Commento su Amos 1:3

For three transgressions of etc.—As it is stated (Job 33:29) “Lo, all these things does God work, twice, yea, thrice, with a man.” But He does not forgive more (according to Shem Ephraim). And here, it is as follows: I have already behaved toward them according to My standard, to forgive them for three transgressions, and if there are more, surely the smaller number is included in the larger amount.

1. "Thus said Hashem for the three sins of Damascus..." Amos the prophet was prophecising here about six non Jewish nations. Damascus was the head of the kingdom of Aram, Aza the head of the Phillistine kingdom, Tzur, Edom, Amon and Moab. Why aren't the other nations who also attacked and destroyed Israel mentioned here (eg Babylon, Egypt...). I see two possible reasons. The first is that Amos connected his prophecy to that of Yoel. Yoel's prophecy mentioned the two destructions of the Temple and their judgement ("I will gather the nations and bring them to the valley of judgement and there I will judge them regarding my lot, Israel, that they scattered among the nations and my people they divided" Yoel 4:2) and there it specifically mentions Egypt and Edom becoming a waste. Egypt there refers to the lands of the Ishmaelites who joined the Babylonians in destroying the first temple. Edom refers to Rome who destroyed the second temple. Amos therefore doesn't need to include these nations (Rome? Egypt? Babylon?) in his prophecy about the other nations. He includes nations that Yoel didn't speak of. Yosel does mention Tzur and Sidon and Amos also speaks of Tzur because Tzur was destroyed two times likes it says in Isiah. The first was through Nevudnezer who conquered Tzur and made a great slaughted there. The second conquering of Tzur was through Alexander (the Great?) who destroyed Tzur's army and walls and throughoughly destroyed it that no inhabitants were left there until this day. And Yoel spoke of the final great destruction of Tzur, whereas Amos's prophecy about Tzur referred to the first destruction that would take place through Nevuchadnezer. Also regarding Edom, Yoel said it would become a "desolate wilderness" and Amos also mentioned Edom in his prophecy. Yoel was referring to the Roman Empire and Amos was discusing the sins of Edom connected to Jerusaem and the burning of the south. This is the first reason why the prophet Amos doesn't bring up the other nations who attacked Israel. And the second reason is that the prophet is bring a proof and a reproof for Israel from their wicked neighbors. That if Gd punishes the nations who don't have a connection to Him and don't have the Torah for their sins, how could He also not punish His nation, Israel. And because they accepted the Torah they were more stricken by punishment than the other nations and therefore Amos only brought up examples of close by neighbors to Israel who were punished and not far out island nations (for example Rome). And now I will explain how the punishments are connected to these nations and to Judah together when Israel found themselves in a more serious judgement than the nations and therefore the other sins aren't mentioned only the sins that nations did that are connected to israel.

yea for four I will not return them—For the fourth transgression, I need no longer return him empty- handed from taking his recompense from Me, and surely since there are many transgressions in their hands; now I will visit upon them the retribution for threshing the inhabitants of Gilead, their neighbors.

2. And what are the three sins that are mentioned about all the nations that Gd overlooked. Our Rabbis in Yom 86:2 say, "says Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Yose, Edom did a sin one time and it was overlooked. He sinned a second time and it was overlooked. he sinned a third time and it was overlooked and the fourth time it was not overlooked. And from this we learned that it relates to man as well as a nation that a person who sins 2 or 3 times." On this, Rashi with his knowledge and intellect isn't able to understand that it is talking about the sins of the nations equally. And he therefore writes that if one contineus to increase his sin making what is small greater regarding the fourth sin, Gd will exact judgement from him on the fourth sin and even more so if he committed many sins. This raises the third question that I asked (why these specific nations). And the Ibin Ezra writes the reason they that the fourth sins is not overlooked is because they are warned and don't listen before this. And it could be it speaks about the fourth generation. If the whole generation is wicked and you see that there is no warning for the nations here or passing of generations mentioned here. Therefore I believe that the three sins mentioned here don't refer to just any sins or to generations of sinners but they refer to the three specific and heavy sins that are idolatry, immorality and murder that are found among these nations who don't have the the Torah to distance themselves from them. These three sins are specifically included in the 7 Noahide laws. And he says here that each of these nations is obligated to Gd for these three sins but when they add onto it to the fourth sin, their cup is filled and they are ready to recieve punishment immediately. And therefore "thus says Hashem for three sins of Damascus..." whic is the capital of Aram and had the three big sins (idolatry, immorality and murder) among them. And the fourth sins was a different sin that they attacked Israel. It seems surprising for Gd to not exact judgement for the first three sins. The word "ashivenu" which is translated as "revoking the sin" is the same word used in Hose 12:15 and Tehillim 7:17 and means to receive what is deserved from Gd according to the work of their hands. And the fourth sins is explain that Damascus threshed Gilad with iron threshing boards. And it is what is explained in Kings 10:33 that Hazael attacked all the borders of Israel. Meaning that he did a vengeful and disgraceful act to the inhabitants of Gilad by putting iron threshing boards on their bodies as if they were threshing th produce. And in Shmuel 12:31 it mentiones King David acting this way to the nation of Ammon. And via these three sins their cup was filled.

with sledges of iron—Jonathan renders: morigin of iron. Now that is a sort of file called ‘lime,’ which is made with numerous grooves, and with which they chastise people with tortures, and with them they cut the stubble of the grain to make straw.