Комментарий о цитате к Бамидбар 23:9

"The city that was great with people sits solitary, she has become like a widow." It is known from the words of our Sages that [Jerusalem is] "like a widow," but not an actual widow, rather like a woman whose husband has gone to a distant country and intends to return. At first glance, the continuation of the verse is unclear: "The city that was great with people has become like a widow"—how are these two ideas connected?
It is possible to say that this is actually to the benefit of Israel, as this demonstrates their dearness to God, because the congregation of Israel did not intermingle with foreign nations, as Balaam said, "Behold, the people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations" (Numbers 23:9). However, the real significance is not merely that Israel did not intermingle with the nations. The greater significance is when Israel is mingled among the nations and yet does not learn from their ways or adopt their religions, remaining distinct from all other peoples. This is what truly makes them dear to God.
It is known that during the Second Temple period, Jerusalem was "great with people" from every nation and language, and many people from other lands came to Jerusalem to trade and to teach their wisdom, as explained in the Midrash and in Josephus. Despite this, the congregation of Israel did not assimilate among them and maintained their holy vigilance. This is why the lamenter cries, "How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people"—meaning, even though the city was full of people and many foreign nations gathered there, Israel's distinctiveness remained intact, and its scent did not fade. Why, then, does she sit solitary?
The answer is: "She has become like a widow," not an actual widow, but like a woman whose husband intends to return, indicating that she is still beloved by God, as mentioned above. The lamenter does not say "like a divorced woman," because the husband is the "Lord of Hosts," who lives and exists forever. The reason seems to be according to what the Zohar says: that when a woman's husband dies, his spirit remains within her, hidden and concealed within her, and therefore she is called "almana" (widow), a term derived from "elmoni" (anonymous or concealed), because her husband's spirit is still hidden within her.
Similarly, in this bitter exile, even though the Divine Presence (Shechinah) is not revealed as it was before, when all flesh saw the glory of God with their own eyes, nonetheless, His Presence is concealed among us and has not departed from us. This is what the lamenter says: "How does she sit solitary, without the Shechinah dwelling within her? Was she not the city that was great with people, and indeed, the mighty God does not despise [His people]?" The answer comes: "She has become like a widow," meaning that the Shechinah is hidden and concealed within us, and this is the explanation.

ולבש הכהן מדו בד, and the priest will wear a linen garment; the Torah switches to allude to the attribute of Love and Mercy which has also been described by the word כהן. The Torah means that when that time arrives even such attributes as Love and Mercy will consent to G'd avenging the wrong done to the Jewish people by the nations of the world. (Compare my commentary on Exodus 6,2 on the words "He said to him: 'I am the eternal G'd.'") The words מדו בד may be understood in light of a comment by our sages that G'd makes a visible mark of the blood of any Jew who was killed because he was Jewish on His "garment." On the day when G'd goes out to exact retribution from our enemies He will wear that "garment" on His heart. The word מדו, recalls Bileam's statement that the Jewish nation עם לבדד ישכון, is "a nation which dwells in solitude" (Numbers 23,9); the root of that word is בד, i.e. that the very garments of the priest are a reminder of the Jewish people. The word is also a hint of the unity which was displayed by all the martyrs who died for the sake of Judaism, i.e. who refused to compromise G'd's unity by associating Him with any other religion.

The verse contains the promise that his descendants would be redeemed in due course and that they would then reside in the land of Israel, the only country in which Torah precepts can be practiced to the full. The second עליה promised is that to the heavenly spheres, to eternal life of the soul, something for which every Israelite will qualify as part of his birthright (compare Sanhedrin 90). This is something which even Bileam, the accuser of Israel, already recognised when he wished himself a similar future as that of Israel, saying: “may my soul experience the death of the upright, and may my afterlife be like that of Israel” (Numbers 23,10). By saying this, Bileam hinted that pagans are not going to share in that afterlife. This is why he added immediately before this: “they are a nation that dwells in splendid isolation” (Numbers 23,9).
The reason G’d emphasised the word אנכי, when giving these assurances to Yaakov was that this was the word with which G’d introduced Himself at the revelation at Mount Sinai, when He gave us His Torah (Ten Commandments). He who abides by them would qualify for the promises made to Yaakov in this verse.