"And it shall be, when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you: For what reason has Hashem spoken all this great evil against us? And what is our iniquity and what is our sin that we have sinned against Hashem our God?" When you tell these words to the people, they will be astonished. They will say to you: For what reason has Hashem spoken all this evil against us? That is to say, why us specifically? After all, the previous generations were not righteous either. The generation of Menashe was also wicked, yet He did not bring the evil upon them. That is one question. A second question: "And what is our iniquity and what is our sin?" What is our iniquity? We have committed no iniquity, and not only have we not committed an iniquity, which is deliberate, but even, "what is our sin?" A sin is lighter than an iniquity, so we have not even committed a sin, neither deliberately nor accidentally. So what do they want from us?
"Then you shall say to them: Because your fathers forsook Me, says Hashem, and went after other gods and served them and bowed down to them, and they forsook Me and did not keep My Torah." They had a first difficulty here: In what way are we different from our fathers? Our fathers also acted wickedly, and upon them You did not bring this trouble. He tells them: Your fathers completely forgot the Torah and did not know it at all. It emerges, then, that they are like a child taken captive among the gentiles. Such a child knows nothing of the Torah, and all his deeds, even the deliberate ones, are no more than accidental. This is what He tells them: your fathers forsook Me, says Hashem, and went after other gods. This is on account of the fact that they forsook Me. They forsook Me, so they did not recognize the Torah at all, as it were. And because of this they went and served other gods. But your sin is not comparable. "And you have done worse than your fathers, and behold, each of you walks after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so as not to listen to Me." He tells them: But you have done a worse deed than your fathers. For you know the Torah, and you walk in the stubbornness of your evil heart so as not to listen to Me. Your fathers did not know. From your fathers the Torah was forgotten. But you do not want to listen to the words of the Torah even though you know it, and this is on account of the stubbornness of your evil heart. And regarding every mitzvah, says the Malbim, you look for arguments and pretexts of heresy so that you will not have to listen to Me. For every mitzvah you look for reasons and denial and all kinds of matters in order to cast off the yoke of the mitzvot, so that you will not have to obey Hashem. According to this, says the Malbim, there is a vast difference between you and your fathers. For your fathers, on account of not listening to Me, walked in the stubbornness of their heart. But with you it begins the opposite way. On account of walking in the stubbornness of your heart, you do not listen to Me. So your deed is far, far worse. For with your fathers it begins from the stubbornness of the heart, but with your fathers it is on account of not listening because they did not know, since they were like children taken captive. Your fathers' wickedness, says the Malbim, was on account of foolishness and error. But your wickedness is deliberate. Your fathers did not know the Torah; you know it and intend to rebel against it. So then, you have done worse than your fathers. So you ask why your punishment is severe and your fathers were not punished so?
"Therefore I will cast you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not grant you favor." Hashem tells them: Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, a place you have not recognized and have not known. And there you shall serve other gods day and night. This means: just as you served in rebellion in Eretz Yisrael in order to anger Hashem, so you will serve there, but there it will already be out of coercion. There it will already be out of compulsion. And all this will be on account of the fact that I will not grant you favor. I will not spare, nor be gracious, nor have mercy on you, and consequently they will force you to serve idols. So I will hurl you out of this land to a place you have not known. The Radak explains that there was an additional matter here in which you did worse than your fathers. Since when the father sins, punishment is due to him. When the sons continue and hold on to the deeds of their fathers, then the iniquity of the fathers is visited upon the sons. Then the measure is heaped up, and one receives also for the iniquity of the fathers. Therefore your measure is already full, and so it emerges that now the payment you pay is far dearer than that of your fathers.
"Therefore, behold, days are coming, says Hashem, when it shall no longer be said, As Hashem lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but rather, As Hashem lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them, and I will bring them back to their land which I gave to their fathers." Behold, days are coming, says Hashem, when it shall no longer be said, As Hashem lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt. This means: days are coming, this is a prophecy of the future that describes that the miracles and wonders that will be in the future will be greater than the miracles and wonders that exist today. And then, because of this, they will not remember the Exodus from Egypt. In fact there is a dispute whether the meaning is that they will literally not remember or not. The Radak brings this: there is a dispute in the words of our Sages. Some say that the Exodus from Egypt will be completely forgotten compared to the future redemption and the great wonders that will be in it. And some say the meaning is not that it will be forgotten entirely, but that the subjugation to the kingdoms will be primary and the Exodus from Egypt secondary to it. The meaning is that the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt will no longer occupy a central place. In truth, before we detail what is said here, there is a prophecy of consolation here. It is not entirely clear why it entered here in the middle, for until now we heard very, very harsh things. And how, then, does it suddenly speak here of days that are coming and of redemption, a matter that seemingly does not connect at all to the harsh statements we saw earlier? The Radak says: this is a future prophecy. And the prophet would tell them this consolation after the calamity. And God would send them in this matter, through His prophets, calamity and consolation. Do you hear? This is the order. Calamity and consolation. So that they would not say, our hope is lost. That is to say, not to give them the feeling that you have lost hope because there is calamity here, calamity, calamity, and they would break. What does He do? He gives them calamity, very harsh statements, and afterwards consolation, so that they would not say, our hope is lost. For although He will exact punishment from them for their evil deeds, still in the end of days they will have hope. That is to say, even though I tell you very harsh things about the near future, do not lose hope, for know that in the future there will still be hope. And through this they will not break entirely. And this, as is known, is also among the ways of education. When one punishes a child, when a situation of distance is created, one must always preserve the hope. Always to present before the child a positive horizon. For if not, the moment the child understands, that's it, it's over, gone, that's it, I will no longer succeed, you know what, in finding favor in the eyes of father or receiving his legitimacy or giving some satisfaction to mother, the child breaks, gets up and leaves. And that is a terrible thing. Therefore always, even though sometimes a harsh blow is needed, I am not speaking of striking, I am speaking of distance and the like, one must still always leave an opening. One must always leave a possibility of hope. For the moment there is no possibility of hope, then "let my soul die with the Philistines." Then I go and leave and it's over. It is written that even when one besieges a city, the Rambam says, one does not close it off from all sides. One must leave an opening through which they can flee. For if you do not leave an opening through which they can flee, then they will fight to their last drop of blood, and there is a chance that they will devour you. Therefore one must always leave an opening of hope. This too is what happens here. He tells them: Behold, days are coming, says Hashem, and know that the future miracles are great and wondrous miracles. So do not break. Do not lose your hope. What does it mean "it shall no longer be said, As Hashem lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt"? What is this "As Hashem lives" that is written here? When a person swears and says "As Hashem lives," his oath in fact comes to affirm a matter. So he will want to recall the wonders of Hashem. He will say to you, I swear to you by God who took us out of Egypt. This is what one says today, as it were. But in the future they will not say, I swear to you by God who took us out of Egypt, but rather, I swear to you by God who redeemed Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them. "As Hashem lives" is an expression of an oath, and their way was to swear by something that was a sign and a wonder. So in fact, prepare yourselves that there will be a wondrous redemption in the future, on account of which you should not lose the hope that you have today. As Hashem lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north. The Malbim says: that they will say and swear in the name of Hashem who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands, first, because there you were in one land, whereas here it is from the land of the north and from all the lands. It is far easier to redeem from one land than to gather from all the lands. So in this the future redemption will be greater than the redemption from Egypt. A second matter, the sins because of which you were exiled into that subjugation to the kingdoms were great sins, as we saw, "where He had driven them." Like a person who casts out and banishes his son, and then it is much harder to bring him back. In Egypt they did not banish us to Egypt. Yaakov our father went down to Egypt because of an ancient decree that said that Israel would be enslaved and afflicted. Here, by contrast, in less refined words, they threw us out of the house. When we are thrown out of the house, it is much harder to find the reason and the way to bring us back. So you should understand that the future redemption will be greater, both on account of it being from all the lands, from many places, unlike in Egypt, and on account of the fact that we were hurled there, for we were thrown there. And a further matter, the redemption will be more precious in their eyes than the first redemption, since in the first redemption Eretz Yisrael was not yet ours. Whereas now we have already merited the land and already inherited it. So when I have something and I lost it and it returns to me, there is very, very great joy. But when there is something I never had, then the anticipation is less great. I do not know its value, I do not know exactly what it is. But if I already knew and possessed it, and lost it, then I have far more longing to return to it. Therefore here this redemption will be with far greater joy, for "and I will bring them back to their land which I gave to their fathers." And in this their redemption now will be greater than the first redemption, in which they did not know toward what they were going, they did not yet know the value of Eretz Yisrael.
"Behold, I am sending for many fishermen, says Hashem, and they shall fish them. And afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and from every hill and from the clefts of the rocks." Here the prophecy of calamity returns. Behold, I am sending for many fishermen, says Hashem, and they shall fish them. Now He will describe how He will exile them from the land. At first I will send fishermen. Fishermen catch many fish at once in a net, meaning with a net, "and they shall fish them." They will judge them. "And afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them." Afterwards I will send many hunters, who will also hunt them. Rashi explains: those who remain and flee, the hunters will come and hunt them. They will hunt them in order to take them captive. "From every mountain and from every hill and from the clefts of the rocks." And those who remain there, those who flee to these places, them they will take captive.
"For My eyes are upon all their ways; they are not hidden from before Me, nor is their iniquity concealed from before My eyes." There is a duplication here. My eyes are upon all their ways; they are not hidden from before Me, nor is their iniquity concealed. "Hidden" and "concealed," what is the difference? Not hidden from before Me and not concealed, their iniquity, from before My eyes. And He already said, "For My eyes are upon all their ways." What is the meaning here of these words? The Malbim explains: I look both upon the way and upon the iniquity. What is the meaning of "the way"? The ways of the soul, the character traits, the inner conduct, they are what create the iniquities. For example, a person who has arrogance in him, he is liable to act against his fellow in all kinds of ways, to harm him and the like, out of feeling that it is due to him and that he, only he and no one else. And so on, one who has the trait of anger in him is also liable to strike his fellow. That is to say, there are two things. There are the inner traits and there are the results, how it comes to expression in practice. Hashem says: For My eyes are upon all their ways. I look upon the ways, for the ways of the soul, these are the traits and natures from which, at their root, the iniquities grow. "And they are not hidden from before Me, nor is their iniquity concealed from before My eyes." And also the iniquities themselves, also the evil deeds that emerge from these negative traits, the Holy One Blessed be He says, this too is not hidden from Me. The Malbim says: since the ways of the soul, like cruelty, arrogance, vengeance, all this is internal. About this He says, this I know. "My eyes are upon their ways" means I know these things. "They are not hidden from before Me" means from My knowledge, I have knowledge of the inner traits of the person. And the iniquities themselves, these are the evil deeds, here one does not need any knowing, this is seen. A person commits a transgression, it is seen. So here there is no need for any "I know." Knowing means knowing what is in your heart. But things that are seen, this is something that is apparent. About this He says, "nor is it concealed from before My eyes." Their ways are not hidden from before Me. The ways, which are the inner traits in the heart, are not hidden from before Me. The meaning is that this I know. Whereas their iniquity, which is revealed, is not concealed from before My eyes. This too is not concealed from before My eyes. The Malbim explains: for there is a difference between the judgments of Hashem and the judgments of flesh and blood. Flesh and blood sees a result. So-and-so did such. That is all. The Holy One Blessed be He also sees from where it stems. The Holy One Blessed be He also sees the ways of the soul, the traits from which those deeds grow. "For according to a man's deed He will repay him, and according to a man's path He will bring it upon him." And the Malbim explains that there is a difference between "hidden" and "concealed." The Malbim explains this also regarding those spies who were, and Rachav concealed them. There the Malbim explains what the difference is between being hidden and being concealed. Someone hidden is hidden entirely. By contrast, one who is concealed merely stands to the side where one does not see him. For example, if a person covers himself entirely with straw, I would say now, this person is hidden. By contrast, if a person stands behind a wall and consequently you do not see him, I cannot say that he is hidden. From the other side he is seen. I can say that he is concealed from you. He concealed himself from you. But he is not hidden. Hidden means hidden entirely. Concealed, by contrast, is relative to the thing from which I am concealed. Therefore He says, "they are not hidden from before Me," the meaning is that this is not in secret; even though it is inside the heart, the traits and natures, the Holy One Blessed be He says, with Me it is not a secret, it is not hidden from before Me. And the deeds that you think you are doing, which are revealed to others but perhaps I do not see, Hashem says, this too is not concealed from before My eyes, it is right before My eyes.
"And I will first repay double their iniquity and their sin, because they defiled My land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and filled My inheritance with their abominations." "And I will first repay," the meaning is: at first I will exact punishment from them for the defilement of the land. The land is pure and they defiled it. The Radak says: by law the land should vomit them out. Therefore at first He will exact punishment from them for the defilement of the land. And afterwards He says, He will exact from them "double their iniquity." What is this "double"? What is the duplication of "double" about here? Rashi explains that they repeated their iniquity to do the iniquity of their fathers. So too the Radak explains. That the meaning of the words is: the father sinned and you return and repeat his iniquity, this is "double their iniquity." The Malbim explains: I will repay their iniquity and their sin that they did in practice. That is to say, although we explained earlier that Hashem knows both what is hidden and what is revealed, the hidden being the qualities in the heart, the revealed being the sin, Hashem says, at first I will repay for the sin they did in practice. Not for the ways and traits concealed in the depths of the soul. Why? Because their iniquity is double. "Double" means twofold, explains the Malbim. First, what they defiled My land. They did not keep shemitah, the mitzvot dependent on the land, they defiled the land with their deeds, as it is written, "a man defiled the land, and let not the land vomit you out when you defile it." The second matter, what they did in the Beit HaMikdash, "with the carcasses of their detestable things they filled My inheritance," Menashe placed an idol in the Sanctuary. The Holy One Blessed be He says, and for this I will punish them first. But the things that are the thoughts and the ways, these are hidden matters between them and the Omnipresent, and therefore for this He will not exact punishment from them first. It emerges, then, that according to the Malbim, the duplication, what is written here "double," speaks both of the defilement of the land and of the defilement of the Mikdash.
"Hashem, my strength and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of trouble, to You the nations shall come from the ends of the earth and say: Only falsehood did our fathers inherit, vanity, and there is no profit in them." Hashem, my strength and my stronghold. The Holy One Blessed be He is my strength, from the language of might. You, Hashem, You are my strength against those who fight with me. And You are my refuge. "My refuge," Rashi brings two interpretations. One interpretation, Menachem, explains it from the language of wonder, "You have given a banner to those who fear You, to be raised on high." You, Hashem, are my miracle, who performs miracles for me. Another interpretation he brings in the name of Dunash, that "my refuge" is according to its plain meaning. You are a refuge for me. "My refuge" means I will flee to You in the time of my trouble. "To You the nations shall come," that is, the nations in the end will return to You, will serve You with one accord. And Your people, if so, the difficulty against them is far greater. How did they make gods for themselves, and they are not gods? The nations in the end will believe in You, the nations in the end will accept Your kingship, so how does the people now not accept Your kingship, Israel, who are Your people? It emerges, then, that all this comes as an astonishment against Israel, to magnify the wonder: how is it possible that even the distant nations will return from the ends of the earth and reach the conclusion that "falsehood did our fathers inherit, vanity, there is no profit in them," Christianity, Islam, Buddha, and all the vanities in the world, they will reach the conclusion that all is vanity, so did our fathers inherit, there is no profit in them. So how is it that Israel now stray from the path?
"Shall a man make gods for himself, and they are not gods?" The Malbim explains that there is a defense of Israel here. The Malbim explains that here the prophet prays and says: You, Master of the Universe, tell me that You are punishing them for their idolatry. About this the prophet asks: Master of the Universe, why punish them? After all, this is vanity that has no substance to it. This is mere children's play. As Moshe said, Master of the Universe, of whom are You jealous? Of idolatry that has no substance? And if You say that because of this they denied Hashem, about this he says, is not You, Hashem, my strength and my stronghold. Everyone knows Your divinity. Everyone knows Your power. And it is surely clear to all that all the belief of the nations is vanity. For in the future even the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they too will recognize that falsehood did their fathers inherit. So what do You have to be jealous of in idolatry? All this, then, is said as a defense on behalf of Israel.
The Malbim asks: what is the difference between "falsehood" and "vanity"? Falsehood, there is falsehood that is not vanity, and there is vanity that is not falsehood. Falsehood, vanity, there is no profit in them. There is falsehood that is not vanity, it is falsehood but it is not truly vanity. And there is a thing that is vanity, that has no substance, but there would be some profit from it. Even though it is in itself vanity, but there is an indirect benefit. Therefore he says, this is falsehood and vanity without benefit. "Shall a man make gods for himself, and they are not gods?" Shall a man make gods for himself, and they are not gods, the meaning being someone whom he calls upon to answer him, and they are not gods, there is no power in them at all? That is to say, according to the Radak the question is how did they conceive of doing for themselves such folly, they are not gods, there is no power in them at all. According to the Malbim, this is in fact a claim. So, Master of the Universe, after all they are not gods, so why are You jealous of them? Why are You angry at them for serving idols, after all it is vanity? Therefore, "behold, I will make them know, this time I will make them know My hand and My might, and they shall know that My name is Hashem." Therefore the Holy One Blessed be He tells him: I will make known to those who do not want to return, this time I will make them know My hand, and they shall know My name, Hashem, that I am Hashem, Hashem is He and His name is He. This means: now they will receive their calamity. He tells him, according to the Malbim, there is here Hashem's answer to the claim, why are You jealous, this is idolatry that has no substance. Hashem tells him: I am not jealous of idolatry that has no substance, but rather for the very fact that they choose a path that has no substance and deny Me, for this I want to punish them. Not out of jealousy of idolatry, but for the fact that they strayed from the path. That they shall know My hand and My might, Hashem says, I will make them know My hand and My might, and then they will recognize that I am the One who oversees and I am the One who leads and I can change the situation as I will, and they shall know that My name is Hashem. For in the future all the nations will recognize the glory of Hashem. Hashem says, I want to make this known to Israel already now, not only in the future. So too he explains that this is what is written, "behold, I will make them know," this refers to all the nations, through His bringing Nevuchadnetzar upon them all, so all will recognize through this the power of Hashem. And the fact that I punish Yehudah, this is because the sin of Yehudah is written with a pen of iron, as we will see in what follows.