Now, "Ro'u amim vachotu, veha'azinu kol merchakei aretz, hit'azru vachotu, hit'azru vachotu." After this introduction, he now turns to the conspirators. Notice, there seems to be a contradiction here. On one hand, what have we been discussing until now? There is nothing to fear, Yehudah, Immanuel, the Holy One blessed be He will be with you, and as for Retzin and the son of Remalyahu, Hashem will punish them, "maher shalal chash baz," the Holy One blessed be He will plunder them. And now suddenly he switches to speak about us, about Yehudah, and says what trouble will come upon them, how the king of Ashur will come like an overflowing river. The Malbim says: no, he is now turning to speak to the conspirators. Those who conspired against Chizkiyahu, Shevna and his faction. Those who went to form an alliance with the king of Ashur, with Sancheriv, and came and said to him: we are with you, do not be concerned, Chizkiyahu will fall. Those who went to speak over the wall in Yehudit with the people in order to try to create an internal rebellion so that they would rebel against Chizkiyahu. Now he turns to the conspirators and says to them, "ro'u vachotu." The meaning is: join yourselves to the nations, "vachotu," make a covenant with them in order to rebel against your masters. But "vachotu." What does "chotu" mean? From the expression "asui lelo chat." What is "chat"? Broken. Broken. "Asui lelo chat" means unbreakable. "Vachotu" means broken. Because "mi nichat hu," "nichat" means broken. "Ro'u amim vachotu, veha'azinu kol merchakei aretz." Join, ally yourselves with the nations, let Sancheriv and his army be your friend, but know: "vachotu." "Veha'azinu," that is, all the distant ends of the earth, they will listen to what I am saying now. "Hit'azru vachotu." "Hit'azru" means from the expression of girding a belt around one's loins, to strengthen oneself, in order to rebel against Chizkiyahu. But know: "vachotu," we are not impressed by this, you will be broken. "Hit'azru," again, come and gird yourselves and take for yourselves a belt around your loins, as it were, to strengthen your power, and again "vachotu." This too will not help you, in the end even the second time you will be broken.
"Utzu etzah vetufar, dabru davar velo yakum, ki imanu El." "Utzu etzah," you may sit and take whatever counsel you wish in order to make and carry out this conspiracy against Chizkiyahu, but "vetufar," your counsel will be annulled. "Dabru davar," you may have discussions and agreements among yourselves, "velo yakum, ki imanu El." For Hashem is with us. And who is "imanu El"? As we explained, this is the name of the child that came to symbolize the nation, that the nation is in the aspect of Immanuel.
The Malbim explains: what is the difference between "utzu etzah" and "dabru davar"? The Malbim says that counsel (etzah) is the thought process of selecting and examining the best means by which to reach a goal. For example, if we want to conquer some nation, we take counsel about the most correct way to do this. That is called taking counsel. So one suggests the way of an internal coup, another suggests no, to attack them with an army, a third suggests a Trojan horse, each one offers a proposal. That is the proposal of how, what to do. And after we have decided, for example, we decided on war, then this is called counsel (etzah). "Davar," "dabru davar," now to carry it out. How do I implement the counsel? That is called "dabru davar." "Dabru davar" means: after we agreed on what to do, which comes in "utzu etzah," we speak about how to carry it out. We give orders to the general staff, we give orders to the army, we give orders to the various companies, that is called "dabru davar."
Now, the "davar" can come before the counsel and the "davar" can come after the counsel. For example, if I decide in advance to go to war, did I take counsel about it? No, I decided in advance, it is clear to me, that is called "dabru davar." And afterward I say, fine, but how shall we fight? Whom shall we send? Shall we send the air force? Shall we send infantry? Which intelligence unit? How shall we fight? In what manner shall we fight? Now that is counsel. So in this case we had "dabru davar" first, first the "davar," what is the "davar"? We decided, we are fighting. How do we do it? Let us take counsel. Whom do we send first? And sometimes it can be the reverse. Sometimes the speaking is after the counsel. For example, if now, as we said in advance, we are weighing whether to fight or not to fight, we are weighing in what manner to fight, and afterward we speak a word, yes, we now decide to fight, but we already have a plan. We took counsel, to carry it out. It must be carried out, orders given to the general staff. So that is "dabru davar" that comes after the counsel. So I repeat again, sometimes the speaking, we have a decision made in advance, and we take counsel in what manner to carry it out, and sometimes the reverse, we take counsel about what to do, and after we have taken counsel we speak a word in order to carry the matter out.
And here it is in this manner. "Utzu etzah," you may take counsel how to carry out this conspiracy, "vetufar." "Dabru davar," meaning, you may already decide how to carry it out, but "lo yakum." What you wish to carry out will not stand. Counsel is only in thought, as we explained, therefore it will be "tufar," I will annul your counsel. And "dabru davar," after you have already decided what you took counsel about, you want to carry out, you want it to stand, I tell you "velo yakum." Why? "Ki imanu El," because Hashem is with us.
"Ki koh amar Hashem elai kechezkat hayad." In the Mikra'ot Gedolot, there are places where it is written "kechezkat hayad" and places where it is written "bechezkat hayad." In the Mikra'ot Gedolot I saw that it appears as "bechezkat hayad," on the other hand I saw other places where it is written "kechezkat hayad." Either way. "Elai kechezkat hayad, veyisreni milechet bederech ha'am hazeh lemor." "Ki koh amar Hashem elai kechezkat hayad," thus Hashem spoke with me when it grew strong upon me, when the hand of prophecy became strong upon me. And then Hashem, as it were, chastises me and gives me moral rebuke, "milechet bederech ha'am hazeh lemor." The meaning is: from going with the conspirators, do not join with the conspirators against the king. Rashi explains that "bechezkat hayad" means: just as the prophecy grew strong upon me, as it is written by Yechezkel, "veyad Hashem alai chazakah," which comes to symbolize prophecy, for prophecy would arrive with enormous force. Prophecy would come upon the prophet, we discussed that sometimes the prophet would collapse from the weight of the prophecy. Shaul began to strip off the heavy royal garments that were upon him from the great weight of prophecy. So this is called "kechezkat hayad," with strength of hand. "Veyisreni milechet," that I should not be in the counsel of Shevna the scribe and his faction, who came to rebel against Chizkiyahu.
"Lo tomrun kesher lechol asher yomar ha'am hazeh kesher, ve'et mora'o lo tir'u velo ta'aritzu." That is, whatever this people calls a conspiracy, "lo tomrun kesher." What the people have decided is a conspiracy, meaning an enduring conspiracy, do not say it is a conspiracy, it is not an enduring conspiracy and there will be nothing to it. And also you have nothing to fear from this conspiracy. "Ve'et mora'o lo tir'u," do not be concerned and do not fear this conspiracy, for this conspiracy will not be able to do evil, to harm you. And also "velo ta'aritzu." Do not think that this conspiracy is something strong and mighty, something that has power in it. Rather it is a weak conspiracy, a conspiracy that lacks force.
The Malbim explains: sometimes there is a situation where there is a weak thing that people fear because it is capable of causing harm. And sometimes there is a strong thing that people do not fear because it is harmless. That is to say, do not mistakenly think that one necessarily does not fear the weak and does fear the strong. Sometimes one does not fear the strong because it does not cause harm, and one does fear the weak because it does cause harm. Let me give you an example. A person, for example, sees an elephant, so naturally he is not seized by any terrible fear. An elephant, there is no reason for it to suddenly start harming you. On the other hand, he might pass by a little snake the size of a finger, but he is in terrible fear. What, you did not fear the elephant, but you fear this tiny thing? You know, they say all of America is afraid of a cockroach. How? America is afraid of the president. The president is afraid of his wife. His wife is afraid of a cockroach. So what is America afraid of? A cockroach. You understand, all of America is afraid of a cockroach. So that is to say, sometimes a small thing, a little mosquito, a little scorpion, that is already in the category of danger. And therefore the Malbim says there are two things here. One thing, he comes and tells you, do not be concerned, "et mora'o lo tir'u." Do not be concerned about it, that you should not have fear of them. "Lo tir'u," "velo ta'aritzu." And "velo ta'aritzu" means: do not be concerned about it that perhaps it is mighty. He tells you no, there is no aspect of might in it, strong and weak. So it is not strong, it is also weak, first, and it is not a frightening weak thing, it is a weak thing that is not frightening. That is to say, it is both a little snake and also does not harm. So you have nothing to be concerned about. It is not terrible in size and also not frightening in terms of the fear and dread it casts.
"Et Hashem Tzeva'ot oto takdishu, vehu mora'achem vehu ma'aritzchem." "Et Hashem Tzeva'ot oto takdishu," how does one sanctify Hashem? By listening to His commandments. "Vehu," He will be the cause of your dread. The meaning is: through Him they will fear you. When you go with Hashem, the nation that comes to fight against you will fear you. And they will see that the name of Hashem is called upon you and they will fear you, through your sanctifying Him. So "vehu mora'achem," through Him they will fear you. And the fear will not be merely an imaginary fear, that is, that they are afraid at a time when we have no real power. He says no, "vehu ma'aritzchem." "Ma'aritzchem" from the expression of might and strength, meaning He will truly give you might and power. It is not that they will merely think that perhaps you are strong and there will merely be some reason on account of which they will fear. No, they will fear you because you will truly have real power, for Hashem whom you will sanctify is also your might, He also strengthens you in actuality.
"Vehayah lemikdash ule'even negef uletzur michshol lishnei batei Yisrael, lefach ulemokesh leyoshev Yerushalayim." This verse is somewhat complex, and we will try to simplify it. "Vehayah lemikdash," just as you will sanctify Him, so too Hashem will be a sanctuary and stronghold, meaning He will be for you a help and protection from all trouble and distress. But this very thing will be to the conspirators against you "le'even negef," a stumbling stone. Those who go to oppose you will stumble on this, on that in which you trust, on what for you will be divine assistance, for them it will be a stumbling stone. And now he explains. The Malbim says: there were two groups. One could actually divide them into three, but in a more general division it is divided into two. There were Efrayim and the ten tribes, they were with Pekach son of Remalyahu, that is, they are among those coming against Yehudah. One group. The group that includes this group is the house of Yehudah that dwelt outside Yerushalayim. There were the ten tribes, there was the tribe of Yehudah, and it itself was divided into those inside the walls and those outside the walls. Those outside the walls were also conquered by Pekach son of Remalyahu in his first war, and they too were together with Pekach son of Remalyahu against the kingdom of the house of David. So if so, both are considered one group. That is first, the ten tribes and Pekach son of Remalyahu who ruled over them, and the men of Yehudah outside Yerushalayim, who had also already been conquered by him and are like partners with him against the kingdom of Yerushalayim, the house of Yehudah inside the walls.
Second, there was another group that was inside the walls. And it conspired against Chizkiyahu, which is what we saw, Shevna the scribe and so on, all those who came from within the people of Yisrael, from those who were inside Yerushalayim, and sent letters to Sancheriv king of Ashur and told him: Chizkiyahu and his faction did not make peace, Shevna and his faction did make peace, we are ready to accept you, it is only Chizkiyahu here who is not interested in you. That is to say, a fifth column that was from among them. So broadly we have two groups. The ten tribes and the tribe of Yehudah outside the walls, and another group of the tribe of Yehudah inside the walls, who were also opposed to Chizkiyahu.
Corresponding to this he comes and says "lishnei batei Yisrael," a sanctuary and a stumbling stone and a rock of obstacle to the two houses of Yisrael. The two houses of Yisrael that founded the conspiracy, this conspiracy will be to them a stumbling stone. Who are the two houses of Yisrael? The two houses of Yisrael are Efrayim, that is the ten tribes, plus Yehudah outside the walls. These are the two houses of Yisrael. He tells you: the conspiracy that they conspired against Chizkiyahu will be to them a stumbling stone. Why? With whom did you go to conspire? You went to conspire with the king of Aram, you went to conspire with the kings outside of you, and the king of Ashur will conquer you first. And so it indeed was. That is to say, the conspiracy that you conspired with outside kings caused an outside king to come and provoke you and conquer you. That is to say, the king of Ashur went out against them, exiled them. These are the two houses of Yisrael. On the other hand, there is also "yoshev Yerushalayim" at the end of the verse. Who is "yoshev Yerushalayim"? These are the conspirators from within Yerushalayim, Shevna and his faction. And he says to them too it will be "lefach ulemokesh," a trap and a snare. The conspiracy that they conspired will be to them a trap and a snare.
What is the difference between a trap (pach) and a snare (mokesh), what is the difference between a stumbling stone and a rock of obstacle? So first we understood about whom he is speaking. Who are the two houses of Yisrael, we understood who the dwellers of Yerushalayim who conspire are. Now we want to understand what he prophesies about them. To these, the two houses of Yisrael, he says there will be a stumbling stone and a rock of obstacle, whereas to the dweller of Yerushalayim, Shevna and his faction who rebel from within, this conspiracy will be to them a trap and a snare. What is the meaning of these things? The Malbim explains that there is a difference between a stumbling stone and a rock of obstacle. Stone (even) and rock (tzur) are two things. "Even" is a stone, "tzur" is a type of hard rock. Now, a stumbling stone, the one who stumbles stumbles on it itself. You walk, you strike a stone, you receive a blow from the stone. That is called a stumbling stone. But the obstacle is only a cause to fail in something else. Even today we use this expression, you are causing him an obstacle. What does it mean you cause him to stumble? You teach him some instruction, tell him some law, and this causes him to fail. "Lifnei iver lo titen michshol," the meaning is something that causes him to fail in something else. So it is not necessarily that what I did necessarily harms you, but it causes you to be struck and harmed by something else. That is called an obstacle. "Negef," on the other hand, is from the expression of striking. "Pen tigof ba'even raglecha." You walk and receive a blow from a stone. That is called "negef." "No person nogef his finger below unless it is decreed upon him from above." "Nokef etzba'o," not as people think, moving a finger. No. "Nokef etzba'o" is like "nogef etzba'o." No person strikes his finger below, receives a blow, a drop of blood coming down, unless it is decreed upon him from above. That is from the expression "negef." A stumbling stone is a stone that one stumbles on itself. The obstacle, in contrast, causes a complete fall, but I am not harmed by the obstacle, as we explained, rather the obstacle causes me to be harmed by something else. For example, he tripped me up, I fell on my face, I was harmed by the ground. So it turns out, then, what harmed me? The ground. But what caused it to me? The obstacle. The obstacle is the cause. In contrast, with a stumbling stone, the stone itself is the stone on which I stumble. It is the stone from which I receive the blow.
So too the trap and the snare, the Malbim says, there is also a difference between them. The trap is what catches the person. The trap breaks and we escape. When a person is inside a trap, it means he is caught. He is caught. The trap is the snare, it is what catches the person. But the snare is something that catches and harms. If I want to give an example, for example, among hunters there is a way, for example, to make a circle, a metal circle full of teeth, and when a person steps in the middle of it, it folds up and grabs the leg, and usually the person dies of blood loss even before it... from how much it contracts on the leg, it harms him, it can even sometimes break his leg, from the great force of the strong spring that it has. That is an example of a snare. What does snare mean? It means it harms him itself. In contrast, the trap is a snare. As hunters do, for example, they make a pit in the ground, cover it with leaves, and a person who passes by, with branches and leaves, an animal, a person passing by, falls inside. He is not harmed by something that harms there inside, but rather what? He is imprisoned. He cannot get out. So if we give an example, if for example they place below all sorts of, by means of, sharp swords so that he is harmed, then the sharp swords I will call a snare. Whereas the trap, that is, this enclosure into which he fell, this I will call a trap. So we have the concept of a trap and we have the concept of a snare.
Now, according to this, let us now see how the Malbim explains it. The Malbim says: regarding the dwellers of Yerushalayim, there it is written that the conspiracy will be to them a trap and a snare. The trap is not harmful in itself, but rather whoever reaches the trap, whoever reaches that prison, that pit, falls there, is caught inside it. The same too was the case, those who went out of Yerushalayim, for why did they go out? In order to tell Sancheriv, Chizkiyahu and his faction did not make peace, we made peace. One must note, by the way, there are two periods here, right? There is a period of Pekach son of Remalyahu and Retzin king of Aram, and there is a somewhat later period of Sancheriv, but they are two periods in which kings came against Yisrael, and this prophecy relates to both periods. According to some commentators it relates to the period of Chizkiyahu, which was a bit later, some commentators, in particular the Malbim, relate it to the period a bit earlier, of the days of Achaz, the father of Chizkiyahu, when Retzin king of Aram and Pekach son of Remalyahu king of Yisrael came against them. But more or less it relates to this unit of time. Now he comes and says: these dwellers of Yerushalayim, who conspired there against the king, they had to go out of Yerushalayim in order to be harmed. Since they, it is like a trap, they went out to Sancheriv to tell him we have made peace, we are ready. It is only Chizkiyahu who is not ready. Only what? There was a large faction that was with Shevna the scribe and his faction, he had a large faction, and when he came to go out, they all slipped away from him, they all became afraid and abandoned him, right? He was left with a faction of one. Suddenly he finds himself alone. Like in politics, he has many signatures, but suddenly he finds himself, when he comes to be elected to the Knesset, barely counting his own family members among the voters. So that was what happened with Shevna and his faction. Sancheriv saw this, said to him: what, where are all those you promised? It is written that he seized him, tied him to horses, to their heels, tied his heels to the tails of the horses, and they made him run over the thorns and thistles, so may all the enemies of Hashem perish and all the traitors to His people Yisrael. So he, that Shevna, went out to him. So it was like a trap. Like a trap that is set, in order to fall into the trap you have to reach the trap. And so it was with Shevna and his faction, those who went out of Yerushalayim, the sword of the king of Ashur reached them. But those who did not go out of the city, the evil did not reach them. That is what he says, "lefach ulemokesh leyoshev Yerushalayim." They came to the trap and there they were snared in it, there they were harmed by it. In contrast, those who were outside Yerushalayim to begin with, which is the ten tribes and the tribe of Yehudah that we explained was outside the walls, about them he says "le'even negef uletzur michshol." The Malbim explains: the danger of a rock of obstacle is greater than the danger of a stumbling stone. For even though on one hand a stumbling stone is worse, because with a stumbling stone you stumble on the stone itself, the stone itself is what harms, whereas the rock, as we said, is only something that causes them to fail by its cause, nevertheless, when a person, for example, walked and struck a stone, the harm is much less severe than when he merely failed on a rock of obstacle but fell on his face on the ground. The fall there is much stronger, the pain there is much greater, the harm is greater. So too the Malbim says in the analogy. This counsel of the conspiracy by which they thought to rebel, this will be like a stumbling stone, that is, they will do only small harm to you, you have nothing to be concerned about, Chizkiyahu. You have nothing to be concerned about, Achaz. There will be some stumbling stone, it is a little stone with which one only strikes the foot. But the harm that will come to them because of the conspiracy will be like a rock of obstacle. For the king of Ashur will come and exile them all. So what they do to you is a stumbling stone, but what will be to them will be a rock of obstacle, it will be such a great obstacle that they will all be exiled in its wake. You have nothing to be concerned about, this conspiracy that they conspire will only harm them. And this is also the continuation, "lefach ulemokesh leyoshev Yerushalayim." The harm of the snare is greater than the harm of the trap. For we said that the snare truly harms and kills. And if we wish, as we express it today about a mine (mokesh). A mine does not stop at the fact that you strike it, it explodes on you. That is a mine. So too in their time, it was something that would harm itself, that was the snare. And this...
As he says, know: this snare will hunt by itself without the power of a hunter. That is, the conspiracy itself, that they went out of Yerushalayim to join Pekach, will be to them a trap and small harm, and they were hunted inside it by Pekach who held them as slaves. But the harm that will be to you because of this conspiracy, what will you cause? That they were exiled together with the ten tribes. All those who went out to Pekach and all those who also went out to Sancheriv, it caused them to be exiled together with the ten tribes. So the harm began as small harm, but with what did it end in the end? As a great snare. And then the Malbim says: it turns out that stone and stumbling parallel trap and snare. That stone is small and rock of obstacle is great, trap is small and snare is great. What began and was done as small harm, in the end will come upon them as great harm. "Vechashlu vam rabim venaflu venishbaru venokshu venilkadu." With these stones that I set to be a stumbling stone, "vechashlu vam rabim," this will be with the rock of obstacle, there will be an obstacle to them in those stones and stumbling stones and that rock of obstacle. "Venokshu venilkadu," this is with the trap and snare. Trap and snare, we said, will be to them as a snare, "venokshu," and through this "venilkadu." Where are they caught, we said? Inside the trap. In the trap they are caught and through this they are harmed by the snare. Rashi explains that in those stones these will fail together with their faction, both will fall, says Rashi, into the hand of their enemies. Pekach was killed by Hoshea son of Elah who killed him. The ten tribes fell into the hand of Sancheriv. Shevna, who went out of Yerushalayim when Sancheriv went up to go against Tirhakah king of Kush, he too was harmed by Sancheriv himself who killed him, as we said, with torments. So they failed on them, those you went to form a conspiracy with, he himself will cause you to fail, he himself will harm you, "vechashlu vam rabim."
"Tzor te'udah chatom Torah belimudai." After Hashem informs me of this prophecy, Yeshayahu tells them, what is the prophecy? That the two houses of Yisrael will fail through Pekach's counsel, He tells me "tzor te'udah." If you recall, the chapter began with the Holy One blessed be He telling him to take a large scroll and write on it "becheret enosh lemaher shalal chash baz." And then the Malbim explained what is "becheret enosh"? The writing of the sorcerers. For the writing of the sorcerers is by way of drawing. And He told him: I want you to draw such a drawing in which "maher shalal chash baz" will be seen, that in the end Sancheriv will come and quickly plunder the ten tribes who are besieging you. Thus He told him at the beginning. Now the Holy One blessed be He tells him: what I told you, this scroll, "tzor et hate'udah," bind up the testimony. From what expression is "te'udah"? "Te'udah" is from the expression of testimony (edut), it is the warning. This I told you to write, warn them, they are conspiring with the enemies, that they should know that this will come against them. "Tzor te'udah," draw what I told you "becheret enosh," as we said, that he should literally draw a drawing. Bind this drawing in the testimony, in this testimony and warning, and also seal this teaching that I teach them. Seal this Torah through "limudai." "Limudai" means like "lomdai," my students. If we recall, after He told him to draw this scroll, He told him "ve'a'idah li edim ne'emanim et Uriyah hakohen ve'et Zecharyahu ben Yeverechyahu," that these will be the sealed witnesses there on this testimony. He tells him: seal, seal this teaching, this instruction that I teach them, this prophecy that I place in your hand and inform them, seal this through "limudai." "Limudai" means my students. By the power of my students, who are Zecharyah and Uriyah, this is "ha'idah li edim," seal it through them so that it will be for them a remembrance for a long time, that they will see, behold, thus Hashem promised that there would be a downfall for the ten tribes and so it will be in their end. The Radak explains that what is written "tzor te'udah," says the Radak, is from the expression "litzror," as in "vatih'yenah tzerurot kol yemeihen." "Litzror" means to bind. The prophet says "tzor te'udah," the meaning of the matter is, I have no choice but to bind and seal the Torah with my students. According to the Radak, the meaning of the verse, as if the prophet is saying, I have no choice but the entire Torah that I learn, only to seal it so that others will not see it, only my students. For the others do not want to hear words of Torah, they do not desire to see all that I show them and all that I teach them. And if so, it is better that I bind the testimony, bind it up, and it is better that I teach it and seal it and it will be remembered only among the students. "Chatom Torah belimudai." The others, if I teach them, if I show them the words of Torah, then their punishment will be greater. For they hear rebuke and do not fulfill it, so if so they will be punished doubly. It is better, if so, says the prophet, "tzor te'udah chatom Torah belimudai." It is preferable that I teach the Torah to the attentive students, who truly want to elevate themselves in the service of Hashem, and through this they will change their way for the good, than to inform this Torah to the entire people, who in any case do not change their way, and if so why add sin upon transgression for them.
"Vechikiti laHashem hamastir panav mibeit Yaakov vekiviti lo." The prophet says: from now on I will wait and hope for Hashem, that even though now He hides His face from the house of Yaakov, even though now the enemies appear to be besieging them, the enemies can prevail against them, "vekiviti lo." I hope for Him and wait, I am confident that not one of His words will fall to the ground. On what does my confidence rest? "Hineh anochi vehayeladim asher natan li Hashem le'otot ulemoftim beYisrael me'im Hashem Tzeva'ot hashochen behar Tzion." For these deeds that I did, which are the drawing of the testimony upon the scroll, the sealing of this testimony by the witnesses who are Uriyah and Zecharyah, that is one thing. Second, the children whom Hashem gave me, that is Immanuel whom the Holy One blessed be He gave him as a sign that He would be with them, and Maher Shalal Chash Baz, that is the second son whom He gave him as a sign that speedily the spoil of Aram and of the ten tribes would be plundered. They stand as signs and wonders, and these signs and wonders are from Hashem Tzeva'ot, and Hashem will certainly not take back His words after He performed signs and wonders. And therefore the prophet says "vechikiti laHashem." Although "hamastir panav mibeit Yaakov," now there appears to be concealment of the face and darkness, "vekiviti lo." I will nevertheless hope for Him, for I have signs and wonders that Hashem gave. If you recall, we explained that there is a difference according to the Malbim between a sign (ot) and a wonder (mofet). A sign is a mark. In contrast, a wonder is something that departs from nature, what we call today in the category of a miracle. And therefore, when it comes to the birth of the children, the Malbim explained this is a sign. What is the meaning of a sign? There is nothing here unusual, departing from nature, but rather what? Only that Hashem does not retract a prophecy of evil, and therefore He told him: you will have the children whose names will be these, this is a sign. The moment you give this a natural realization, it is a sign that this thing will certainly be fulfilled. That is the aspect of a sign. But where is the aspect of the wonder? The Malbim says: the aspect of the wonder is what I informed you all in advance and wrote it and drew it in the scroll "becheret enosh," where I describe what is destined to occur. That is a wonder. When I describe to you something that you still do not see and do not know, and it is against all the odds of what you see. For what you see now is the poverty of Yehudah, and that around us are also the enemies, both Pekach, and Retzin, and part of Yehudah that Pekach son of Remalyahu already managed to capture, and also part of Yehudah itself, Shevna and his faction, all against little Yehudah among whom are Chizkiyahu and Achaz. What are our chances? I write to you and draw for you, we will prevail. And they in the end will all be exiled and destroyed. What will be fulfilled? What he wrote. That is a wonder. Who could know such a thing in advance? So there was here both an aspect of a sign in the birth of the children, which guarantees that this will be fulfilled, and there was here also an aspect of a wonder, that a supernatural thing, that I foretell the end from the beginning. That is something in the category of a wonder.
Chazal say: Achaz, why was he called by the name Achaz? Because he seized (achaz) the synagogues and study halls so that schoolchildren would not learn Torah. Rashi brings a midrash aggadah: Achaz said, if there are no kids there are no goats. If there are no sheep there is no shepherd. So I will cause there to be no kids, so consequently there will be no goats, there will be no Torah greats, there will be no Torah scholars, there will be no God-fearing people. There are no sheep, what is there for the Holy One blessed be He to do here? He will remove His Shechinah. Very clever, he found a method how to remove the Creator of the world. The prophet told him: all your binding of the testimony and sealing of the Torah in order to close it up so that it will not be found in Yisrael, "tzor te'udah chatom Torah," all these plans, that Achaz is called Achaz because he seized the synagogues and study halls, all your desire and aspiration to choke off all the Torah, to seal up all the Torah, will not help you. For behold, "hineh anochi vehayeladim asher natan li Hashem le'otot ulemoftim beYisrael me'im Hashem Tzeva'ot hashochen behar Tzion." It will not help you. We have a continuing generation. Behold, I and the children, who are the children, say Chazal? These are the students who are beloved to me like sons. They will be signs and wonders that the Torah will be fulfilled in Yisrael through them. All your plans will not avail, for if there are kids there are goats. And the next generation, we are confident and certain that it is the one that will rise up and restore and raise up all the ruins, and it is the one that will rebuild the Torah anew. And so it indeed was. For he spoke to Achaz, and from Achaz came Chizkiyahu. And Chizkiyahu, "chubal ol mipnei shamen," because of the oil of Chizkiyahu that was in the synagogues and study halls, and there was no boy or girl from Gevat to Antipras who was not expert in the laws of purity and impurity. So the prophet was right when he said "hineh anochi vehayeladim asher natan li Hashem." This is the future generation, come, we invest. So "tzor te'udah chatom Torah," nothing will help you. We have the continuing generation, you will not succeed in choking off and sealing up all the Torah.
"Vechi yomru aleichem, dirshu el ha'ovot ve'el hayid'onim hametzaftzefim vehamahgim, halo am el Elohav yidrosh be'ad hachaim el hametim." When the whisperers and mutterers say to you, "dirshu el ha'ovot." That is, I give you signs and wonders from Hashem, do not rebel against Chizkiyahu, be with Chizkiyahu, do not rebel against Achaz. And this is what we saw, Torah and testimony, "tzor te'udah, chatom Torah," that is, these things are absolute, know their end forever, Achaz and Chizkiyahu will prevail. But the whisperers and mutterers, "mahgim" from the expression "hegeh," speech, those who speak words of vanity and vexation of spirit, they will say to you "dirshu el ha'ovot ve'el hayid'onim." They come to say things that oppose the words of the prophet. They will say to you: behold, there are ov and yid'oni mediums, consult them, and you will see that the mediums say things opposite to the prophet. And they will bring you proof that the mediums know what they are speaking about. It is not those who merely invent inventions. And they will tell you, there is no sin, no iniquity for one who consults the mediums. For every single nation consults its god, "halo am el Elohav yidrosh." Every nation believes in its god, it consults it. And if so, at any rate it is fitting that for the sake of the living, that is, that we should know how to conduct ourselves in our lives, we consult the dead. It is fitting that we consult the dead, the mediums, which are the dead. The ov is a person who would speak with the dead, and the dead would speak from within the ground, and therefore it is written "venishma me'eretz ka'ov kolech." The meaning is that the voice was heard from the ground like a muffled voice, like a muffled echo, this was called an ov. The yid'oni would take, insert the bone of an animal called a yadua, place it under the armpit, and the enchanters, the sorcerers, are called "chari timei." What is "chari timei"? What is "chari"? Heating. "Timei" is bones. They would take a bone, place it under the armpit, heat the bone under the armpit, and through this he would receive a spirit of impurity from the power of that bone. This is called the ov and yid'oni mediums, those who would consult the dead. So behold, on one hand there is prophecy, but on the other hand yes, but the sitra achra too has much power. The mediums too have something to say. Do not be impressed by his words, you know, there is a witch here, there are those here who know, there are those here who understand, ask them, "dirshu el ha'ovot ve'el hayid'onim," do not pay attention to what Yeshayahu says.
To this Yeshayahu comes and says to them, "dirshu," verse 20, "leTorah uliT'udah, im lo yomru kadavar hazeh asher ein lo shachar." Consult the Torah and the testimony that the prophet gave you, for we saw "tzor te'udah," He told him to bind the testimony from the expression of testimony, with the Torah and the testimony examine, and see whether they will not say like this thing. See, they will not tell you as I said. And they will tell you that you should know, it has no dawn. Why no dawn? This conspiracy that they conspire against Chizkiyahu and against Achaz has no dawn. And therefore do not pay attention to the whisperers and mutterers, to all those who chatter and say consult the mediums. Do not pay attention to their words, their words have no dawn.
These two verses seem disconnected from the matter. The Malbim, as we just explained, connected them to the matter, but there is a derashah of Chazal and Rashi brings it. "Vechi yomru aleichem," Rabbi Simon said: Be'era, the father of Hoshea son of Be'eri, prophesied these two verses, and there was not enough in them for a book, and they were attached to Yeshayah. As is known, every prophet whose name and whose father's name appears, his father too was a prophet. When it is written Hoshea son of Be'eri, it means that Be'eri was a prophet. And in another place he appears by the name Be'era. What did Be'era, father of Hoshea, prophesy? He prophesied two verses. These verses could not be included as a book in their own right, for the minimal prophecy we have is a prophecy that is a chapter, as with Ovadyah. Yes, that is a chapter. But two verses cannot be written as a prophecy, and therefore they inserted them and included them within the book of Yeshayah. His prophecy was a prophecy of the exile of the ten tribes. When Sancheriv came and exiled the Reuveni and the Gadi, he exiled together with them also Be'era. As it is written in Divrei HaYamim I, chapter 5, it is written "Be'era beno asher heglah Tilgat Pilneser melech Ashur, hu nasi laReuveni." So he is that Be'era who was a prophet, was a prince for the Reuveni, and he prophesies: know that the ten tribes are destined to be exiled. So since there is a connection between the prophecy that Yeshayah prophesies here and the prophecy that Be'era prophesied, who is Be'eri father of Hoshea, since it is so, he joined his prophecy within the prophecy written here, for both came to express the same thing, the ten tribes will be exiled. Do not conspire against Achaz and against Chizkiyahu, since their end is to fall. The end of the ten tribes is to fall. And therefore he inserted here a prophecy that was said by another prophet. But as I explained, the Malbim explains the matter also without needing to resort to this derashah of Chazal. The Malbim explains the matter even if we wish to explain it according to its plain meaning, that these things are the words of Yeshayahu the prophet.
"Ve'avar bah niksheh vera'ev. Vehayah ki yir'av vehitkatzaf vekilel bemalko uveElohav ufanah lema'lah. Ve'el eretz yabit vehineh tzarah vachashechah me'uf tzukah va'afelah menudach." "Ve'avar bah niksheh vera'ev." In order to complete the prophecy that he began to prophesy to them, what is destined to be in the land of Efrayim, the ten tribes, what will happen to them at the time of the exile, which is in the sixth year of Chizkiyahu. He says: know, they will all be exiled. Whoever passes through there in the land will be a hardened and hungry man. "Niksheh" is a person who is ready to harden his body against all the harsh troubles and terrors that will come upon him. He is very strong, that is, ready to enter into all the dangers, all the troubles. Only a hardened person will be able to pass then through the land. That is, the place here will be so terrible that a person with a bit of delicacy or a somewhat ordinary person will not be able to pass here. Only a person who is hardened. But know, nevertheless, even this person of whom you say he is made of strong material, who will be able to survive here, he says even he will be hungry. This person will be hardened, this one who passes here will be hungry, for the land will be desolate. "Vehayah ki yir'av," when he sees that he has nothing to eat, from how desolate the place here will be, "vehitkatzaf vekilel bemalko uveElohav." Notice, it is not written "vekilel et malko" or "vekilel et Elohav" heaven forbid. Rather he cursed his day in the name of his king and his god. That is why it is "bemalko." It is like when Iyov said "arur yom horah gaver," or "lailah horah gaver." That is, it was accepted in their time that a person, as it were, curses his day, cursed is the day on which he was born, cursed is that day, there was such a reality. So this person cursed his day, as it were, or his lack of fortune, by what? By his king and his god. When they wanted to curse, as there is a curse that they curse heaven forbid in the name of Hashem, cursing him in the name of Hashem, so they would also curse in the name of the king, as it were, a curse that would fall upon him more strongly. So he would curse in the name of the king and in the name of his god. "Ufanah lema'lah," any place he wants to turn and look up, if he wants, "ufanah lema'lah," or if he wants "el eretz yabit," any place he looks, "vehineh tzarah vachashechah, me'uf tzukah va'afelah menudach." Trouble on the earth, darkness in the heavens above.
Now he says: do not think that the trouble will be an external trouble, but there will also be "me'uf tzukah." "Me'uf tzukah," the weariness of the distress of the soul, which is the inner distress. Not only will there be darkness, there will also be gloom, until he is "menudach" from the gloom. I will explain the meaning of the words and then it will be easier for us to understand what the Malbim explains here. The Malbim says: there is always a difference between trouble (tzarah) and distress (tzukah). This is an explanation that the Malbim explains in several places. We say it in one breath, "tzarah vetzukah," but really they are two different things. "Tzarah" is a trouble that comes from outside. Someone attacks me from outside, they lay a siege around me, for indeed it comes from the expression "matzor," they besiege me all around. That is the expression for "tzarah." In contrast, "tzukah" is the distress of the soul within. It is possible that there is no one troubling from outside, but the person is in distress. Even today we say this, we do not say a person is in a psychological trouble, we say he is in psychological distress (metzukah). For distress is something from within. In contrast, trouble, "tzarim alav," is someone who comes from outside. There can also be a trouble of illness, a trouble of poverty, a trouble of children, anything that grieves me and is external to me is called a trouble. As opposed to distress, where a person as if loathes his life. Why? Because of the inner difficulty, the inner suffering that he has, the psychological distress. The Malbim says: it is quite possible that there is distress without trouble. Sometimes a person is fed up with life inside, sometimes he is eating himself up inside, even though, if you check, he has some external trouble? No. This can often be seen among all sorts of important and famous people and all sorts of actors and all sorts of people who outwardly appear to be a happy person, well off and a billionaire and... but with all this, these people support very handsomely the psychologists and sometimes also psychiatrists and live on pills and... What is the reason? There is distress, there is no trouble. From outside everything is fine, but from within there is distress, there is inner distress. On the other hand, sometimes it can be the reverse. A person has a trouble, but inside he is strong like a firm rock. He is not broken, he is not frightened, he trusts in Hashem. The trouble does not cause him distress. The trouble does not cause him any inner harm, he is not concerned about all that passes over him. And if so, when it is sometimes written of a decree that Hashem heaven forbid brings, that He brings only the enemies, "bematzor uvematzok asher yatzik lecha oyivecha," or it is written "tzarah vetzukah" in Tzefanyah, in Tehillim, in Mishlei. What is the meaning? That there are both things. There is both a trouble of an enemy from outside, and also the distress of the soul from within. The Gemara says: woe to the one whom a scorpion and a bee stung. Why? For the remedy of one aggravates the other, and the remedy of the other aggravates this one. For one of them needs hot water, and if they give him cold water it only increases the venom and the harm. For the other one needs cold water, and if they give him hot water it only increases the harm and the venom. So what do they do for this person? They give him cold, they increase this one. They give him and heal this one, they give him hot, they increase this one and heal... What do they do? So the Gemara says thus, that there is a situation where two troubles come upon a person, that however you try to get out of this, you enter into that, you try to get out of that, you enter into this. The Malbim says: so too here, when they say "tzarah vetzukah," they also mean this matter. Why? For when a person has a trouble, the way is to hide in the house until the wrath passes. He hides until the wrath passes, "chavi kim'at rega ad ya'avor za'am." He goes inside. In contrast, a person who has distress, then on the contrary, it is good for him to go outside, to get some air, it is good for him to see other people, to go out into the light of day, in order to come out of the inner depression. You know that people who are depressed, if they enter some dark place, enter shut up inside the house, this increases their depression even more. Know that psychologically they found that people suffer, there is winter depression. In winter people suffer far more from depression than in summer. What is the reason for this? A person who goes outside opens up, he is released. A person who goes inside, shuts himself in, this increases his inner distress even more. So notice, what happens to this person? On account of the external trouble he needs to go inside, and on account of the inner distress he needs to go outside. And if both a trouble and a distress come to him, woe to the one who will have to, I do not know where to go. If I go inside I increase the distress, if I go outside I am harmed by the trouble. And therefore this means to say a double harm.
Also darkness (choshech) and gloom (afelah) are two things between which there is a difference. Darkness means there is no light. There is no sun, what is there now? Darkness. So that is still not gloom. What is gloom? Gloom is when there are also no stars and no moon. That is gloom. Gloom is complete blackness. As Iyov said, "hayom hahu yehi choshech." From this day it turns to darkness, the sun will set. "Vehalailah hahu yikachehu ofel." The night, also the stars, the stars of its twilight will not shine upon it, so it will be entirely in the category of gloom. After we have understood the difference between trouble and distress and between darkness and gloom, let us now explain the verse. He comes and informs them: know, not only will there be external trouble, but there will be "me'uf tzukah." There will be a weariness of the distress of the inner soul, which is more than trouble. And not only will there be darkness, but there will also be "afelah menudach." Until, from the great gloom, as it were "menudach," like driven away from the great gloom. And here too the meaning refers to the exile, that it will be a great and harsh gloom. The Malbim says, in a metaphorical sense, what did the prophet mean here in his metaphor? He as it were pictures for us the distress, the gloom, like an abstract entity. The meaning is, he intends to describe them for us as if the distress and the gloom are as if like people, as it were. As if they are figures, and they will rule, the distress and the gloom. And he says, the distress as it were will be weary. What is the meaning? The trouble will destroy all the inhabitants of the land, to such an extent that no person will be found there over whom the distress could rule. Do you understand? Many times there is a trouble, and after the trouble distress comes. Not always. If a person is strong, then the trouble passes over him only physically, the distress does not affect him. But sometimes in the wake of the trouble, that a person is struck again and again, he is under siege, sometimes he reaches a state of distress. This can be, it may be that in most cases it is so. But there is such a situation where the distress is dragged along in the wake of the trouble. But tell me, if the trouble finished off the person, is there anyone to enter into distress? There is no one to enter into distress, we are done, the trouble already finished him off beforehand. That is what he comes to tell you. The trouble will destroy all the inhabitants of the land, so that no person will be found there who will receive the distress that comes after the trouble. There will be no one. To such an extent that the distress as it were will be weary and exhausted from carrying out its action. As it were, the distress will not be actualized, it will be as if weary from having an effect. Why? There is no one to receive the distress, the trouble finished off everyone. The same with the gloom, which comes after the darkness. The gloom, the gloom will be "menudach." What is the meaning of "menudach"? From the expression "nidach," driven away, the gloom will not come. Why? Because the darkness will be so harsh that it will finish off the people who are here and nothing will remain. After this, what will gloom come upon? Upon whom will gloom come? Gloom can come only after darkness has come and there is someone to receive the gloom, someone who is harmed as it were by the gloom. But if the darkness will already finish off everyone, there will be no one to receive the gloom, which is more than the darkness. So what will the gloom be? "Menudach." "Menudach" means driven away, it will not come into action. So the trouble and the darkness will finish off the people here in such a way that the distress will already be "me'uf," it will already be weary from having an effect, it will not be able to have an effect because there is no one to affect, and the gloom will be in the category of "menudach," it will have no power to act since it will be as if driven away.
And now he continues and says, "ki lo mu'af la'asher mutzak lah. Ka'et harishon hekal artzah Zevulun ve'artzah Naftali, veha'acharon hichbid derech hayam ever haYarden Glil hagoyim." On the surface it seems that here no word is connected to its fellow. But we will connect it according to the Malbim and then you will see how wonderful it is. He says, why will there be so harsh a trouble that the distress will no longer have an effect, distress will no longer come? Why will there be so harsh a darkness that the gloom will no longer have anything to act upon? "Ki lo mu'af la'asher mutzak lah." The one who comes to oppress her, "lo mu'af," he will not be weary. He will come and oppress again and again and again, without any weariness. Weariness will not rule over him. At first he came upon them in the days of Pekach son of Remalyahu. It is written "vayikach et Iyon ve'et Beit Ma'achah ve'et hagalilah ve'et kol eretz Naftali vayaglem Ashurah." This was in the fourth year of Achaz king of Yehudah. In the twelfth year of Achaz he came a second time, and exiled the Reuveni and the Gadi and half the tribe of Menasheh. This exile was also relatively a light exile, like the first exile, for it is an exile that seized only part of the people. It did not seize the entire people, it was not a general exile, but only the land of Zevulun and Naftali. And this is what he says, "ki lo mu'af la'asher mutzak lah." The one who oppressed her will not be weary, he will come again and again. "Ka'et harishon hekal." He will come a second time, and the second time will be light like the first time. For the second time too he will not exile everyone, but rather "artzah Zevulun ve'artzah Naftali." He will exile only Zevulun and Naftali, which is still a relatively small part compared to all the ten tribes. But "veha'acharon hichbid." The third time that he will come, "ha'acharon hichbid." The last exile will be a heavy exile. Why? For it is a general exile. It is an exile in which he exiled all the ten tribes, all those remaining. And now he enumerates for us the exiles. "Derech hayam, ever haYarden, Glil hagoyim." At first "derech hayam," the land of Naftali, which sits by the sea of Tiberias, "yam vedarom yerashah," right? That is the land of Naftali, "derech hayam." After this "ever haYarden." Who were beyond the Yarden? Reuven, Gad and half the tribe of Menasheh. But in the last exile, "Glil hagoyim." All the districts of the tribes to their nations. This was the last exile. So do you know why there will be such a situation that the distress and the gloom will no longer be able to have an effect? Why? Because there will be no stage at which they can have an effect. Because the enemy will not be weary, he will destroy everything. And if he destroys everything there will be no place for the distress and the gloom to take hold, since the enemy will not leave anyone to receive the distress and the gloom.