Introduction: A Chapter of Consolation - The Continuation of the Previous Chapter
Chapter 31 of Jeremiah is a chapter of consolation and redemption, and the Malbim sees it as a direct continuation of the previous chapter. In the previous chapter, we explained that the Divine awakening to bestow loving-kindness upon us will begin from Him, Blessed be He, as an itaruta d'le'ela (an awakening from Above). Here, the prophet shows that this corresponds to what we saw at the beginning of the book: "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, your following Me into the wilderness." There, we saw that the Holy One, Blessed be He, remembers for us the loving-kindness that the people of Israel extended to Him first - that they recognized Him even before receiving any benefit from Him. We had not yet received the Torah, and already "they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant"; and when Moshe came to speak to them, "and the people believed." We followed Hashem, as it were, with our eyes closed. Afterward came the bridal love, when the people of Israel entered into a marriage-like bond with the Holy One, Blessed be He, through the Torah, and subsequently we followed Him into the wilderness with immense trust. Hashem says: Corresponding to all of this, I will also repay you.
"Found Favor in the Wilderness" - The Generation of the Wilderness or the Wilderness of the Nations
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה מָצָא חֵן בַּמִּדְבָּר עַם שְׂרִידֵי חָרֶב הָלוֹךְ לְהַרְגִּיעוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - Thus says Hashem: The people who survived the sword found favor in the wilderness; I will go to grant Israel rest.
Let us first examine Rashi's commentary, which represents the plain meaning: "Found favor in the wilderness" - the generation of the wilderness found favor in My eyes. "A people who survived the sword" - a nation that survived the sword: the sword of Egypt, the sword of Amalek who attacked them, and the sword of the Canaanites who waged war against them. "I will go to grant Israel rest" - Hashem led them through the wilderness to bring them to their place of rest, to the Land of Israel.
The Malbim interprets differently. In his view, this does not refer to the generation of the wilderness at all, but rather to the "wilderness of the nations," as in the wording of Ezekiel (chapter 20): "And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations." The wilderness here symbolizes the exile. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says: This nation, which is a remnant of the sword, has found favor in My eyes in exile. After all the persecutions and massacres that the nations inflicted upon us, leaving only survivors of the sword, they will find favor in My eyes, and I will lighten the yoke of exile from them. This is the meaning of "I will go to grant Israel rest": Hashem will go to them into the wilderness and provide them with tranquility. And this corresponds to "your following Me into the wilderness" - just as you followed Me into the wilderness, so too will I go and seek you in the wilderness of the nations and bring you out of exile.
"From Afar Hashem Appeared to Me" - Hidden Miracles
מֵרָחוֹק יְהֹוָה נִרְאָה לִי וְאַהֲבַת עוֹלָם אֲהַבְתִּיךְ עַל־כֵּן מְשַׁכְתִּיךְ חָסֶד׃ - From afar Hashem appeared to me: "And I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with loving-kindness."
The Malbim explains: Initially, Hashem will appear to them from afar. Even while He still stands from a distance - meaning that Divine Providence is not openly revealed but shrouded in concealment, through hidden miracles - even then, they will perceive Him from afar. Even then, they will recognize that Hashem watches over them, by virtue of His easing the yoke of exile from upon them.
One could say that these words speak directly to our own times. There have been endless miracles here, hidden miracles: that the people of Israel were able to conquer the land; that there were six hundred thousand people here during the War of Independence, the vast majority of whom had no idea how to hold a weapon, and nevertheless they overcame the Arab nations. These are miracles, yet they are cloaked within nature and not overtly obvious. This is "From afar Hashem appeared to me" - initially, the Divine revelation is from a distance, and Hashem eases the yoke of exile from us. For without a doubt, as much as people complain here in the Land, thank God we are still far removed from the yoke of exile. Any Jew here today lives like a millionaire of two hundred years ago, to say nothing of the peace, quiet, and serenity that a Jew enjoys here.
Incidentally, this is a compelling reason for those living in France, and today to some extent in America and other places, to begin returning to the Land. Although on the surface we appear to be in the most dangerous place for the Jewish people - since the largest concentration of Jews is here, and anyone who might wish, Heaven forbid, to destroy the Jewish people or launch a bomb has a clear target - nevertheless, "on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and it shall be holy." The Torah leaders said this even during the Holocaust. The Chafetz Chaim said this when they asked him. The Chafetz Chaim passed away before the Holocaust, and in his dreams he saw terrible visions of fire burning and consuming everything, and he would fast. Who knows - were it not for the fasts of the Chafetz Chaim and his dream fasts, how the Holocaust might have ended. When asked what would be, he replied: "On Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and it shall be holy." In any case, although the people of Israel here in the Land are ostensibly in a precarious situation, as the Malbim writes, the yoke of exile is lightened from them and they find rest. And although this is not yet the ultimate redemption, already "from afar Hashem appeared to me" - the hand of Hashem is already visible.
And then Hashem will say to them: "I have loved you with an everlasting love" - that primordial love of the bridal days will be reawakened, and through that love I will draw you out of exile: "therefore, I have drawn you with loving-kindness." This corresponds to "the love of your bridal days" and "the kindness of your youth": just as you believed in Me through loving-kindness at the Exodus from Egypt, so too will I place My trust in you through loving-kindness and redeem you with an eternal redemption. And this love will specifically arise from having found favor in the wilderness - that is, from the power of the exile. The exile is a refinement. Like a father who strikes his son and afterward feels sorrow and remorse and wishes to bring him back, so too, as it were, the Holy One, Blessed be He, placed us in exile for our rectification, and the exile itself leads to finding favor. We find favor in Hashem's eyes because of that "wilderness" through which we passed, through the length of the exile and through what we suffered there, and then He will redeem us with an eternal redemption.
The Dialogue Between Knesses Yisrael and the Holy One, Blessed be He
According to the Radak, these verses express a dialogue between Knesses Yisrael and the Holy One, Blessed be He. The Radak interprets "found favor in the wilderness" as referring to the period of the Exodus from Egypt, and here Knesses Yisrael in exile responds: True, Master of the Universe, the people left Egypt and found favor in Your eyes in the wilderness - but that was long ago. "From afar Hashem appeared to me" - once it was so, but now in exile You have hidden Your face from me, and all I can say is that this was from afar.
And God's response: "With an eternal love I have loved you; therefore I have drawn you with loving-kindness." The Holy One, Blessed be He, says: No, you are mistaken. My love is not a temporary love, but an eternal love. "Therefore I have drawn you with loving-kindness" - that is why I revealed Myself to you in My glory at Mount Sinai, to demonstrate that this connection is an eternal bond and not a temporary one. And even though I have forsaken you, I still promise you:
"I Will Build You Yet Again, and You Shall Be Built" - A Third Building That Is an Eternal Building
עוֹד אֶבְנֵךְ וְנִבְנֵית בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד תַּעְדִּי תֻפַּיִךְ וְיָצָאת בִּמְחוֹל מְשַׂחֲקִים׃ - I will build you yet again, and you shall be built, O maiden of Israel; yet again shall you adorn your timbrels, and go forth in the dance of merrymakers.
The Holy One, Blessed be He, says: Although you say that I am far away, I promise you, "I will build you yet again, and you shall be built." "I will build you" - one; "and you shall be built" - two. In the past you had two buildings made by human hands, the First Temple and the Second Temple, and therefore they were destroyed. But I will yet build you a Third Temple, which will be an everlasting structure.
The Radak adds that "I will build you yet again, and you shall be built" does not refer only to the structure itself. In a destroyed house, the stones are scattered, and when one wishes to rebuild it, he gathers them and arranges them. So it is with the Jewish people, who are like stones scattered across the world, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: I will gather you, and from you a complete edifice of the House of Israel will be formed. And He calls her "the maiden of Israel" (literally, "the virgin of Israel"), that she will be like a maiden who has never been possessed by foreign masters. Today we are not like a maiden, but rather like a married woman, as we have masters ruling over us; yet Hashem says: You will be "the maiden of Israel," like one who never had masters. "Yet again shall you adorn your timbrels" - out of the abundance of goodness, you will rejoice with timbrels and dances, which will be to you like an adornment, like jewelry.
The Malbim likewise explains that "I will build you" refers to the rebuilding of the monarchy and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, and "you shall adorn your timbrels" refers to the miracles I will perform for you. You will have a "dance of merrymakers" - just as the women went out after Miriam with timbrels and dances over the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea, so too will you go forth in dances over the ingathering of the exiles and the building of the Beis HaMikdash.
"Yet Again Shall You Plant Vineyards on the Mountains of Samaria"
עוֹד תִּטְּעִי כְרָמִים בְּהָרֵי שֹׁמְרוֹן נָטְעוּ נֹטְעִים וְחִלֵּלוּ׃ - Yet again shall you plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; planters shall plant and redeem the fruit.
Here there is a promise that there will once again be vineyards on the mountains of Samaria, and this promise is being fulfilled before our very eyes. And regarding the word ve-chillelu ("and redeem"), there are two explanations. Rashi explains: planters planted and redeemed (chillelu) the produce of the plantings in the fourth year, redeeming it with money - this is the chillul (redemption). That is, they will reach a state where the saplings will grow and reach the fourth year when they may be eaten, for during the first three years they are orlah and "shall not be eaten," and in the fourth year they are "holy for giving praise" (kodesh hilulim) - one redeems them and eats them.
And why does the verse specifically mention the redemption? The Radak explains that their custom was to perform the redemption amid feasting and joy. As we have mentioned several times, when they would shear the sheep or bring in the harvest, at the stage when they received the full produce of the field or the flock, they would celebrate. So too here: when they redeemed the vineyard, that was the point at which it could be enjoyed, and they would celebrate with joy and dancing. Incidentally, this connects to the ancient custom of dancing with various produce of the land, which earlier authorities cite as a reason for the holiday of Sukkos - that at the time of the harvest, one takes species from the produce of the land and dances with them: the lulav, esrog, hadas, and aravah, to give thanks to Hashem, as was the accepted practice in their days. And because it was their practice to rejoice, it is called "holy for giving praise" (kodesh hilulim), from the word hallel (praise). But in a time of fear, no one celebrates or offers praise; therefore, the prophet says: a time will come when "planters shall plant and redeem the fruit," and they will hold feasts and celebrate over the redemption of the vineyards.
Why did he specifically mention the mountains of Shomron? Radak explains: because during the First Temple era, they lived there in fear of the enemy for many days and were under siege. Therefore, he mentions that specifically that place, the dwelling of the Ten Tribes, will yet experience renewal, and vineyards will be planted there.
Malbim explains differently. First, regarding Shomron, he cites from Michah (ch. 1) that Shomron had become "a heap of the field, planting places of a vineyard" - meaning that the Cuthites whom Sancheriv settled there planted vineyards there, because Shomron was completely ruined. Where does one plant vineyards? Not in a built-up area, but in fields. That is, Shomron was so utterly destroyed that it became like an open field, like "Zion shall be plowed as a field," and then the Cuthites planted vineyards there. The prophet says: you shall plant vineyards there in the place where "planters planted and profaned" - and "profaned" (vechillelu) according to Malbim is not as Rashi and Radak explain (redeeming fourth-year fruit), but rather that the Samaritans who planted vineyards there treated them as ordinary, unconsecrated produce (chullin); they did not ascend with them on the pilgrimage festivals, nor did they bring bikkurim. In the very place where those planters planted and treated their fruit as ordinary chullin - you will plant vineyards and bring them up on the pilgrimage festivals, bringing their fruit to the House of Hashem for bikkurim.
"Notzrim Call on Mount Ephraim" - Who Are the Notzrim?
כִּי יֶשׁ־יוֹם קָרְאוּ נֹצְרִים בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם קוּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶה צִיּוֹן אֶל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃ - "For there shall be a day when watchmen call on Mount Ephraim: 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to Hashem our God!'"
"For there shall be a day" - a day will arrive when notzrim will call out on Mount Ephraim. Rashi cites one explanation that *notzrim* means watchmen or scouts, those who stand atop high watchtowers to proclaim in a voice heard far and wide. Another explanation: *notzrim* comes from the root of guarding, as in "notzer chesed la'alafim" (He who preserves lovingkindness for thousands) - a day will come when they call to those who guarded the Torah and the mitzvos, saying, "Arise, and let us go up to Zion." Targum Yonatan translates similarly: "For there is length of days and much goodness that the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant the righteous who guarded My Torah from of old" - meaning the Holy One, blessed be He, will give reward to the righteous who guarded His Torah in the past. Thus, the *notzrim* are those who guard His Torah and His commandments, the keepers of Torah and mitzvos.
And one certainly must not mistakenly think that this refers to "Christians" in the familiar sense (the Hebrew word being identical). That term in that context derives from the city of Nazareth, a designation that emerged much later, during the Talmudic era, whereas here we are in the First Temple period, when such a concept of Christianity was not even remotely imagined. There is neither connection nor hint to that here; rather, it means either watchmen atop towers or keepers and guardians, as in "notzer chesed la'alafim."
Malbim adds: in contrast to the situation in the prophet's day, when guards were stationed on Mount Ephraim to prevent Israel from going up to Jerusalem - those road-blocks and sentries that Jeroboam had instituted to restrict the people and prevent them from ascending - a day will come when watchmen and guardians will stand and proclaim the exact opposite: "Arise, and let us go up to Zion!" Indeed, they will ensure that everyone brings up their produce, their fourth-year fruits (neta revai) and the rest of the bikkurim, ascending to Jerusalem and declaring, "Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to Hashem our God!"
"Sing with Joy for Jacob" - Two Stages in the Redemption
כִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה רָנּוּ לְיַעֲקֹב שִׂמְחָה וְצַהֲלוּ בְּרֹאשׁ הַגּוֹיִם הַשְׁמִיעוּ הַלְלוּ וְאִמְרוּ הוֹשַׁע יְהֹוָה אֶת־עַמְּךָ אֵת שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "For thus said Hashem: Sing with joy for Jacob, and shout at the head of the nations; proclaim, praise, and say: 'Hashem, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!'"
Radak explains that this is spoken regarding the beginning of the redemption: when the tidings of redemption arrive, the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, commands us - sing and rejoice, the time of your redemption has arrived. "And shout at the head of the nations," which the Targum renders, "and rejoice openly before the eyes of all the nations" - the joy will be completely open and public, unlike the state where the Jewish people are constantly anxious and fearful of the nations. It will no longer be a state of exile; rather, the joy will be open. "Proclaim, praise, and say: Hashem, save Your people" - proclaim the tidings, praise Hashem, and plead that the salvation be completed: just as You have let us hear the good tidings, so complete the salvation. Hashem replies: I will do according to your words. From this follows the next verse, "Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them..."
Malbim notes a precise distinction: why is it phrased once as "Jacob" and once as "Israel"? As is well known, there is a fundamental difference between these two names. "Jacob" refers to the Jewish people in their lower state, from the word *ekev* (heel), while "Israel" refers to them in their elevated state, a term of mastery and nobility. "Sing with joy for Jacob" - at first, they will sing for the joy that Jacob experiences. And what is Jacob's joy? "And shout at the head of the nations" - that servitude will be lifted from us, and that in itself will be reason enough to rejoice and exult. We will be at the head of the nations, the nations will accord us honor, and after having been degraded and despised until now, we will be elevated. This is the joy of the simpler segments of the nation: we have received our freedom, there is no more subjugation, and the people of Israel attain international recognition. For the ordinary folk, for the simple masses, this constitutes the redemption - we are no longer persecuted, and we have honor in the world.
However, "Israel" refers to the more spiritual people, the true servants of Hashem - for them, this is not enough. The physical redemption of Jacob does not suffice. They yearn for the spiritual redemption, that the Holy One, blessed be He, restore His Shechinah to Zion. Therefore, at that time, "proclaim" and announce publicly, "praise" Hashem, by saying, "Hashem, save Your people" - and who is "Your people"? "The remnant of Israel," the righteous. Master of the Universe, we ask for true salvation: connection with the Holy One, blessed be He, the return of prophecy, closeness to God. This is the salvation we seek - that it come directly from You, that it be manifest, and that it be spiritual.
This also explains what has occurred in recent generations. The ingathering of the exiles was not led by Torah-observant leaders. True, in the past, observant Jews were at the forefront - such as the aliyah of the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Yehudah HaChasid, and the Baal Shem Tov, periods when devout and pious Jews came here. But in the final redemption, we see that it came about through people who were far removed from Torah and mitzvos. And for them, what is the redemption? As the prophet emphasizes: "Sing with gladness for Yaakov" - what is the joy of Yaakov? "And shout at the head of the nations," that we merit recognition from the nations. For them, this is the joy. Yet in truth, this is not the complete redemption. The fields yielding their fruit - that is wonderful and good, and it is a revealed end (ketz meguleh), the beginning of the end. But what are we truly awaiting? The building of the Supreme Court standing in its splendor and glory in Jerusalem? Teddy Stadium? The Arena Stadium? When we pray for Jerusalem to be rebuilt and established, is that the building of Jerusalem, or are all these perhaps its ruin? The true building of Jerusalem is when the Shechinah is in its place, the Kohanim are in their service and the Levi'im are on their platform, when the Jewish people draw close to Hashem and cleave to Him, and there is a divine spiritual outflow - that is the complete redemption. Therefore, Yisrael will plead, "Save, Hashem, Your people" - salvation from You, spiritual salvation. For Yaakov, on the other hand, political redemption is enough: We are redeemed, we are at the head of the nations, we received recognition, the UN recognizes us, and it does not matter what they write or say about us - the main thing is that they recognize us, that there is such an independent nation called Israel. That is the level of Yaakov, a very low level. The higher level is to truly merit genuine closeness to God, speedily, amen and amen.
"Among them the blind and the lame" - Redemption with Ease and Miracles
הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ צָפוֹן וְקִבַּצְתִּים מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָרֶץ בָּם עִוֵּר וּפִסֵּחַ הָרָה וְיֹלֶדֶת יַחְדָּו קָהָל גָּדוֹל יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה׃ - Behold, I am bringing them from the north country and gathering them from the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who gives birth together; a great congregation shall return here.
Why does he specifically mention the north? The Radak explains: because most of the exiles were in the north. "Among them the blind and the lame" - the redemption will proceed so serenely and smoothly that even the blind and the lame, and even the pregnant woman and the one giving birth, will be able to walk at their own pace. The path will be level and straight, and they will not stumble along the way. Ordinarily, the blind, the lame, the pregnant, and the birthing mother fall behind, but here the redemption will be so peaceful that they will be able to proceed at their own pace without fear.
The Malbim notes a precision in the language: "Behold, I am bringing them from the north country" - there they are already united and concentrated together, lacking only the bringing itself. By contrast, "from the ends of the earth," the farthest corners, they are scattered, and therefore it says, "and gathering them." "Among them the blind and the lame" - even in places where there is only one blind person and one lame person, a mere two individuals of the Jewish people, and even if both are afflicted with physical blemishes, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: I will redeem them as well. Even individuals who are frail, few, and powerless, they too will experience redemption.
"The pregnant woman and she who gives birth together" - according to the Malbim, this is not meant literally as a pregnant woman and a woman in labor, but rather as a miracle: the nation will, as it were, conceive and give birth instantaneously. Pregnancy and birth will occur simultaneously; all of a sudden, a vast assembly will be born to the Jewish people, and a massive multitude will return here. In the natural order, pregnancy lasts nine months until birth, but here the redemption will be so instantaneous, like someone conceiving and giving birth at the exact same moment. This is a marvelous metaphor: even from places where it seems there are only a handful of Jews, and even those few cannot naturally travel the road, one being blind and the other lame - nevertheless, they will multiply instantaneously until a vast and mighty throng joins them.
"They shall come with weeping" - Weeping of Teshuvah or Weeping of Joy
בִּבְכִי יָבֹאוּ וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים אוֹבִילֵם אוֹלִיכֵם אֶל־נַחֲלֵי מַיִם בְּדֶרֶךְ יָשָׁר לֹא יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָּהּ כִּי־הָיִיתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאָב וְאֶפְרַיִם בְּכֹרִי הוּא׃ - They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them; I will walk them by streams of water, in a straight path wherein they will not stumble, for I have been a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.
Rashi explains: "They shall come with weeping" - through prayer and teshuvah, this being weeping over their sins. The Radak, by contrast, explains that this is a cry of joy, much like "And Yaakov kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept," and "and he fell upon his neck" - all of which are tears of joy. Indeed, when Jews made aliyah from the Diaspora, people kissed the soil of the Land and wept tears of joy that they had merited to come up to the Land of Israel. "And with supplications (tachanunim) I will lead them" - the Radak explains tachanunim as an expression of compassion and mercy, similar to "beseech God's favor that He may be gracious to us (vichonenu)," meaning that He will have mercy on us: with mercy I will redeem them. "I will walk them by streams of water" - the preposition el here means "by," as in "beside streams of water," and similar to "he drove the Philistine to (el) his forehead," which means upon his forehead. That is, I will guide them gently beside streams of water, in a peaceful and tranquil manner, "in a straight path wherein they will not stumble."
"For I have been a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn" - why does he mention Ephraim specifically? The Radak offers several reasons: First, because they constituted the majority of Israel, as Ephraim represents the ten tribes; since the first monarchy of the northern kingdom was from Ephraim, the ten tribes are frequently referred to collectively by the name Ephraim. Second, because the birthright was given to Yosef, and therefore He calls him "My firstborn," as Ephraim is the son of Yosef. Furthermore, he is as beloved to Me as a firstborn son, for just as a firstborn son is especially dear to his father, so Ephraim is dear to Me, as in the verse, "My firstborn son is Israel." And so Targum Yonatan translates: "Ephraim is beloved before Me."
The Malbim explains: "They shall come with weeping" - they will be like a son weeping before his father, pleading with him to take him back home. According to this, it is not tears of joy, but rather closer to Rashi's explanation that it is a matter of teshuvah - they will weep and plead with Hashem to redeem them, like a son who was cast out of his father's house and begs to be brought back. Accordingly, "supplications" (tachanunim) is also not meant in the sense of compassion as the Radak explained, but in the sense of pleading and supplication. "They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them" - because they plead, they will merit that I will lead them to the Land of Israel, fulfill their request, and walk them by streams of water, as it is written: "For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them by springs of water." And I will make their path straight, as it is written: "And I will make all My mountains into a road" - so that they will not need to cross rivers or traverse impassable terrain; rather, the path before them will be smooth and level. "For I have been a father to Israel" - this is the reason to have mercy on them, and they too will act as a son who honors his father, not as it was until now when they rebelled against Hashem's word, but conducting themselves with the honor due a father. Of this it is said, "and Ephraim is My firstborn."
Ovilem and Olichem - "Carried on the Wings of the Wind"
The Malbim offers a wonderful insight here into the nuances of the words: What is the difference between lehovil (to carry or transport) and leholich (to lead or walk)? One who is movil carries something that cannot walk on its own feet, just as we say today that someone is transported by vehicle; whereas moliche refers to someone who walks on their own feet. Therefore, it first states, "I will transport them" (ovilēm), and only afterwards, "I will lead them" (olichēm), when they are already capable of walking on their own feet. Notice the Malbim's remarkable wording: "And it is used metaphorically for carrying a person, as if carried on the wings of the wind." He describes the redemption as the Jewish people coming here as though carried on the wings of the wind! What is that if not airplanes? The Jewish people arrived here on eagle's wings, in Operation Magic Carpet and other flights. And the Malbim wrote this long before such a reality existed in the world!
"He Who Scattered Israel Will Gather Him" - Sowing for the Sake of Reaping
שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהֹוָה גּוֹיִם וְהַגִּידוּ בָאִיִּים מִמֶּרְחָק וְאִמְרוּ מְזָרֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל יְקַבְּצֶנּוּ וּשְׁמָרוֹ כְּרֹעֶה עֶדְרוֹ׃ - Hear the word of Hashem, O nations, and declare it in distant isles, and say: He Who scattered Israel will gather him, and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.
Why is there a need to hear and declare? The Malbim explains that this is because it is a novel wonder, and when a person hears something extraordinary and new, he immediately publicizes it. We live in an age of publicity, where everything must be immediately broadcast to everyone. And what is this novelty? "He Who scattered Israel will gather him" - the Holy One, blessed be He, Who Himself scattered Israel, will Himself gather them. And just as the scattering was beyond the natural order - since the dispersion spanned the entire globe, and no diaspora compares to the Jewish diaspora - so too the ingathering will occur in a miraculous, supernatural manner.
This also aligns with the words of the Radak: through this, the nations will recognize that it was not by their own might or valor that they exiled us; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, willed it and delivered us into their hands. For observe: when He willed it - He scattered Israel, and when He wills it - He will gather them. Whatever you managed to capture and dominate was not through your own strength, and when He wishes to take us out of your hand, you have no power at all to prevent it, for Hashem Himself will gather us.
The Malbim adds: the scattering itself is also for the ultimate purpose of the gathering, as it is written, "And I will sow her unto Me in the land." When a person sows seed, why does he scatter it? In order to harvest it later. If he wished, he could have kept it stored with him, but everyone understands that one scatters a little in order to gather a great deal. In this way, the dispersion of Israel among the nations is an aspect of sowing, and the sowing is for the sake of reaping: so that through this, Israel will mend their ways, grow spiritually, and ultimately be worthy of redemption.
"And guard him as a shepherd guards his flock" - like a shepherd who guards his own flock, not the flock of others. The Gemara teaches that one who wishes to lose his money should hire workers and not sit with them. A person who wants to squander his wealth hires a laborer, checking in day after day only to see the work progressing at a snail's pace, one furrow here, one shovel of dirt there. If you want the work done properly, sit with them. We all know that when the owner does the work himself, it is prompt, swift, and effective; but when it is left to a hired worker, it drags on sluggishly. Therefore, it says "as a shepherd guards his flock" - a flock that belongs to him, not like a hired hand minding the master's flock, whose sense of responsibility is flimsy and whose commitment is questionable. And just as a shepherd watching his own flock watches over every single sheep, so too, not one of them will go missing.
"Ransomed" and "Redeemed" - Compassion and Kinship
כִּי־פָדָה יְהֹוָה אֶת־יַעֲקֹב וּגְאָלוֹ מִיַּד חָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ׃ - For Hashem has ransomed Yaakov, and redeemed him from the hand of one stronger than he.
Hashem will ransom Yaakov from his troubles, and redeem him by virtue of the closeness He shares with us, even "from the hand of one stronger than he" - though the enemy holding us is stronger than we are, Hashem will redeem us. And "than he" refers to Yaakov, not, Heaven forbid, to the Holy One, blessed be He.
What is the difference between "ransomed" (padah) and "redeemed" (ga'al)? The Malbim explains: ransoming (pediyah) is rescue prompted by mercy - I have compassion on you and ransom you. Redemption (geulah), on the other hand, always stems from kinship and closeness, as in "for he is our kinsman-redeemer" (go'el), and "if the man has a redeemer" - redeemers are always close relatives. And since the Holy One, blessed be He, is our Redeemer - meaning He shares a bond of closeness with us, as "You are children to Hashem your God" - He will therefore fight on our behalf. This explains the precision of the verse: "For Hashem has ransomed Yaakov" - one may ransom even a stranger out of pity; but fight for him? To that one would say: "I am willing to pay money, but to fight? Not that far." However, if I am your relative, I will also fight for you. Therefore, Scripture adds "and redeemed him," because a go'el is a relative, and consequently "from the hand of one stronger than he" - even if a nation is far stronger than us, the Holy One, blessed be He, will fight on our behalf to redeem us from their grasp.
"And They Shall Stream to the Goodness of Hashem" - Spiritual Bounty and Material Abundance
וּבָאוּ וְרִנְּנוּ בִמְרוֹם־צִיּוֹן וְנָהֲרוּ אֶל־טוּב יְהֹוָה עַל־דָּגָן וְעַל־תִּירֹשׁ וְעַל־יִצְהָר וְעַל־בְּנֵי־צֹאן וּבָקָר וְהָיְתָה נַפְשָׁם כְּגַן רָוֶה וְלֹא־יוֹסִיפוּ לְדַאֲבָה עוֹד׃ - And they shall come and sing on the height of Zion, and stream to the goodness of Hashem, for grain, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and herd; and their soul shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more.
Radak cites Targum Yonatan: "'And they shall come and sing on the height of Zion' - on the mountain of the Beis HaMikdash"; they will come and rejoice on the Temple Mount that will be rebuilt in Zion. "And stream (*venaharu*)" - they will run swiftly, as in "and all nations shall flow (*venaharu*) unto it" (Yeshayahu 2:2), while Rashi explains that they will gather like a flowing river (*nahar*). The river itself is likely called such because it rushes swiftly along. "And they shall sorrow no more" - they will no longer experience grief and anxiety, but will be calm and rest peacefully, relying upon Hashem.
Malbim explains: "'And stream to the goodness of Hashem' - this refers to spiritual goodness. It does not speak of something physical and material, but rather of spiritual influence and bounty. Whereas 'for grain, and for wine, and for oil' - this is already the material realm. We find, then, that there are two dimensions here: the redemption encompasses closeness to God - whereas until now an iron partition stood between Israel and their Father in Heaven, at the time of redemption we will experience closeness to God, and this is 'and stream to the goodness of Hashem.' In addition, and perhaps directly corresponding to it - for as in the passage of *Vehayah Im Shamoa*, when one fulfills Hashem's will, then naturally 'I will give the rain of your land in its season' and all the bountiful goodness is assured - Scripture states, 'for grain, and for wine, and for oil,' for all of these will be granted to us in great abundance at the time of redemption.
And because they stream to the goodness of Hashem, which is the spiritual drawing close, through this "their soul shall be like a well-watered garden" - this is the soul's aspect, the spiritual goodness: just like a garden saturated with irrigation, so will our soul be filled with Hashem's goodness. And corresponding to the material bounty - grain, wine, and oil - comes the continuation: "and they shall sorrow no more" - they will no longer suffer poverty and lack, as it is written, "My eye suffers (*da'avah*) from affliction" (Tehillim 88:10), for there is an aspect of sorrow stemming from poverty. There will be no poverty, for there will be grain, wine, oil, and the young of the flock and herd. Thus, both elements will be present in the future redemption: both spiritual abundance and material abundance.
In summary:
The opening of Chapter 31 is the Holy One, Blessed be He's response to the devotion of our youth: just as we followed Him into the wilderness, so He follows us into the "wilderness of the nations" and eases the burden of exile from upon us. At first, "From afar Hashem appeared to me," through hidden miracles and providence cloaked in nature, and afterwards an everlasting love awakens and the redemption is drawn forth in lovingkindness. The prophet promises a third Temple that is an eternal structure, vineyards in the mountains of Shomron and pilgrimage, watchmen who will call, "Arise, and let us go up to Zion," and a miraculous ingathering from the north country and the recesses of the earth, in which even the blind and the lame are redeemed, and the nation returns like a pregnant woman and a woman in childbirth joined together. Yet within all this lies the central lesson: there is the joy of Yaakov, which is the removal of subjugation and recognition among the nations, and there is the plea of Yisrael - "Save, Hashem, Your people" - which is the spiritual salvation, closeness to God, and the restoration of the Shechinah to Zion. The complete redemption encompasses both: "and stream to the goodness of Hashem" in spirituality, and "for grain, and for wine, and for oil" in materiality - "and their soul shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more."