Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Isaias 27:8

The incident with the goblet was orchestrated so that through it, they would be under threat of slavery, as they themselves declared we are servants to my Lord. Through this, their sin of selling Joseph into slavery would be cleansed. When they recounted all these events to Jacob, he said If so, then [eifoa] do this. What is the significance of the word eifoa? Rather, he was saying: if this is the measure [eifah] being used to measure out to you — measure for measure — with measure, by sending them away, You contended with them (Isaiah 27:8), and this is not by chance but by Divine providence — do this: take of the land’s glory in your vessels, etc. This was to atone for having sold him to Ishmaelites who were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh. Thus, they would bring a gift of these same types of items so that through this ruler [Joseph], the entire sin would be cleansed. And although Jacob did not know about the sale, nevertheless, the spirit of God spoke through him to bring a gift of these specific items. And may El Shaddai grant you mercy — for through this the sin of not showing mercy to their brother when he pleaded with them would be cleansed.

TZALALU’ AS LEAD. They went down into “the depths” (m’tzoloth) of the sea as lead. Now Moses mentioned this in the Song twice: They went down into the sea like a stone,¹⁷³Verse 5. and as lead, [mentioned in the verse here], in order to emphasize that this too came upon them from the hand of G-d. There were many persons among the Egyptians who knew how to swim, and they were near dry land, and surely all those who rode on the horses could be expected to be saved since horses are accustomed to swimming in water. Similarly, those that handle the shield¹⁷⁴Jeremiah 46:9. The shield can serve as a board for passing through the surf. See Yebamoth 121 a where Rabbi Akiba relates that once when his boat drowned “I chanced upon a board of the boat and every wave that came upon me I bent my head” and he was thus saved. can save themselves in water, and here not one of them escaped! This is the meaning of the verse, And the Eternal overthrew (‘vay’na’er’) the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.¹⁷¹Above, 14:27. He lifted them with His rough blast,¹⁷⁵Isaiah 27:8. and He lowered them into the sea. The usage of the word is similar to that in the verses: And the wicked ‘v’yina’aru’ (shall be shaken) out of it;¹⁷⁶Job 38:13. And the strong shall be ‘lin’oreth’ (as tow),¹⁷⁷Isaiah 1:31. ‘n’oreth’ being that which is separated and falls off from the flax when it is being prepared [for spinning].

וה' נהג רוח קדים, “and G’d guided an easterly wind, etc.” As on previous occasions, the letter ו at the beginning of the name of G’d is an allusion to the celestial tribunal working together with G’d. An easterly wind is perceived as a forerunner to disaster striking on earth. We find that wind in evidence in 14,21 prior to the Egyptians drowning in the sea after the sea had been split to allow the Israelites to cross safely. Jeremiah 18,17 wrote concerning the surviving tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin “I will scatter them in front of the enemy like an easterly wind.” Concerning the other ten tribes (prior to their exile) Hoseah 13,15 writes: “a blast of the easterly wind from the Lord will come blowing up from the desert and it will dry up its fountain and his spring will be parched.” Describing Israel going into exile, Isaiah 27,8 writes: “assailing them wih fury unchained, His pitilesss blast of the easterly wind bore them off on a day of gale.” There are more such quotes to be found in the Bible pertaining to an association between an easterly wind and disaster.

כי לא שלם עון האמורי FOR THE INIQUITY OF THE AMORITE IS NOT YET FULL enough that he should be driven out of his land until that time, for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not exact punishment from any nation until its measure is full, as it is said, (Isaiah 27:8) “In her full measure wilt thou contend with her when thou sendest her away” (Sotah 9a).

ברוח קדים עזה BY A POWERFUL EAST WIND — i. e. by the east wind which is the most powerful of the winds. This is the wind by which the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from the wicked, as it is said, (Jeremiah 18:17) “I will scatter them as with an east wind”; (Hosea 13:15) “An east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord”; (Ezekiel 27:26) “The east wind hath broken thee in the heart of the sea”; (Isaiah 27:8) “He hath removed her with His rough blast in the day of the east wind” (cf. Mekhilta).