Introduction
Chapter 60 of Yeshayahu is a chapter of comfort and light: a depiction of Jerusalem at the time of the Redemption, when the nations stream to her bearing tribute and honor, and the Beit HaMikdash is glorified. In this part of the chapter, we focus on the verses dealing with the rebuilding of the walls by foreigners, the gates that remain open continually, the building of the Temple, the bowing down of those who afflicted and reviled her, and the eternal light that will shine upon Israel in the End of Days. We will proceed through the verses in order, citing the words of the Radak, Rashi, and primarily the commentary of the Malbim.
"Foreigners shall build your walls" - Wrath, not fury
וּבָנוּ בְנֵי־נֵכָר חֹמֹתַיִךְ וּמַלְכֵיהֶם יְשָׁרְתוּנֶךְ כִּי בְקִצְפִּי הִכִּיתִיךְ וּבִרְצוֹנִי רִחַמְתִּיךְ׃ - Foreigners shall build your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in My wrath I struck you, but in My favor I have had mercy on you.
The Radak explains: In addition to serving you with tribute, they will also work in your land - they will build the walls of Jerusalem with their own hands. Foreigners will serve as the laborers and attendants here. The true distinction is not merely when an ordinary person serves us, but when royalty serves us, as it is said, "Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers." The honor lies in having the most prominent figures serve the Jewish people, assisting us and bestowing gold and silver.
"For in My wrath I struck you" - then you will recognize and understand that everything that occurred up to this day was entirely from Me: both the good and the bad, all by divine providence (hashgachah pratit) and not by happenstance. When I had wrath toward the Jewish people I struck them, and then you were subjugated to the nations; "but in My favor I have had mercy on you" - and now the nations will be subservient to you and minister to you. In simple terms: the Jewish people were never abandoned to fate; the Jewish people are guided directly by the Holy One, blessed be He.
The Malbim notes a precise detail in the wording: it says "in My wrath" (bekitspi) rather than "in My fury" (bechamati). Cheimah denotes great anger born of disgust and rejection, whereas ketsef is a lesser anger. It was never out of utter rejection, but merely temporary wrath, and the proof is: "but in My favor I have had mercy on you" - now that this wrath has ceased, I show mercy, and console you even for the past. As King David said, "I will give thanks to You, Hashem, for You were angry with me" - I thank the Holy One, blessed be He, once I realize that the anger and wrath until now were ultimately for my good, and through that very wrath we now merit mercy.
"Your gates shall be open continually" - Open gates as a sign of strength
וּפִתְּחוּ שְׁעָרַיִךְ תָּמִיד יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִסָּגֵרוּ לְהָבִיא אֵלַיִךְ חֵיל גּוֹיִם וּמַלְכֵיהֶם נְהוּגִים׃ - Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that men may bring to you the wealth of nations, and their kings led forth.
Pay attention to the phrasing: it does not say ufatachu in the simple conjugation (kal), but rather ufittechu in the intensive conjugation (pi'el). It is a rule in Lashon HaKodesh that when a verb appears in the intensive conjugation, it signifies that the action is done with force, in full strength, abundantly, and continuously. Just as shiber is not like shavar - shavar denotes a single breaking, whereas shiber denotes shattering with full force - so too, patach could mean opening today and closing tomorrow, but pitte'ach indicates a vigorous and perpetual opening. As Rashi and the Radak explain: the opening will be an everlasting, permanent opening.
Why? Because ordinarily, closed gates reflect dread and fear of foreign nations, which is why they are locked. But at that time, no one will come to threaten us; rather, all will come to bring tribute, to offer sacrifices, and to glorify and elevate the name of Israel, and therefore the gates will remain open continually. And why at night as well? The Radak explains: because traveling in the heat of the day is difficult, they will travel by night as well.
"And their kings led forth" (nehugim) - the Radak explains: when kings travel on the road, they are escorted; someone leads the procession before them. In contemporary terms: the president's motorcade, with motorcycles leading the way ahead. Thus the kings will arrive escorted in grand procession, reflecting their great prestige, in order to present tribute to Hashem, the God of Israel, and to the king of Israel. The Targum, however, interprets nehugim as bound in chains: the kings will arrive subdued. Not as they have arrived until today - forcing us into fragile peace accords or demanding the release of prisoners as though they run the world - but according to their true stature: humbled and bound in chains.
The Malbim asks: In the previous verse it said, "And foreigners shall build your walls." A wall symbolizes defense, which seemingly indicates Israel's weakness. This is just as we find when Moshe Rabbeinu sent the spies to see "whether in camps or in strongholds" - those who dwell in strongholds are the weak ones. Someone who puts up a separation fence, someone who needs a protective wall and an Iron Dome, shows that he is weak. For if we are strong and there is deterrence, no one dares fire a missile here, knowing that half of Gaza would be wiped out afterward. But when they know we are weak, bound, and unable to do anything, we merely dig in, building shelters and safe rooms.
The Malbim answers: No. The wall does not point to weakness, for at that time we will possess immense power, strength, and prestige, and everyone will fear us. The proof is our verse: "Your gates shall be open continually; day and night." Were the wall built out of weakness, how could the gates remain open? Open gates express power and strength, showing that we fear no one. "They shall not be shut" - they will never need to be closed, for through them the nations will bring their wealth. And as for "their kings led" (melakhehem nehugim), the Malbim explains: the leadership (hanhagah), the anointing of kings, will take place here. Any king they wish to coronate will be anointed in Jerusalem; in Zion the kings of the nations will be anointed.
"For the nation and the kingdom that will not serve you shall perish"
כִּי־הַגּוֹי וְהַמַּמְלָכָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעַבְדוּךְ יֹאבֵדוּ וְהַגּוֹיִם חָרֹב יֶחֱרָבוּ׃ - For the nation and the kingdom that will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined.
And why will kings be anointed specifically in Jerusalem? Because the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish. Thus, every nation and kingdom seeking to endure knows that its survival passes through Jerusalem: if they are anointed here and Melekh HaMashiach accepts them as kings, they will endure; if not, they will perish. No ruler will be able to conquer a country or a territory without authorization from the leadership of Melekh HaMashiach, for otherwise his realm will be destroyed. When people wish to crown someone as king, they will tell him: Go check, are you accepted in Jerusalem? Does Melekh HaMashiach approve you? If he accepts you, fine; if not, you are unacceptable to us as well.
"And those nations shall be utterly ruined (charov yecharavu)" - according to the plain meaning, this is from the word churban (ruin, destruction). Radak offers another explanation: it is from the word cherev (sword), meaning they will be slain by the sword. Thus, only those who serve the Jewish people and accept the authority of Melekh HaMashiach will ultimately remain.
"The glory of the Lebanon shall come to you" - The Building of the Beit HaMikdash
כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן אֵלַיִךְ יָבוֹא בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר וּתְאַשּׁוּר יַחְדָּו לְפָאֵר מְקוֹם מִקְדָּשִׁי וּמְקוֹם רַגְלַי אֲכַבֵּד׃ - The glory of the Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the elm, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of My Sanctuary, and I will make the place of My feet glorious.
"The glory of the Lebanon" - it is well known that whenever the Beit HaMikdash was built, timber from Lebanon was used, and the cedar is the symbol of Lebanon, its glory and splendor. The finest trees of Lebanon will be sent here to us, "the cypress, the elm, and the box tree together," so that the Beit HaMikdash can be built with them, as Radak explains.
This is seemingly astonishing, for we know that the Beit HaMikdash will descend already built, constructed of fire! However, there is a dispute regarding this: some say it will descend fully built from Heaven, while others say we will build it. And some say it will descend built of fire, and we will merely refine it - we will do the finishing touches so that it will be credited to our name. This is how the phrasing in our prayers is explained: "Show us its building, gladden us with its restoration" (Har'einu ve-vinyano, samcheinu ve-tikkuno). "Show us its building" - in the actual building, we are merely onlookers and not active partners, since it descends built from Heaven, as the Vilna Gaon explains; "gladden us with its restoration" - in the restoration and embellishment we take an active part, completing and perfecting the Beit HaMikdash.
"And I will make the place of My feet glorious" - why are "feet" mentioned here? Radak explains: the Beit HaMikdash corresponds to the Throne of Glory, and the Throne of Glory is, as it were, the dwelling place of the Almighty. "The heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool" - and if the Throne is above Jerusalem, then His footstool is the Beit HaMikdash. And how will He make it glorious? By placing it into the hearts of the nations to bring timber for the building of the Mikdash.
The Malbim explains that after describing the construction of the wall, the prophet now depicts what takes place inside the city - the building of the Beit HaMikdash. "The glory of the Lebanon" refers to the towering cedars that are the pride of Lebanon's forest; there are many cedars, but there are the most distinguished among them, the gigantic, towering trees through which the forest is glorified. Likewise, "the cypress, the elm, and the box tree together" are described as though coming of their own accord, a personification of the trees. All of them will come "to beautify the place of My Sanctuary" - so that the site of the Mikdash will be adorned with beauty and elegance through human construction. According to this, it fits what we explained: the essential structure is not built by human hands; rather, its beauty and splendor are fashioned by human hands. But regarding "the place of My feet" - namely, the Holy of Holies - "I will make glorious"; the Holy One, blessed be He, says: This I will make and build, as it were, by Myself, and not through human effort.
"The children of your oppressors shall go bending to you"
וְהָלְכוּ אֵלַיִךְ שְׁחוֹחַ בְּנֵי מְעַנַּיִךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ עַל־כַּפּוֹת רַגְלַיִךְ כָּל־מְנַאֲצָיִךְ וְקָרְאוּ לָךְ עִיר יְהֹוָה צִיּוֹן קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - The children of your oppressors shall come bending down to you, and all who spurned you shall prostrate themselves at the soles of your feet, and they shall call you the City of Hashem, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
"Bending down" (shachoch) - bowed low, stooped in posture. "The children of your oppressors" - those who afflicted you during the exile will no longer be alive at the time of redemption, for they will have already passed away, but their children will come bowed low and cast themselves at our feet. Here the prophet speaks to Jerusalem: all those who cursed until this day, all those who spoke disparagingly of Israel, will prostrate themselves at the soles of your feet. "And they shall call you the City of Hashem" - Radak explains: because the glory of Hashem will be seen here in the city; "Zion of the Holy One of Israel" - the place of the Holy One of Israel, and the holy people of Israel.
The Malbim makes a distinction: "The children of your oppressors" are the nations who tormented us with harsh suffering, and now they will come to appease us. "Those who spurned you" are those who did not actively torment us, but rather condemned and disgraced us - those who passed resolutions of condemnation against us, who did not physically throw stones at us but cheered on the throwers, constantly blaspheming and speaking ill of Israel, considering us of no account. Those who spurned us do not need to appease us, since they did not physically afflict us, but they will prostrate themselves at the soles of your feet due to the immense stature and prominence of Israel.
"And they shall call you the City of Hashem, Zion of the Holy One of Israel" - because the place where the divine revelation will reach its highest level will be in Jerusalem, in Zion, in the Beit HaMikdash. And we have mentioned several times the Malbim's principle: when the sanctity of Hashem is described in relation to the Jewish people, it refers to it being in accordance with their deeds and greatness. "The holy one of Hashem" refers to His intrinsic holiness, whereas "the Holy One of Israel" denotes the revelation of the Holy One, blessed be He, in holiness upon them according to Israel's deeds. That is, in Zion, the Holy One, blessed be He, will bestow an abundance of holiness commensurate with the stature, spiritual level, and deeds of the Jewish people.
This phenomenon is already beginning to be seen in our times. After all, the oppressors themselves are no longer alive, which is why it is specifically their children who come bowed down. We see this repeatedly in Germany, where the children come to ask for forgiveness for what their parents did. Not that this helps us, and not that it brings back to life those who were burned in the crematoria, but one sees how the children say, "Our parents were wrong," and ask for forgiveness in their name. Likewise, Spain came to ask for forgiveness for the Spanish Expulsion, declaring that whoever wishes to return may do so. And when did this happen? When Spain was on the verge of leaving the Euro and had become a struggling nation unable to sustain itself. The coin finally dropped after many centuries: ever since the Jews left Spain, which had been a mighty empire, a downward spiral began. Here is the fulfillment of the expression, "The children of your oppressors shall go bending to you" - the oppressors are no longer, and their children come to beg forgiveness on their parents' behalf.
"Whereas you were forsaken" - Three Deficiencies and Three Advantages
תַּחַת הֱיוֹתֵךְ עֲזוּבָה וּשְׂנוּאָה וְאֵין עוֹבֵר וְשַׂמְתִּיךְ לִגְאוֹן עוֹלָם מְשׂוֹשׂ דּוֹר וָדוֹר׃ - Whereas you were forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you an eternal pride, a joy of generation after generation.
"Whereas" (tachath) - in place of your being forsaken, hated, and with no one passing through. The Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, exiled His glory from upon us, and throughout two thousand years of exile we were in the state of being forsaken and hated. "With no one passing through" - during our desolation, there was not even anyone traveling through the land. All of this will be overturned, and Jerusalem will become the joy of all generations, as it is written, "A city fair of view, the joy of the whole earth," for all will rejoice in her.
The Malbim enumerates three deficiencies here: "Forsaken" - by your children; "hated" - by the nations; "with no one passing through" - due to the desolation, for people would not even pass through because the land was so desolate. Corresponding to them are three advantages. Corresponding to "forsaken" is "I will make you an eternal pride," meaning you will be a great kingdom of pride and glory. Corresponding to "hated" is "a joy of generation after generation," where all will rejoice in our success and love us - unlike today's reality, where any good thing that happens to us stirs up all our enemies around the world; rather, all will exult and rejoice in our prosperity. And corresponding to "with no one passing through" is the next verse.
"You shall nurse the milk of nations"
וְיָנַקְתְּ חֲלֵב גּוֹיִם וְשֹׁד מְלָכִים תִּינָקִי וְיָדַעַתְּ כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ וְגֹאֲלֵךְ אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב׃ - You shall nurse the milk of nations, and you shall suck the breast of kings; and you shall know that I am Hashem your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
The bounty of all the nations will pass to us. "And you shall nurse the breast of kings" - not from the word for plunder (shodedim), but from the word for breasts (shadayim), and breasts always symbolize abundance. That is to say, all the kings of the nations will pay us tribute and bring us offerings, and Israel will nurse all that is within their breasts.
"And you shall know that I, Hashem, am your Savior" - salvation comes from Me, from the Holy One, blessed be He, Who creates all reality. The Malbim explains that the ultimate purpose of salvation is a universal redemption, to rectify the entire world. There are two processes here: the process of the redemption of the Jewish people, and the process of rectifying the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty. These two matters are interdependent, for the rectification of the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty cannot occur without us, and it must come through us. Therefore, even though the ultimate goal is the rectification of the entire world, "I, Hashem, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Yaakov" - the might, power, and strength of Yaakov; the essential conduit through which everything will come is the specific salvation and redemption of the Jewish people.
"Instead of copper I will bring gold" - Taxes Paid with Joy
תַּחַת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אָבִיא זָהָב וְתַחַת הַבַּרְזֶל אָבִיא כֶסֶף וְתַחַת הָעֵצִים נְחֹשֶׁת וְתַחַת הָאֲבָנִים בַּרְזֶל וְשַׂמְתִּי פְקֻדָּתֵךְ שָׁלוֹם וְנֹגְשַׂיִךְ צְדָקָה׃ - Instead of copper I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood, copper, and instead of stones, iron; and I will make your officers peace, and your taskmasters righteousness.
Rashi explains: Instead of the copper they took from you - everything the nations extorted and plundered from us - I will bring gold, and instead of the iron they extorted, I will bring silver. "And I will make your officers peace" - that you will have a leader who guides you in peace; "your officers" (pekudatech) is like your commander, your leader. "And your taskmasters righteousness" - who will manage and lead us with merit and righteousness, and not out of unearned kindness of which we are unworthy.
The Radak adds: I will put it into their hearts to pay you twofold, far more than they and their ancestors took. Do not think that this is a reckoning for the final generation alone; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, will settle with them the account of two thousand years of exile, for the entire era that the Jewish people suffered at their hands. "And I will make your officers peace" - until today, the officials managing us have been the nations, and even from within us, the Erev Rav, as the Tikunei HaZohar states that toward the arrival of Mashiach, the rulers of Israel will be from the Erev Rav. We see how much they govern and dominate us. Regarding this, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: I will set for you peace and righteousness, and you will no longer have oppressive officials and taskmasters.
The Malbim clarifies: Do not think that the tax the nations will bring us will be brought under duress and coercion, as taxes are usually paid. Have you ever seen someone pay taxes with joy and gladness without a gun to his head? There is no such thing; a person pays taxes because he has no choice. But here it will not be so; rather, they will bring it willingly. When you ask them for copper, they will say: Why copper? I can bring you gold. When you ask for iron, they will bring silver. And if you say: Silver is fine, but I need to build a bridge and I asked for iron - do not worry, you will have both copper and iron, for when you ask for wood they will bring copper, and when you ask for stones they will bring iron. In any case, the essential point is that whatever we desire, they will bring twofold and with joy.
And why will it be so? "And I will make your officers peace" - when we oversee and govern them, it will not be through subjugation, war, and coercion, but through peace. Therefore, they will bring it with joy, because it will be for their own good. The gentile will not feel that anything is being diminished from him or that it works to his detriment; on the contrary, he will boast, rejoice, and take pride in your reign over him, to the extent that whatever you request, he will bring you double and of higher quality.
"And your taskmasters righteousness" - the collection through which they are pressed to pay tribute will be regarded by them as charity and a mitzvah. It is like a fundraiser where they announce that everyone must give a thousand shekels, and a person comes forward and says: I want to give two thousand - he realizes that he is performing a mitzvah, so he feels joy, satisfaction, and a desire to give more. It is like a person who goes to perform a mitzvah, and someone tells him, "Take this cheap one," but he responds: No, give me the expensive one, this is a mitzvah and I want to fulfill it properly; tefillin for 1,500 shekels? No, I want for 3,000, something beautiful. In the same way, the nations will feel that they are coming to fulfill a mitzvah and perform the will of Hashem, and therefore they will say: What is copper? I want to bring gold.
"Violence shall no more be heard in your land"
לֹא־יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס בְּאַרְצֵךְ שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּגְבוּלָיִךְ וְקָרָאת יְשׁוּעָה חוֹמֹתַיִךְ וּשְׁעָרַיִךְ תְּהִלָּה׃ - Violence shall no more be heard in your land, desolation nor destruction within your borders; and you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.
The Radak says: What the nations have done to us until today will no longer be heard in your land. "And you shall call your walls Salvation" - you will not need to ascend the wall and lock the gates against the enemy and out of fear of him, and therefore you will call the walls "Salvation." The walls were once a defense against war, but now they are not a defense but salvation, and at the gates they will recount the praises of Hashem.
The Malbim notes with precision: "Violence shall no more be heard in your land" - internally, within the land, between one person and another; "wasting nor destruction within your borders" - from enemies coming from without, at the borders. A country can fall apart either from internal strife or from external enemies, and here the prophet promises that there will be neither this nor that. In short, the police will only have parking tickets left to write, and no other job to do.
And corresponding to "wasting nor destruction within your borders," he says, "and you shall call your walls Salvation": you will not need walls and fortresses on the border, nor defensive walls to protect against plunder from outside, for salvation itself will be our wall, as it says, "Salvation will He appoint for walls and bulwarks." When you have Hashem's salvation, you do not need walls. And corresponding to "Violence shall no more be heard in your land," he says, "and your gates Praise": praise itself will be our gate. The praise with which the nation glories in their righteousness and virtue will suffice to ensure that there is no violence between a person and his fellow, for everyone will be acclaimed as righteous. When a person is righteous, he does not quarrel with his fellow or wrong him. Consequently, "there is no breach, no going out, and no outcry in our streets," for we are all righteous.
"The sun shall no longer be your light by day"
לֹא־יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ עוֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר יוֹמָם וּלְנֹגַהּ הַיָּרֵחַ לֹא־יָאִיר לָךְ וְהָיָה־לָךְ יְהֹוָה לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וֵאלֹהַיִךְ לְתִפְאַרְתֵּךְ׃ - The sun shall no longer be your light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but Hashem shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.
Radak explains: Salvation is like light, and this light - the light of Hashem and the immense goodness - will be so great that the light of the sun will be considered as nothing. Hashem's salvation will shine upon us with such intensity that the light of the sun will pale beside it. Do not be confused; this is a metaphor, just as it is written, "Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days." And all this is "for your glory" - glory for us through the honor and power that the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant us, so that everyone will see the greatness of Israel.
The Malbim analyzes the difference between the sun and the moon: the sun has its own intrinsic light and shines by itself, whereas the moon does not shine with its own light, but rather receives sunlight and reflects "brightness" (nogah) back to us. Brightness is never intrinsic light; it is rays of light hitting another object, refracting, and returning to us. At night the sun is on the other side of the globe and illuminates the moon, and we receive brightness from it - we do not have the sun directly, but we have its reflected light.
According to this, "neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you" cannot mean that the moon itself will not illuminate, since the moon does not illuminate on its own at all. Rather, the meaning is: the sun will not give light to you even through the brightness of the moon. That is to say, you will not have the sun as light by day, nor at night via the moon's brightness - the sun will be completely eclipsed, neither directly by day nor indirectly by night. And in place of the sun shining on us by day, "Hashem shall be to you an everlasting light"; and in place of what it illuminated for us at night through the brightness of the moon, where we received its light via reflection, "and your God your glory."
And what does this signify? This refers to the righteous. Hashem's light has shone upon the righteous, and through them the Holy One, blessed be He, channels abundance to us. They absorb the light of Hashem during the "night" - that is, during the period of exile, when their greatness and righteousness are not evident, for we live in a state of concealment of the Divine face. Now they will illuminate for us like the moon that received the light of the sun and shines toward us: what your God shone upon the righteous will be for our glory. The tzaddikim will be like the moon, channeling to us from the light of Hashem everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon them throughout the years of exile.
"Your sun shall no more go down" - A Light That Never Sets
לֹא־יָבוֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף כִּי יְהֹוָה יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וְשָׁלְמוּ יְמֵי אֶבְלֵךְ׃ - Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall your moon withdraw itself; for Hashem shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.
This too is a metaphor, Radak says: your kingdom will not cease, and your honor will not depart - our honor and prestige will never vanish.
The Malbim explains: The light of Hashem corresponds to the light of the sun, and "shall no more go down (lo yavo)" means it will not set. "For the sun was set (ki va hashemesh)" - beyond the Midrashic exposition that it connotes extinguishing, that He extinguished the sun, which is the path of Derash, according to the plain meaning (Peshat), "the sun has come" means that the sun moves from its place and returns to its destined place, meaning it sets. The prophet says: The Holy One, blessed be He, will be for you in place of sunlight, but His light will never set. And the moon as well - the righteous who receive the light of Hashem and channel it to us - their light will not be withdrawn, but will remain perpetual.
And why will your sun set no more? Do not think that the sun sets because the light is not perpetual, that there is day and there is night - "for Hashem will be an everlasting light to you"; the light of the Holy One, blessed be He, is a perpetual sun that never sets. And do not think that even though the sun will not set, you will have to distance yourself from it, that it will shine and you will be unable to receive it. In our terms: Hashem's sun shines here, but we are in exile; we might sin and have to go into exile, and the light will continue forever, but we will no longer be here to receive it. Regarding this, the verse states: "and the days of your mourning shall be ended" - the days of mourning are over, the days of exile are over, the days of sorrow are over, and this situation will never continue again.
"Your people shall all be righteous" - A Generation of Refinement
וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר׃ - And your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land forever, the shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, to be glorified.
The Radak explains: God will refine them, as it is written, "And I will refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried" (Zechariah 13:9); and those who remain will all be righteous and holy, as it is written, "And it shall come to pass, that he who is left in Zion, and he who remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy" (Yeshayahu 4:3).
We have mentioned several times that the generation of Mashiach is a generation of refinement, clarification, and purging. It is a generation with no middle ground, no halting between two opinions, no "dati lite." It is a generation where one must decide where he stands: with the servants of Hashem or with the worshipers of the Baal? "If Hashem is God, follow Him; and if the Baal, follow him" (I Melachim 18:21). And we see this reality today - every person takes his place, and there his inner essence and true nature are revealed. There are those who go and join hands with the wicked, with those who issue decrees today against conversion, against the draft, against funding for yeshivot, against housing for Bnei Torah, against everything - is such a thing conceivable? But this is indeed a generation of refinement, clarification, and purging, a generation with no middle ground, and therefore whoever takes a side openly proclaims: that is where we belong.
A certain rabbi who served in the army once said that they have more in common with Lapid than with the Charedim - heavens be appalled at this! Yet this very statement reveals where a person stands. When people who desecrate Shabbat, violate severe Torah prohibitions punishable by karet, and a person who has acted against the Gedolei Yisrael in a manner rarely seen in generations, say: "I have more in common with them" - indeed, truth be told, their portion is truly with them, and they have more in common with them than with us. And it is well that he declared this himself, for had someone else said it, he would be accused of defamation. Indeed, a generation would come in which a person must determine where he stands, and that is our generation. "And I will refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried" - refinement, clarification, and purging. And wherever a person positions himself, that is where his portion will be in this world and in the World to Come: may it be pleasant for him with them, and his lot will be their lot, and his destiny their destiny; one can only wish him what he wishes for himself, no more and no less.
The Malbim connects this verse to the preceding one: Why will "your moon not withdraw," why will the righteous not be gathered in? He answers with three points. Do not say that the moon will withdraw because there will be no righteous people among you - "Your people shall all be righteous," for those who remain will be the righteous. And do not say that the moon will withdraw because we will go into exile again and no longer be here - "they shall possess the land forever," for the inheritance of the Land will be eternal and everlasting, not temporary. And do not say that the moon will withdraw because the righteous are few, weak, and frail - "the shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, to be glorified." A netzer is a tender young shoot, a sapling, and the Holy One, blessed be He, says: This is My planting, I planted it, and it is the work of My hands; I will ensure that this planting produces fruit, boughs, and branches, and that its foliage multiplies, until all see how much grandeur and greatness are here. And according to the Malbim, lehitpa'er is not from the root of tiferet (glory), but from porot, which are boughs - meaning that its branches will multiply.
"The smallest shall become a thousand" - In its time, I will hasten it
הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם אֲנִי יְהֹוָה בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה׃ - The smallest shall become a thousand, and the least a mighty nation; I, Hashem, will hasten it in its time.
The Radak asks: What is the connection between "the smallest" (katon) and "the least" (tza'ir), when these are two distinct descriptions? Rather, the smallest tribe and family will become a thousand times what they are now, and the youngest will grow to become a mighty nation.
"I, Hashem, will hasten it in its time" - Chazal expound: If they merit it, "I will hasten it"; if they do not merit it, "in its time." There is a possibility that the redemption will come in its designated time if they do not merit it, God forbid, and there is a possibility that "I will hasten it" if they merit it, and we await Mashiach hastening his footsteps. In any event, one can explain that there is no contradiction between "in its time" (be'itah) and "I will hasten it" (achishenah): when the time arrives, when its designated time comes - I will hasten it. For an event can occur at its scheduled time yet unfold sluggishly; regarding this, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: when it arrives, it will happen in a single moment, the salvation of Hashem like the blink of an eye.
The Malbim explains: "The smallest shall become a thousand" refers to quantity; "and the least a mighty nation" refers to the least in strength, speaking of quality. And even though I tarry, and the people are now weak and few, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: in its time, when the moment arrives, I will hasten it - I will do so with great speed. The Malbim notes a precise distinction in Lashon HaKodesh between chash (hasting) and memaher (hurrying): a memaher is one who arrives early - "I must be there at eight o'clock, so I hurry." But chash means acting with swiftness even if one does not arrive early: someone who arrives at nine o'clock, but arrives running - he is chash, not memaher. The memaher arrives early in terms of time, whereas the chash may arrive later, but he comes running with great swiftness.
Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, says, "In its time I will hasten it": I do not promise that I will bring the redemption early, for "its time" may take a long time; rather, what I promise is that when it arrives in its time - it will come with swiftness and haste. For had it said, "In its time I will advance it" (amaherenah), there would have been a contradiction, since amaherenah implies that it will come early. But there is no contradiction: it will arrive in its time, and whenever it comes - it will come swiftly.
In summary:
In these verses, the prophet describes the total reversal of fortunes at the time of the redemption: foreigners rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and their kings serve us, not out of fury and disgust, but after wrath that was entirely for our ultimate good; the gates stand open continually, not out of weakness but out of power, and kings arrive submissively and are anointed in Jerusalem, for any nation that will not serve will perish. The glory of Lebanon comes to beautify the Sanctuary, while the Holy of Holies is built by the hands of Heaven; the children of the oppressors come bending low and the scorners prostrate themselves, and instead of being abandoned, hated, and without a passerby - there is eternal majesty, a joy of generation upon generation, and the drawing of bounty from the nations. Tributes will be brought with joy and a sense of performing a mitzvah, the walls will be called Salvation and the gates Praise, the light of Hashem will be an everlasting light that never sets and the light of the righteous will not be gathered in, and the people will all be righteous, inheriting the land forever. And all of this - "I, Hashem, in its time will hasten it": whenever the redemption arrives, it will come in the blink of an eye. May Hashem assist us to the complete redemption speedily in our days, Amen and Amen.