"Therefore thus says Hashem: Behold, I am placing before this people stumbling blocks, and fathers and sons together will stumble over them; neighbor and friend will perish." The Holy One, blessed be He, says "Therefore," since they did not accept the mitzvot that I gave them. The Malbim explains that the prophet tells them: I will set before them stumbling blocks so that each will stumble because of his fellow. The father because of the son, the neighbor because of his friend, and thus they will all perish. The Radak explains more precisely how this stumbling will occur. The Radak says: fathers and sons, neighbor and friend, this teaches us that the father will not warn the son even if he knows there is a stumbling block, and so "fathers and sons will stumble." What this means is that the father will stumble and will not tell his son, there is a stumbling block here, be careful, and then the son will stumble too. And the reverse: the son will stumble and will not tell his father, there is a stumbling block here, and then the father too will stumble. The same with a man and his neighbor, the neighbor being one who lives close by him, and a man with his friend, with whom he has business dealings, some sort of partnership with him. None of them warns his fellow, no one warns his relative, and so consequently they all fall. And what is the source of this? It stems from an evil heart, says the Radak, that each one desires the harm of his fellow. There are people who think: if I have fallen, then why should I fall alone? He does not warn the others, because when I fell and a few fell with me, the trouble of many is half a consolation, so he feels more at ease. But there is a person who is kindhearted and says to others: do not stumble as I stumbled, I stumbled, so do not you fall too. But here he says: look at the evil of their heart, "and fathers and sons together will stumble over them, neighbor and friend will perish" - each one will see his own stumbling and will not warn his fellow and his son that there is a stumbling block here.
"Thus says Hashem: Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, and a great nation will be roused from the ends of the earth." "Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north," the Malbim says, this people are the Chaldeans. "And a great nation will be roused" - what is being spoken of here? That other nations will also be roused to come along with the Chaldeans. They came from the ends of the earth; they did not come from the north but from the corners of the earth. Many nations were roused to come and wage war against Israel. The Malbim says: since the helpers came from all the directions of the world, therefore they came from the ends of the earth and not specifically from the north. The Malbim notes that there is a change of language here: "Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, and a great nation will be roused from the ends of the earth." The people coming from the land of the north, the Chaldeans, He calls "a people." Those who will be roused and come from the ends of the earth He calls "a nation." What is the difference between "a people" (am) and "a nation" (goy)? The Malbim says: "am," as we have explained in several places, is more significant than "goy." Therefore the Chaldeans, as a mark of importance, He calls by the name "am." But those coming to their aid are all sorts of hangers-on, all sorts who jumped on the bandwagon, and they are called by the name "goy." And since this is so, He calls them "a great nation will be roused from the ends of the earth," meaning many will gather to form a great nation from the ends of the earth.
"They grasp bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy; their sound roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, arrayed as a man for war against you, daughter of Zion." "They grasp bow and spear" - these are two kinds of weapons of war, arms. And by their nature, this people will be a cruel people, "they are cruel and have no mercy." "Their sound roars like the sea" - we explained that when they came to battle they would let out screams and shouts. This was part of the encouragement they would give their army; through the screaming and shouting they would instill dread in the hearts of the opposing nation and give encouragement to the attacking army. Therefore it says "their sound roars like the sea." And they will be horsemen; those who ride upon horses are always swifter and quicker and more skilled on the battlefield.
"And they ride upon horses, arrayed as a man for war." What does "arrayed as a man for war" mean here? There are two explanations here. The Malbim explains: "arrayed as a man for war" refers to the horses. "They ride upon horses," a horse that is arrayed as a man for war. The horses will be trained for war like men, experts in warfare. And this will not come by chance, but "against you, daughter of Zion" - the essence of its aim and its coming will be against you, daughter of Zion. But the Radak explains differently. The Radak says "arrayed as a man for war" refers to the men, not to the horses. The Radak says: each of these warriors will be arrayed with weapons of war like a single man designated to fight against his fellow, a set battle, in which he prepares himself with weapons of war. Most are not so heavily armed with weapons. That is to say, when a person goes to fight one on one, he comes equipped with all sorts of weapons. But by contrast, when going out to battle, they do not give out every kind of weapon; they give him perhaps a spear and arrows, or a sword and bow, but they do not go with every weapon. By contrast, here, each and every one of them will be arrayed as a man for war, like a single man going out alone to war against his fellow, and then he has many weapons of war, as if each one of them is arrayed like an individual man. And against whom will they come? Against you, daughter of Zion.
"We have heard the report of it, our hands grew weak; anguish has seized us, pain like a woman in labor." As soon as "we have heard the report of it," immediately "our hands grew weak." We did nothing to save ourselves because of despair, because of the fear, oh woe, what is about to happen here. And not only that, but "anguish has seized us," meaning that during the siege we already felt that trouble truly held us in its grip. Afterward, when the city was breached, it was truly like the time of birth, "pain like a woman in labor." Just as the woman's belly is opened, as it were, and she brings forth the child, so the wall was breached and then the enemy entered. For then, in fact, what happened, if we recall, was that they fled at night through a tunnel in order to escape from the breached city. He says this was "pain like a woman in labor."
And here he warns them and says: "Do not go out to the field, and do not walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is all around." "Do not go out to the field" - do not think that there you will have refuge, do not think that there you will have protection. What will you say, perhaps in the city it is safer? He tells them: even in the city, "do not walk on the road." Rather what? Hide in the crevices, in the holes; you will have no place to escape on the road. "Do not go out to the field," why? "For the enemy has a sword." In the field the enemy's sword is present. And the continuation, "do not walk on the road," why? Because even in the city, this is the end of the verse, "terror is all around." The fear and terror will be all around your place of dwelling. Since the enemy is already ready to breach the city, there is consequently danger both in going out to the field and in walking on the road, for the enemy has a sword in the field, and "terror all around" is even on the road near your homes; there too there is fear. The Malbim explains that "magor" has the meaning of fear and also of gathering, a term of assembling as well. And this hints that, as it were, when it wants to speak of fear, it speaks of a fear such that a person is afraid and draws in, gathering himself up in order to hide. Like "do not fear (lo taguru) any man." What is "lo taguru"? Simply, do not be afraid. But how do Chazal expound it? That a judge must not gather up (le'egor) his words out of fear of any man. "Le'egor" means to gather his words. That is, I am afraid to speak, so it turns out that "lo taguru" refers both to fear and to gathering, assembling. I gather my words, I keep silent. This is the "lo taguru," that he suppresses his words, closes his mouth, does not say what he has to say. So it turns out that the expression "lagur" is both an expression of fear and an expression of gathering. That is to say, there is "magor," which is both an expression of fear and an expression of gathering. And this is what is written, for example, "magor all around." What is "magor all around"? We fear the enemy, and he also creates "magor" all around, in the sense of causing us to gather into our homes because he is gathered around us, this expression meaning gathering.
"Daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth and roll in ashes; make yourself mourning as for an only son, bitter lamentation, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us." "Daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth and roll in ashes" - "hitpalshi" means roll yourself in ashes. "Make yourself mourning as for an only son" - Rashi explains, mourning of an only son. The most terrible thing for a person is, God forbid, if he is forced to bury his only son. And if it is his one and only son, then there is no pain like his pain. About this he says here "make yourself mourning as for an only son," it will be a terrible mourning, a terrible pain, as if his only son had died. "Bitter lamentation" (mispad tamrurim) - actually it should say "mispad shel tamrurim," a lamentation of bitterness, but Rashi explains that since it is in the construct state, the lamentation is joined to "tamrurim," therefore it is called "mispad tamrurim." From what root is "tamrurim"? "Tamrurim" is from the language of bitterness (merirut); it will be a lamentation full of bitterness. The Malbim explains "daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth" - each one will gird himself with sackcloth in order to mourn. And do not think that they will all gather together to mourn. Rather, "make yourself lonely mourning." According to the Malbim this is not mourning over an only son, but "lonely mourning" means that the mourners, each one will be a mourner by himself. In solitude, in his home. What this means is that when people gather together, then somehow there is consolation, there is mutual encouragement. But when each one sits in his home and mourns there, then who will comfort him? In this situation there is not even the togetherness, the union, the group that comforts itself. He says the mourning will be so severe that each one will mourn alone in his home. This also fits well with what was said earlier, that there is "terror all around," since the enemies surround us on all sides and then there is fear even to leave the house, since it is "magor," he is gathered around the houses, there will be fear to go out. So if a person is in mourning, it will be lonely mourning; he will be afraid to go out and gather people to mourn together. And they will make bitter lamentation because "suddenly the destroyer will come upon us." The trouble will be so great that it will be sudden, not something you await and anticipate, which eases the pain, but something sudden, which is very hard to accept, very hard to digest.
"I have made you an assayer among my people, a fortress, that you may know and assay their way." "I have made you an assayer" - Radak and Rashi explain that here He is speaking to the prophet: even though you say harsh things to them, even though you rebuke them with very difficult statements, you are in fact predicting terrible calamities for them. What is most natural in such a situation if not that someone will come and silence this frightening rabbi, this prophet who inspires dread and breaks the people's spirit? And we see that Yirmiyahu was persecuted, harshly persecuted. But the Holy One, blessed be He, promises him. And here is the promise: the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him, "I have made you an assayer among my people, a fortress." The Holy One, blessed be He, tells him: do not fear them, even though you say harsh things to them and so it is natural for you to worry lest they harm you. Do not fear them, I have made you an assayer and a fortress. "Bachon" is a term for a fortress. Like "they set up its bachonav," "bochen and ophel" - these are expressions of a fortress. So He tells them: do not fear, I have set you to be a fortress city and a pillar of iron; do not fear them, but rather seek out their ways, rebuke them, say all that you have to say without dread. Note why He uses the expression "bachon": He already says "fortress," so why does He need to say "bachon," which is also a term for a fortress, as we just explained, "bochen and ophel," an expression for a place that is a stronghold and strong. The continuation is "that you may know and assay their way." This is a play on words. I have made you a "bachon," meaning a fortress, and your task is to assay (livchon) their way, which is from the language of examination (mivchan). This is a play on words, and therefore He used this expression. The Malbim explains likewise, that the expression "bachon" is from the language of a fortress, and it also comes in the continuation regarding the matter of examination and testing. Like "ophel and bochen" as we explained. And why is a fortress called "bachon"? Because a fortress is a place that is fortified and tested in its strength against enemies, and they tested it. This we call "bachon." It was examined and found fit to be a stronghold, to be saved in it from the enemy. Therefore it is called "bachon," like a shelter that you would say has been checked and is truly fit to withstand who knows what, chemical attacks, atomic attacks, so it is "bachon," "bachon" meaning tested. Therefore the fortress is called "bachon." The Malbim says: here he paints for us, as it were, the prophet paints in his metaphor the generation, as we will see further on in a more explicit manner, describing them as dross silver. As Yechezkel says in chapter 22, "the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the midst of the furnace, they have become the dross of silver." That is, he describes that here there were dross, many kinds of dross. What actually is dross? When silver is to be refined, there is waste mixed in it. And by placing it into the furnace, melting occurs, and in melting each type of metal melts at a different temperature, and each time they melt off another type of metal, another type of metal, separating it out, until we have a metal that is purely refined silver, purified sevenfold, without any flaw, without any deficiency. The Malbim says: among them were several kinds of wicked people, several kinds of sects. Each one was distinct from his fellow and did not participate in the wickedness of his fellow. Each one established his own club of wickedness. He does not mix with that club, because he criticizes it, so you should not misunderstand. That club does dishonest things; his club, that is fine, that one should have its club burned down, but our club is fine, it is a gathering place for the righteous. This is how he felt, as it were. And then what he would do, each one had his own club, as it were, sinning in his own particular matter. These were adulterers, these were murderers, these were robbers. Each had their own group, not mixing with the others. And not only that, but the Malbim says: each sect would slander the other sect. That is to say, we are not like them. Do you understand? Those ones are dishonest, we are fine. And I told you once that this is human nature. Every person has weaknesses. Only what? His weaknesses differ from those of his fellow. And then what happens? When he sees his fellow in a weakness, he criticizes him. Did you see? He took money and such, did you see, he embezzled and... well, you, thank God, you have no trials with money, but you have trials, God have mercy, in other things, and there you are not so great a tzaddik. So what happens? Wherever I feel myself fine, I criticize the other. And on the contrary, I belittle him, and look what things he does, I would never in my life... yes, but other things, you should be well, you do without limit. What does this mean? It means that when a person sins in one thing, in all other matters he feels himself righteous. The Malbim says: this is what was here. Each one selected there a different sin, many sects, each one distinct from his fellow and not participating in the wickedness of his fellow. And then each one slanders the wickedness of his fellow and considers himself in his own eyes to be pure silver. This fellow of mine is full of dross with sins, God have mercy, but he is pure silver. But in truth he too is dross. Only what? He is dross of a different kind. He too is waste, but waste of a different kind. There are several kinds of waste: there is industrial waste, there is chemical waste, there are all kinds of waste, you too are a kind of waste. The prophet, the Malbim says, is portrayed here as assaying the silver and the dross. Through his rebuke, his task is to remove the waste. This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, tells him, "that you may know and assay their way." Your task is to assay them. "I will assay them as one assays silver, and refine them as one refines gold." The expression of assaying expresses refining, expresses purification and cleansing. The Malbim says: and this is what He says here, "I have made you an assayer, a fortress among my people," and there you will know how to assay their way. And when you assay their way, through this you will be able to identify.
Verse 28: "They are all stubborn rebels, going about as talebearers; they are bronze and iron; they are all corrupt." This verse is quite obscure. "They are all stubborn rebels" (kulam sarei sorerim). First of all, what is "sarei sorerim"? Both "sarei" and "sorerim" are written with a samech. "Going about as talebearers, bronze and iron, all of them." How do "bronze and iron, all of them" fit in here? "They are all corrupt." So indeed there are several explanations here, and we will begin with Rashi. Rashi says "sarei sorerim" means those who turn aside from the way. He does not explain the doubling; the doubling is explained by the other commentators. "Going about as talebearers" - Rashi says this is connected to "bronze and iron." "Going about as talebearers, bronze and iron." What this means is that they had officials, important officials, this one bronze, that one iron, because they are strong. And there were men who went as talebearers among them. That is, he goes from the bronze one and tells him what the iron one said about him, goes to the iron one and tells him what the bronze one said about him. This is the meaning here of "going about as talebearers, bronze and iron." Between the two great officials, one of whom was strong as bronze and the other as iron, there were these men going about as talebearers and stirring up strife between them. Rashi brings this, saying "thus I heard." But according to his own view Rashi has a different explanation. Rashi says: and I say "going about as talebearers," and they are strong as bronze and iron to uphold their lies. There is a person who lies, and you quickly catch on to his lie, and he tells you: right, right, I was just joking, I didn't mean it. And there is a person who is an expert liar. He has a repertoire of lies and he is not quick to admit. And you tell him you are a liar, and on the contrary he will bring you proofs as to how true his lie is. And he is not telling you stories, and it is all completely true, and believe me it was exactly so, and he swears to you by his mother-in-law and by whatever, all just so that you will believe him. He says these people are not just talebearers, they are talebearers of bronze and iron. Do you know what strong talebearing this is? He is a talebearer who does not break; you ask him two or three questions, no, it isn't so, I was just joking. No, he is strong as bronze and iron to uphold their lies. He stands behind his lie and does not give in; the lie I told is the absolute truth. The Targum Onkelos explains that "rachil" is from the language of a swindler (nachal). Targum Yonatan, excuse me, says that what is written here "rachil" is "mehalchin binchilu," walking in cunning. This is the meaning of "rachil," like bronze mixed with iron; they walk in their cunning. This makes it more understandable why "bronze and iron" was placed first. Because bronze and iron are two materials, one valuable and the other not, and when they are mixed, this is a kind of deception. You sell them as mixed, not as refined; this is deception. So he says they walk in cunning, they walk in their cunning like bronze mixed with iron. Just as bronze and iron are a kind of swindling, so too they walk in their cunning. The Radak explains what "sarei sorerim" is. He says that here the samech is like a shin. "Sarei sorerim" is like "they are the officials over the rebels." There are rebels (sorerim), people like the wayward and rebellious son, and they are officials of the rebels, their officials. So even though here it is actually written with a shin and not a samech, he says it is as if shin and samech interchange. And why did he write it with a samech? It could be that he wanted to say, first, it could be a term of disgrace, "sarei," that is, from the language of "sorer," that even the official is, as it were, rebellious. But he wanted to match the expression to "sorerim," so he wrote "sarei" too with a samech; this is possible. What does he mean by this? Their servants are rebellious, and also the officials, who are officials over the rebels, they too behave like them. And the servants go about as talebearers to their masters. They are flatterers; he tries to find favor in his master's eyes, and therefore he goes to him and says: you know, so-and-so said such about you, and someone else did such to you. As Doeg the Edomite did. When he went to Shaul and said: you know Achimelech son of Achituv, Nob the city of the priests, they helped David, you know, they helped him, I am revealing this to you, no one else reveals it to you. What caused this? Because these people were rebellious, they were wicked in their own right, and they went about as talebearers in order to find favor in the eyes of their officials. The Radak says: the officials with the servants are similar to bronze and iron. What is the meaning of this? The Radak explains that bronze and iron, when they are mixed together, are very strong. The Radak says: it is impossible to make a craftsman's tool from iron alone. In any case, according to the technologies available in their time, it was not possible to make a strong tool made of iron alone. The iron alone would not cut, but only with the bronze along with it. So what they would do, they would combine bronze with it, and through this they would succeed in creating strong iron that would be capable of cutting, capable of standing up against hard things. So then, and by the way, bronze always appears in Scripture as an expression of strength. "Nechushah," every mention of bronze in Scripture appears in the context of strength. "And its mountains are of bronze (nechushah)," from the language of nechoshet. "Your forehead is bronze," bronze always expresses strength. This is interesting because today bronze is considered a soft metal. But you should know that in their time iron - what is it, even in our time, when you extract iron from the depths of the earth, you cannot use it. It is soft. You cannot, it is also mixed with dross, and it must undergo a whole process of working until it becomes strong iron that can be used. So in their time, according to their knowledge, what they would do is mix bronze with it. The mixture together with the bronze would turn it into something strong with which it could be used. So then what is written here, "going about as talebearers, bronze and iron" - they went about as talebearers, bronze and iron, they were likened to bronze and iron. When they are mixed together they do the work; so too the officials and the rebels, those who are their servants who were wicked and rebellious, would go together, acting together in deeds of wickedness. The Metzudat David explains "sarei sorerim," he says: what is the meaning of "sarei sorerim"? He explains it like "Shir Hashirim" (Song of Songs). This is not in jest, yes? I only brought it as an example; the Radak brings it, the Metzudat David brings it as an example. What is "Shir Hashirim"? The special song among songs. "Shir Hashirim," the song above all songs. So too when it is written "sarei sorerim," it means the special ones among all the rebels. Again, not from the language of "sar" (official) with a shin, but with a samech. Rather there is "sorer" and there is "sarei sorerim." It means the most rebellious of the rebels, the special one among the rebels. Like "thieves of thieves," the thief among thieves, and so on in this manner. So he says "sarei sorerim, going about as talebearers," the special ones among all the rebels, the most severe rebels. "Sarei sorerim," the Malbim explains, here he has an original explanation, different from all that everyone else explained. The Malbim says that "sarei" is from the language of "sar" (turning aside). "Sar lir'ot" (turned aside to see). With a sin. Which is from the language of removal. He left his place and went. And then he says, in fact, he expresses here their hypocrisy. That they would all behave as if they are "sarei sorerim," I turn aside from the rebels. I do not behave with the evil deeds like the rebels, "sarei sorerim." For how did we explain? Each one established his own club, and he says the club of his fellow, there are great wicked ones, but we, we are righteous. We are only thieves, we are not murderers. Only if there is a road accident, something does not work out and such, suddenly a person decides he does not part with the money. Either I separate you from the money, or you, or you from the money, or you from the money, there was no choice. But ordinarily we are only thieves, those ones, what can I tell you, they are also murderers. He feels righteous next to him. So it turns out that when he describes himself he says: we are "sarei sorerim," I turn aside from the rebels, we do not do their evil deeds. And then they were going about as talebearers. That is, since I feel myself righteous next to that one's club, then I inform on him. "Going about as talebearers." And then I say: you know, that one does such things, oh woe, they need to be stopped, and what about you? No, of course not, we do not do such things. But come look at what they do. And then he goes and informs, goes as a talebearer in order to inform on his fellow, when he is no less wicked than him. Only he is wicked in one thing, you are wicked in a second, the third is wicked in a third, but each one was wicked according to his own matter. And this is what the prophet continues and says: but in truth what are they? Bronze and iron. That is, he feels like silver. This is how he thinks of himself. But what is he really? This one is bronze and this one is iron. That is, both are kinds of dross and waste. For indeed, when you want to purify the silver, you extract both the iron and the bronze. Because both are considered dross next to the silver. Each one here feels himself to be silver next to his fellow. But the prophet says, what are they really? He goes about as a talebearer about his fellow as if his fellow is the wicked one, but both of you, he is bronze, you are iron. There is no difference between you, both of you are kinds of dross. "And they are all corrupt." And although each one has his own wickedness, nevertheless it is evil no less than his fellow's. How can you know this thing? By placing them in the furnace, refining them, "and I will refine them as one refines silver, and assay them as one assays gold," then you will truly see that these are iron and those are bronze, none of them is silver. This is the next verse.
"The bellows have blown fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire; the refiner refines in vain, for the wicked are not separated out." The Malbim says: from the intensity of the fire's burning, the bellows have blown fiercely and been scorched, and the lead is already consumed. That is, you want to refine them, so it requires such great labor, it requires such intense heating, come see that it "nichar," "nichar" meaning burned. Like "the rivers dried up (charav)," like "his anger burned (vayichar)," this is a term of burning. "The bellows have blown from their fire." He says: from the intensity of the fire's burning, the bellows are already burned. From the intense heating - for the bellows were used to kindle the fire, to fan the fire so that the fire would be strong. And he says: come see that the lead that was mixed with the silver is already consumed. As we said, one of the dross elements in silver is lead. So it would be fitting that the silver already come out clean. For "the bellows have blown from their fire," the bellows are already burned from this fire. And nevertheless the prophet says, "the refiner refines in vain." Why? "The wicked are not separated out." It is impossible to separate the wicked out; it is all dross, all dross together they have become foul. What this means is that the waste within them, the corruption in them, is entirely dross. So although the lead is finished, I would think that is it, it is clean. He says, of course not, the wicked are not separated out. The dross is still attached and the waste is within it and has not yet been separated from it. And why? Because it is entirely dross. Because in truth there is no silver here. For as we said earlier, each one felt himself to be silver next to his fellow. That one is bronze, this one is tin, that one is lead, this one is iron, what am I? Silver. He says: come take and refine them, even after all the lead is finished, which is considered the cheapest and lowliest metal, as it were, you will find that you still have no refined silver. Why? Because this whole mixture, in which each of them is a different kind of waste, what does it compose? A whole mass of waste. Because in truth there is no silver here. So although each one of them feels himself to be silver, but through the blowing of the bellows and through the fire, you will see that the refiner refines in vain, and the wicked are not separated out, the evil is not separated from them through this refining. The Radak explains: since he compares them to bronze and iron, and the smith makes tools from bronze and iron. How? Through fire. He melts them in fire and thus creates tools. And so too the refiner, he melts the silver and through this he creates a tool. The one who blows, blows the bellows into the fire in order to refine the silver. The bellows here, the Radak says, is a metaphor for the prophet. And the one who blows, that is, the bellows here is a metaphor for the prophet, for the prophet is in fact the one who blows, and what is the one who blows? He blows from his throat, for when a person speaks, he expels air, he expels it from his throat. And then, as it were, he wants to say: this bellows, who is this bellows? The prophet. What happened to him? He was burned. His throat became hoarse, he shouts and shouts and shouts, and what happened? "The bellows have blown from their fire." From their fire the bellows are already burned, this throat which is meant to refine, which is meant to rebuke and clarify their dross, this throat is already burned from the constant persistence of the blower in it, from all the shouting and shouting and blowing, his throat is already scorched. And behold, look at the blowing, from all the blowing the lead is consumed, but the inferior silver has still not melted. And this in fact comes to hint that Israel, who do inferior deeds, the prophet speaks to them morning and evening, his throat is hoarse, but the wicked are not separated out. They still continue in their corruption, they still continue in their crooked way; come see that his throat is hoarse and yet nothing has changed.
"Rejected silver they are called, for Hashem has rejected them." "Rejected silver" means silver that cannot be refined by any effort. "Rejected silver they are called," as we said, this is dross silver, and even though each one in fact stretches out his hooves to say I am pure, in truth they are not for Hashem, they are not pure and Hashem has no desire in them, for "Hashem has rejected them," the Holy One, blessed be He, has rejected them. And since this is so, all that they present themselves as righteous next to their fellows, know that in truth it is not so, but they are all dross, together they have become foul, and therefore upon all of them will come that same decree which Hashem designates.