Commentaire de citation sur Isaïe 56:8

We surmise that perhaps he had already given his sons allusions of the redemption from Egypt when he told them in 48,21 “and the Lord will be with you and He will bring you back to the land of your fathers.” After all, had it not been for the incident with the spies the redemption at the time of the Exodus would have resulted in Israel immediately taking possession of the land of Canaan.
Seeing that he had alluded to the Exodus in the previous verse, it was quite normal that at this point Yaakov would want to reveal something about a final redemption. After all, both redemptions have this in common that the Jewish people would emerge from a very terrible exile. Besides, we have it on the authority of our prophets that the final redemption will parallel the redemption from Egypt in many respects. The principal difference will be that the final redemption will result in mankind acquiring a far greater knowledge of G’d and His attributes.
When you examine Yaakov’s introduction you will note that he was going to concentrate on two assemblies i.e. he said האספו והקבצו, “assemble yourselves,” and in the next verse “gather yourselves.” The first expression האספו referred to the exiled people of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Yehudah respectively, just as mentioned in Isaiah 11,12 “and assemble the banished of Israel and gather the dispersed of Yehudah.” Isaiah 56,8 also speaks of G’d “gathering in the dispersed of Israel.” This indicates that there will be two redemptions after Isaiah’s time. It most likely refers to the redemption of the ten tribes in a separate redemption after the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin have been redeemed first. The only time all of the tribes were redeemed simultaneously was at the Exodus from Egypt. The next time this will happen would be the final redemption. This is why the prophet (Isaiah 11,11) says “in that day My Lord will again apply His hand to acquire the other part of His people who have been left over.” Seeing that at the redemption from Babylon only 42.000 Israelites were redeemed the prophecy could not apply to that redemption. This is why the verse in Isaiah refers to a “second” redemption.

ושב וקבצך מכל העמים, ”then He will bring you back collectively from all the nations to which He scattered you.” I have already mentioned (29,27) that the previous paragraph speaks of the period of the first Temple when the people sinned by committing idolatry and they were punished by being banished to ארץ אחרת, a different country, and the ten tribes were cast out, הנדחים, by King Shalmanesser of Assyria to Chalach, Chavor on the river Gozan and the cities of Media (Kings II 17,6). This passage proves that our assumption was right, seeing it commences where the last passage had left off, i.e. the נדחים, the outcasts of King Shalmanesser, by referring (verse 1) i.e. “to which the Lord your G’d had cast you out there.” Clearly, it speaks of the exile to which the ten tribes had become doomed. They represented the bulk of the Jewish people. Having dealt with the ingathering of the ten tribes from their exile, the passage continues speaking about yet another ingathering, the countries to which the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin had been exiled where we have been enslaved by people who hated us and persecuted us. These people are the Arabs and Edomites. We are scattered throughout their countries until this present day and this is why the Torah speaks of “the countries to which the Lord your G’d has scattered you” (verse 3). In that verse the Torah addresses us. The Torah twice mentions ושב, “He will bring back,” to hint that there will occur two separate ingatherings, one of the ten tribes and one of the tribes Yehudah and Binyamin. Concerning these ingatherings we read in the prophecy of Isaiah 56,8: “I will gather still more to those already gathered.” It appears therefore, judging by the syntax of the text in our verses, that the principal ingathering of the tribes who will do penitence will be that of the ten tribes, the ones described as אשר הדיחך ה’, “whom the Lord cast out.” G’d assures the ten tribes that repentance will immediately trigger their return to their homeland. After having dealt with the redemption of those tribes, the Torah adds ושב וקבצך, (verse 3) that there will occur a second ingathering, that of the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin. This is why the Torah had employed the expression והפיץ, “He scattered,” seeing that these two tribes are scattered all over the globe. After that, the Torah once more addresses the נדחים, the ones who had been cast out, i.e. the ten tribes, assuring them that even if they had been scattered in the meantime to the ends of the earth, G’d would not fail to gather them in and bring them back to their homeland which they would once again inherit. Actually, we find allusions to three separate “inheritances” here. The third will outrank the former two inheritances, will encompass more territory than the Israelites controlled during the glorious days of King Solomon. Moreover, G’d promises the people that the evil urge will be banished and that such emotions as envy and jealousy will disappear from among them. This is the meaning of verse 5: ”He will do good to you and make you more numerous than your forefathers and circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring to love the Lord your G’d with all your heart, etc.” The meaning of the words ואתה תשוב, “and you will return,” in verse 8, is that the penitence of which G’d speaks is an assurance, a promise by G’d to the people.

Those who first went forth into exile will be the first to return. Some time later, the children of Judah will return. So Isaiah prophesied when he said: “In that day my Lord will apply His hand a second time to redeem the other part of His people from Assyria—as also from Egypt, Pathos, Nubia, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coastlands” [Isa. 11:11]. The verse specifies “a second time,” for the redemption of the ten tribes will come first. And thus “the other part of His people” who will have remained in Assyria. In the following verse Isaiah lists the two exiles and makes mention of the two acts of redemption, referring to each and every one with its proper name. He says: “He will hold up a signal to the nations and assemble the banished of Israel; and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” [Isa. 11:12]. He refers to the ten tribes as the “banished of Israel” as they dwell together but are banished from their land. The exile of Judah is designated as a dispersion, “and he will gather the dispersed of Judah.” The house of Israel will anoint a Messiah called Messiah ben Joseph; he will conquer lands and kingdoms and go to Jerusalem and rebuild it, as it is written: “The Lord builds Jerusalem, He gathers in the dispersed of Israel” [Ps. 147:2]. But he will die in battle. Of him it states: “In that day, the wailing in Jerusalem shall be great” [Zach. 12:11] and “they shall lament to Me about those who are slain” [Zach. 12:10]. Afterwards, the dispersed and scattered among the nations shall come and appoint a single leader, the Messiah, son of David, who was with them in exile. They will come to the Land of Israel with the permission of the kings of the nations and with their assistance. As it is written: “And out of all of the nations, said the Lord, they shall bring all your brothers on horses, in chariots and drays, on mules and dromedaries to Jerusalem, My holy mountain, as an offering to the Lord” [Isa. 66:20]. This kingdom will continue and never end. This is the meaning of “Thus declares the Lord God, Who gathers the banished of Israel” [Isa. 56:8]: these are the ten tribes. “I will gather still more to those already gathered” [ibid.]: I add yet another gathering to the first, the dispersed of Judah. This is the meaning of “The Lord your God will restore your exile and have mercy upon you. He will return and gather you from among all the nations among whom He scattered you” [Deut. 30:3]. It is possible that there may be a substantial period of time between these two ingatherings. Afterwards they might yet have to be as herdsmen in the wilderness of the nations, in order to separate out and purify the wicked among Israel, and to smelt them just as silver is smelt in the refining furnace, as happened during the Exodus from Egypt….²⁰⁸An eschatological discussion of Zech. 9:9 etc. has been ellipted.