Commentary for Amos 3:12

As the shepherd saves—I.e, he saves little.

about the nation and tribes and what will be with them, Gd says "just like the shephard saves from the lion only two hindlegs or a piece of an ear, meaning the shephard is only able to rescue the ear piece as a witness that the lion. Similar to the piece needed as witness in (Shemot 22:12). And that matter that only a small piece is saved from the lion and he wasn't able to consume it, to that extent the Israelites who live in Shomron will be saved. Not the warriors and mighty men but rather the sick ones who are bedridden from their illness in the corner of the bed. And from the trouble of the enemy there will remain a small corner of the bed. The meaning of those "dameshek arish" (the piece of the couch) according to the Radak is the prophet repeating himself in different words. The word "damashek" means "corner" and "arish" is a "bed" as you see in other pesukim in the Torah (Yeshaya 33:4). And the two phrases used for the corner of the bed refer to the sick man who is lying in the corner of the bed unable to move (peat hamitah) and the sick man who can't rest because of his pain who is "mesheck" moving and rolling around from side to side of the bed (damashek arish). Rashi says this is referring to what is says about the end of the King of Aram in King Yehoyachaz ben Yehu and Jerobam ben Joash when they were rescued only a remnant (Malachim 2 14:27) and Hashem did not say to destroy the name of Israel and to save them through Jeroban ben Joash." and Hashem return the borders of Israel. THis is the meaning of the corner of the bed. The corner of the bedi n the corner of the house is the strength of the house and therefore refers to the stregnth of Jerobams reign and Amos lived and prophesized during this time. And he prophesized that they would end up reliant on the King of Aram like they were in the days of the King Pekach ben Remalliyahu who joined with them. This is the meanin of "demeshek arish" that their main source of reliance was on Damascus/demeshek.

the cartilage of an ear Heb. בְּדַל. [from Jonathan]

And our Rabbis explain in Seder Olam, Rabbi Nehorai in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua say this is the 10 tribes who relied on Chizkiyahu the king of Judah and remained among them during the days of Assyria conquest. The meaninf of the corner of the bed means that only 1 in 8 Israelites remained and the rest of the remnant was in Damascus (arish demeshek) that is says "I will exile them from here to Damascus" and we see from this that even though the word "damashek" is written with letter "sin" and usually has a "shin" when meaning Damascus I am writing according to the words of our rabbis that even in the correct writings that we have in Spain it has a "sin"

so will the children of Israel... be saved I.e, very few people.

in the corner of a bed or in the corner of a couch Heb. בִּפְאַת מִטָּה וּבִדְמֶשֶׁק עֶרֶשׂ. Jonathan renders: with the strength of rule and trusting in Damascus. I say that the interpretation of the Targum is as follows: Since, in the days of Jehoahaz son of Jehu it is written. (II Kings 13:7) “For the king of Aram had destroyed them,” and Jeroboam his grandson saved them partially, as it is said. (ibid. 14:27) “And the Lord did not speak to eradicate the name of Israel from under the heavens, and He saved them through Jeroboam the son of Joash.” (ibid. verse 25) “He restored the boundary of Israel.” And that is the meaning of ‘in the corner of a bed.’ The corner of a house is the strongest part of the house. Therefore, he translates. ‘with the strength of rule’ of Jeroboam, and Amos prophesied in the days of Jeroboam. He further prophesied that they would eventually rely on the kings of Aram, and so they did in the days of Pekah son of Remaliah. This is the meaning of וּבִדְמֶשֶׁק עֶרֶשׂ, and their couch will be Damascus. Their rest and trust will be on Damascus. And our Sages said in Seder Olam (ch. 22) Rabbi Nehorai said in the name of Rabbi Joshua: These are the ten tribes, which relied on Hezekiah, and on Judah, and escaped with them.

in the corner of a bed—This teaches us that only one eighth of them was left. And the rest of the couch -where was it? In Damascus, to fulfill what is stated: (below 5:27) “And I will exile you beyond Damascus.” And I heard in the name of Rabbi Menahem of blessed memory, that he explained. This is one eighth, since it is not stated. “the corner of;” but “in the corner of a bed,” in part of it, in one of the two ends of a corner. That is an eighth of the bed, for it has four corners, and two ends of each corner. [This is Rabbi Menahem’s explanation of Seder Olam ch. 22. This is probably Rabbi Menahem ben Helbo, the author of Pithronim.] Another explanation I found in the words of Rabbi Meir of blessed memory, as follows: In the corner of a bed—Because of the sin of Ahaziah son of Ahab, who sent to inquire “of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this illness” (I Kings 1:2). and in Damascus is the couch—Ben-hadad, king of Aram, sent to inquire of the God of Israel (ibid. ch. 8).