פירוש על ישעיהו 1:2

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth And Moses said, “Give ear, O heavens,...and may the earth hear” (Deut. 32:1). Why did Isaiah change the wording? Our masters taught concerning this matter, [and] many midrashim [are] in the section entitled “Ha’azinu” in Sifrei, but the Sages disagreed with them and said: A matter is not so unless witnesses come and testify. If their words coincide, their testimony is fulfilled; if not, their testimony is not fulfilled. Had Isaiah not addressed the heavens with giving ear and the earth with hearing, the heavens would testify and say, ‘When we were called to this testimony in Moses’ time, when he said, (Deut. 30:19) “I call heaven and earth to witness against you,” we heard with an expression of giving ear,’ and the earth would testify, ‘I was called with an expression of hearing,’ hence their testimony would not coincide. [Therefore,] Isaiah came and reversed the matter. Consequently, both are found to testify with an expression of giving ear and with an expression of hearing.

והאזיני And give ear. Sometimes verbs are derived from nouns, as האזיני, ‘give ear,’ from אׂזֶן ‘ ear.’ .There is in reality no difference between שמע ‘to hear’ and האזן ‘to give ear.’⁹By the additional phrase על דרך פשט in reality, the commentator indicates that he rejects the various remarks of the Midrash about the difference between Is. 1:1 and Deut. 32:1, and likewise the distinction drawn between the synonyms שמע and האזן. (See Yalkut ad locum).—Isaiah begins his prophecy, by addressing those witnesses, that have been pointed out to Israel by Moses, when he said I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly perish (Deut. 4:26); the time, foretold by Moses, had then come.

for the Lord has spoken That you should be witnesses in this matter, when I warned them in Moses’ time. Therefore, come and hear what I reason with them, for they transgressed the warning, I did not sin against them, but I raised them and exalted them, yet they rebelled against me. [Another version reads:] That you should be witnesses in this matter. Now, where did He speak? “Give ear, O heavens and I will speak” (ibid. 32:1). [So this was taught] in Mechilta (Bo 12).

For the Lord speaketh. Listen to His word, since it is the Lord that speaketh ; or, because the Lord has commanded you to listen.¹⁰According to the first explanation, the phrase for the Lord speaketh refers to the following prophecy, which, although spoken by Isaiah, is nevertheless the word of God, who inspires the prophet. The second explanation requires the rendering of דבר by the past hath spoken or hath commanded, and the supplying of the Infinitive to hear or to listen.

I have nourished and brought up children. The Israelites are compared to feeble children, who, nevertheless, through the care of their father are enabled to distinguish themselves amongst their companions.

פשעו בי They have rebelled against me. They withdrew from my command (comp. 2 Kings 8:22; Exod. 22:8).¹¹This explanation of פשע seems to be derived from the phrase פשע מתחת יד ‘to rebel ’ (2 Kings 8:22)—literally, to withdraw from the authority of—and to be supported by דבר פשע (Exod. 22:8), an object that was lost by its owner—literally, that has slipped away from its possessor. Our author, however, in his commentary to Exodus explains דבר פשע, as generally understood, an object of trespass, and contrasts with this explanation, the one above mentioned as the opinion of R. Joshua ; eventually he seems to have entirely adopted the meaning given in the text, as is also to be seen in the abridged commentary on Exodus (22:8).