Introduction
In this part of Chazon Ovadya, we reach the heart of the consolation: after the severe rebuke to Edom for standing aloof on the day of his brother's misfortune, the prophet turns to the great day of judgment for all the nations, the downfall of Esav, and the remnant that will remain on Mount Zion leading up to the complete redemption and the war of Gog and Magog. We will follow the order of the verses, accompanied by the explanations of Malbim, Radak, Ibn Ezra, and Rashi, along with the teachings of Chazal, stories, and ethical insights that accompany them.
"For the Day of Hashem Is Near" - Double Retribution
כִּי־קָרוֹב יוֹם־ה' עַל־כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ יֵעָשֶׂה לָּךְ גְּמֻלְךָ יָשׁוּב בְּרֹאשֶׁךָ׃ - For the day of Hashem is near upon all the nations; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your recompense shall return upon your own head.
The day appointed by Hashem to repay the nations for their evil, in the aspect of "Vengeance is Mine and recompense," is near. Then they will receive a double retribution: first, for the deeds themselves - "as you have done, it shall be done to you," and second - "your recompense shall return upon your own head." The Malbim explains in several places that the definition of gemul (recompense) is always an action stemming from an arousal of animosity or jealousy, from harsh feelings toward one who acted against me. Here, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: Just as you acted out of hatred, so I will recompense you in the manner of hatred, as it is written, "I will deal with you according to your anger and according to your jealousy which you have displayed out of your hatred for them." Thus, the retribution far exceeds the deed itself - it is manifold.
How Can It Be Called "Near" After Thousands of Years?
This seems difficult: more than two thousand years have passed since the prophecy of Ovadya, so how can it say "for the day of Hashem is near"? The Radak explains: even though it was distant from the day of the prophecy, it is called near because God spoke it. The difference between near and distant is that when something is near, you see it right before your eyes, whereas when it is distant, how can you know it will come to pass? "One who wishes to lie distances his testimony," for someone who lies always speaks of things that will happen many years later, when it may or may not occur. But with us, although there are long-term prophecies, there are also many prophecies that were fulfilled immediately and prophecies that stand before our eyes to this day: "Babylon will never be rebuilt" - to this day the ruins of Babylon remain, an archaeological site, and no Arab pitches his tent there, as we learned in Yeshayahu. Likewise, the prophecy that the Western Wall will never be destroyed - Jerusalem was destroyed, conquered twelve times, and through all of this the Kotel stands and endures, and archaeologists dig and uncover its foundations.
All this reasoning applies to a mortal human being, whom one might not know whether to trust. But when the Holy One, Blessed be He, says it will be so, what difference does it make whether it is in a year or in three thousand years? It is a guaranteed check. Cash is always more secure, but on a check from the Master of the Universe, even dated net plus three thousand years, one can rely more than on cash from flesh and blood. Therefore, says the Radak, it is called "the day of Hashem is near," because it is the day of Hashem, a promise from Hashem, and therefore it is as though it is near, imminent.
By way of homiletical exposition (derash), one may add: "near" is measured by the scale of a day of the Holy One, Blessed be He. How long is "quickly" to Him? After all, it is written, "and you shall perish quickly," and eight hundred and fifty years passed before Israel was exiled from their land, and Chazal said that "quickly" for the Holy One, Blessed be He, is eight hundred and fifty years. A day for the Holy One, Blessed be He, is a thousand years, whereas our day is twenty-four hours. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, says that within three days He will settle the account with them, that is three thousand years. According to the scale of the day of Hashem, it truly is near. Yet the primary explanation remains that of the Radak: since this is a promise from Hashem, what difference does it make whether it is near or far? It is considered near because it is certain.
"For as You Have Drunk upon My Holy Mountain" - The Cup of Poison
כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁתִיתֶם עַל־הַר קׇדְשִׁי יִשְׁתּוּ כׇל־הַגּוֹיִם תָּמִיד וְשָׁתוּ וְלָעוּ וְהָיוּ כְּלוֹא הָיוּ׃ - For as you have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually, and they shall drink and swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
Several interpretations have been offered for this verse. The Radak, as well as Rashi and Targum Yonatan, explain that the address here is to the descendants of Esav: just as you drank and held banquets of celebration upon My holy mountain when Israel fell on the day of the destruction - raising a cup and toasting "l'chaim" - so you and all the nations will drink the cup of poison. "And swallow down" (vela'u) - in the view of the Ibn Ezra, this is like bal'u ("they swallowed"), omitting the letter beit, from the phrase yala kodesh. The Malbim explains vela'u as related to loa (throat or mouth) - they will chirp, speak, and utter confused sounds. For both, the root relates to the throat, and the only question is whether it refers to swallowing or to speech. "And they shall be as though they had not been" - the Radak explains: they will be reduced to insignificance so that their place will not be recognized, as if they never existed; they will vanish in an instant, and no one will even remember that such nations were ever here.
The Ibn Ezra, followed by the Metzudos, explains that the address here is to the Jewish people: just as you drank the cup of venom on My holy mountain, when they fought against you and struck you, so too will all the nations drink and be punished according to their deeds. Ibn Ezra also cites an explanation in the name of Yefes, which is closer to the approach of Rashi and the Radak but differs in one detail: "For as you drank upon My holy mountain" - just as the nations drank and rejoiced on My holy mountain, so too will the nations drink upon the mountain of Esav. That is, according to Rashi and the Radak, "so shall all the nations drink" refers to drinking the cup of poison, whereas according to Yefes, it means that the nations will drink and raise a toast in joy over the downfall of Edom, just as they drank and raised a toast when we fell - there is always someone ready to rejoice over your downfall.
The Malbim explains this in a completely different direction, based on what is written in Yirmeyahu, where the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the prophet: "Take this cup of wine of wrath... and cause all the nations to drink it." In several places, affliction, wrath, and anger are depicted as wine of wrath and the cup of venom - a cup containing poison, which whoever has been sentenced to punishment must drink to the dregs. And regarding Edom it is said there (Yirmeyahu 49:12): "For thus said Hashem: Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink the cup shall surely drink; and are you someone who will go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for you shall surely drink" - those whose judgment was not to drink, upon whom it was not decreed, drank nonetheless; and you, Edom, who truly deserve it and whose judgment dictates that you drink - you shall not go unpunished, for you shall surely drink. This is the meaning of "For as you drank upon My holy mountain": there you saw that the prophet made them drink the cup of wrath, and likewise all the nations will drink continually - in the future as well, destructions upon destructions will come upon them over days and years, until in the End of Days "they shall drink and swallow down" and stammer, "and they shall be as though they had not been" - their very existence will be completely wiped out.
"And on Mount Zion There Shall Be Deliverance"
וּבְהַר צִיּוֹן תִּהְיֶה פְלֵיטָה וְהָיָה קֹדֶשׁ וְיָרְשׁוּ בֵּית יַעֲקֹב אֵת מוֹרָשֵׁיהֶם׃ - But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and it shall be holy; and the house of Jacob shall possess their inheritances.
The Malbim explains: after the nations that destroyed the Land are consumed and their memory perishes, there will be deliverance on Mount Zion, and the outcasts of Israel will gather there little by little. He himself explained similarly at the end of chapter 65 of Yeshayahu on "Before she travailed, she brought forth," that the gathering to the Land would happen drop by drop. This is truly astonishing, as the Malbim lived long before the major aliyos and the ingathering to the Holy Land, yet this is how he described it. And then "it shall be holy," and then "the house of Jacob shall possess their inheritances."
And what is this inheritance? Rashi cites, based on Targum Yonasan: "The possessions of the nations that were possessing them" - Israel will inherit the possessions of the nations; what the nations took from us and inherited from us, we will take back from them. So too the Radak: they will inherit their neighbors, the land of Edom, Moav, and the land of the Philistines. The Malbim explains differently: "their inheritances" refers to the inheritance rightfully belonging to them, the Land of Israel that was given to them as an inheritance, and Israel will inherit that which is rightfully theirs. The Malbim adds a distinction: what is the difference between yerushah (inheritance) and morashah (heritage)? An inheritance (yerushah) is something you might inherit, but you do not necessarily bequeath it onward; a heritage (morashah) is something you inherit that rightfully passes from you to your children after you.
When Was the Prophecy Stated? Three Explanations in Ibn Ezra
Ibn Ezra cites three opinions. Yefes says that this entire prophecy refers to the future era, which is also the approach of the Malbim - that the Jewish people will arrive here and possess their inheritances. Rabbi Moshe says that it refers to the days of Chizkiyahu during the siege of Sancheriv: Jerusalem was saved, all of Sancheriv's soldiers died around the city, and he and his sons returned alone to their land. Thus, "on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and it shall be holy," and also "the house of Jacob shall possess their inheritances" - for the Assyrians abandoned everything they had brought with them and fled alone, and all the silver and gold they had brought from their war in Egypt fell into our hands. And Rabbi Yehoshua says that this refers to the Second Temple era, apparently referring to the period of Greece and the Chashmonaim, when the Jewish people escaped and were saved from the hands of their enemies.
The Western Wall - The Deliverance on Mount Zion
In the sefer Yalkut Chamishi, a wonderful explanation of the verse is cited in the name of the Birkas Chaim. It is well known that after the destruction of the First and Second Temples, a remnant of our Beis HaMikdash remained - not the Temple itself, but a remnant of the surrounding wall: the Western Wall, "Behold, he stands behind our wall." The Holy One, blessed be He, swore that it would never be destroyed. King David built it during his lifetime as the foundation for the Beis HaMikdash, and the work of the righteous endures forever - which is why it was never destroyed. And for this very reason, David did not build the rest of the Beis HaMikdash, as explained previously: had David built it, it could never have been destroyed, and when Israel sinned, it would not have been possible to pour out divine wrath upon the wood and stones; it would have had to be poured out, Heaven forbid, upon the Jewish people, and they would have perished. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent the prophet to prevent him from completing the construction.
This Wall is our hope and consolation throughout the long exile. When we fear that perhaps all is lost and the Beis HaMikdash will never be rebuilt, the Wall - upon which the Shechinah rests - comes and tells us: the ember still glows; from here the flame will burst forth anew to build the Temple. This is the meaning of "And on Mount Zion" - the place of the Temple, Mount Moriah - "there shall be deliverance": what escaped from the Beis HaMikdash? The Western Wall, which remained for us as a remnant and a survivor, never destroyed. "And it shall be holy" - the Western Wall is holy, for the Shechinah rests upon it and has never departed from it. And this will be the sign that "the house of Jacob shall possess their inheritances": though others currently possess the site, the Waqf and all those who come to possess it, the Western Wall is a sign to us that we are destined to inherit these places once again.
The Chafetz Chaim and the Prophecy of "On Mount Zion There Shall Be Deliverance"
It is told of the Chofetz Chaim that when Hitler, may his name and memory be blotted out, rose to power in 5693 (1933) and declared that one of his objectives was to destroy the Jewish people, Heaven spare us, the Torah leaders spoke of Germany being Amalek and cautioned that great heed must be paid to them, for when they speak, their threats are backed by action. And this is what Chazal expound on the verse, "Do not grant his evil desire" - that Hashem should not bring to fruition the plot of Esau, referring to Germamya of Edom, for if they were to go forth, they would destroy the entire world, as we have unfortunately witnessed and seen firsthand.
Rav Kahaneman, who was a disciple of the Chofetz Chaim, approached him and asked: Rebbe, what will be? Such threats, the winds of war. The Chofetz Chaim, who passed away before the terrible Holocaust, replied to him: He will not succeed. Throughout the generations, many oppressors have risen against us and tried to destroy us, and they never succeeded, as it is written, "Then the remaining camp shall escape." Rav Kahaneman was frightened by this answer, because he understood that this verse was stated in the context of "If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it" - the Chofetz Chaim was telling him that he will indeed come and strike, yet one camp will remain as a remnant that escapes.
It is related that on another occasion, when they asked the Chofetz Chaim about this, he began to speak and suddenly burst into tears, saying: Master of the Universe, do what is in Your heart to do - meaning, I do not interfere with a divine decree - but spare and have mercy on Your people Israel! They already realized then that the Chofetz Chaim foresaw what was to come, though no one imagined the extent of it. It has already been related elsewhere, from the book Mishnat HaChalomot, that in the years before his passing he would wake up in the morning and observe a fast over a disturbing dream (ta'anit chalom). They asked him: Why the fast? He told them: I dreamed that I heard a tremendous noise, a fire spreading, burning and consuming forests, homes, and everything, and then I heard a booming voice shouting: Plead for mercy, immense heavenly mercy is needed! They said to him: But the Rav is ill and can barely manage, how can he fast? He told them: What are you talking about? If only we could succeed in saving something, if only through these fasts we could accomplish something! The Chofetz Chaim sensed and knew that an awful, terrifying catastrophe was brewing.
Rav Kahaneman asked him: If the Rav says, "Then the remaining camp shall escape," where will this be fulfilled for us? It is told that the Chofetz Chaim paused in thought for a moment, closed his eyes, and said to him: That, too, is explicit in the haftarah of Parashat Vayishlach - the verse we have just read: "And upon Mount Zion there shall be refuge, and it shall be holy," "and the house of Jacob shall be fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them and consume them, and no remnant shall remain of the house of Esau."
And as is well known, the downfall of the Nazi oppressor occurred at the approaches to Eretz Yisrael. Rommel's divisions reached as far as Alexandria in Egypt, and there they met their defeat. His plan had been to advance in a pincer movement and seize Eretz Yisrael from both sides. The leaders of the Yishuv already had plans to ascend Mount Carmel and commit collective suicide if Hitler's forces reached the land, like the act of Masada. As noted before, the act of Masada is not a Jewish act, and therefore has no mention in our authentic sources, for suicide is never an option; yet that was their plan: to die a heroic death rather than surrender. Incidentally, this also answers those who ask: If there was salvation here, why did everyone not come here? That is hindsight. Anyone familiar with the situation knows that existence here hung by a thread, and on the contrary, the more Jews gathered here, the less effort Hitler would have had to invest elsewhere, for if the Jews were already gathered in one place, he could come here and annihilate everyone, Heaven forbid.
It is told that following the words of the Chofetz Chaim, at the closing session of the Third Knessiah Gedolah of Agudath Israel in Marienbad in 5697 (1937), four years later, Rav Kahaneman delivered a speech - and he was famously a master orator - and cried out: We are like people standing outside a house engulfed in flames with someone asleep inside, and we begin to debate how to wake him, maybe this way or maybe that way. What is there to debate? He must be awakened in the most forceful manner so that he escapes! You begin debating how to put out the fire and which evacuation routes to take - this is no time for discussion, go over and scream at him to get up! This is our situation: we are in a fire that is about to consume everything. And indeed, if that was in 5697 (1937) and the war erupted in 5700 (1939-1940), not long afterward the conflagration was raging at full force.
Rav Kahaneman subsequently moved to Eretz Yisrael and established the Ponevezh Yeshiva here, and alongside it he built a large hall on Ravad Street, inscribed in large letters: "And upon Mount Zion there shall be refuge." He inscribed this based on the words of the Chofetz Chaim, and anyone who passes by there today can see it. And this was the remnant that the Holy One, blessed be He, spared for us here in Eretz Yisrael.
"And the House of Jacob Shall Be Fire" - Fire, Flame, and Stubble
וְהָיָה בֵית־יַעֲקֹב אֵשׁ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף לֶהָבָה וּבֵית עֵשָׂו לְקַשׁ וְדָלְקוּ בָהֶם וַאֲכָלוּם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה שָׂרִיד לְבֵית עֵשָׂו כִּי ה' דִּבֵּר׃ - "And the house of Jacob shall be fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them and consume them, and no remnant shall remain of the house of Esau, for Hashem has spoken."
The Malbim explains: At that time the War of Gog and Magog will take place. "The house of Jacob shall be fire" - fire burns from up close; "and the house of Joseph a flame" - a flame blazes from afar. And the intent of "the house of Joseph a flame" refers to Mashiach ben Yosef who will act valiantly, or because the Ten Tribes will not yet all be here, thus acting from afar. "And the house of Esau for stubble" - stubble merely smells fire and already burns, and furthermore, when one piece of straw begins to burn, it catches all the others with it. With this, the prophet hinted at what the Malbim also explained in the chapters concerning the War of Gog and Magog: that there will be each man's sword against his brother, one straw burning another straw. That is why he specifically gave this analogy of stubble - that they will kill and destroy one another, "and no remnant shall remain of the house of Esau," nothing of them will be left, "for Hashem has spoken."
Why Joseph in Particular?
Chazal ask: Why did he mention Joseph here? Because the descendants of Esau fall only by the hand of Joseph or by the hand of Joseph's descendants. For this reason it says, "and the house of Joseph a flame," for ultimately Esau will fall by his hand. Thus we saw that Joseph shielded his mother Rachel at the time of the encounter with Esau - Joseph is the one who will ultimately vanquish Esau. And what is hinted at here by the descendants of Joseph is Mashiach ben Yosef.
Let us expand on this slightly. What is the difference between Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David? It is similar to the first redemption during the building of the Second Temple, when two leaders arose - Ezra and Nechemiah. Why were both necessary? One oversaw the political, national redemption, and the other oversaw the spiritual redemption. Nechemiah accomplished the political redemption: he rebuilt Jerusalem, reconstructed its walls, fought against enemies - "holding spears while half the people did the work" - and saw to everything required on a physical level. Ezra the Kohen was a righteous man and a towering Torah scholar, to the point that our Sages taught that the Torah was worthy of being given through him, and he served as the spiritual leader who redeemed the people spiritually. So too in the ultimate future: Mashiach ben Yosef represents the material redemption; he will fight our wars, and following him will come the redemption ushered in by Mashiach ben David - the spiritual redemption.
Concerning Mashiach ben Yosef, we pray that he should not perish, as the Ari z"l instructed his disciples, out of concern that Mashiach ben Yosef might be slain by the wicked Armilus. This is the intention one holds during the blessing Boneh Yerushalayim in the Shemoneh Esreh, since Mashiach ben Yosef is the one who fights the battles. There are two potential scenarios: one where, Heaven forbid, he falls, and the second - which we pray will come to pass - where he survives, and for this we must pray. Some explain that the holy Ari himself was in the category of Mashiach ben Yosef, sensing that there was potential for redemption in his generation and a risk that it might not unfold; therefore, he urged his students to pray that Mashiach ben Yosef would not die. As is known, this did not come to pass, and the holy Ari was gathered before his time at the age of thirty-eight, and we did not merit redemption through him at that time. Yet in every generation we yearn for the redemption, whenever it may arrive.
"For Hashem has spoken" - where did He speak of this? In Bamidbar 24:18-19: "And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel triumphs... and out of Yaakov shall one come who will rule, and destroy the remnant of the city." It is stated explicitly there, "And Edom shall be a possession," matching what is stated here, that the House of Yaakov will take possession of those who dispossessed them and are destined to inherit them. And "destroy the remnant of the city" means that the children of Yaakov will eliminate the remnant of Esav from the city, which is precisely "and there shall not be any survivor of the house of Esav," just as He spoke in that prophecy uttered by Bilam.
וְיָרְשׁוּ הַנֶּגֶב אֶת־הַר עֵשָׂו וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְיָרְשׁוּ אֶת־שְׂדֵה אֶפְרַיִם וְאֵת שְׂדֵה שֹׁמְרוֹן וּבִנְיָמִן אֶת־הַגִּלְעָד׃ - And they of the south shall inherit the mountain of Esav, and they of the lowland the Philistines, and they shall inherit the field of Ephraim and the field of Shomron, and Binyamin shall inherit Gilead.
The Malbim explains that this verse speaks of the future expansion of the borders of Eretz Yisrael. He elaborates on this subject in his commentary to Yechezkel 47, noting that Eretz Yisrael is destined to expand in every direction - except toward the west, where expansion cannot occur unless the sea dries up, since the Mediterranean lies there. On the southern side - "And they of the south shall inherit the mountain of Esav": the mountain of Esav was situated south of Eretz Yisrael, toward the Dead Sea, and the Land of Israel will expand southward, just as Yechezkel 47 describes the lands of Edom, Ammon, and Moav being incorporated within the borders of Eretz Yisrael.
"And they of the lowland the Philistines" - the Shephelah is the low-lying coastal plain, which is the land of the Philistines: Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Gaza. We are already settled in Ashdod and Ashkelon, though not yet in Gaza - not that anyone is mourning that absence at present, but we are not there yet. "And they shall inherit the field of Ephraim" - the Malbim explains that this refers to the eastern side, where the border will expand beyond the Jordan and further out, not halting at the Jordan River but crossing over to its eastern bank, in the expanse between the Dead Sea and the Kinneret through which the Jordan flows. In terms of location, the tribal portion of Ephraim lies in a direct line opposite Jaffa, in the region beyond the Green Line along Route 5 leading to Ariel, where the community of Etz Ephraim stands today. Why is it termed the "field of Ephraim"? Because a "field" always denotes the area outside the settled town, teaching that they will inherit even the outlying areas across the Jordan. In Shomron as well, the Malbim notes, the Forest of Ephraim extended to the eastern side of the Jordan, and this territory, considered the field of Ephraim, will also be inherited. "And Binyamin shall inherit Gilead" - their tribal territory will expand eastward across the Jordan, and Gilead too will fall into their portion, to the north of present-day Jerusalem.
וְגָלֻת הַחֵל־הַזֶּה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־כְּנַעֲנִים עַד־צָרְפַת וְגָלֻת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם אֲשֶׁר בִּסְפָרַד יִרְשׁוּ אֵת עָרֵי הַנֶּגֶב׃ - And the exile of this host of the children of Israel, who are among the Canaanites as far as Tzarfat, and the exile of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall inherit the cities of the south.
Several interpretations have been offered for the word hachel (הַחֵל). Rashi explains "this host" as referring to this people, from the root chayil (an army or multitude), as in the verse, "and he came to Jerusalem with a great host" (chayil kaved) - except that chayil is sometimes spelled with a yud and sometimes without one, and here it appears without a yud. Rashi also cites an alternate reading, "the exile of this valley" (hagai), though it is not entirely clear what is intended by this, what source it relies upon, or who "the valley" refers to, as commentators do not appear to clarify the point. A third interpretation: Ibn Ezra, in the name of Rabbi Moshe, and likewise adopted by the Malbim, derives hachel from hatchalah (beginning) - referring to the exile that the people first began to undergo.
A fourth explanation is cited by Ibn Ezra in the name of Rabbi Marinus: that chel is used here as in the verse, "and He made rampart and wall to mourn." What are rampart and wall (chel vechomah)? The Gemara explains that they are "a wall and an outer wall" - a large primary wall and an outer, lower fortification known as a bar shura. Why is a wall called a shura? Because watchmen would stand atop it to look out into the distance, from the term for gazing - as in "look (shuru) and see," or "look (tashuri) from the peak of Amana." The chel is that lower outer wall, or according to some, the area immediately adjacent to the wall or between the two ramparts, much like the area on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem called the chel. According to this, Rabbi Marinus explains: the city, meaning Jerusalem, was captured, and those within it were slain; the only ones who escaped were the few who had taken refuge within the rampart. The prophet therefore refers to them as "the exile of the rampart" - those who held out at the rampart and went into exile.
Almost all the commentators - and one says "almost" because the Malbim takes a different line - explain that "Tzarfat" is Francia, the France we know today, and "Sefarad" is Hispania, the Spain we know today. Ibn Ezra explains that this refers to the exile of Titus, who exiled them to these places, for in the first exile they were exiled only to Babylonia, whereas in the second exile they were already scattered to these lands. And who are the "Canaanites"? Ibn Ezra writes: We have heard from great sages that the land of Alamania consists of Canaanites who fled from before the Children of Israel when they entered the Land. Some say that Alamania is Germany, while others wrote that it refers to a specific district in Italy where Germans settled, and they are the Canaanites.
This is a very fascinating observation: according to this, the Germans also carry Canaanite blood, in addition to what is well known that they are descendants of Amalek - something documented as far back as Talmudic times. This offers an additional explanation for their deep-seated, simmering hatred toward the Jewish people, for the People of Israel arrived in the land of Canaan and the Canaanites fled before them. It is no wonder that Hitler planned to reach here and conquer the land of Canaan; evidently, though he did not perceive it consciously, his spiritual source sensed it (eihu lo chazi, mazlei chazi) - an ancient vengeance and an ancient hatred over the fact that the People of Israel expelled them from their land.
The Malbim explains differently. Notice that until now, the prophet covered every direction: Ashkelon and the Shephelah to the west, Mount Esav and Moav to the south, the field of Ephraim and Gilead to the east - yet the northern side, Lebanon, has not yet been addressed. The Malbim explains that this verse speaks of the northern side: the children of Dan are destined to inherit Tyre and Sidon. And who is "hacheil"? From the word for beginning (hatchalah) - those with whom the exile began, as the tribe of Dan was exiled first, before all the other tribes. And where was their tribal territory? The tribe of Dan was divided between two regions: the area known today as Gush Dan, and toward the northern border, Tel Dan and the Dan Nature Reserve - areas associated with the name Dan. Consequently, those settled there will expand northward, toward Tyre and Sidon. And what is "until Tzarfat"? The Tzarfat mentioned here is the place known to us from the woman of Tzarfat to whom Eliyahu was sent - "Arise, go to Tzarfat"; Eliyahu did not flee to France, but northward toward Lebanon, and in Lebanon there are Tyre, Sidon, and Tzarfat (Zarephath), the name of a city. The Malbim seems to be the only commentator who explains "until Tzarfat" not as France, but as the city of Tzarfat in modern-day Lebanon, in the region of Tyre and Sidon. With this, all borders of the Land of Israel from every direction have been covered, detailing how it will steadily expand on every side.
"And the exile of Jerusalem that is in Sefarad shall possess the cities of the Negev" - the exile of Jerusalem refers to the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin, who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the cities of the Negev were their portion. They were exiled from Jerusalem and later settled in Sefarad, and they are destined to return and possess these places.
"And Saviors Shall Ascend Mount Zion"
וְעָלוּ מוֹשִׁעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת־הַר עֵשָׂו וְהָיְתָה לַה' הַמְּלוּכָה׃ - And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esav, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.
Who are these saviors? Rashi explains: the leaders of Israel, who will bring salvation to the Jewish people. "To judge the mountain of Esav" - to exact retribution from the mountain of Esav for everything it did to Israel; and "the mountain of Esav" refers to "the great metropolis of Esav." And why does it say, "and the kingdom shall be the Lord's"? Because from Esav came Amalek, and the Divine Name is not complete until Amalek is eradicated, as it is written, "For there is a hand upon the throne of the Lord (Yah)." At present, His sovereignty is not complete until retribution is exacted from Amalek; only then will the kingship be complete with the full Divine Name.
Radak explains that "and saviors shall ascend" does not refer to the officers of Israel, but to King Mashiach and his companions - "the seven shepherds and eight princes of mankind" - and they will ascend to judge the mountain of Esav for everything done to the Jewish people. The Malbim explains that this refers to the War of Gog and Magog. This aligns remarkably well with his overall approach, as the Malbim explains in several places and proves from the verses that Israel will first return to their land, and only afterward will the war take place. The sequence is not that we arrive here and fight immediately; rather, we will come and settle first - "a land recovered from the sword," "a tranquil land" - meaning that the land will be at peace, and only then will the war erupt. First there will be an ingathering of the people to the Land for a period of time, and afterward the war. This fits precisely with the order presented in the text: after describing "the exile of this host" and "the exile of Jerusalem" - that is, after the exiles are gathered here - the War of Gog and Magog will erupt in this place. Then the two Mashiachs will be revealed, Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David, along with the seven shepherds who will save the Jewish people, and they will ascend to judge the mountain of Esav, "and the kingdom shall be the Lord's" - all will accept upon themselves the yoke of the Creator's sovereignty and the leadership of King Mashiach.
The Final Meeting of Yaakov and Esav
In truth, Yaakov Avinu already alluded to this matter. When he reconciled with Esav, Esav said to him: "Let us journey on and go, and I will go alongside you," to which Yaakov replied: "My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds nursing are a burden upon me; if they overdrive them a single day, all the flocks will die." Yaakov was telling him: the time will yet come when we meet again. And when will that be? Rashi notes: "And saviors shall ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esav." In other words, we have another encounter at the end of history - or in modern parlance: we will see each other in court. That encounter will be profoundly unpleasant for Esav, for at that time Esav will be judged for all the massacres, all the murders, the autos-da-fe, the persecutions, the terrible Holocaust, and the harsh decrees throughout all the centuries. And then, "the kingdom shall be the Lord's," and as the Malbim concludes: all will accept the yoke of Heaven's sovereignty, speedily in our days, Amen and Amen.
In Summary:
The conclusion of Ovadya's vision unfolds as a complete progression: the imminent Day of the Lord, on which the nations will pay a double reckoning - "as you have done, it shall be done to you," and furthermore, "your recompense shall return upon your own head," measure for measure for their hatred. And it is "near" because God's promise is as certain as ready cash, and also relative to the measure of God's day, which is a thousand years. The cup of wrath that the nations forced Israel to drink will return to them until they are as though they never were, while on Mount Zion a remnant will survive - in the Western Wall that was never destroyed, in the comfort of "then the remaining camp will escape" as perceived by the Chafetz Chaim, and in the gradual, drop-by-drop ingathering of the exiles. Afterward, the House of Yaakov will be a fire, the House of Yosef a flame, and the House of Esav stubble; the borders of the Land will expand in every direction; the saviors - Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David - will ascend to judge the mountain of Esav, and then the kingship will be completely the Lord's before the eyes of all, speedily in our days.