Chapter 44 of Yeshayahu follows immediately after the harsh words with which the previous chapter concluded, and it consists entirely of words of consolation. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to the Jewish people: Even though I desecrate you and strike you for your sins, I will yet bestow great good upon you. Later in the chapter, a sharp confrontation develops against two heretical notions: those who attributed deficiencies to the Divine, and those who denied Divine Providence and engaged in idolatry. Let us proceed through the verses in order.
וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע יַעֲקֹב עַבְדִּי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ׃ - "Yet now hear, Yaakov My servant, and Yisrael whom I have chosen."
The Radak explains: You, My servant, who dwell among the nations - hear the consolation, for I have chosen you from among all of them. And he adds a wonderful insight: Even if a good servant errs at times, his master does not cast him out; rather, he chastises him, because he still needs him. Indeed, he went astray - so he is punished, but he is not given up on. Ultimately, after being disciplined several times, the servant repents and returns to serve his master with an upright heart, and then his master showers him with immense goodness. This is precisely our situation: a servant who went astray, yet a servant whom the Holy One, blessed be He, still desires. When a servant is truly unwanted, he is sold off and cast away; no one wants that nuisance. The very fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, chastises us proves that He still has hope for us. Therefore, these are words of comfort.
The Malbim follows a similar approach: The sins of this generation have already received their punishment, the debt has been settled, and therefore the time of redemption has arrived. However, the Malbim notes a precision in the two titles. "Yaakov My servant" refers to the service with which you serve Me, where you are called Yaakov - an expression related to eikev (heel), representing our lower spiritual level rather than our elevated one. If so, what does Hashem want with us? What is He seeking from us, if our service is only on a low plane and not as it should be? To this, the answer is: "And Yisrael whom I have chosen" - from the standpoint that I chose you, that you are Yisrael, My unique nation from time immemorial, I therefore desire you.
There is a major principle here: there are our merits on our own account, and there is the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, inherently desires us. It is always preferable to come with our own merits - as the Selichot lament: "Men of faith are lost, who came in the power of their deeds." In the past, people came through the power of their deeds; they possessed merits. Today, people come with force - brute force and aggression, demanding things that way. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, says here: "Yisrael whom I have chosen." Since I have already chosen you and you are My chosen people, on that basis alone I will redeem you.
The Malbim notes an important distinction. Here it says: "Yaakov My servant, and Yisrael whom I have chosen," whereas in Chapter 41, verse 8, it says the exact opposite: "Yisrael My servant, Yaakov whom I have chosen." What is the difference? There, the intent is to elevate their service and demonstrate their greatness: "Yisrael My servant" - they serve Me on the level of Yisrael, a high spiritual plane; "and Yaakov whom I have chosen" - the choice of them occurred long ago, back in Egypt, when they were on the level of Yaakov and lacked many merits. Yet now, in their service, they have reached the level of Yisrael. Here, by contrast, the verse comes to demonstrate their lowliness and diminish the merit of their service, telling them that whatever they attained was achieved purely through Hashem's kindness and divine election. In each context, the prophet speaks to the matter at hand, and here the words carry an element of rebuke: you are not truly worthy on your own merits, yet the Holy One, blessed be He, has spared you and shown you compassion.
כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה עֹשֶׂךָ וְיֹצֶרְךָ מִבֶּטֶן יַעְזְרֶךָּ אַל־תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וִישֻׁרוּן בָּחַרְתִּי בוֹ׃ - "So said Hashem, your Maker and He Who formed you from the womb, Who will help you: Fear not, My servant Yaakov, and Yeshurun whom I have chosen."
What is the meaning of osecha ("your Maker")? The Radak explains that it is similar to "Who made (asah) Moshe and Aharon" (Shmuel I 12:6), which means He nurtured and raised them, and like "and she shall grow (ve'astah) her nails" (Devarim 21:12) - to raise and cultivate something is called "making" it. Alternatively, it can be understood in its plain sense: the One Who creates you and forms you.
Here the Radak cites a wonderful explanation in the name of the Ibn Ezra. The verse "and He who formed you from the womb" comes to allude to the matter of Yaakov, about whom it is said, "In the womb he took his brother by the heel" - his hand holding Esav's heel. Is it natural for a child to grasp his brother's heel? Certainly not, for each of them had his own placenta, and once the placentas separated, how could he hold his brother's heel? A fetus does not extend its hand out of the placenta, let alone grasp with its hand. Rather, it was a miraculous act. And who performed the miracle? The Holy One, blessed be He. It turns out that the Holy One, blessed be He, was right there with Yaakov Avinu in the womb, and as it were, pulled his hand to grasp Esav's heel. This is the meaning of "Thus said Hashem, your Maker and He who formed you from the womb": The One who was with your forefather there in the womb will be with you in exile, which is a cramped and constricted place just like the womb of a mother.
Incidentally, the parable is precise in the other direction as well. Just as the womb is a stage during which the woman undergoes a process followed by birth, so too is the exile: a period of hardship, suffering, and distress, followed by the birth pangs of Mashiach, which are those very labor pains. And the greater the constriction on the fetus and the more intense the woman's pain, the clearer the sign that birth is near. So too here: the more frequent and intense the troubles become, the more it shows that the Redemption is closer. "Your Maker and He who formed you from the womb" - He who formed Yaakov to grasp Esav's heel from the womb is the One who will help you and bring you out of exile.
The Radak explains: Yeshurun is Yisrael, and is called so because it is upright among the nations. The Jewish people are upright among the nations, which is why they are called Yeshurun. And if you might say that today this is not exactly the symbol of uprightness, this is due to "They mingled among the nations and learned their ways." Similarly, we find "And the Egyptians made us evil," which Chazal expound as meaning that they made us evil, since it does not say "and they harmed us." As a consequence of our regrettably adopting all kinds of gentile ideas, we have all those who bring out an evil report about us. But in truth, in their intrinsic virtue, the people of Yisrael are the most upright among the nations, standing on the highest level.
The Malbim notes the precise distinction between "your Maker" and "the One who formed you." The one who forms gives the object its initial shape - taking raw material and fashioning a vessel from it. The maker completes the work - polishing it, coating it, and bringing it to its finished state. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: "Your Maker" - I brought you to completion; and not only the completion, but "and He who formed you from the womb" - your very beginning, the initial formation itself, I also did. And not only that, but "He will help you" - I am not like a craftsman who forms a vessel or a maker who completes a vessel and then walks away; rather, I continue to watch over you with constant Divine providence.
And what is the parallel? It is like a newborn formed from a drop, who then emerges from the womb, while Hashem constantly watches over him throughout his growth. Such is the situation of the Jewish people: the birth of the nation was in Egypt, where the Holy One, blessed be He, formed them. He brought them to completion - this is the making - at the Giving of the Torah, "This day you have become a people." Afterwards, the Holy One, blessed be He, guides them in His great lovingkindness, brings them to the Land of Israel, and watches over them, which corresponds to "He will help you" - I help, sustain, and uphold your right hand to assist and oversee all your actions. Similarly it is said, "Is He not your Father Who acquired you?" - corresponding to the One who forms; "He made you" - corresponding to the Maker; "and established you" - corresponding to "from the womb He will help you," as He continually establishes you on your foundation, watching over you and leading you on the right path.
Therefore, "Fear not, My servant Yaakov, and Yeshurun whom I have chosen" - corresponding to what was said earlier, "Hear, Yaakov My servant," and corresponding to "and Yisrael whom I have chosen." For just as I made you, and just as I formed you even before that, so do I continue to help you and watch over you. If so, of whom do you have to be afraid?
כִּי אֶצָּק־מַיִם עַל־צָמֵא וְנֹזְלִים עַל־יַבָּשָׁה אֶצֹּק רוּחִי עַל־זַרְעֶךָ וּבִרְכָתִי עַל־צֶאֱצָאֶיךָ׃ - For I will pour water upon the thirsty land, and flowing streams upon the dry ground; I will pour My spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring.
The Radak explains: Just as I pour water upon a thirsty place, such as a desert and the like, so will I pour My spirit upon your seed. And as it says in Yoel, "I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh" - and do not make the mistake of thinking this refers to the nations of the world, but rather to Israel, as it states there, "and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." And that water which the Holy One, blessed be He, pours out is the power of prophecy. He is speaking to that generation and assuring them that the salvation will be for their children, for their offspring.
And the Radak notes the two terms: "My spirit" and "My blessing." There is a blessing for the soul and a blessing for the body here. From the perspective of the soul - prophecy had ceased among them, and they were like thirsty people craving the word of Hashem, longing to hear a word from Him, Blessed be He, as it says, "Not a hunger for bread nor a thirst for water, but to hear the words of Hashem." This is the thirst spoken of at the beginning of the verse, and regarding this the Holy One, blessed be He, promises to quench their thirst: "I will pour My spirit upon your seed" - I will elevate your spiritual level and you will merit prophecy. And from the perspective of the body - the Jewish people await salvation, and regarding this, "and My blessing upon your offspring," that He will redeem them with a physical redemption. Thus we have both the physical and the spiritual redemption. And in the view of the Radak, "dry ground" here is not used in the general sense of "And God called the dry ground earth," but rather a place on earth that is parched and dry.
The Malbim explains that divine abundance is like rain. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to bestow rain upon a specific field, He does not cause rain to fall on that plot alone. Although we find in the prophet, "one field shall be rained upon, and one field shall not be rained upon," and the Gemara mentions Sages who were granted this, this is not the standard way. Generally, when the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to shower abundance upon a plot, He showers the entire area, and everyone merits because of him, much like "the entire world is sustained for the sake of Chanina My son." And this is what is meant by "For I will pour water upon the thirsty" - for the sake of the land that is thirsty for rain, and as a result, "and floods upon the dry ground"; according to the Malbim, the entire dry ground drinks, even places that are not truly thirsty.
So it is with spiritual abundance: when I bestow abundance upon people who are prepared for it, the abundance descends and flows also onto those who are not prepared for it. An example from the Tanach: when they came to Shmuel while he was prophesying, all those who came with Shaul became prophets and opened their mouths in prophecy. When abundance descends, it comes down with such tremendous intensity that anyone who arrives at the place of abundance merits automatically. It is like the saying, "one who approaches someone anointed with oil becomes anointed himself" - one who comes close to someone rubbing himself with oil has drops fall upon him as well, and he receives some of that oil.
Based on this: "your seed" refers to the older children, and "your offspring" refers to the young ones, as the Malbim explains in several places. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Upon whom will I pour My spirit? Upon your seed, the older ones, the worthy ones, those who prepared themselves for prophecy. And consequently, "and My blessing upon your offspring." Blessing (berachah) is an expression of increase, for the letters beit, kaf, and reish represent the beginning of multiplication: the base of the units is one, and the plurality of the units is two - beit; the base of the tens is ten, and the plurality of the tens is twenty - kaf; and the base of the hundreds is one hundred, and the plurality of the hundreds is two hundred - reish. For this reason, the Vilna Gaon explains, the firstborn (bechor) also inherits a double portion. Thus, blessing is the beginning of abundance. The older ones, who are worthy and fitting, upon them I will pour out My spirit, and naturally My blessing will rest, as it were, of its own accord upon the offspring as well, and the young will be blessed through the merit of the older ones.
וְצָמְחוּ בְּבֵין חָצִיר כַּעֲרָבִים עַל־יִבְלֵי־מָיִם׃ - And they shall spring up among the grass, like willows by the watercourses.
The Jewish people will flourish "among the grass," as though they were sown amidst the grass. And why are they compared specifically to grass? Radak explains: Grass has a disadvantage - it does not endure for a long time, as we find in the prophet, "they shall soon be cut down like grass," withering quickly. But on the other hand, it grows rapidly, and here the metaphor refers to the speed of growth, not, Heaven forbid, to the lifespan. "And they shall spring up among the grass" - they will grow rapidly. But perhaps they will also wither rapidly? To this it states: "like willows by the watercourses." Aravim here are willows (aravot), as in "upon the willows in its midst we hung our harps," and the willow endures for many years. You will not be like grass that quickly withers, but rather you will retain your moisture like willows growing by watercourses.
The Malbim notes with precision: Grass has two shortcomings - it withers quickly, and it grows in a dry place where there is no water. The willow has two corresponding advantages - it is strong and firm, not soft like grass, and it grows near water. This is what the verse is saying: Although I said they will grow in the place between the grass, meaning that grass grows around them, nevertheless they will be like willows by watercourses. They possess two advantages: one corresponding to the location of the grass, and one corresponding to the grass itself. Corresponding to its dry location - "you will be by watercourses," like a willow growing by watercourses. And corresponding to the withering grass - you have nothing to fear, for you will be like willows that do not wither, but flourish for a long time. You will possess the two advantages of the willow and neither of the two shortcomings of the grass.
What is the underlying meaning? The Jewish people are dispersed among the nations, and we face a disadvantage from them and a disadvantage from their environment. In terms of themselves - they are like dry grass that quickly withers; the Holy One, blessed be He, says: You will be like willows that do not wither. And in terms of the environment - the defiled lands of the nations, a place not inherently fitting for divine influence, where perhaps being among the grass might cause harm; the Holy One, blessed be He, says: You will not be among the grass like the grass itself, but rather like willows planted by watercourses, so that divine spiritual influence will rest upon you like water, as stated earlier: "For I will pour water upon the thirsty." Thus, neither the place nor the people residing there will pose a limitation; even in those places, I will shower abundance upon you.
זֶה יֹאמַר לַיהוָה אָנִי וְזֶה יִקְרָא בְשֵׁם־יַעֲקֹב וְזֶה יִכְתֹּב יָדוֹ לַיהוָה וּבְשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל יְכַנֶּה׃ - One shall say, "I am Hashem's," and another shall call himself by the name of Yaakov, and another shall write with his hand to Hashem, and surname himself by the name of Yisrael.
Here the prophet describes the reality of that generation. Rashi explains based on Avot d'Rabbi Natan: "One shall say, 'I am Hashem's'" - these are the completely righteous. "And another shall call himself by the name of Yaakov" - these are the little ones, the children of the wicked, as we explained that "Yaakov" consistently indicates a lower spiritual level. "And another shall write with his hand to Hashem" - these are the penitents (ba'alei teshuvah), who come and say: from now on, our hand belongs to Hashem. "And surname himself by the name of Yisrael" - these are those who until now were not called by the name of Yisrael, namely the gentiles who converted, and from now on will be known by the name of Yisrael.
The Metzudat David expands along the same line: The righteous will say, "I am Hashem's." And why are they the righteous? Because "I am Hashem's" means from time immemorial I have belonged to Hashem; I did not arrive just today, but rather from time out of mind we have believed in Hashem. "Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob" - these are the young children of the wicked, who cannot call themselves by their father's name, since their father was not a man of virtue but wicked, and therefore they trace their lineage back to Yaakov. "Another shall subscribe with his hand to Hashem" - these are the penitents (ba'alei teshuvah), like one who obligates himself and writes with his own hand, "I belong to Hashem." "And surname himself by the name of Israel" - these are the converts who joined them, who were not previously called by this name, and from now on will surname themselves by Hashem's name.
In short, what is the verse telling us? That those who remain among the Jewish people will all be holy; all of them will be declared as belonging to Hashem. There will be ba'alei teshuvah, there will be converts, there will be those who fulfill Hashem's will, and all will desire to draw near to Hashem. This aligns with what is written: "And it shall come to pass, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy" - who will remain? Whoever attains the status of holy. And likewise: "And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of Hashem shall be delivered." In simple words: at the end of the process, after the purification, only these will remain - the righteous who were already there, or the youth whose fathers were wicked while they themselves are righteous, or the penitents, or the converts. And all the wicked, all those seen fighting against everything holy, will not be here at the time of the Redemption, and nothing will remain for them. Do not misunderstand: whoever repents will be accepted. The Targum explains "shall subscribe with his hand to Hashem" as referring to one who offers sacrifices.
Radak notes an additional point: Why does the verse say "This one... and this one..." in the singular, when it is speaking not of individuals but of entire groups? Rather, it is because at the time of the Redemption, "one from a city and two from a family" will come, gathering as individuals, as it is written: "And you shall be gathered one by one, O children of Israel." Therefore, it uses the singular, referring to individuals who will come and be gathered together one by one.
The Malbim explains that this verse continues what was stated previously, that the Holy One, blessed be He, will pour out spiritual abundance until people declare, "I am Hashem's." According to his approach, the order is the reverse of the early commentators: it begins with the most distant and progresses toward the closest. "One shall say, 'I am Hashem's'" - these are the nations of the world, who will say "I am Hashem's," meaning, I do not worship Him or observe His Torah, but I acknowledge the Creator of the universe; and this is the lowest of all levels. "Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob" - a higher level, the masses of the people who preserve their lineage and the faith of their ancestors: I am from the seed of Yaakov. "Another shall subscribe with his hand to Hashem" - a still higher level, the righteous who constantly walk before Hashem, like one who writes and signs a contract: I stand with the Master of the Universe, and whatever Hashem says, I will do. And above all of them are the wholly righteous, regarding whom it is said, "and surname himself by the name of Israel" - this person is truly worthy of being called Yisrael, not on the level of Yaakov, which is the lower tier, but with a new name, the name Yisrael, which denotes nobility and mastery. Previously on the level of a servant - Yaakov, the lower tier - he will henceforth be on the level of nobility, an elevated stature, being titled by the name Yisrael.
The Malbim adds a linguistic nuance: whenever the root kinui (an appellation or surname) appears in Biblical Hebrew, it denotes praise and honor, as in "I have called you by your name, I have given you an honorable title (akanekha)." By contrast, in the Talmud we find kinui used also for a derogatory nickname, as in "one who calls his fellow by an insulting name (hamokhneh shem le-chavero)," of whom it is said that he has no share in the World to Come, along with other expressions about dubbing someone with a degrading name. But in Biblical Hebrew, "I will give an honorable title" always denotes distinction. And this is the meaning of "and surname himself by the name of Israel": you will no longer merely be called Yaakov; rather, just as Yaakov rose in stature, had his name changed, and was called Yisrael, so too you will be elevated, rising in stature to be worthy of being called by the name Yisrael.
כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגֹאֲלוֹ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים׃ - Thus says Hashem, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, Hashem of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and beside Me there is no God.
Radak asks: Why does the verse insert "the King of Israel and its Redeemer" here? Because when the Holy One, blessed be He, redeems the Jewish people, He will be King of Israel exclusively, and we will no longer be under the dominion of gentile monarchs. And when He redeems us, it will be evident to all that Hashem is the God of Israel, the King whose sovereignty rules over all.
"I am the first" - even prior to the heavenly hosts, the heavens and the stars that do not change, I preceded them and I created them. "And I am the last" - even if the heavens vanish like smoke, and even if the sun, moon, and stars pass away, the Holy One, blessed be He, exists eternally. "And beside Me there is no God" - with this, Scripture refutes the belief of those who worship the sun, moon, and stars, demonstrating that none of them possess divine power. The word El means power, as in "the mighty (eilei) of the land," similar to the modern expression "tycoons" or magnates of wealth and oil. The Holy One, blessed be He, declares: There is no other power beside Me. Everything you see - stars, sun, moon, and all that the sun-pillar worshippers and idolaters worshipped - exercises influence only through My power, not through anything independent of Me. In truth, there is no independent power in all of creation aside from Hashem, blessed be He, and all forces draw their vitality from the Ein Sof, blessed be He. And Metzudat David explains: "I am the first" - before the creation of the world; "and I am the last" - after the world comes to an end.
The Malbim explains that here the prophet comes to confront two flawed ideologies prevalent in his day. The first faction supposedly found deficiency in Divinity, alleging flaws in the Creator of the universe and a lack in His perfection. The second faction entirely denied Hashem's providence and engaged in literal idolatry, fashioning an idol, worshipping it, and sacrificing to it. Through verse 9, the prophet contends with the first faction, and from verse 9 onward, with the second faction.
And what are those flaws they attributed to the Divine? Those who claimed that Hashem is not eternal (kadmon), and those who claimed that Hashem is not One. "Kadmon" (eternal/primordial) means that Hashem was, is, and will be; yet there were heretics who claimed that the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were entered creation at a certain stage and is not eternal, and this is heresy. Others fell into a different heresy, saying that there is another besides Him, which is likewise heresy, for "Hashem is our God, Hashem is One" means that there is none besides Him. Against those who claim He is not eternal, it says: "I am the first and I am the last" - nothing precedes Me. And against those who claim He is not One, it says: "And beside Me there is no God," thereby refuting the notion that there is any other power in creation.
וּמִי־כָמוֹנִי יִקְרָא וְיַגִּידֶהָ וְיַעְרְכֶהָ לִי מִשּׂוּמִי עַם־עוֹלָם וְאֹתִיּוֹת וַאֲשֶׁר תָּבֹאנָה יַגִּידוּ לָמוֹ׃ - "And who like Me can call out, and declare it, and set it in order for Me, since I established an ancient people? And the impending events, and that which shall come, let them declare to them."
Rashi explains: Who can proclaim that he is like Me, and declare and arrange before Me all that has happened from the day I established an eternal people until now? "And the impending events" (ve'otiyot) - from the language of signs and wonders (ot u'mofet), the signs and wonders He performed; who is capable of doing so? "And that which shall come" - the future, that which is destined to occur; who can declare and reveal the future? Is there any nation or faith in the world, or any deity in creation, that can presume to foretell the future and say what will happen? The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Go ahead, whoever can foretell the future - "let them declare to them." And just as I am doing now, Rashi explains: Before the destruction of the Temple I announce its destruction, and before the exile I announce the exile, and before Cyrus appears I announce Cyrus. All of this I announce to you in advance - is there anyone else who calls the generations from the beginning and can tell you what is yet to be?
The Malbim explains that the verse comes as an answer to those heretics. For those who say that the Holy One, blessed be He, is not eternal necessarily hold that someone preceded Him; and those who say He is not singular hold that there are others with Him, meaning there are additional forces in creation - there is the Creator of the world, and there are other forces directing creation. Against them He says: "Who like Me will call out" - who will call out and claim that he is like Me, who claims to possess power like the Creator of the world? "And declare it, and set it in order for Me, since I established an ancient people."
The existence of the Holy One, blessed be He, can be proven in two ways. The first is through philosophical proof. It is worth prefacing: classical philosophical inquiry has largely passed from the world, and consequently, the philosophical method of proof is no longer strictly necessary. The Rambam employed it in the Guide for the Perplexed, as did Rabbeinu Bachya in Chovot HaLevavot in Sha'ar HaYichud, along with other early authorities. To us, it may not resonate as deeply, for our modern mindset is not classical philosophy; but in their era, when everything was understood philosophically, it was necessary to demonstrate everything through this method. "Philosophical" means rational proof based on probability, intellect, logical necessity, and reason.
And this is the proof: In creation, there are two kinds of entities - that which is a Necessary Existence (mechuyav hametziut), and that which is a contingent existence (not inherently necessary). Necessary Existence means something that must exist, and reality cannot exist without it. Contingent existence means it may exist or it may not exist, and the world could survive without it. If elephants did not exist in the world at all, the world would still endure; thus, elephants are not necessary existences, and the world does not depend upon them. Now, regarding anything that is not inherently necessary - I must ask, who created it? And if you say another entity created it, which itself is not a necessary existence, the question immediately arises: who created that entity, since it too was created and is not necessary? And so on, until you are forced to conclude that there is One who is the Necessary Existence without whom nothing can be, and He is the One who created everything. For if an entity is not a necessary existence, who says it was always here, and who says it needs to be here at all? It is impossible that the One who created everything is not a Necessary Existence.
And since we see that we are here, there must necessarily have been something that cannot fail to exist and cannot cease to be. There must be an infinite supreme power that brought all of reality into being. And that cannot be me, for I am not a necessary existence; nor can it be whoever brought me into the world, for my parents and their parents are likewise not necessary existences. Rather, there must necessarily be a transcendent, spiritual Entity that is the Necessary Existence, and He created everything - for everything in the physical world is contingent and not intrinsically necessary.
From this it also follows that He is eternal (kadmon). For if He entered into reality at a certain stage, then reality progressed even without Him. Let us imagine, according to the heresy of the deniers, that the Creator of the world entered existence after the world already existed and began to manage it - it would emerge that He is not a Necessary Existence, since the world functioned fine without Him, and it could exist with Him or without Him. But this is a contradiction: if logic demands that there must be something that necessarily exists and without which the world cannot exist, and it is impossible for the Creator to be one of the contingent things in the world - He must be spiritual, transcendent, and First. For even without the sun, planet Earth could have existed, although life could not have been sustained on it, but physical existence was possible; if so, who created the sun, and who created the Earth, and so on. And if He were not First, I would immediately ask what was created before Him and by what power, and perhaps there was a Necessary Existence before Him - and then we would have to search for that One.
Likewise, it logically follows that He is One. For if you say that there is not one but two, working as a team - which of them is the Necessary Existence? It is impossible for both to be necessary existences, for if one is all-powerful, he does not need another all-powerful being alongside him. And if one were to depart, the other would remain and that would suffice - meaning the other is not inherently necessary. And if you say someone created both of them, we would ask who created him, and we still would not have arrived at the Source. Therefore, the Creator must be One, He must be eternal, and by His power all contingent things were created, and there is nothing in existence beside Him.
The second proof is from nature, and it is more readily accepted in modern terms, serving as a decisive and compelling proof. Through the path of philosophy one can always argue, and there will always be someone who wishes to claim the opposite, because philosophy depends on human intellect, and a person can always counter with philosophical arguments. This was indeed the criticism against the Rambam and against all who formulated philosophical proofs - that in philosophy, one can always argue and remain obstinate, saying that his own intellect understands things differently. But the proof from nature is one against which there is no dispute at all. It is used to this day, both with skeptics and in outreach seminars, as a clear and self-evident proof.
To illustrate with a parable: a person travels to the moon and finds a fragment there. Not an intact bottle, not filled with a drink, but a glass shard from a Coca-Cola bottle, four centimeters by four centimeters. When the first Russian cosmonaut to reach the moon sees such a thing - what conclusion does he immediately reach? That the Americans were here! You see: they litter here, and they litter there; leaving their trash behind everywhere they go. In other words, the very existence of an engineered artifact necessarily proves that someone made it.
The chapter opens with consolation: the Jewish people are like a servant who went astray, yet his master still desires him, and therefore disciplines him rather than casting him out. From the perspective of "Yaakov My servant" our standing is low, but from the perspective of "Yisrael whom I have chosen," the Holy One, Blessed is He, desires us and will redeem us. The One who was with Yaakov Avinu in the womb when he stretched out his hand to grasp Esav's heel is the One who will be with us in exile - which is like a womb, where the greater the pressure becomes, the nearer the birth is. He is the Former, He is the Maker, and He will also "help you" through constant Divine providence. The bounty will descend upon the worthy, and through that, those around them will also be watered, through the redemption of the soul in prophecy and the redemption of the body in blessing; and the Jewish people will sprout as rapidly as grass, yet with the resilience of the willow and the moisture of watercourses, harmed neither by their surroundings nor by the nations. At the end of the process, only righteous people will remain: the children of the wicked who reformed themselves, ba'alei teshuvah, and righteous converts, until the worthy are called by the name of Yisrael, which is a name of honor and nobility. And against those who deny the eternity and oneness of the Creator, the prophet proclaims: "I am the first and I am the last, and besides Me there is no God," for who is like Him, declaring the end from the beginning - whether through the philosophical proof of the Necessary Existence, or through the simple proof from nature, that every creation attests to its Creator.