When you pass through water,
I will be with you;
Through streams,
They shall not overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire,
You shall not be scorched;
Through flame,
It shall not burn you.
Rashi’s Commentary
- When you pass through water When you passed through the Reed Sea, I was with you.
- and in rivers, they shall not overflow you You dwelt among the Egyptians and the heathens (peoples [: mss.]) numerous as the waters of a river, and they could not prevail against you to destroy you.
- when you go amidst fire In the future, “For behold, a sun is coming, burning like an oven” (Malachi 3:19), for I will cause the sun to burn upon the wicked, “and the coming sun shall burn them.” There, too, you shall not be burnt.
- a flame which shall burn the heathens ([mss.:] the nations), as it is said (supra 33:12): “And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime.” That too shall not burn amidst you.
כִּי־תַעֲבֹר בַּמַּיִם אִתְּךָ־אָנִי וּבַנְּהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּךָ כִּי־תֵלֵךְ בְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ לֹא תִכָּוֶה וְלֶהָבָה לֹא תִבְעַר־בָּךְ׃
רש"י
- כִּי תַעֲבֹר בַּמַּיִם. כְּשֶׁעָבַרְתָּ בְּיַם סוּף אִתְּךָ הָיִיתִי:
- וּבַנְּהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּךָ. גַּרְתָּה בֵּין הַמִּצְרִים וְהָאֻמּוֹת הַמְרֻבִּין כְּמֵי נָהָר, וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְךָ לְכַלּוֹת:
- כִּי תֵלֵךְ בְּמוֹ אֵשׁ. לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא: ״כִּי הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם בָּא בֹּעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר״ (מלאכי ג:יט), שֶׁאַקְדִּיר חַמָּה עַל הָרְשָׁעִים, ״וְלִהַט אוֹתָם הַיּוֹם הַבָּא״ (שם), גַּם שָׁם לֹא תִכָּוֶה:
- וְלֶהָבָה. שֶׁתִּשְׂרוֹף הָאֻמּוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְהָיוּ עַמִּים מִשְׂרְפוֹת סִיד״ (ישעיהו לג:יב), גַּם הִיא לֹא תִבְעַר בָּךְ:
For I the ETERNAL am your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as a ransom for you,
Cush and Saba in exchange for you.
Rashi’s Commentary
- I have given Egypt as your ransom And they were your ransom, for their firstborn died, and you, My firstborn son, although you were deserving of destruction, as it is said in Ezekiel (20:8): “And I thought to pour out My fury upon them...in the land of Egypt.”
כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעֶךָ נָתַתִּי כׇפְרְךָ מִצְרַיִם כּוּשׁ וּסְבָא תַּחְתֶּיךָ׃
רש"י
- נָתַתִּי כָפְרְךָ מִצְרַיִם. וְהֵם הָיוּ לְךָ לְפִדְיוֹן, שֶׁבְּכוֹרֵיהֶם מֵתוּ וְאַתָּה, בְּנִי בְּכוֹרִי, נִצַּלְתָּ, וִהְיִיתֶם חַיָּבִים כְּלָיָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל כ:ח) ״וָאוֹמַר לִשְׁפּוֹךְ חֲמָתִי עֲלֵיהֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם״:
I will say to the North, “Give back!”
And to the South, “Do not withhold!
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the end of the earth—
Rashi’s Commentary
- I will say to the north wind, “Give the exiles who are in the north.”
- and to the south which is a strong wind, “Do not refrain from blowing strongly to bring My exiles.” Similarly (Song 4: 16), “Awaken, O north wind, and come, O south wind.” Since the north wind is weak, it needs strengthening. Therefore, it is written, “Awaken,” “Give.” But concerning the south wind which does not need straightening, it is written, “Come,” as it is, and so, “Do not refrain.”
אֹמַר לַצָּפוֹן תֵּנִי וּלְתֵימָן אַל־תִּכְלָאִי הָבִיאִי בָנַי מֵרָחוֹק וּבְנוֹתַי מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ׃
רש"י
- אֹמַר לְרוּחַ צָפוֹן תֵּנִי הַגָּלֻיּוֹת שֶׁבַּצָּפוֹן:
- וְלַתֵּימָן, שֶׁהִיא רוּחַ חֲזָקָה – אַל תִּכְלָאִי מִלְּנַשֵּׁב בְּחָזְקָה לְהָבִיא גָּלֻיּוֹתַי. וְכֵן (שיר השירים ד:טז) ״עוּרִי צָפוֹן וּבֹאִי תֵימָן״, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהָרוּחַ צְפוֹנִית חַלָּשָׁה צְרִיכָה חִזּוּק, לְכָךְ כָּתוּב ׳עוּרִי׳, ׳תֵּנִי׳. אֲבָל דְּרוֹמִית שֶׁאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה חִזּוּק (גיטין לא ב), כָּתוּב ׳בּוֹאִי׳ כְּמוֹת שֶׁהִיא, וְכֵן ׳אַל תִּכְלָאִי׳:
All who are linked to My name,
Whom I have created,
Formed, and made for My glory—
Rashi’s Commentary
- Everyone that is called by My name, and whom I created for My glory All the righteous, who are called by My name and everyone who was made for My glory, I formed him, yea, I made him. fixed him with all that is necessary for him, and I prepared everything. That is to say, that although they experienced exile and trouble, I prepared for them all the necessities of their redemption.
כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו יְצַרְתִּיו אַף־עֲשִׂיתִיו׃
רש"י
- כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו. כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים הַנִּקְרָאִים בִּשְׁמִי, וְכָל הֶעָשׂוּי לִכְבוֹדִי. יְצַרְתִּיו אַף עֲשִׂיתִיו – תִּכַּנְתִּיו בְּכָל הַצָּרִיךְ לוֹ, וְהֵכַנְתִּי הַכֹּל. כְּלוֹמַר: אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעָבְרוּ בַּגּוֹלָה וּבְצָרָה, כְּבָר הִכַּנְתִּי לָהֶם כָּל צָרְכֵי גְּאֻלָּתָם:
All the nations assemble as one,
The peoples gather.
Who among them declared this,
Foretold to us the things that have happened?
Let them produce their witnesses and be vindicated,
That people, hearing them, may say, “It is true!”
Rashi’s Commentary
- Were all the nations gathered If all the nations (of the peoples [Lublin;]) (of the heathens [Warsaw]; absent in all mss. and in K’li Paz) would gather together, who of them and of their prophets would tell the future, or the like, quoting their pagan Gods, or the first events, that have already passed, would they let us know, saying “We foretold them before they came about”?
- Let them present their witnesses who heard that they prophesied concerning them prior to their occurrence, and they shall be deemed just. But I have witnesses, for you are My witnesses that I told Abraham your forefather about the exiles, and they came about.
כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִם נִקְבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו וְיֵאָסְפוּ לְאֻמִּים מִי בָהֶם יַגִּיד זֹאת וְרִאשֹׁנוֹת יַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ יִתְּנוּ עֵדֵיהֶם וְיִצְדָּקוּ וְיִשְׁמְעוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ אֱמֶת׃
רש"י
- כָּל הַגּוֹיִם נִקְבְּצוּ. אִם כָּל הַגּוֹיִם מֵעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת נִתְקַבְּצוּ יַחְדָּיו, מִי בָהֶם וּבִנְבִיאֵיהֶם יַגִּיד עֲתִידוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהּ מִפִּי טָעוּתָם, אוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁכְּבָר עָבְרוּ יַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ לֵאמֹר: ״אֲנַחְנוּ הִגַּדְנוּ אוֹתָם קוֹדֶם שֶׁבָּאוּ״?
- יִתְּנוּ עֵדֵיהֶם, שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ שֶׁנִּבְּאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם קֹדֶם לָכֵן, וְיִצְדָּקוּ; אֲבָל אֲנִי יֵשׁ לִי עֵדִים, שֶׁאַתֶּם עֵדַי, שֶׁהִגַּדְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם הַגָּלֻיּוֹת וּבָאוּ:
My witnesses are you
—declares GOD—
My servant, whom I have chosen.
To the end that you may take thought,
And believe in Me,
And understand that I am the One:
Before Me no god was formed,
And after Me none shall exist—
Rashi’s Commentary
- and My servant Jacob.
- whom I chose. He, too, shall testify that I promised him when he went to Mesopotamia, and I kept My promise.
- in order that you know I did all this in order that you put your heart to know Me.
אַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְעַבְדִּי אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרְתִּי לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ וְתַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְתָבִינוּ כִּי־אֲנִי הוּא לְפָנַי לֹא־נוֹצַר אֵל וְאַחֲרַי לֹא יִהְיֶה׃ {ס}
רש"י
- וְעַבְדִּי. יַעֲקֹב:
- אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרְתִּי. הוּא יָעִיד שֶׁהִבְטַחְתִּיו בְּלֶכְתּוֹ לַאֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם, וְשָׁמַרְתִּי הַבְטָחָתִי:
- לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ וְגוֹ׳. כָּל זֶה עָשִׂיתִי לְמַעַן תִּתְּנוּ לֵב לָדַעַת אוֹתִי:
I alone foretold the triumph
And I brought it to pass;
I announced it,
And no strange god was among you.
So you are My witnesses
—declares GOD—
And I am God.
Rashi’s Commentary
- I told of the exiles to Abraham.
- and I saved to fulfill the word at the time [designated for its] end.
- and I made heard to you the first events.
- and there was no stranger among you In those days, when I did all these, there did not appear among all of you, among the heathens (the children of the nations [mss., K’li Paz]) a strange God, to show his greatness and his Godliness. ([Other manuscripts read:] And I made My Torah heard to you, and none among you estranged himself from accepting.)
- and you are My witnesses that I opened seven heavens for you, and you saw no image.
אָנֹכִי הִגַּדְתִּי וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּי וְהִשְׁמַעְתִּי וְאֵין בָּכֶם זָר וְאַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַאֲנִי־אֵל׃
רש"י
- אָנֹכִי הִגַּדְתִּי. הַגָּלֻיּוֹת לְאַבְרָהָם:
- וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּי. לְקַיֵּם דְּבָרִי בְּעֵת רָץ:
- וְהִשְׁמַעְתִּי לָכֶם הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת:
- וְאֵין בָּכֶם זָר. בְּאוֹתָן הַיָּמִים שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי כָּל אֵלֶּה, לֹא נִרְאָה בְּכֻלְּכֶם בֵּינֵי הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אֵל זָר לְהַרְאוֹת גְּדֻלָּתוֹ וֶאֱלֹהוּתוֹ בְּפָנַי:
- וְאַתֶּם עֵדַי. שֶׁפָּתַחְתִּי לָכֶם שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִים, וְלֹא רְאִיתֶם כָּל תְּמוּנָה:
Thus said GOD,
Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I send to Babylon;
I will bring down all [her] bars,
And the Chaldeans shall raise their voice in lamentation.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Because of you, I sent [you] to Babylon Jonathan paraphrases: Because of your sins I exiled you to Babylon.
- and I lowered them all with oars Heb. וְהוֹרַדְתִּי בָרִיחִים. Jonathan renders: And I lowered with oars (בִּמְשׁוֹטִין), all of them. מְשׁוֹטִין denotes the wood that guides the ship and straightens it out.
- and Chaldees led you in the ships of their rejoicing. This may also be explained as regards the news of the redemption, as follows: Because of you, I sent I will send the kings of Media to Babylon, and I will lower the Chaldees in ships and oars into exile to the land of Media. And the Chaldees I will lower in ships which their rejoicing was [i.e., the Chaldees would be taken into captivity with the very boats in which they had previously rejoiced].
כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה גֹּאַלְכֶם קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַנְכֶם שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָבֶלָה וְהוֹרַדְתִּי בָרִיחִים כֻּלָּם וְכַשְׂדִּים בָּאֳנִיּוֹת רִנָּתָם׃
רש"י
- לְמַעַנְכֶם שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָבֶלָה. יוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״בְּדִיל חוֹבֵיכוֹן אַגְלֵיתִי יַתְכוֹן לְבָבֶל״:
- וְהוֹרַדְתִּי בָרִיחִים כֻּלָּם. ״וַאֲחֵתִית בִּמְשׁוֹטִין כּוּלְהוֹן״. ׳מְשׁוֹטִין׳ הוּא עֵץ שֶׁמַּנְהִיג אֶת הַסְּפִינָה וּמְיַשְּׁרָהּ:
- וְכַשְׂדִּים הוֹלִיכוּ אֶתְכֶם בָּאֳנִיּוֹת רִנָּתָם, וְגַם יֵשׁ לְפָרְשׁוֹ עַל בְּשׂוֹרַת הַגְּאוּלָּה. לְמַעַנְכֶם שִׁלַּחְתִּי אֶשְׁלַח מַלְכֵי מָדַי לְבָבֶל וְאוֹרִיד הַכַּשְׂדִּים בִּסְפִינוֹת וּמְשׁוֹטִין לַגּוֹלָה לְאֶרֶץ מָדַי, וְכַשְׂדִּים אוֹרִיד בָּאֳנִיּוֹת שֶׁהָיְתָה רִנָּתָם בָּהֶם:
Thus said GOD,
Who made a road through the sea
And a path through mighty waters,
Rashi’s Commentary
- Who made a way in the sea in the Sea of Reeds, and there I drew the Egyptians out to pursue you, with chariots and horses, and an army and power, and all of them lay together dead on the seashore, not to rise.
Do not recall what happened of old,
Or ponder what happened of yore!
Rashi’s Commentary
- Remember not the first events These miracles that I mention to you, that I performed in Egypt do not remember them from now on, for you shall be engaged in this redemption, to thank and to praise.
- do not meditate Do not ponder about them; do not pay attention to them.
אַל־תִּזְכְּרוּ רִאשֹׁנוֹת וְקַדְמֹנִיּוֹת אַל־תִּתְבֹּנָנוּ׃
רש"י
- אַל תִּזְכְּרוּ רִאשֹׁנוֹת. הַנִּסִּים הַלָּלוּ שֶׁאֲנִי מַזְכִּיר לָכֶם שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי בְּמִצְרַיִם, אַל תִּזְכְּרוּ אוֹתָם מֵעַתָּה, כִּי בַּגְּאֻלָּה זוֹ תַּעַסְקוּ לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל:
- אַל תִּתְבֹּנָנוּ. אַל תִּסְתַּכְּלוּ בָּהֶן, אַל תִּתְּנוּ לָהֶם לֵב:
The wild beasts shall honor Me,
Jackals and ostriches,
For I provide water in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people,
Rashi’s Commentary
- The beasts of the field shall honor Me The place that is desolate and a habitat of the beasts of the field, for the jackals and for the ostriches.
- for I gave water in the desert i.e., in a desolate land I will place a settlement.
תְּכַבְּדֵנִי חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה תַּנִּים וּבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה כִּי־נָתַתִּי בַמִּדְבָּר מַיִם נְהָרוֹת בִּישִׁימֹן לְהַשְׁקוֹת עַמִּי בְחִירִי׃
רש"י
- תְּכַבְּדֵנִי חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה. מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא חָרֵב וּמַרְבָּץ לְחַיּוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה, לְתַנִּים וְלִבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה:
- כִּי נָתַתִּי בַמִּדְבָּר מַיִם. כְּלוֹמַר: בְּאֶרֶץ חֲרֵבָה אֶתֵּן יִשּׁוּב:
You have not brought Me your sheep for burnt offerings,
Nor honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you about frankincense.
Rashi’s Commentary
- You did not bring Me the lambs of your burnt offerings but to idolatry.
- neither did I overwork you Cause you to do much work with the meal offering; merely a handful would be offered to the Most High, and even that I did not ordain upon you to sacrifice as an obligation but as a free-will offering.
לֹא־הֵבֵיאתָ לִּי שֵׂה עֹלֹתֶיךָ וּזְבָחֶיךָ לֹא כִבַּדְתָּנִי לֹא הֶעֱבַדְתִּיךָ בְּמִנְחָה וְלֹא הוֹגַעְתִּיךָ בִּלְבוֹנָה׃
רש"י
- לֹא הֵבֵאתָ לִּי שֵׂה עֹלֹתֶיךָ. כִּי אִם לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה:
- לֹא הֶעֱבַדְתִּיךָ. עֲבוֹדָה רַבָּה בְּמִנְחָה, קֹמֶץ מְעַט עוֹלֶה לַגָּבוֹהַּ, וְגַם הוּא לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְךָ לְהַקְרִיב לְךָ חוֹבָה, אֶלָּא נְדָבָה:
You have not bought Me fragrant reed with money,
Nor sated Me with the fat of your sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Neither did you purchase cane for Me with money for incense. You did not have to purchase it with money, for it was very common in your land. Said Rabbi Abba: Cinnamon grew in the Land of Israel, and goats and deer would eat of it. In Midrash Eichah (Proem X). ([Some manuscripts read:] Neither did you purchase cane for Me with money for incense, for you failed to offer to Me what you should have, and you were attracted to idolatry.)
- But you have burdened Me [lit. you have overworked Me.] You have caused Me to be an attendant to pagans, as Ezekiel envisioned (1:4): “And behold a tempest was coming from the north.” For the chariot of the Shechinah was returning from Babylon, where it had gone to conquer the whole world under the domination of Nebuchadnezzar, lest they say that He delivered His children into the hands of an inferior nation, as is found in Hagigah (13b).
לֹא־קָנִיתָ לִּי בַכֶּסֶף קָנֶה וְחֵלֶב זְבָחֶיךָ לֹא הִרְוִיתָנִי אַךְ הֶעֱבַדְתַּנִי בְּחַטֹּאותֶיךָ הוֹגַעְתַּנִי בַּעֲוֺנֹתֶיךָ׃
רש"י
- לֹא קָנִיתָ לִּי בַכֶּסֶף קָנֶה. לִקְטֹרֶת לֹא הֻצְרַכְתָּ לִקְנוֹתָהּ בְּכֶסֶף, לְפִי שֶׁהָיְתָה מְצוּיָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם הַרְבֵּה. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: קִנָּמוֹנִיָּה הָיְתָה גְּדֵלָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהָיוּ אוֹכְלִין אוֹתָהּ עִזִּים וּצְבָיִים (איכה רבה פתיחתא י):
- הֶעֱבַדְתַּנִי בְּחַטֹּאותֶיךָ. אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם לִי לִהְיוֹת שַׁמָּשׁ לְעוֹבְדֵי פְּסִילִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁרָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל ״וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן הַצָּפוֹן״ (יחזקאל א:ד), שֶׁהָיְתָה חוֹזֶרֶת מֶרְכֶּבֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה מִבָּבֶל, שֶׁהָלְכָה לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם תַּחַת יָדוֹ שֶׁל נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ בְּיַד אֻמָּה שְׁפָלָה מָסַר אֶת בָּנָיו, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּחֲגִיגָה (חגיגה יג ב):
Your earliest ancestor sinned,
And your spokesmen transgressed against Me.
Rashi’s Commentary
- Your first father sinned by saying (Gen. 15:8), “How will I know...?”
- and your intercessors transgressed against Me You have none among all the intercessors upon whose merit you rely, in whom I have not found transgression. Isaac loved My enemy [Esau].