Comentario sobre Isaías 58:22

and relate to My people their transgression These are the Torah scholars, whose every inadvertent sin is counted as a transgression, for an error in study is accounted as an intentional sin.

Cry aloud. The prophet is addressed by God. אל תחשך Spare not the crying; the objective case must be supplied, because חשך is a transitive verb.

and to the house of Jacob their sins These are the ignorant people, whose willful sins, are accounted inadvertent.

Like a trumpet, etc. That all may hear.

Yet they seek Me daily Like the matter that is stated (Ps. 78:36): “And they beguiled Him with their mouth.”

Yet they seek me daily with their words and thoughts.

and they wish to know My ways They wish to ask instructions of the wise men as if they wished to fulfill them.

They wish to know my ways. They express their wish in words, namely, They ask of me for themselves the ordinance of justice, and are desirous to be near me.

like a nation that performed righteousness, etc. In this manner they constantly ask Me ordinances of righteousness, but they do not intend to fulfill them, and when they fast and are not answered, they say, “Why have we fasted, and You did not see?” But I say, “Behold, on the day of your fast you pursue business,” all the affairs of your necessities you toil to pursue, even robbery and violence.

and [from] all your debtors Heb. עַצְּבֵיכֶם [lit. your griefs.] Your debtors, who are grieved because of youyou exact payment from them on the day of your fast.

Wherefore have we fasted, etc. They fast, and then they say, Wherefore have we fasted. And thou seest not, etc. It is as if thou didst not see, nor take any knowledge of it; for thou dost not help us. The reply to these questions is: Behold in the day of your fast, etc. On the very day of the fast every one that has a dispute with his neighbour proceeds with his lawsuit.¹חפץ means desire, the object of the desire, business. מצא חפץ to find the object of his desire, to seek to find the object of his desire, to go after his business. This latter, general meaning of the expression is given also by Rashi and Targum Jonathan; I. E. explains it to seek the object of his desire, viz., of his neighbour, that is to seek to obtain what he demands from his neighbour, to proceed with his quarrel, and considers the beginning of the next verse הן לריב ומצה תצומו behold, ye fast for strife and debate, as the explanation of the words הן ביום צמכם תמצאו תפץ.

עצביכם Your debtors.²A. V., Your labours. And thy labours. Sorrow. עצבים means money. Comp. ועצביך and thy wealth (Prov. 5:10); it is probably connected with עצבון labour^2a (Gen. 3:17); comp. יגיע בפיך the labour of thine hands (Ps. 128:2); יגיע מצרים the labour of Egypt (45:14).

תנגשו You press.³A. V., You exact. It is written in full with נ, like כהנדוף as is driven, תנדף drive (Ps. ixviii. 3).^3aThe verbs פ״נ usually assimilate the נ to the next consonant and replace it by Dagesh whenever it concludes a syllable, e.g., תִּנְדֹּף═תִּדֹּף ,תִּנְגשֹׁוּ═תִּנּשֹׁוּ; in some cases the radical נ has been left; as e.g., in the examples given here by I. E. וכל בעל עצביכם תנגשו═וכל עצביכם תננשו And you press all your debtors. Comp. אשה בעלת יראת יי═אשה יראת יי a woman that feareth the Lord⁴Lit., A woman of the fear of the Lord; but אשה being in the absolute state, I. E. supplies a word in the construct state. Comp. I. E. on 30:20 42:25. (Prov. 31:30); there are many other instances of this kind of ellipsis.

Do not fast like this day like the manner of this day, to break your hearts in order that your voice be heard on high.

אגרף Some hard thing to strike with.⁵A. V., First. In this sense it is used in Rabbinical literature. Comp. בעלי אגרפין men with force (Pesachim 53); compare besides באגרף (Ex. 21:18).⁶In his commentary on Ex. 21:18, I. E. mentions this comparison in the name of Saadiah, while the other explanation, introduced here by the words, Others render it, is given, in his abridged commentary on Ex. 21:18, as his own, introduced by the word ויתכן, It is also right to say. Others⁷Very probably R. Jonah is meant, whose explanation is quoted in the commentary of I. E. on Ex. 21:18; he derived the word from the root גרף to sweep. render it a piece of hard earth, and connect it with מגרפותיהם their clods (Joel 1:17).

כיום הזה═כיום As ye do this day.

Is it to bend Heb. הֲלָכֹף. This ‘hey’ is the interrogative. That is to say, “Perhaps I require bending the head like a fishhook (כְּאַגְמֹן)?” אַגְמֹן is a sort of bent needle with which they catch fish, and they call it ajjm in O.F.

A day for a man to afflict his soul. Repetition of the same idea (a fast) in other words.

Will you call this a fast Heb. הֲלָזֶה. An interrogative form. Therefore, the ‘hey’ is punctuated with a ‘hataf-pattah.’

לכוף To bow down. It is a verb ע״ע similar in form to לקב to curse (Num. 23:11).

אנמן Bulrush. A tender plant, that bends its top; it is well known.

יַצִּיעַ To spread. The Dagesh in צ compensates for the omission of the radical ;⁸יצע is one of those verbs פ״י, that compensate for the omission of the י by the reduplication of the second radical.י comp. אצרך I form thee (Jer. 1:5); the full form is יַיְצִיעַ, and its meaning is to place as a couch; comp. יצע was spread (Est. 4:3)

fetters Heb. חַרְצֻבּוֹת, an expression of tying and binding.

פתח To loose.

perverseness Heb. מוֹטָה, perversion of justice.

חרצבות The bands. Comp. Ps. 73:4.

and all perverseness you shall eliminate Heb. וְכָל מוֹטָה תְּנַתֵּקוּ. Jonathan renders: And all perversion of justice you shall eliminate.

מוטה Yoke. Comp. מוטות עלכם the bands of your yoke (Lev. 26:13). To loose the bands, etc. To make the slaves free. Comp. Jer. 1:34.

רצוצים⁹The Hebrew text has before רצוצים the words העשוקים משפט, which are in no connection with the preceding remark; they are either the explanation of רצוצים, and should be placed after that word, or they are the result of the carelessness of some copyist, who had erroneously repeated them here from the succeeding remark, and forgot afterwards to strike them out; the latter suggestion is probable, since the explanation of רצוצים is complete without these two words. The oppressed. The slaves that are oppressed; comp. רצוץ oppressed (Hos. 5:11); רצתי have I oppressed (l Sam. 12:3). Some understand to loose the bands, etc., to refer to the thoughts of man; but I prefer the first explanation.

moaning poor Heb. מְרוּדִים. Sighing and moaning about their distress. Comp. (Lam. 3:19) “my affliction and my sighing (וּמְרוּדִי)”; (Ps. 55:3) “I mourn (אָרִיד) in my grief.”

פרוס Break. Comp. פרש אין להם no man breaketh it unto them (Lam. 4:4); פריסת is divided (Dan. 5:28). It means here to break a loaf of bread, in order to give a part of it to the poor.

and from your flesh And from your kinsman.

מְרוּדִים That are cast out. The מ is radical, as in מְעוּנִים habitations (1 Chr. 4:41); comp. מרודי my exile¹⁰A. V., My misery. (Lam. 3:19).

To the house. To thy house.

From thine own flesh. From thy relative. Comp. He is our brother and our flesh (Gen. 37:27)

as the dawn Like the ray of dawn that breaks through the clouds.

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, gradually increasing.

and your healing Heb. וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ, and your healing shall quickly sprout. Comp. (Jer. 30:17) “I will bring up healing (אֲרֻכָה) for you.”

וארוכתך And thine health. ארוכה is a noun; comp. Jer. 30:17. Some say that ארוכה, lit. length refers here to the time during which the illness is to last; the word מהרה speedily, which follows, agrees well with this explanation.¹¹The meaning of the phrase ארוכתך מהרה תצמח accordingly is: The time of thy suffering will quickly run out.

יאספך Shall be thy rereward. Comp. מאסף rereward (Num. 10:25). And thy righteousness shall go, etc. Thus, there will be protection from all sides.

From thy midst. From thy heart, or from the midst of Israel. מוטה Yoke. Slavery.

שׁלַח The putting forth. It is a verbal noun similar in form to the infinitive שְׁכַב to lie (1 Kgs. 1:21). The putting forth of thy finger, that is, the stretching out of the hand to smite the neighbour or to take away his property. ודבר And to speak. דבר is a verbal noun.

And you draw out your soul to the hungry with consolations of good words.

ותפק And if thou draw out. Comp. ויפק and obtaineth (Prov. 8:35.) נפשך Thy soul. It is, as it were,¹²Grammatically נפשך thy soul is in the objective case governed by ותפק, and if thou draw out. I. E., however does not consider it as the true object, since in reality the soul is not drawn out; but the food is given to the hungry with the soul, that is, willingly and gladly. But נפשך meaning, according to I. E., thy desire (see 56:11), admits also of the meaning: the object of thy desire, and the whole phrase may be explained thus: And if thou givest the hungry that which thou desirest for thyself; in that case נפשך would be the true object. in the objective case.

נענה Afflicted. ענה נפש means always to fast, as may in this case be inferred from the expression תשביע thou wilt satisfy, which follows.¹³שבע full is the opposite of רעב hungry; תשביע thou wilt fill, requires for its object רעב the hungry; נפש נענה signifies, therefore, a person that is hungry, that is fasting, and not in a figurative sense, a person that afflicts his soul, that humbles himself by repentance. This remark of I. E. seems to be directed against those who explain the commandment נפשתיכם תענו את (Lev. 16:29) figuratively. Comp. I. E. on Lev. 16:29.

Then shall thy light, etc. Thy light shall shine even in darkness; when evil afflicts mankind, thou wilt be delivered.

in drought Heb. בְּצַחְצָחוֹת, at the time of thirst and drought. So did Jonathan render.

And the Lord shall guide thee continually. He will be with thee, wherever thou goest.

strengthen Heb. יַחֲלִיף [lit. arm.] Comp. (Num. 31:5) “Armed (חֲלוּצֵי) for war.”

בצחצחות In drought. Comp. צחא is dry (5:13). It is the opposite of fulness.

יחליץ Some declare it to be hap. leg., and explain it he will make fat; others render it he will strengthen, comparing it with חלוצי armed (Num. 31:5); others still think that יַחֲלִיץ and יְחַלֵּץ he delivereth (Job 36:15) are the same in meaning;^13aThe Hebrew text has the Kal יחלוץ; but from the other instances quoted, which are Piёl and Hiphil, it may be inferred that the Piёl יְחַלֵּץ was here intended by I. E. as is the case with יַשְׁלִיחַ (Ex. 8:17) and יְשַׁלַּח he sendeth (Ps. 78:45), with יַשְֹמִיחַ (Ps. 89:43), and יְשַֹמַּח he gladdeneth (Lam. 2:17). This latter explanation is right; comp. He keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken (Ps. 34:21);

ועצמתיו יחליץ means, therefore, He delivereth his bones from the danger of being broken. לא יכזבו Fail not, are not cut off; comp. כזב leasing (Ps. 4:3), a thing that cannot last but by chance.¹⁴The word מקרה chance can not be taken literally here; this would be against the theory of I. E.; it is opposed to עומד everlasting, and signifies exposed to unexpected dangers.

restorer of the paths, to dwell in Heb. מְשׁוֹבֵב. Jonathan renders: restorer of the wicked to the Torah.

ובנו ממך And they that shall be of thee shall build.

מְשׁוֹבֵב is like מֵשִׁיב, restores.

The foundations of many generations, that is, a building standing on a foundation, which will last for generations.

to dwell, to the Torah, which insures the settlement of the world.

תקומם Thou shalt raise up. It is Polel like תשובב (Ps. 60:3).¹⁵The Hebrew text has משובב, but this word is the beginning of the phrase which is next to be explained; the word with which תקומם is compared is missing, and תשובב, the word given in the translation, is probably the intended parallel. The restorer of paths to dwell in. After people had ceased to tread them, thou wilt restore them, that people will dwell therein.¹⁶The roads had been desolate for a long time, they were not in a good condition, nor safe from the usual dangers of a lonely way; but now they will be restored, they will be in a good condition and well protected; they will not only be frequented by travellers, but people will settle along the roads.

If thou turn away, etc. The Lord will lead thee continually (ver. 11), if thou keep back thy foot from the sabbath; or, thou shalt be called the restorer, etc. (ver. 12), if thou turn, etc., both explanations are equally admissible.¹⁷The difference between the two explanations can hardly be seen, for if the sentence, If thou turn away, etc., is the protasis to And the Lord shall guide thee, etc., (ver. 11), the words Thou shalt be called, etc., are part of the apodosis, which includes verses 11 and 12. The following conjecture suggests itself as probable: The words או הוא דבק עם משובב נתיבות are the product of some careless copyist, who omitted the word אז after עם, and erroneously repeated, perhaps, from the preceding line the words נתיבות משובב, which must therefore be struck out. The remark of I. E., thus emended, would tell us that the conditional sentence, If thou turn, etc., may be connected with the preceding verses as well as with the succeeding. משבת From walking on sabbath.

From doing thy pleasure. Repetition of the same idea.

And thou wilt call the sabbath a delight, that thou wilt do no work on it, and thy soul will rejoice in reading the words of the Law.

The holy of the Lord. The sabbath. Honourable. The words which follow explain its meaning. And thou shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, which thou art accustomed to do in week days; the same idea is contained in the words from finding thine own pleasure. ודבר דבר Nor speaking a word,¹⁸A. V., Nor speaking thine own words. concerning any future act, or concerning worldly affairs; thou shalt only speak of the words of the Law. As a general rule observe, that we require tradition for understanding this.¹⁹Tradition explains in detail what kind of work, according to the words of the prophet, is prohibited to be done on the Sabbath, and what is allowed. Comp. Tract. Shabbath, and Erubin. In everything that concerns the religious practice, I. E., refers to tradition contained in the Talmud, that is, to the Oral Law.

the heritage of Jacob your father An inheritance without boundaries, as it is said (Gen. 28: 14): “And you shall spread to the west and to the east, etc.” Not like Abraham, about whom it is stated (ibid. 13:15): “The land that you see...” And Jacob indeed kept the Sabbath, as it is said (ibid. 33: 18): “And he encamped before the city,” i.e., he established the Sabbath limits at twilight. So did Rabbi Samson explain it.

Then shalt thou delight, etc. If thou call the sabbath a delight,²⁰I. E. seems to cite intentionally the second part of vers. 13, in order to leave the question concerning the conditional sentence, If thou wilt turn, etc., still open. The question accordingly touches only the first part of the verse. then thou shalt find delight in the Lord, as a child does in his father. במתי ארץ The high places of the earth. The holy land.²¹Comp. I. E. on Deut. 32:13. Palestine was believed to be the middle of the inhabited part of the earth, and, therefore, the highest part of it.

And feed thee with the heritage, etc. The prophet speaks to those that are in exile;²²That are not in possession of their inheritance, that do not yet occupy the high places of the earth, and for whom the paths are not yet restored; all this is promised in this prophecy; I. E. therefore concludes that these words are addressed to those in exile. therefore he uses the expressions, And I will cause thee to ride and Restorer of paths.