Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Isaias 1:2

האזינו השמים ואדברה, “hearken o heavens and I will speak;” Moses, when addressing heaven and earth mentioned the word האזינו, addressing the ears of heavens first, whereas Isaiah when doing so in Isaiah 1,2 mentioned the word שמיעה, hearing first. The reason is that Moses’ primary field of activity was with heaven, he was close to it and did not need to worry about the ability of the heavens to hear him, but needed their attention to his words. Isaiah being closer to earth than to heaven had to proceed in the reverse order, first making sure that witnesses’ ears were open, before worrying about gaining their undivided attention. When someone is close to the one who addresses him, all he needs to do to get the message is turn his ears in the source of the sound’s direction. A person who is far from the speaker needs to insure first that he is heard, before worrying that what he says will be heard and understood. According to Rashi, (in his commentary on Isaiah) the reason for the opposite approaches taken between Moses and Isaiah is that both heaven and earth are witnesses, (compare Deut. 30,19) seeing they will be around as long as any Israelites exist, they had to be addressed as such in similar terms, i.e. both as hearing and hearkening, (paying attention to what they hear) otherwise each could claim that they were only witnesses to part of what had been demanded of them. Rav Hunna, quoting Rav Acha, claims that from the wording it is clear that there are more witnesses in heaven than on earth, seeing that Moses addresses heaven in the plural mode, האזינו, whereas he addresses earth in the singular mode, ותשמע. Isaiah followed the same pattern he had read about in the Torah, i.e. plural mode for heaven, and singular mode for earth.

האזינו השמים ואדברה, ותשמע הארץ, “Give ear o heaven so that the earth will listen when I speak.” [You, the reader, will no doubt observe that the author inverted the headline, to already incorporate his interpretation of what is written here. Ed.] Some commentators feel that when Moses addressed “heaven,” he was in fact addressing the angels who reside in heaven. Similarly, when he called out to the “earth” to listen to his words, he meant the inhabitants of the earth. Other commentators feel that Moses addressed as witnesses the “rain” which comes from the sky, and the yield of the fields and vineyards that is provided by the earth’s input. He called upon both to be generous with their contributions when the people deserved it. I believe that the correct interpretation is that Moses addressed heaven and earth’s essence, as it is customary for verses in the Bible that describe someone as being called as witness to appoint enduring phenomena such as heaven and earth as witnesses, as one can be sure that when needed these witnesses will always be at hand. This is why we have שמעו הרים את ריב ה', the prophet Micah 6,2 calling as witness the mountains; when he relays G’d’s message to the people. Moses used the term האזנה when addressing the heavens, whereas he used the term שמע when addressing the earth. The prophet Isaiah, (Isaiah 1,2) in a similar appeal reversed what Moses did, using the term שמע when addressing the heavens, and the term האזנה when addressing the earth. The reason is that when the recipient of the sound of one’s voice is nearby, the term האזנה is appropriate, whereas for recipients further away the term שמע is appropriate. Moses was feeling closer to heaven than to earth at that time, hence he used the term appropriate for addressing someone nearby when speaking to heaven. Isaiah, not being on the same spiritual level as Moses reversed the procedure, as he was closer to earth than to heaven.

The discourse of Abraham the author: Behold, I have endeavored to speak. The One, which precedes calculation, is, from one aspect, the cause of all calculation, and from another aspect, it is all the calculation – it neither adds nor subtracts, yet it is the cause of all addition and subtraction. It does not accept multiplication or division, yet it is the cause of both. And this One is the First World relative to the worlds that are after it. This world is not corporeal, and it is called the "likeness of the glory of the LORD" on high [cf. Ezekiel 1:28]. It does not change in essence or configuration, and it has no time or place, and the honored Name is within it. And the Second World, which is the Middle one – there reside souls/forms of truth without bodies [i.e., angels], and also souls in bodies [celestial intelligences?], and their number is beyond us, as are the bodies [celestial spheres/stars]. And all of them are honored [beings], for they have no opposite, or change, or alteration in their essence, but only incidentally in the configuration of their motion. And this world is called the Holy Temple/Palace (Heikhal Ha-Kodesh), and they are the Heavens of Heavens (Shmei Ha-Shamayim). And there is the Throne of Glory (Kissei Ha-Kavod), and there are Michael and Gabriel. Therefore, Jonathan ben Uzziel translated [Isaiah 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy...”] as “Holy in the highest heavens, the house of His Shekhinah...” [Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 6:3]. And this is what [Isaiah] mentioned first: “sitting upon a throne” [Isaiah 6:1], which is the Throne of Glory, “and His train” – meaning the train/hem of the Throne – “filled the Temple” [Isaiah 6:1]. And he said, “Holy upon the earth, the work of His might...” [Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 6:3]. And behold, the two [first declarations of 'Holy'] refer to the hidden [worlds], and afterwards he mentioned “Holy forever and ever” [Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 6:3]. Know that the attribute [of holiness] does not change relative to the places [worlds], therefore the secret of his words is [in the repetition] “And one called...” [Isaiah 6:3]. And behold, the bodies of the Middle World neither begin nor end. And concerning this world it is written: “Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts” [Psalms 148:2], also the ministers [planets] and the two luminaries [sun and moon]. And concerning all, it says: “For He commanded and they were created. And He established them forever and ever; He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away” [Psalms 148:5-6]. Yet there is opposition/variety in their movements: some go from east to west, and the opposite [west to east]; also northward and southward; also along the equator; some are direct in their course, some retrograde, some stationary; some swift, some slow; some ascending, some descending; some visible, some hidden; the ministers [planets] alone have 120 conjunctions, and the higher ones [fixed stars?] are countless. Sometimes [they are] in opposition, sometimes in aspects of love. And I say [despite] all this, there is no [conflict] among them, but rather thus are new events generated in the Lower World, on account of their movement and their changing configurations, sometimes for good, sometimes for ill. And these matters require a lengthy explanation, and one book cannot contain the knowledge of their secret and purpose. And the Third World is beneath the firmament, and it is entirely full of bodies, both subtle and dense. And there are bodies containing souls (neshamot), also spirits (ruchot), also life-forces (nefashot). And Man alone is the secret [centerpiece] of this Lower World, and for his sake it was created, and his soul is bound to the higher souls. And because the speaker is human, and the listener is human, therefore [Scripture speaks of] the higher [realities] and the lower [realities] in human terms. Behold, it attributes majesty to the higher and diminishes them [by using physical terms], for I cannot speak [of them] unless it is done thus, and it elevates the lower [by giving them human-like attributes]. Therefore, the Sages, of blessed memory, said: “The Torah speaks in the language of human beings.” They [Scripture] say: “the top of the earth's soil” [Proverbs 8:26], “covered the eye of the land” [Exodus 10:5], “Give ear, O earth” [Isaiah 1:2], “Incline your ear” [cf. Psalms 45:11], and concerning the stone, that it heard the word of the Lord [Joshua 24:27], “And the earth opened its mouth” [Numbers 16:32], “from the ends of the earth” [Isaiah 41:9], “in the heart of the seas” [Exodus 15:8], “on the lip of the river” [Exodus 2:3], “the hand [bank] of the Jordan” [II Kings 2:7], “a helmet of salvation on His head” [Isaiah 59:17], “eyes of the LORD” [Zechariah 4:10], “in the ears of the LORD” [Numbers 11:1], “for the mouth of the LORD has spoken” [Isaiah 1:20], “by the word of Your lips” [Psalms 17:4], “My own hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens” [Isaiah 48:13], “And the LORD said to His heart” [Genesis 8:21], “therefore My inner parts moan for him” [Jeremiah 31:19], “and under His feet” [Exodus 24:10]. And in this manner: “And the anger of the LORD burned” [Numbers 11:1], “the beloved of the LORD” [Deuteronomy 33:12], “And the LORD went” [Exodus 13:21], “The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood” [Psalms 29:10], “Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud” [Isaiah 19:1], “Awake! Why do You sleep?” [Psalms 44:24], “Then the Lord awoke as from sleep” [Psalms 78:65], “I have kept silent from of old, I have been still and restrained Myself” [Isaiah 42:14]. And behold, the Prince of Persia is the one appointed over the large or the middle company/grouping [perhaps referring to a level in the celestial/angelic hierarchy]. And behold, Daniel mentioned the appointed one [Prince of Persia] using the name "angel." And the matter of the additional [statement, Daniel 11:1] confirms this, as it stems from love [mutual support between angels]. And the meaning of the 21 days [of struggle, Daniel 10:13] corresponds to the appointee over Daniel himself, for just as there are appointees over every nation, so there is over every person. And the opposition between this [individual angel] and that [national angel] is the "war" [mentioned in Daniel 10:20]. And behold, this Lower World is the world of opposition and change, in essence, in configuration, and in motion. And the form that Daniel mentioned [the man clothed in linen, Daniel 10:5] appeared to him in prophetic visions. And I have already revealed to you the secret of the holy angels briefly through hints, and there is proof for all this from the words of the Prophets, and also proofs from the external wisdoms [philosophy/science]. And know that the decrees, past and future, come from the heavens, and they are the word of God, and it is written: “Forever, O LORD, Your word stands firm in the heavens” [Psalms 119:89]. And the secret of the configurations [of the heavens] from the beginning of their creation – upon all the configurations of the heavens are the Books [of decree]. Therefore, [this explains] the secret of dreams. And now I will return to explain the words of the angel.

And destruction shall come upon rebels... For with all these expressions he reproved them above: and they rebelled against Me (verse 2), sinful nation; they forsook the Lord (verse 4).