Kapłańska 26:31 Komentarz: Rashi, Sforno, Or HaChaim & Tur HaArokh

ונתתי את עריכם חרבה AND I WILL MAKE YOUR CITIES WASTE — I might think that this means that they will be so waste that there will be no human being there (no inhabitants)! But when Scripture states (v. 32) “I will bring the land into desolation” its becoming desolate of human beings is expressed there. How, then, must I explain the words "[and I will make your cities] waste”? That there will not even be occasional passers to and fro — no occasional visitors (cf. Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 1 4).

ונתתי עריכם חרבה, at the hands of the King of Babylon and his hordes.

ונתתי את עריכם חרבה, "and I will turn your cities into ruins." The Torah means that not only will our cities no longer be a model for other nations but that they will be inferior to the civilisation of the Gentile nations. This is a source of great distress. Isaiah had this in mind when he described the cities of Yehudah and Zion as being turned into a desert (Isaiah 64,9) unless the Jewish people would mend their ways.

והשמותי את מקדשיכם AND I WILL BRING YOUR SANCTUARIES UNTO DESOLATION — I might think that this means they will be desolate of sacrifices! But when Scripture states, “and I will not smell [your pleasing odors]”, their being desolate of sacrifices is expressed there! How then must I explain והשמותי את מקדשיכם? As referring to their being abandoned by the bands of pilgrims — by the caravans of Israelites which used to prepare and to band together in order to pilgrim there (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 1 4). Thus again you have seven punishments: the eating of the flesh of their sons and daughters, the destruction of the high places, these make two. — The cutting off of the sun-images, however, is not reckoned as a separate punishment, for that statement means that through the destruction of the high places the sun-images which were placed on the top of the roofs would fall and so be destroyed. — “I will cast your carcasses etc.”, three; the departure of the Shechinah, four; the laying waste of the cities, the desertion of the Sanctuary by the pilgrim bands and “I shall not smell the pleasing odor of the sacrifices” — make altogether seven.