Chapter 61 of Yeshayahu is a chapter of comfort and redemption. In this part of the chapter, we focus on the verses describing the great transformation: how the shame and disgrace that accompanied the Jewish people throughout the exile will be transformed into double honor, and what the future salvation will look like - both from the side of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and through the merits of Israel. We will proceed verse by verse, citing the commentaries of Rashi, Radak, the Targum, and especially the precise insights of the Malbim.
"Instead of Your Shame, a Double Portion" - What Is Shame and What Is Disgrace?
תַּחַת בׇּשְׁתְּכֶם מִשְׁנֶה וּכְלִמָּה יָרֹנּוּ חֶלְקָם לָכֵן בְּאַרְצָם מִשְׁנֶה יִירָשׁוּ שִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה לָהֶם׃ - Instead of your shame, you shall have a double portion, and for disgrace, they shall rejoice in their portion; therefore, in their land they shall inherit a double portion, everlasting joy shall be theirs.
This verse requires explanation. Rashi explains: "Instead of your shame" - until now you were shamed, humiliated, and the Jewish people were brought low. Nor was it ordinary shame, but "a double portion" - double shame, twice as much as a normal state. "And for disgrace, they shall rejoice in their portion" - people were constantly chattering words of disgrace about the Jewish people, and that was our lot.
Let us look closely at the word "yaronu." There is a sense of the word rinah that does not mean joy. Scripture states, "And a cry (rinah) passed through the camp" - said when Achav died, where it does not mean joy, but rather a proclamation or rumor passing and spreading from place to place. Just as people say today, "there is talk (meranenim) about him doing such-and-such" - it does not mean anyone is rejoicing over him, but rather it is an expression referring to gossip or talk. Thus: instead of having double shame, and not only that, but they constantly spread words of disgrace about you.
And how true this is. All kinds of whispers against us, words of shame and disgrace, stories and fabrications that the nations invent about us. The blood libels - which have even been renewed in our days, such as a Ukrainian newspaper circulating warnings in 5774 (2014) to watch the children, because Jews supposedly use Christian children's blood for matzot on Pesach, heaven forbid. And if these are barbaric libels familiar to us from previous centuries, there are also new libels far more readily accepted by the world: that we torture those along our borders, that we shell indiscriminately, that we murder children. A prime example is the al-Dura boy, which caused an uproar worldwide, and later turned out that he was likely alive all along, yet that did not stop anyone from fabricating the lie that our soldiers murdered him while the poor child raised his hands, all to showcase our supposed depravity. And as if that were not enough, they sent Goldstone here to issue a report about us and write the most terrible accusations, knowing precisely whom to send - a Jew to deal with us. Although he later wrote an apology, everyone read the report, but who read the apology? That is the meaning of "and for disgrace, they shall talk of their portion."
Likewise, "Instead of your shame a double portion" - double shame. We are constantly in a position of being attacked, blamed for everything that happens in the world, the focus of all trouble, that because of us America is persecuted and suffers conflict with Arab nations. And behold, they do not realize it, but between ourselves - there is a certain truth to this, for everything that occurs in the world is for the sake of Israel. Yet not for the reasons they claim, but for entirely different ones: we have an accounting with the Creator of the world, and everything that unfolds in the world comes to bring us back in teshuvah and align us with the path of truth. Even if a dam bursts in China, as we recounted at length regarding the Chafetz Chaim - it is all so that we learn a moral lesson and draw conclusions. And in contrast to all the shame and suffering of the years of exile - "Therefore, in their land they shall inherit a double portion, everlasting joy shall be theirs."
The Explanation of Radak and the Targum
Radak explains: Instead of being subjected to shame and reproach in exile, the opposite will occur and we will have honor. And "a double portion" (mishneh) - corresponding to the number of years: corresponding to those years of shame, you will have years of honor.
The Targum explains differently: "A double portion" is not a description of the shame, as Rashi explains that it was double shame, but rather it is already the reward - instead of the shame you suffered, you will have double the honor. Likewise, "instead of" also applies to disgrace: instead of the disgrace we suffered, "they shall rejoice in their portion" is the reward - our portion will be accompanied by joyous song, and we will take pride in our portion. As the Targum renders, "and the nations shall be ashamed" - the nations, who used to boast of their portion, will now find that their portion is vanity and emptiness, while we will rejoice in our portion, as it becomes clear that our God is the God of truth. "Therefore, in their land they shall inherit a double portion" - they will not need to leave the land for commerce to earn money, but right in their land they will inherit twice as much of the world's bounty as they had before, and their joy will be constant, never ceasing.
The Malbim: Boshet Comes from Oneself, Kelimah from Others
The Malbim, in his characteristic approach, is precise regarding the difference between boshet (shame) and kelimah (disgrace), as we have seen in his writings elsewhere: boshet is the shame a person feels from within himself, even without others present. No one shamed him, yet he is consumed by shame, knowing that he did something improper and feeling ashamed - that is boshet. Kelimah, by contrast, always comes from another: someone else humiliates him to his face and puts him to shame.
According to this: "Instead of your shame" refers to the shame we feel within ourselves for having lost the great status we once possessed, the privilege and greatness of the Shechinah dwelling among Israel and the Beit HaMikdash standing. This shame exists even without the nations; we are ashamed of our current state, having lost our elevated stature. In place of this, we will receive "double" - a double measure of honor in exchange for that shame.
"And [for] humiliation they will sing praises of their portion" - in place of the humiliation that others inflicted upon us throughout the length of the exile, they themselves will sing praises and chant songs about the portion of Israel. The Malbim notes precisely: the verse addresses you directly in the second person - "your shame" [boshtekhem], whereas here it says "they will sing praises" [yaronu] in the third person, not "you will sing praises" [taronu]. Who are they? The nations. They will write songs and sing praises concerning the portion and greatness of Israel.
This is the greatest punishment for all those who oppressed us. When an oppressor dies, that does not give us much satisfaction. But when they arise - "some to everlasting life, and some to reproach and everlasting abhorrence" - then the true greatness is revealed. The gentile who sought to destroy us, Hitler who sought to wipe us out - suddenly it becomes clear where he is, in what torment and terrible Gehinnom he exists, while the people of Israel, entirely unharmed, stand at the pinnacle of greatness. This is the greatest suffering for him and the greatest punishment. Whereas initially they chanted songs of reproach and contempt against us, now they will sing praises in their songs and declare: "Therefore, in their land they shall inherit double; everlasting joy shall be theirs" - this is how the nations will sing about the people of Israel.
Let us note the parallel: corresponding to the length of the exile is "everlasting joy", joy that endures for all time. And corresponding to having our land taken from us, "in their land they shall inherit double." What does "they shall inherit double" mean? There is the land of three nations that we have not yet merited to inherit, in addition to the seven nations we inherited: the Kenite, the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, mentioned in Sefer Bereishit, which we did not inherit even in the days of Yehoshua. These they will inherit as a double portion - an addition to what we already possessed, corresponding to the reproach and disgrace we suffered throughout the length of the exile.
For I, Hashem, Love Justice
כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה אֹהֵב מִשְׁפָּט שֹׂנֵא גָזֵל בְּעוֹלָה וְנָתַתִּי פְעֻלָּתָם בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְרִית עוֹלָם אֶכְרוֹת לָהֶם׃ - For I, Hashem, love justice, I hate robbery in a burnt offering; I will give them their reward in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Since I love justice, I hate robbery in a burnt offering - I do not accept the burnt offerings and sacrifices of the nations, because they come through robbery. "I will give them their reward in truth" - Rashi explains that the deeds of Israel from here on will be in truth; their way and conduct will follow the path of uprightness. In another explanation: "their reward" refers to the recompense for what they have done until now, which they will receive in truth - that Hashem is faithful to pay us reward for all that we suffered, the insults of the nations, annihilations, murders, and persecutions, and for all of these He will now bestow upon us a true reward.
The Radak explains that here the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to provide the reason for what was said earlier. It was stated, "Instead of your shame, [you shall receive] double," meaning that we will receive double for everything we suffered. Seemingly, if we suffered a certain measure, it would be appropriate to give us an equivalent value - why double? To this the Holy One, blessed be He, answers: "For I, Hashem, love justice," and it would be an injustice rather than justice if I did not give you double. For the people of Israel are the choicest of nations; they clung to the Holy One, blessed be He, believed in Him, and disseminated His Torah, and yet the nation closest to the Master of the Universe is the one that has suffered the most and been persecuted the most. Seemingly, there is an injustice in this. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: I love justice, I love when human beings practice justice - and if I demand this of My creations, how much more so will I, the Judge of all the earth, execute justice.
"I hate robbery in a burnt offering" - even in the service performed for Me, when someone comes to offer a sacrifice before Me, if it comes from robbery, I have no desire for it. From here it follows: I must repay them with double goodness in exchange for the exile and the misfortune they endured, for everything they suffered was suffered for My Name. This people served Me and nonetheless suffered; therefore, they deserve double for what they suffered. Thus, "I will give them their reward in truth" - all that they acted and did for My Name I will grant them in truth, with a complete reward befitting them. "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them" - a perpetual covenant, forever and without interruption, unlike the covenant I made with them when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, which was, as it were, temporary, for they went into exile, returned in the Second Temple era, and went into exile again. Here there will be a covenant followed by no exile, a covenant followed by no anger or wrath, but rather a complete and true redemption.
And the Malbim explains: Since I love justice, it must be that just as the exile lasted a long time, so too the salvation must last a long time - and what is a long time for the Holy One, blessed be He? Eternity. Furthermore: "I hate robbery" even in a burnt offering; if so, I must certainly return to them the stolen property that was robbed from them - their land - along with its fruits and appreciation. Their land was stolen from them, and they will receive double upon double: the land, the produce, and the added value. This is the meaning of "in their land they shall inherit double." "I will give them their reward in truth" - because I love justice, My covenant is eternal, and I hate robbery even in a burnt offering, and how much more so outside of a burnt offering; therefore, I will certainly be faithful to repay them double as their recompense.
Their Descendants Shall Be Known Among the Nations
וְנוֹדַע בַּגּוֹיִם זַרְעָם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם בְּתוֹךְ הָעַמִּים כׇּל־רֹאֵיהֶם יַכִּירוּם כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ יְהֹוָה׃ - And their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall recognize them, that they are the seed that Hashem has blessed.
At first glance, this is perplexing: this refers to the era of redemption, when the Jewish people are no longer in exile - how then will "their seed be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples"? The Radak explains: when they travel through the lands of the nations for leisure or commerce. This might imply that the prohibition against leaving the Land of Israel for leisure will be nullified; yet since the Torah never changes, we must say that because the entire world will be considered like Eretz Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael will be considered like Jerusalem, there will no longer be any prohibition against traveling the world, for being anywhere in the world will mean being in Eretz Yisrael.
And even though they will have no material need to do so, they will be recognized and distinguished by the honor and grandeur they possess, walking in dignified clothing, garments of freedom and embroidery, and people will say of them: these are the Children of Israel, this is the seed that Hashem has blessed. Note the distinction in the verse: "their seed" is stated regarding the goyim (nations), and "their offspring" among the amim (peoples). The Radak explains that "offspring" refers to the youth, who travel out of a desire to see foreign lands. It is simple and clear: an older person has little interest in trekking around; those who seek out India, Goa, and the like are the young men, and even when they enter among the peoples, they will be recognized and distinguished.
Unfortunately, today Israelis are also recognized and known throughout the world, but all too often it is by the destruction they leave behind in the places they visit and their vulgar behavior. We hope that the future "known among the nations" will be for praise, where everyone will see that they are a seed blessed by Hashem, witnessing wondrous conduct rather than a lack of refinement and basic derech eretz.
The Malbim explains that the seed of the Jewish people will be known among the nations for renown and praise, and not only the adults, but "their offspring" - even the young. There is a further nuance: goyim always denotes the lesser of the nations, whereas amim refers to the prominent, well-ordered nations. One might speak of goyim in the context of underdeveloped lands, and of Europe as amim - there are influential, leading nations, and there are backward ones. Regarding this, the verse says: when they are among the backward nations they will be known, and even their offspring will be recognized among the prominent peoples as well. To the point that "all who see them will acknowledge them" and say: they are a seed blessed by Hashem, because they will be distinguished and marked by the majesty of holiness, and thereby it will be clear to all who the Children of Israel are.
I Will Greatly Rejoice in Hashem
שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ בַּיהֹוָה תָּגֵל נַפְשִׁי בֵּאלֹהַי כִּי הִלְבִּישַׁנִי בִּגְדֵי־יֶשַׁע מְעִיל צְדָקָה יְעָטָנִי כֶּחָתָן יְכַהֵן פְּאֵר וְכַכַּלָּה תַּעְדֶּה כֵלֶיהָ׃ - I will greatly rejoice in Hashem, my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, like a bridegroom who adorns himself with priestly splendor, and like a bride who decks herself with her jewels.
The Radak notes that these are the words of Jerusalem, as the Targum translates: "Jerusalem says: I will surely rejoice, I will be glad in the Word of Hashem" - that Jerusalem will thank and praise the Holy One, blessed be He, at the time of the redemption, when her children return to her midst. Another explanation is that these are the words of the Jewish people returning from exile, who, upon their return, will experience a unique joy in the Master of the Universe.
The Radak cites an explanation in the name of his father, of blessed memory - and as often noted, whenever the Radak quotes his father, one should listen with rapt attention, for he usually offers real gems. His father asked: Why does the verse say first "I will greatly rejoice (sos asis) in Hashem" and afterward "my soul shall exult (tagel nafshi) in my God"? Why is one paired with the Four-Letter Name (Havayah) and the other with Elokim, and why is the first expressed with the double phrase "sos asis" while the second is "tagel nafshi"? Rather, the Name Havayah represents the attribute of mercy, while the Name Elokim represents the attribute of strict justice. When the Holy One, blessed be He, redeems us through mercy, everyone rejoices, both body and soul; hence the doubled expression "sos asis." But if He were to redeem us through strict justice, that is, through trials and suffering - is it worth it? Certainly it is, in order to merit redemption. Yet who agrees to this? The soul, which is exalted and elevated, and says: it is worthwhile to suffer to attain redemption. The body, by contrast, seeks pleasure, ease, and comfort, and does not fully grasp this. Therefore, when the redemption comes through mercy - "I will greatly rejoice in Hashem," both body and soul; but when it comes through strict justice - "my soul shall exult in my God," the soul alone, which accepts suffering with love, whereas the body struggles to comprehend and accept it.
"For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness" - the Radak explains that the garments a person wears serve to express the salvation that the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant us. Through this we will be "like a bridegroom who adorns himself with priestly splendor" - like a bridegroom who adorns himself in handsome attire, using the term yechahen ("serves as a priest") because he resembles a kohen who wears splendid garments; and similarly, "like a bride who decks herself with her jewels," adorned in special jewelry and finery. In this manner, the salvation will display Israel like a bridegroom and bride resplendent in their attire.
The Malbim: Sisa and Gila, Garment and Robe
The Malbim, in his characteristic approach, analyzes the precise nuances of the holy tongue. What is the difference between sos (rejoicing) and tagel (exulting)? Sisa denotes outward actions that demonstrate joy - one sees externally that the person is rejoicing. Gila is an inner joy of the heart over something unexpected and unanticipated, which one never believed would occur, and suddenly it comes to pass.
There is also a distinction between the Name Havayah and "my God" (Elokai), as explained several times in the name of the Malbim: the Name Havayah refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, in terms of His general providence over the world, whereas "my God" is personal - the individual providence over the Jewish people. Regarding this it is said, "my soul shall exult in my God," in my own individual providence as the Jewish nation.
And what is the meaning of "for He has clothed me in garments of salvation, wrapped me in a robe of righteousness"? There is a difference between a garment (beged) and a robe (me'il). A beged is what a person wears on the inside, clinging closer to the body - like a warm undershirt worn underneath. A me'il is an outer garment, like a robe worn on top, though it was less tailored than a modern coat.
"He has clothed me in garments of salvation" - salvation tailored precisely to my measure, an inner garment clinging to the person, a private salvation unique to me. And beyond this private salvation - "wrapped me in a robe of righteousness": that everyone will recognize the true faith, seeing that the God Whom the People of Israel served is the God of truth. Here it is no longer about me individually, but about the revelation of His honor and His Blessed Name in the world, so that my righteousness in having served God and not strayed after the vanities of the other nations will become manifest to all.
Why is it specifically called a me'il (robe)? There are two aspects to this. First, a robe is external and visible to all, and through it, everyone will see that the true faith is the faith of Israel. Second, a robe is not tailored to an individual's exact measurements; rather, it is loose-fitting and fits anyone, hinting that this robe of righteousness comes to teach the entire world faith in Hashem. It is not just for me like the custom-fitted garment; rather, it is something meant to be spread abroad so that all will accept it, so that the entire world will recognize our righteousness as servants of Hashem, and through this, they too will begin to serve the Holy One, Blessed be He, shoulder to shoulder.
"As a bridegroom decks himself with a priestly crown, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels"
The Malbim explains that the two halves of the verse are parallel: "He has clothed me in garments of salvation" corresponds to "as a bridegroom decks in splendor," and "wrapped me in a robe of righteousness" corresponds to "and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Why does the verse use the active form yechahen ("decks") rather than mitkahen ("decks himself")? He offers an original explanation: the groom arrays his wife with splendor (yechahen pe'er), giving her splendid garments and jewelry as a gift. So it is with salvation - the Holy One, Blessed be He, granted us salvation not of our own merit, but like a groom adorning his bride in garments of splendor.
In contrast, "wrapped me in a robe of righteousness" corresponds to "as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" - her own ornaments, not what the groom gave her. Over and above what he gave, she has her own jewelry. If salvation is what Hashem does for us, righteousness (tzedakah) is what we have done - our own merits. The robe that wraps us represents our righteous deeds and our devotion to the Master of the Universe throughout the years of exile, the service of Hashem that was within us. This is like a bride wearing her own personal jewels, which come from her own preparation and effort. Through this, it will become evident to all that our service of Hashem is indeed the true service.
"For as the earth brings forth its growth"
כִּי כָאָרֶץ תּוֹצִיא צִמְחָהּ וּכְגַנָּה זֵרוּעֶיהָ תַצְמִיחַ כֵּן אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה יַצְמִיחַ צְדָקָה וּתְהִלָּה נֶגֶד כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִם׃ - "For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations."
The Radak compares the salvation of Israel to a seed sown in the ground: naturally, the seed decomposes and rots, and only afterward does it sprout in a manner that is more beautiful, superior, and far more abundant than before - for from a single grain many grains emerge, "for generally the new is better than the old." So it is with the People of Israel in exile: it seemed as though their hope was lost, as though they were ruined and had sunk to the lowest depths - yet this is like a seed that rots just before it sprouts. When the redemption comes, they will be fruitful, multiply, and surpass all that they had before, whether in honor, in stature, or in population, and everything will be transformed for the good, like a plant that rots and then blooms.
Furthermore, he compares them to a garden: "and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up." A garden does not cause all its seeds to sprout at once; rather, today this one grows, tomorrow that one, and the next day another, all according to the seasons - some plants grow in the summer and some in the winter. So it will be for the People of Israel: one blessing after another, with goodness continually pursuing them, like a garden whose seeds are constantly sprouting. One might think: Israel is merely riding a temporary wave of success, which must be fleeting, for it does happen that a downtrodden nation suddenly rises. To this, the verse says that it will not be so; rather, it will be like a garden whose plants sprout continually in an ongoing cycle, and all the nations will recognize their goodness, which surpasses all the goodness in the world. This is the meaning of "before all the nations" - not "against" them in an adversarial sense, but in full view of them; before all the nations, the supernatural success of Israel will be plainly evident.
The Malbim explains this passage along the lines of the commentary of the Radak's father, while adding an insight of his own. There is a difference in how plants sprout: sometimes the earth brings forth vegetation even without being sown - usually thorns and thistles, but it sprouts on its own - and there is ground that brings forth growth only after it has been sown. "For as the earth brings forth its growth" refers to ordinary land: you walk through a field, and there are plants that grew on their own. "And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up" refers to a garden where someone sowed seeds, and it sprouts what was planted.
And so it is with the Holy One, Blessed be He: "will cause righteousness to spring up" - just as the earth brings forth its growth on its own, so Hashem will cause righteousness to spring up on His own initiative. Here, this refers to salvation: salvation will not depend on our deeds; rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will save us without our actions, solely out of His grace toward us and because Hashem desires us. And this is indeed "charity" (tzedakah) - for as explained previously, charity is given to one who does not strictly deserve it; if one is entitled to it, it is not charity but wages. Charity means: you are not legally entitled to it and I owe you nothing, yet I perform loving-kindness with you anyway. Just as the earth is under no obligation to yield its growth, so too, as it were, the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not have to give to us, yet despite this He will work salvation for us. This corresponds to the "garments of salvation" - a private salvation where Hashem saves us even though we do not deserve it.
And then, "and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring forth" - this refers to what we ourselves have planted and sown, and this is "praise before all the nations." For a person who sowed a garden and it flourished takes pride in it: look at the field, look at the crops, I cultivated it, I nurtured it, I watered it - he has reason for praise in this. But if something grew on its own without him having planted it, he does not boast of it, since he did not produce it. This corresponds to "He has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness" mentioned earlier - through which it will be manifest before the eyes of all the nations that the mitzvos of the Jewish people are true and their Torah is true, just like a bride adorning herself with her own personal jewelry earned through her merits. In what you accomplish yourself, there is room for praise before the nations; but in what the Holy One, blessed be He, causes to sprout like the earth bringing forth its growth, there is no room for self-praise, for it did not stem from you, but rather the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed upon you in charity and loving-kindness that which was unearned.
In summary:
In these verses, the entire picture is reversed: instead of the double shame we suffered internally and the humiliation the nations inflicted upon us, we will merit double honor, and the nations themselves will sing and rejoice over the greatness of Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, Who loves justice and hates robbery even in a burnt offering, commits to restoring to us double - our Land with its fruits and its renown - and to establishing an everlasting covenant followed by no further exile. Then the seed of Israel will become renowned among the nations and peoples, and all who see them will recognize that they are the seed blessed by Hashem. And there are two dimensions to the salvation: "garments of salvation" - a tailored salvation measured specifically for us that Hashem grants us in His chesed, like the earth bringing forth its growth on its own; and a "robe of righteousness" - the revelation of our righteousness and devotion before the eyes of the entire world, like a garden causing to sprout the seeds planted in it, which brings praise before all the nations. May Hashem so merit us to the complete Redemption speedily, Amen and Amen.