Comentários de Citação sobre Isaías 48:20

And by way of allusion, I have a way to explain Jacob’s two names in reference to the two redemptions, since we find in our Rabbis’ teachings that the Exodus from Egypt will not be completely uprooted, but rather the remembrance of the miracles of the Exodus will become secondary, while the remembrance of future miracles will become primary. Similarly here, they said that the name Jacob will not be completely uprooted, but will become secondary while the name Israel will be primary. Therefore, both are one matter. And so it says regarding the final redemption, And the crooked shall become straight (Isaiah 40:4). The word akov [crooked] is derived from the name Yaakov [Jacob], and mishor [straight] is derived from the name Yisrael [Israel], meaning “straight to God.” And since it is said As in the days when you left Egypt, I will show you wonders (Micah 7:15), this teaches that the future miracles will not be greater than the miracles of Egypt. So why will the miracles of Egypt become secondary? Because during the redemption from Egypt, their merit was not sufficient to bring them out with an upraised hand, and they needed to proceed with cunning and deception, saying “Let us go sacrifice to the Lord our God.” And every fugitive goes in haste, as it is written you shall eat it in haste (Exodus 12:11). And regarding the Babylonian redemption, it is obvious that it was not a complete redemption but merely a temporary visitation, and there too it is said Flee from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans (Isaiah 48:20).

ועתה ברח לך אל מקומך, “and now, flee to your place!” According to the father of R. David Kimchi this is not a flight in the conventional sense of the word but means the same as “go quickly!” The word is used in a similar meaning in Isaiah 48,20: ברחו מכשדים, “flee from Chaldea! Declare with loud shouting, Announce this, bring out the word to the end of the earth!” It may describe that Israel departed from Egypt with great fanfare. When the prophet Jonah is described as לברוח תרשישה, “hiring a ship to escape to Tarshish” (Jonah 1,3) this must not be taken to mean that he imagined he could escape from the Lord; it means that he meant to travel to Tarshish quickly. This is also the meaning of the words מלפני ה' that we find there which means “away from the presence of the Lord” and not מפני ה', “on account of the Lord,” as we find in Psalms 139,7 where David makes plain that it is impossible to flee from G’d using the words: “Where can I escape from Your spirit (presence)?”
The reason that Bileam was anxious to leave was to forestall G’d giving him a sign such as He did to the people of Nineveh (in later years) which would prompt them to do repentance, resulting eventually and indirectly in the destruction of the Northern kingdom of the Ten Tribes. Jonah himself told G’d that the reason that he was in such a rush to embark for Tarshish was to forestall that demise of the Jewish kingdom, not to escape from the Lord (Jonah 4,2). The “sign” to the people of Nineveh which prompted them to take Jonah’s prediction of their doom seriously and to repent their evil ways was undoubtedly that they had heard what had happened on the boat to Tarshish, how Jonah despite being thrown overboard had miraculously remained alive, etc., etc. This is a beautiful explanation although it clashes with that of our sages at the beginning of Mechilta 21 who do understand Jonah’s flight to Tarshish as an attempt to escape G’d in order not to be burdened with Holy Spirit, something he thought is not imposed when away from the Holy Land.

AND IN ALL THE LAND OF YOUR POSSESSION [YE SHALL GRANT A REDEMPTION FOR THE LAND]. “This [expression of ‘in all the land’] includes houses and Hebrew servants [that they too be granted the right of redemption]. This matter is explained in the first chapter of Tractate Kiddushin.¹⁹⁰Kiddushin 21 a. And according to the plain meaning thereof, it is to be connected with the section [immediately] following, [thus teaching] that he who sells [his land] has the right of redeeming it after two years, either personally or through his relative, and the purchaser cannot prevent it.” This is Rashi’s language. But it does not appear to me to be correct that Scripture should state in general terms in the section dealing with the Jubilee, [mentioned above], And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption [which according to Rashi speaks of the right of the seller to redeem the land of his possession], and then explain in the second section how this law applies: If thy brother be waxen poor etc.¹⁹¹Further, Verse 25. In other words, since this verse [25] begins a new section in the Torah, and is thereby disconnected from the preceding verse [before us], it is not likely that this new section is the explanation of the preceding verse.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Scripture is stating: “And in all the land of your possession, that is, the land which I give you for a possession, ye shall grant this redemption of the Jubilee.” The term “redemption” is like the Eternal hath redeemed His servant Jacob,¹⁹²Isaiah 48:20. which means that He brought out His servant from the hand of those who held him [captive]. Similarly, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm¹⁹³Exodus 6:6. [means “I will take Israel out of Egypt”]. So also [the expression before us] ye shall grant a redemption for the Land means that I wish to redeem My Land from the hand of those who hold it, as I have not given it to them as a part of their possession. It was necessary that this be stated because He had said [as a reason for this law], for ‘ha’aretz’ (the earth) is Mine,¹⁹⁴Verse 23. It is clear from the following text that Ramban understands here the word ha’aretz as referring to the entire earth, and not to any particular land. and since the whole earth is His, therefore He stated additionally that the Jubilee only applies in the Land of our possession, not outside the Land [of Israel]. He stated and in all [‘and in all’ the land of your possession …] meaning that it is to apply to all our possessions, including the other side of the Jordan and all places of [our] possession, and not only in “the Land of the Eternal” wherein the Sanctuary is located [i.e., westward of the Jordan, but the law of the Jubilee is to apply also in the land east of the Jordan where the Sanctuary of G-d may not be built — see Ramban Numbers 21:21].