ - "And the parched land shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, there shall be grass with reeds and rushes."
Even a place that is naturally dry because of scorching heat will become moist and wet like a pool. "And the thirsty ground" - a place that has no springs or sources and is perpetually thirsty for water, will turn into springs of water. "In the habitation of jackals, where they lay" - a place that was always desolate and dry, grass suitable for reeds and rushes will grow there. And note where reeds and rushes grow: only in a place where there is water. When you want to know where there is standing water, look from afar: wherever you see reeds and rushes, there is water. The prophet says that there will be such an abundance of water that the desolate place will be transformed into an area of lush grass, reeds, and rushes.
וְהָיָה שָׁם מַסְלוּל וָדֶרֶךְ וְדֶרֶךְ הַקֹּדֶשׁ יִקָּרֵא לָהּ לֹא יַעַבְרֶנּוּ טָמֵא וְהוּא לָמוֹ הֹלֵךְ דֶּרֶךְ וֶאֱוִילִים לֹא יִתְעוּ׃ - "And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for them; the wayfarer, and even fools, shall not err."
Now the prophet comes to address the second deficiency of the wilderness: the absence of a road. How will the people of Israel traverse the desert? "And a highway and a way shall be there." The Malbim consistently explains that a derech (way) is a public road for the multitude, while a maslul (highway) is the paved path alongside it for individual travelers. There will thus be a designated passage for both individuals and the masses.
"And it shall be called The Way of Holiness." And do not make the mistake of thinking this is sanctity like that found among the Ishmaelites, who journey through the desert to the tomb of their prophet - whom the Rambam refers to as "the madman" - and who likewise call that route a holy path. It is not so; rather, "the unclean shall not pass over it": those who travel this road will be guarded against all impurity.
"And it shall be for them" - this way is designated specifically for them, for the blind and the lame, for those whom Hashem has come to redeem. "The wayfarer" - until now, anyone traveling through the wilderness needed two things: first, to journey in large caravans, as walking alone in the desert was perilous; and second, a guide, for who knows how to navigate the trackless wastes? Here the prophet says that they will need neither of these, and even a lone traveler will be able to walk along the way.
Not only that, but "and fools shall not err." Even if there is an entire group composed entirely of fools, they will not lose their way. And what is an evil (fool)? The Malbim explains that evil is related to the word ulai ("perhaps") - unlike a kesil, who knows the truth yet chooses to walk in darkness. The evil is always in doubt: perhaps, who says? When such people walk in the wilderness, they hesitate, wondering whether to turn here or there, whether this is the path or that, and they never know the way. Yet, in the time to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, establishes a highway and a way in the desert, even this group that never knows where to turn, and even without any means of navigation, will find a paved, straight path set before them.
The chapter opens with three degrees of desolation - desert (midbar), dry land (tziyah), and arid plain (aravah) - and teaches that the people of Israel are like the aravah: worthy in their own right and worthy of divine bounty, yet covered in thorns and weeds. When Hashem removes them, the aravah will blossom like a rose with internal, enduring joy, with the glory of Lebanon and the majesty of Carmel, beholding the glory of Hashem in His general governance and His majesty in His personal providence over us. The prophet instructs the prophets to strengthen weak hands, firm up faltering knees, and speak to the anxious of heart: the redemption is delayed only until the measure of the nations is full and until we are worthy of reward, and therefore one must not sit idly wondering why it has not come, but rather engage in action. And in the future, the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf will be opened, corresponding to the intellect; the lame will leap like a deer, corresponding to action; and the tongue of the mute will sing, corresponding to speech. In the wilderness, waters will burst forth, the parched ground will become a pool, and the Way of Holiness will be paved, upon which no unclean person shall pass, where even a lone traveler will walk securely and even fools will not lose their way.