Chapter 23 of Yechezkel deals with the two parts of the Jewish people: Samaria and Judah. As is well known, after the death of Shlomo the kingdom split into the kingdom of Rechavam and the kingdom of Yarov'am. Yarov'am ruled over the Ten Tribes, while Rechavam ruled over Judah and Binyamin. The kingdom of Yarov'am was wicked throughout its entire existence, until the exile, whereas the kingdom of Judah experienced ups and downs: it had righteous kings alongside wicked ones. Here, the Holy One, Blessed be He, portrays these two kingdoms as two women whom He took as wives.
One must understand that ever since the Giving of the Torah, the Jewish people are depicted as the wife, while the Holy One, Blessed be He, the Giver of the Torah, is, as it were, the Beloved. This theme recurs frequently, both in Shir HaShirim and in many other places: the Holy One, Blessed be He, took us as a people to Himself, just like taking a wife. Consequently, when speaking of separation between ourselves and Hashem, the language is that of divorce - "Where is the bill of your mother's divorce with which I sent her away?" - representing a get. And when the Jewish people go after the Ba'alim, it is expressed through the concept of harlotry, like a woman who strays unfaithfully from her husband and turns to others.
This is also the significance of the revelation at Mount Sinai: "He suspended the mountain over them like an overturned vat." The mountain as a vat was an aspect of a chuppah; He gathered them under the marriage canopy. We have already explained that this is also why the Holy One, Blessed be He, coerced them to accept the Torah: "If you accept the Torah, good; but if not, there shall be your burial." Presumably, they had already said, "We will do and we will hear," so why was it necessary to coerce them? This is a famous question with many answers, one of which, based on the Maharal, is that after an act of coercion, "he may not send her away all his days." Because there was an element of coercion here, it was guaranteed that the Jewish people would never be severed from the Holy One, Blessed be He. This is a marriage that will never be dissolved. Therefore, when Israel claimed that Hashem had divorced them, He replied to them: "Where is the bill of your mother's divorce?" - I have never divorced you. I distanced you, but there is no divorce here. It is impossible to become severed from the Holy One, Blessed be He; the Jewish people are the nation of Hashem forever.
Our chapter describes the reality of Samaria and Judah as two wives, one more rebellious and the other less so, but both committing harlotry against their Husband. Two wives to one Husband. This teaches that both Samaria and Judah corrupted their ways and abandoned Hashem's Torah, only one was worse and the other slightly less so. We will soon see this expressed both in their names and in the descriptions of their deeds.
We have often noted that the concept of harlotry appears frequently in Scripture in connection with idolatry: "and they strayed after the Ba'alim," "after which you stray." One explanation, as we have said, is that if the relationship between ourselves and the Holy One, Blessed be He, is one of marriage, then when the wife corrupts her ways to follow another, it is harlotry. Furthermore, we have frequently cited the Vilna Gaon's tradition that next to every house of idol worship stood a brothel. The reason was that by holding licentious parties there, the pagan priests would attract followers to join them. This was one of the prime attractions: the Torah severely restricts matters of holiness, as the God of Israel hates licentiousness, whereas with the Ba'alim, quite the contrary, this very behavior was the ritual service! Through this, they drew the masses into idolatry. Therefore, the metaphor of harlotry matches the concept of idol worship perfectly.
וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃ בֶּן־אָדָם שְׁתַּיִם נָשִׁים בְּנוֹת אֵם־אַחַת הָיוּ׃ - The word of Hashem came to me, saying: Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother.
He compares the kingdom of Ephraim, which is the Ten Tribes, and the kingdom of Judah, to two women who are daughters of one mother.
וַתִּזְנֶינָה בְמִצְרַיִם בִּנְעוּרֵיהֶן זָנוּ שָׁמָּה מֹעֲכוּ שְׁדֵיהֶן וְשָׁם עִשּׂוּ דַּדֵּי בְּתוּלֵיהֶן׃ - And they committed harlotry in Egypt; they strayed in their youth; there their breasts were squeezed, and there their virgin bosoms were handled.
Already in Egypt they began to stray unfaithfully from Hashem, as the prophet mentioned earlier. However, at that time they had three justifications for their deeds. The first justification: "And they committed harlotry in Egypt" - what could that son do and not sin? If you place someone at the doorway of a brothel, that is what will happen. Egypt was a place of depravity, called "the nakedness of the land": "You shall not do according to the abominations of the land of Egypt" - the greatest abominations were in Egypt. If Egypt was filled with abominations, it was inevitable that they, too, would deteriorate.
The second justification: "They strayed in their youth" - the straying stemmed from the boiling passions and the limited understanding of the days of youth. These are the two hallmarks of youth. A great sage once said: If in my old age I had the strength I had in my youth, or if in my youth I had the wisdom I have now in my old age, I would look entirely different! A young person possesses tremendous energy but lacks wisdom, and so he pursues folly. And when a person matures and attains wisdom, he no longer has the strength to exert and strain himself. If only the two could be combined, one could reach extraordinary heights. "In their youth" is an expression of the nation's reality when it was still in its infancy: not yet grounded in faith, not yet grounded in devotion to Hashem, having not yet received the Torah.
The third justification: "there their breasts were bruised." These expressions are meant to arouse lust, and the Egyptians misled them through their deeds and customs into idol worship. In simple terms: they seduced them. Just as a young woman is seduced, so too were Bnei Yisrael seduced into coming and serving idols.
What is meant by "they handled their virgin teats"? According to Radak, as well as most commentators, this is a poetic repetition of the same idea in different words, since in their view "shedeihen" (breasts) and "dadeihen" (teats) are one and the same. But the Malbim never accepts the notion of repetitive synonyms; he maintains a consistent approach, which he explains in several other places as well: "shedeihen" is understood literally, whereas "dadeihen" refers to the place of virginity. Therefore it says "there they handled their virgin teats" - the daddim pertain to virginity and not to the upper body at all. He explains the verse in Mishlei in the same way: "her breasts (*dadeha*) will satisfy you at all times."
And according to Radak, what does the verse come to teach us? The breasts are an allegory for the mitzvos they inherited from the Avos, from Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, and the days of virginity are the early days, before they received the Torah. The Egyptians sought to strip this away from us, and regarding this it is said, "there their breasts were bruised, there they handled their virgin teats." Ishu (עישו) is from the root of kneading and massaging, as in "and you shall tread down (*va'asosem*) the wicked" - pressing and crushing, in the words of the Malbim. This is also the origin of the word isah (dough), since dough is kneaded, and the origin of the biblical word arisah in "the first of your dough (*arisoteichem*)." Where did the letter resh come from? The Malbim explains: Do not wonder at this, for we find other instances of an added resh that does not change the core meaning of the word. Just as shevet is a staff, and so is sharvit; just as sa'if is a bough, and so is sar'af, which likewise means a branch. So too here: ishu, kneading, and arisah - they are all one concept of kneading dough.
וּשְׁמוֹתָן אׇהֳלָה הַגְּדוֹלָה וְאׇהֳלִיבָה אֲחוֹתָהּ וַתִּהְיֶינָה לִי וַתֵּלַדְנָה בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּשְׁמוֹתָן שֹׁמְרוֹן אׇהֳלָה וִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם אׇהֳלִיבָה׃ - And their names were Oholah the elder, and Oholivah her sister; and they became Mine, and bore sons and daughters. As for their names: Shomron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim is Oholivah.
"And their names" - already from the very beginning, already in Egypt, they were divided in their names. For there were tribes that were more devoted to the tradition of the Avos, such as the tribe of Levi, who did not worship idols in Egypt and did not neglect circumcision, and likewise "Yehudah became His sanctuary" - they were more closely attached to Hashem. They were called "Oholivah," meaning ohali bah, "My tent is in her," for Hashem dwells within them. These are Yehudah, Levi, and Binyamin, and this is Yerushalayim. The remaining tribes were called "Oholah" - ohel lah, a tent of her own, rather than My tent in her. And this is Shomron.
And who is the elder? "Oholah the elder" - the other tribes constituted the majority, so she is the elder sister. Yet despite all this, "and they became Mine": He did not take only Oholivah as a wife, but both of them; Hashem betrothed both at Matan Torah. "And they bore sons and daughters" - they were fruitful and multiplied in Eretz Yisrael. And although they were already divided in name back in Egypt, afterward they were referred to under a single status: "and they became Mine, and bore sons and daughters" - together, with no distinction between them, since in the first stage they were still united and the kingdom had not yet split: the reign of Shaul, the reign of David, the reign of Shlomo. This lasted until the days of Yarovam, when they divided and began to worship the Ba'al; only then were they called by their respective names. This is the meaning of "As for their names: Shomron is Oholah, and Yerushalayim is Oholivah": Shomron distanced herself entirely from Hashem, fashioning calves and ceasing the pilgrimage festivals; while Yerushalayim, the Kingdom of Yehudah, still retained the Sanctuary of Hashem - ohali bah, Hashem's tent and dwelling place remained in Yerushalayim.
וַתִּזֶן אׇהֳלָה תַּחְתָּי וַתֶּעְגַּב עַל־מְאַהֲבֶיהָ אֶל־אַשּׁוּר קְרוֹבִים׃ - And Oholah strayed from Me, and she doted on her lovers, on Ashur who were near.
From the moment Oholah strayed into idolatry, she became increasingly entangled with the nations of the lands, until finally "she doted on her lovers." Iguv (lustful doting), the Malbim explains, refers to the preludes to infidelity, the behaviors that arouse desire toward promiscuity, which are termed ma'aseh agavim. Radak similarly notes that vata'agav denotes passionate longing, as in "lovers (*ogvim*) despised you" and similar verses. He cites his father, of blessed memory, who taught that whenever this root appears in Scripture, it refers exclusively to illicit lust. He writes: "Therefore, the liturgical poets erred when they used this word to describe longing for the Almighty, blessed be He." Some payyetanim used this term to express yearning and closeness to Hashem, but Radak states in the name of his father that this is a mistake, since this expression always carries a negative connotation of promiscuity and is entirely inappropriate for sacred matters. This is also the origin of the phrase shirei agavim (licentious love songs) and the like, which treat themes of illicit passion. "And she doted on her lovers" - she engaged with them in acts of lust and infidelity.
And who were her lovers? The Malbim explains: the Assyrians, and they were "near" because they had entered the land. According to Radak, "near" means that although they were physically distant, she drew them close. Another explanation: we find that Achaz sent word to the king of Ashur, "I am your servant and your son" - treating him like a close relative, like a father. This is the meaning of "near": you went and treated Ashur as though he were your close kin. He then pleaded, "Come up and rescue me," and he adopted the model of the altar from Damascus, saying: The gods of the kings of Aram help them; I will sacrifice to them so that they help me too. The Malbim notes that this also occurred in the time of Menachem ben Gadi, who gave Pul king of Ashur a thousand talents of silver to secure his hold on the kingdom against his enemies.
Rashi asks: Why are they compared to an adulterous woman? Because had you served the Holy One, blessed be He, you would never have needed the kings of Ashur. Why do you need those paramours in order to receive from them "my bread and my drink"? Because you abandoned your true Husband, who is the Holy One, blessed be He. Had you turned to Him, you would have received all your needs in full measure, but you despised Him and went looking for other companions.
לְבֻשֵׁי תְכֵלֶת פַּחוֹת וּסְגָנִים בַּחוּרֵי חֶמֶד כֻּלָּם פָּרָשִׁים רֹכְבֵי סוּסִים׃ - Clothed in blue, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
What attracted her to lust after the Assyrians? If in terms of splendid attire - "clothed in blue", a most distinctive garment. If in terms of status - "governors and rulers", men of prominence. If in terms of physical appearance - "all of them desirable young men", *chemed* meaning that anyone who sees them covets them in his heart. And if in terms of prowess - "horsemen riding upon horses."
וַתִּתֵּן תַּזְנוּתֶיהָ עֲלֵיהֶם מִבְחַר בְּנֵי־אַשּׁוּר כֻּלָּם וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָגְבָה בְּכׇל־גִּלּוּלֵיהֶם נִטְמָאָה׃ - And she bestowed her harlotries upon them, the elite of all the sons of Assyria; and with all after whom she lusted, with all their idols she defiled herself.
"And she bestowed her harlotries upon them" - Rashi explains that she directed a heart of adultery and a spirit of harlotry toward them, longing after them. "And with all after whom she lusted, with all their idols she defiled herself" - through all the forms of idolatry they practiced, she learned from their ways and became defiled by them. It is written that there were 365 varieties of idolatry, and every day they would worship a different deity, importing idols from all the surrounding nations. Whatever foreign worship they observed outside, they immediately adopted - taking everything indiscriminately. The Malbim notes that "and she bestowed her harlotries upon them" refers to the days of Hoshea son of Elah, who went and became a vassal to the king of Assyria, and the kingdom adopted their abominations.
וְאֶת־תַּזְנוּתֶיהָ מִמִּצְרַיִם לֹא עָזָבָה כִּי אוֹתָהּ שָׁכְבוּ בִנְעוּרֶיהָ וְהֵמָּה עִשּׂוּ דַּדֵּי בְתוּלֶיהָ וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ תַזְנוּתָם עָלֶיהָ׃ - Neither did she forsake her harlotries from Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they handled her virginal breasts, and poured their harlotry upon her.
We have seen that this infidelity began back in Egypt, where they at least had some pretext. But now Scripture tells us: do you think they abandoned them? They did not. Even now, they continued to rely on the kings of Egypt, as seen with Hoshea son of Elah, who sent emissaries to So, king of Egypt, asking for assistance. The prophet rebukes them, reminding them that Egypt is a fractured staff of reed that pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it; nevertheless, they persisted in leaning on it, which is to say, straying after it. "For in her youth they lay with her" - an appetite for harlotry had been ingrained in her from her long-standing relationship with Egypt.
Radak explains that although she adopted idolatry from Assyria, she did not abandon what she had learned in the past from Egypt. All the idols and sorceries she possessed previously remained with her, for the Egyptians were the first to teach them all varieties of foreign worship and witchcraft. According to Radak, "neither did she forsake her harlotries from Egypt" refers back to the past: adopting idolatry from Assyria did not mean discarding the former practices. They let go of neither - what was there before remained, and new corruptions were added on top. And what is meant by "and poured their harlotry upon her"? It means they taught them extensive doctrines, and the term "poured" conveys an outpouring in great quantity and abundance.
Here the Malbim makes an important observation regarding the various forms and terms for harlotry in this passage, distinguishing among them: *Zenut* refers to regular infidelity. *Zenunim*, with the repetition of the letter *nun*, indicates persistence in harlotry - and as we have noted previously, in Lashon HaKodesh, the doubling of a letter conveys intensification: *patz* means to break, while *potzetz* means to shatter into pieces; *par* denotes breaking, while *porer* means crumbling into fine particles, and so on. Similarly, *zenunim* denotes constant, habitual harlotry, as well as brazen public practice, as in "Take for yourself a wife of harlotry (*eshet zenunim*) and children of harlotry." *Taznut* indicates that it is not enough that the person corrupts himself; he also pours his corruption onto others and leads others astray with him, which is why it appears in a causative noun pattern. And *zimah* always pertains to premeditated thought, from the root *zamam* (to plot), meaning that one schemes in his mind; it indicates total mental immersion in immorality, not merely committing an act, but brooding over it obsessively. The Malbim concludes: Through this, one can understand the precise shifts in terminology throughout this passage.
לָכֵן נְתַתִּיהָ בְּיַד־מְאַהֲבֶיהָ בְּיַד בְּנֵי אַשּׁוּר אֲשֶׁר עָגְבָה עֲלֵיהֶם׃ - Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the sons of Assyria, after whom she lusted.
Hashem says: Since this is so, I will deliver you into their hands. The king of Assyria considered them rebels against him, and consequently Sancheriv came and exiled them. She doted on Assyria, thinking salvation would come from him, yet the Holy One, blessed be He, says: I will deliver you into their hands; they themselves will strike you. When? When they saw that they had gone to seek protection from Egypt.
From here we see a general principle: someone who rebels will always rebel. One can never rely on a traitor. People who are far from mitzvos do not understand this at all: someone forms a relationship with a married woman, and as a result she divorces and marries him. And what happens afterward? She does the exact same thing to him, because a rebel always rebels. If you took someone unfaithful, why do you think she will be faithful to you? It is utter foolishness and vanity. The same is true here: they were unfaithful to Hashem their God and went whoring after Assyria - so what did they think, that they would remain faithful to Assyria? From Assyria they strayed to Egypt; they abandoned Assyria and went to seek shelter under Egypt. Then Hashem said: I will deliver you into his hand; now Assyria will strike you and punish you for abandoning him and turning to Egypt. Sancheriv came and exiled them.
הֵמָּה גִּלּוּ עֶרְוָתָהּ בָּנֶיהָ וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ לָקָחוּ וְאוֹתָהּ בַּחֶרֶב הָרָגוּ וַתְּהִי־שֵׁם לַנָּשִׁים וּשְׁפוּטִים עָשׂוּ בָהּ׃ - They uncovered her nakedness; they took her sons and her daughters, and they slew her with the sword; and she became a byword among women, for they executed judgments upon her.
The king of Assyria came and conquered the land, exiled her sons and daughters to Chalach, Chavor, Hara, and the Gozan River, and killed most of them by the sword, completely dismantling the kingdom of Shomron. "And she became a byword [shem] among women" - similar to "that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness" (Yechezkel 23:48): when they see how this woman who corrupted her ways was stricken, it serves as a profound warning for other women not to follow suit. For this reason, women were brought to watch when a sotah was disciplined, so that they would take warning. Here too, the nations witnessed this and drew a lesson from Shomron: see what happens when one strays from the path of Hashem. "For they executed judgments [shefutim] upon her" - akin to shefatim, acts of vengeful retribution were visited upon Shomron.
וַתֵּרֶא אֲחוֹתָהּ אׇהֳלִיבָה וַתַּשְׁחֵת עַגְבָתָהּ מִמֶּנָּה וְאֶת־תַּזְנוּתֶיהָ מִזְּנוּנֵי אֲחוֹתָהּ׃ - And her sister Oholivah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and in her harlotries more than the harlotries of her sister.
Until now the text dealt with Oholah, which is Shomron, who set up a tent separate from the tent of Hashem. Now the Navi turns to speak of Yerushalayim. "And her sister Oholivah saw this" - might you have thought she learned a lesson? "Yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she." Even though she witnessed Oholah's fate, and one might have expected her to draw conclusions, see how she failed to take heed - as it is written in Yirmeyahu: "Yet her treacherous sister Yehudah did not fear, but she too went and played the harlot" (Yirmeyahu 3:8). "Yet she was more corrupt in her lust [agvasah]" - agvah denotes her passionate desire. This occurred in the days of Achaz, who sent a bribe to the king of Assyria - Achaz being one of the kings of Yehudah - and in the days of Menasheh we see afterward that the army commanders of the king of Assyria arrive.
אֶל־בְּנֵי אַשּׁוּר עָגָבָה פַּחוֹת וּסְגָנִים קְרֹבִים לְבֻשֵׁי מִכְלוֹל פָּרָשִׁים רֹכְבֵי סוּסִים בַּחוּרֵי חֶמֶד כֻּלָּם׃ - She doted on the Assyrians, governors and commanders nearby, clothed gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.
Even though they saw what had been done to her sister, she did not refrain from lusting after the sons of Assyria once again. You saw that your sister Oholah doted upon them, and you saw that in the end they themselves struck her and exiled her - and from them you expect salvation? And nevertheless: "She doted on the Assyrians." What attracted her? They had men of distinction, "governors and commanders"; they were nearby; "clothed gorgeously" - dressed in garments encompassing every sort of splendor; there were warriors among them, "horsemen riding upon horses"; and they were handsome, "all of them desirable young men." She imagined, as it were, that salvation would emerge from them.
וָאֵרֶא כִּי נִטְמָאָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶחָד לִשְׁתֵּיהֶן׃ - And I saw that she was defiled; they both took one way.
What is the meaning of "And I saw"? The Malbim explains: this occurred in secret. Yehudah did not act openly in public as the Ten Tribes did. As it is written in Yirmeyahu 3: "And it came to pass through the frivolousness of her harlotry, that she polluted the land" - where the Malbim explains that on account of her harlotry, she sought to conceal it, fearing everyone lest bad rumors spread about her; for this reason "she polluted the land" - she acted hypocritically, presenting herself as a virtuous woman, while at that very moment she was truly defiled. This is the meaning of "And I saw that she was defiled."
Thus, we find that Yehudah differed from Shomron: in Shomron, idolatry was practiced publicly and openly, whereas in Yehudah, it was done in secret. As we have seen, even during the reigns of the righteous kings, people would place their idols behind inner doors: when the emissaries of Chizkiyahu came to search their homes for idols, the door would open inward, concealing the idol behind the wall so they could not see it, and when they left and closed the door - the idol stood upright once more, as it was engraved on the inside of the door. So too with Yoshiyahu: "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Hashem, was captured in their traps." And why? Because he was confident in the promise, "No sword shall pass through your land," thinking, "We are righteous." What did he not know? That his generation was not genuinely upright. You may be righteous, but see what your people are doing - they act in secret. We see that Yehudah strayed unceasingly in secret, while Shomron acted with brazen abandon: they set up calves and proclaimed outright that they had abandoned Hashem to serve idols. Therefore, Scripture says here, "And I saw" - this refers to a spiritual insight, known only to the Holy One, Blessed be He. "Both had one way" - ultimately, she walked the very same path as her sister Oholah.
וַתּוֹסֶף אֶל־תַּזְנוּתֶיהָ וַתֵּרֶא אַנְשֵׁי מְחֻקֶּה עַל־הַקִּיר צַלְמֵי כַשְׂדִּים חֻקֻקִים בַּשָּׁשַׁר׃ - She added to her harlotries; she saw men carved upon the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in vermilion.
Afterward, the kingdom of Assyria ceased to exist. In the first year of his reign, Nevuchadnetzar conquered Nineveh and became head of the Assyrian empire, as discussed at length in Trei Asar, establishing the throne of Assyria in Babylon. Yehudah did not yet know the Chaldeans personally; she merely saw their likeness on the wall - meaning she saw a representation of the Chaldeans and began to learn about their character and style. How did she recognize them? First, by the engraving - "carved upon the wall," meaning sculpted or engraved. Second, by the craftsmanship - the images of the Chaldeans were fashioned in a distinct, unique style customary among the Chaldeans. Third, "carved in vermilion" - vermilion (shashar) was a red pigment used exclusively by the Chaldeans, a color unique to them, and through this she identified them.
חֲגוֹרֵי אֵזוֹר בְּמׇתְנֵיהֶם סְרוּחֵי טְבוּלִים בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶם מַרְאֵה שָׁלִשִׁים כֻּלָּם דְּמוּת בְּנֵי־בָבֶל כַּשְׂדִּים אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתָּם׃ - Girded with belts upon their loins, flowing turbans dyed upon their heads, all of them looking like officers, the likeness of the Babylonians, whose native land is Chaldea.
The Babylonians used to gird their belts tightly; that was their custom. Where do we see this? The Gemara in Shabbos (10a) states: "As for these Babylonian colleagues, once someone has loosened his belt [for a meal], we do not trouble him [to retie it for prayer]" - people in Babylonia, and the Jews who lived among them, wore such tight belts that once a person untied it to sit down to a meal, he was not troubled to stop and retie it. This shows that they were indeed "girded with belts upon their loins."
"Flowing turbans dyed upon their heads" - they wore tall, flowing head coverings. "Seruchei" denotes extension, as in "shall hang over (tisrach) the back of the Tabernacle." There is a homiletic interpretation offered for the phrase "the wisdom of the scribes will linger/spoil (tisrach)," spoken of the generation preceding Mashiach: that before Mashiach arrives, when a speaker takes the microphone, he forgets when to stop - going on and on, testing the listeners' patience. At a Sheva Berachos celebration, for example, a certain Rosh Yeshivah was once invited to speak; thinking he was in yeshivah, he delivered an hour-long mussar discourse, whereas at a Sheva Berachos one is meant to speak for five or ten minutes, sharing a brief vort or a pleasant thought to gladden the bride and groom. "Tisrach" thus denotes lingering and extending excessively. And what is "tevulim"? It means they were dyed, immersed into color. "All of them looking like officers" - bearing the stature of warriors, for shalishim are distinguished captains and heroes, as in "and captains (veshalishim) over all of them." "The likeness of the Babylonians, whose native land is Chaldea" - foreigners residing in Babylon did not wear such attire; only native Babylonians born in Chaldea dressed this way.
וַתַּעְגְּבָה עֲלֵיהֶם לְמַרְאֵה עֵינֶיהָ וַתִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֲלֵיהֶם כַּשְׂדִּימָה׃ - She lusted after them as soon as her eyes saw them, and she sent messengers to them to Chaldea.
Merely seeing their depicted likeness - even before she had met them in person - was enough to arouse her desire to see them. "And she sent messengers" - indicating their desire to forge an alliance with the Chaldeans.
וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלֶיהָ בְנֵי־בָבֶל לְמִשְׁכַּב דֹּדִים וַיְטַמְּאוּ אוֹתָהּ בְּתַזְנוּתָם וַתִּטְמָא־בָם וַתֵּקַע נַפְשָׁהּ מֵהֶם׃ - And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their harlotry; she became defiled with them, and her soul was alienated from them.
"And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love" - they forged a covenant with them. Rashi comments: "I say this was stated regarding Chizkiyahu." Scripture relates that Chizkiyahu was delighted when Merodach-baladan, son of Baladan, sent an embassy to him. After the Babylonian ruler saw the sun retreat and asked who had caused this and by what merit, and was told that it was King Chizkiyahu, he was so impressed that he dispatched a delegation to meet him. Chazal relate that Chizkiyahu fed them at his table, and that his wife served them and their image entered her thoughts; consequently, when he was intimate with her, she bore a child in their likeness. The pesukim state explicitly that he showed them all his treasure-house, all his riches. This is alluded to in the words "men carved upon the wall" - since they came from a distant land and the Chaldeans were unfamiliar to them, seeing them just once was enough to make them beloved in his eyes.
And the Holy One, Blessed be He, held this against him and said to him, "Behold, days are coming when everything in your house will be carried off." The Malbim explains - as we have already learned - that this was not merely a punishment, but that he brought harm upon himself: you brought these people in and showed them your treasure-house, and once they saw such riches their appetite was whetted, leading them ultimately to come and conquer you. Yet there was also strict Divine accountability here, because he attributed the merit to himself, as the Malbim explains there, and as it is written in Divrei HaYamim: "But Chizkiyahu did not respond according to the favor done for him, for his heart was haughty, and wrath came upon him."
The Malbim explains the progression of stages in the verse: initially, "and the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love" - they came to forge an alliance of friendship and mutual connection, making treaties and enriching one another. Afterward, "and they defiled her with their harlotry" - they subjugated them and forced them into tribute. Then, "and she was defiled by them" - they adopted the abominations of the Kasdim, serving idols just like them. And the next stage: "and her soul alienated from them" - they also rebelled against them, as Yehoyakim and Tzidkiyahu began to revolt against Babylon.
And what does "vateka" mean? Rashi explains that it is related to hoka'ah, an expression of fastening or planting a stake in the ground. Yet ostensibly here it means the exact opposite, for "nak'ah nafsho" means one grew disgusted with them and wants to dislodge them! He explains: do not be surprised, for when something is wrenched out of the earth, the root k-y-a also applies, so "vateka" denotes both plunging something in and tearing it out. And how can two opposite meanings exist within a single word? Consider the root sh-r-sh: "vatashresh sharosheha" means taking root and flourishing, while "u'v'chol tevuati tesharesh" means uprooting from the root. Similarly, "b'se'ifeha poriyah" refers to branches, while "mesa'ef purah" means lopping off the tree's branches. Thus, there are words that encompass both a concept and its opposite. The same applies to "vateka nafshah": it denotes both fastening and attachment, as well as dislodging and detachment, as in "vatayka kaf yerech Yaakov" - that it was dislocated from its place.
וַתְּגַל תַּזְנוּתֶיהָ וַתְּגַל אֶת־עֶרְוָתָהּ וַתֵּקַע נַפְשִׁי מֵעָלֶיהָ כַּאֲשֶׁר נָקְעָה נַפְשִׁי מֵעַל אֲחוֹתָהּ׃ - "She exposed her harlotries and exposed her nakedness, and My soul was alienated from her, just as My soul had been alienated from her sister."
"She exposed her harlotries" - it became widely known that she was straying after other gods, and it was no longer done in secret, but openly and publicly. This reflects the difference we observed between Shomron and Yehudah: in Shomron everything was in public from the outset, with the two golden calves worshiped before everyone's eyes; whereas in Yehudah it was initially conducted in secret, and in the second stage, "she exposed her harlotries" - they openly engaged in idolatry. "And exposed her nakedness" - she also committed other sins, not only idolatry, shamelessly in public, as it is written: "and you spread your legs to every passerby." Then Hashem says: "and My soul was alienated from her" - I decreed exile upon her just as I decreed upon the Ten Tribes, "just as My soul had been alienated from her sister." This occurred when Tzidkiyahu violated the oath sworn to the king of Babylon, prompting the Babylonian king to come, destroy the land, and exile the people.
וַתַּרְבֶּה אֶת־תַּזְנוּתֶיהָ לִזְכֹּר אֶת־יְמֵי נְעוּרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר זָנְתָה בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ - "Yet she multiplied her harlotries, remembering the days of her youth, when she acted as a harlot in the land of Egypt."
She multiplied her harlotries to such an extent that the Holy One, Blessed be He, recalled against her the days of her youth and the evils she committed then - the recent misdeeds revived and brought to remembrance the earlier sins as well. The Malbim explains that she literally reverted to her former state, turning to seek help from Egypt during the reign of Tzidkiyahu. In her youth she had learned Egypt's idolatry, and now she relapsed once more, following the ways of Egypt, according to the abominations of the land of Egypt.
For those who remember the early decades of the State of Israel, there was a close alliance with France - the French Mirage jets and that entire diplomatic relationship. And what did this ultimately bring about? French culture swept in: French films, French style, the entire culture of France arrived here. And today the situation is no better, for today people are attached to America, and American culture floods everything here. It makes no difference: as long as there is an attachment to foreign nations, the culture of those nations inevitably follows. This is what happened in the time of Tzidkiyahu: because they aligned themselves with Egypt, they began acting according to the practices of the land of Egypt, adopting Egyptian culture once again just as they had in their youth.
וַתַּעְגְּבָה עַל פִּלַגְשֵׁיהֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּשַׂר־חֲמוֹרִים בְּשָׂרָם וְזִרְמַת סוּסִים זִרְמָתָם׃ - "And she lusted after their paramours, whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys, and whose discharge is the discharge of horses."
The phrasing here is quite puzzling. After all, the verse speaks of a woman acting promiscuously, so it should have said that she lusted after Egypt and the other nations, which would be understood; yet "she lusted after their concubines" speaks of females, which is baffling. Indeed, the Radak cites an explanation in the name of the commentators: pilegsheihem ("their concubines") refers to their male servants. This does not mean female concubines, but rather servants, meaning that she allied herself even with the lowliest servants of the nations, and not just with the princes and nobles. "Whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys" refers to those servants. Radak explains that the word "flesh" (basar) appears frequently in Tanach as a euphemism for the reproductive organ, as in "his flesh runs with his discharge" and "his flesh is stopped from his discharge." And why were they compared to donkeys and horses? The donkey, because its member is large; and the horse, because it is more consumed by lust than other animals. That is to say: she went and attached herself to the most abhorrent and degraded men in their promiscuity.
Another explanation, which the Malbim also follows: al ("upon") is used in the sense of "with", as in "and the men came al (with) the women." "And she lusted after their concubines" means she joined with their concubines. This demonstrates the extent of her degradation: she did not even aspire to become a wife to them, which would carry the status of a wife, but rather went to join their concubines and become like a concubine to them - a far greater disgrace and humiliation. This is also why the Targum renders it, "and she desired to be their maidservant" (or according to some readings, "their servant"), meaning to serve them as a maid and a handmaid. Not only did she fail to attain any honorable status, she actually went to serve them like a maidservant. This reveals the depth of her corruption and the sheer magnitude of her downfall in binding herself to Egypt.
The Malbim explains that she became like a concubine to them, and that "whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys" provides the reason: why did she join them as a concubine? Because they are steeped in lust, like a horse consumed by passion, requiring many concubines. This reflects how the people subjugated themselves to Egypt alongside the other nations, as we see later that Egypt had other vassal nations subservient to it - "the supporters of Egypt: Cush, Put, and Lud" - all of whom were called "their concubines." And she went and joined them to become yet another concubine, subjugated to them.
לָכֵן אׇהֳלִיבָה כֹּה־אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה הִנְנִי מֵעִיר אֶת־מְאַהֲבַיִךְ עָלַיִךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־נָקְעָה נַפְשֵׁךְ מֵהֶם וַהֲבֵאתִים עָלַיִךְ מִסָּבִיב׃ - Therefore, Oholivah, thus said the Lord God: Behold, I will rouse your lovers against you, those from whom your soul has become alienated, and I will bring them against you from all around.
Our soul became alienated from them, as we saw above, and now they will come to restore that love - meaning they will want to create a situation in which we return to an affectionate alliance with them, making peace with them. Just as we saw that initially Nevuchadnezzar came to compel Tzidkiyahu to make peace with him, rather than immediately seeking to destroy him. Had Tzidkiyahu truly made peace with him, he would not have destroyed the city and the Temple; it was only because he rebelled that Nevuchadnezzar came and destroyed Jerusalem. From this we learn that at first they came to stir up love so that we would once again submit to them, and when we refused to submit, they came and struck us, destroying the Beit HaMikdash. This is the meaning of "Behold, I will rouse your lovers against you" - that initially they would approach by way of love; "those from whom your soul has become alienated" - because your soul turned away from them in disgust; "and I will bring them against you from all around" - they will surround you from every side to force you back into their fold.
The chapter depicts Shomron and Jerusalem as two sisters whom the Holy One, blessed be He, took as wives, and both strayed unfaithfully after others. Oholah - ohel lah, a tent unto herself, having completely departed from the tent of Hashem; and Oholivah - oholi vah, My tent is in her, as the Sanctuary of Hashem still dwelt within her. The promiscuity began back in Egypt, with three contributing factors: the abominable setting, the youthfulness characterized by burning passion and immature judgment, and the seduction on the part of the Egyptians. Shomron lusted after Assyria at the sight of their attire, nobility, beauty, and might, without abandoning Egypt either - and she was handed over into the hands of those very lovers, for one who is prone to rebellion will always rebel. Judah watched and failed to take the lesson to heart, instead sinning even more, initially in secret and through deceit - "and I saw that she was defiled" - and ultimately out in the open, lusting after the Chaldeans upon seeing their images carved into the wall, and returning to Egypt as in her youth until she became like a concubine to them. In the end, those very lovers came against her from all around. The lesson is timeless: as long as we lean upon the nations, it is their culture that inundates us; only returning to our true Husband, to the Holy One, blessed be He, provides for all our needs as they truly should be met.