Prophets (נְבִיאִים)

Isaiah (יְשַׁעְיָהוּ)

Chapter 52

Awake, awake, O Zion!
Clothe yourself in splendor;
Put on your robes of majesty,
Jerusalem, holy city!
For the uncircumcised and the impure
Shall never enter you again.

עוּרִי עוּרִי לִבְשִׁי עֻזֵּךְ צִיּוֹן לִבְשִׁי  בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף יָבֹא־בָךְ עוֹד עָרֵל וְטָמֵא׃

Arise, shake off the dust,
Sit [on your throne], Jerusalem!
Loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive one, Fair Zion!

Rashi’s Commentary
  • Shake yourself Heb. הִתְנַעֲרִי, escourre in O.F., to shake strongly, like one who shakes out a garment.
  • arise from the ground, from the decree (supra 3:26), “She shall sit on the ground.”
  • sit down on a throne.
  • free yourself Untie yourself [from Jonathan].
  • bands of Heb. מוֹסְרֵי, cringatro umbriah in O.F., [strap].
  • captive Heb. שְׁבִיָה, like שְׁבוּיָה, captive.

הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְּׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם (התפתחו) [הִתְפַּתְּחִי] מוֹסְרֵי צַוָּארֵךְ שְׁבִיָּה בַּת־צִיּוֹן׃ {ס}        

רש"י
  • הִתְנַעֲרִי. אישקור״א בלע״ז, כִּמְנַעֵר אֶת הַטַּלִּית (שבת קמז א):
  • קוּמִי. מִן הָאָרֶץ, מִגִּזְרַת ״לָאָרֶץ תֵּשֵׁב״ (ישעיהו ג:כו):
  • שְׁבִי. עַל הַכִּסֵּא:
  • הִתְפַּתְּחִי. הֱוִי נִתֶּרֶת:
  • מוֹסְרֵי. קריגל״ש בלע״ז:
  • שְׁבִיָּה. כְּמוֹ ׳שְׁבוּיָה׳:

For thus said GOD:
You were sold for no price,
And shall be redeemed without money.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • You were sold for nought Because of worthless matters, i.e., the evil inclination, which affords you no reward.
  • and you shall not be redeemed for money but with repentance.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה חִנָּם נִמְכַּרְתֶּם וְלֹא בְכֶסֶף תִּגָּאֵלוּ׃ {ס}        

רש"י
  • חִנָּם נִמְכַּרְתֶּם. עַל עִסְקֵי חִנָּם, הוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע שֶׁאֵינוֹ לָכֶם לְשָׂכָר:
  • וְלֹא בְכֶסֶף תִּגָּאֵלוּ. אֶלָּא בִּתְשׁוּבָה (ירושלמי תענית א א):

For thus said my Sovereign GOD:
Of old, My people went down
To Egypt to sojourn there;
But Assyria has robbed them,
Giving nothing in return.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • My people first went down to Egypt The Egyptians had somewhat of a debt upon them, for they served for them as their hosts and sustained them, but Assyria oppressed them for nothing and without cause.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה מִצְרַיִם יָרַד־עַמִּי בָרִאשֹׁנָה לָגוּר שָׁם וְאַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ׃

רש"י
  • מִצְרַיִם יָרַד עַמִּי וגו׳. הֵם הַמִּצְרִיִּים הָיוּ לָהֶם קְצָת חוֹב עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם אַכְסַנְיָא וְכִלְכְּלוּם, אֲבָל אַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס וּבְחִנָּם עֲשָׁקוֹ:

What therefore do I gain here?
—declares GOD—
For My people has been carried off for nothing,
Their mockers howl
—declares GOD—
And constantly, unceasingly,
My name is reviled.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • And now, what have I here Why do I stay and detain My children here?
  • boast Heb. יְהֵילִילוּ, Boast saying, “Our hand was powerful.”
  • is blasphemed Blasphemes itself, and this is an instance similar to (Num 7:89) “And he heard the voice speaking to him.”

וְעַתָּה מַה־לִּי־פֹה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה כִּי־לֻקַּח עַמִּי חִנָּם מֹשְׁלָו יְהֵילִילוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְתָמִיד כׇּל־הַיּוֹם שְׁמִי מִנֹּאָץ׃

רש"י
  • מַה לִּי פֹה. לָמָּה אֲנִי שׁוֹהֵא וּמַשְׁהֵא בָּנַי כָּאן?
  • יְהֵילִילוּ. מִתְפָּאֲרִים לֵאמֹר: ״יָדֵינוּ רָמָה״ (דברים לב:כז):
  • מְנֹאָץ. מִתְנָאֵץ, וַהֲרֵי זֶה דֻּגְמַת ״וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו״ (במדבר ז:פט):

Assuredly, My people shall learn My name,
Assuredly [they shall learn] on that day
That I, the One who promised,
Am now at hand.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • My people shall know When I redeem them, they will recognize that My name is master, monarch, and ruler, as is its apparent meaning.
  • therefore, on that day The day of their redemption, they will understand that I am He Who speaks, and behold, I have fulfilled the prophecy.

לָכֵן יֵדַע עַמִּי שְׁמִי לָכֵן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי־אֲנִי־הוּא הַמְדַבֵּר הִנֵּנִי׃ {ס}        

רש"י
  • יֵדַע עַמִּי. כְּשֶׁאֶגְאָלֵם יַכִּירוּ, כִּי שְׁמִי אָדוֹן, שַׁלִּיט וּמוֹשֵׁל, כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ (חגיגה טו:-טז.):
  • לָכֵן בַּיּוֹם. גְּאֻלָּתָם יָבִינוּ כִּי אֲנִי הוּא הַמְדַבֵּר הִנֵּנִי קִיַּמְתִּי:

How welcome on the mountain
Are the footsteps of the herald
Announcing happiness,
Heralding good fortune,
Announcing victory,
Telling Zion, “Your God reigns!”

מַה־נָּאווּ עַל־הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ׃

Hark!
Your lookouts raise their voices,
As one they shout for joy;
For every eye shall behold
GOD ’s return to Zion.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • The voice of your watchmen The watchmen who are stationed on the walls and the towers to report and to see (to see and to report [Parshandatha]) who comes to the city.

קוֹל צֹפַיִךְ נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל יַחְדָּו יְרַנֵּנוּ כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב יְהֹוָה צִיּוֹן׃

רש"י
  • צֹפַיִךְ. צוֹפִים שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִין עַל הַחוֹמוֹת וְהַמִּגְדָּלִים לְבַשֵּׂר וְלִרְאוֹת מִי בָּא לָעִיר:

Raise a shout together,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For GOD will comfort this people,
Will redeem Jerusalem.

פִּצְחוּ רַנְּנוּ יַחְדָּו חׇרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם כִּי־נִחַם יְהֹוָה עַמּוֹ גָּאַל יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם׃

GOD will bare a holy arm
In the sight of all the nations,
And the very ends of earth shall see
The victory of our God.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • has revealed Heb. חָשַׂף, has revealed.

חָשַׂף יְהֹוָה אֶת־זְרוֹעַ קׇדְשׁוֹ לְעֵינֵי כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִם וְרָאוּ כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ אֵת יְשׁוּעַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃ {ס}        

רש"י
  • חָשַׂף. גִּלָּה:

Turn, turn away, touch naught impure
As you depart from there;
Keep pure, as you go forth from there,
You who bear the vessels of GOD!

Rashi’s Commentary
  • touch no unclean one They shall be abominable to you to touch them.
  • get out of its midst Out of the midst of the exile, for all these last consolations refer only to the last exile.
  • purify yourselves Heb. הִבָּרוּ, purify yourselves.
  • you who bear the Lord’s vessels You, the priests and the Levites, who carried the vessels of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the desert [from here is proof of the resurrection of the dead].

סוּרוּ סוּרוּ צְאוּ מִשָּׁם טָמֵא אַל־תִּגָּעוּ צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ הִבָּרוּ נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי יְהֹוָה׃

רש"י
  • צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ. מִתּוֹךְ הַגָּלוּת, כָּל נֶחָמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת אֵינָן אֶלָּא עַל גָּלוּת הָאַחֲרוֹן:
  • טָמֵא אַל תִּגָּעוּ. שֶׁקֶץ יִהְיוּ לָכֶם מִלִּגַּע בָּהֶם:
  • הִבָּרוּ. הִטַּהֲרוּ:
  • נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי ה׳. הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם, שֶׁהֲיִיתֶם נוֹשְׂאִים כֵּלָיו (שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא) בַּמִּדְבָּר (מִכָּאן לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים):

For you will not depart in haste,
Nor will you leave in flight;
For GOD is marching before you,
The God of Israel is your rear guard.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • for...goes before you Two things at the end of this verse explain two things in its beginning, [viz.] For not with haste shall you go forth. What is the reason? For the Lord goes before you to lead you on the way, and one whose agent advances before him to lead him on the way his departure is not in haste. And not in the flurry of flight shall you go, for your rear guard is the God of Israel. He will follow you to guard you from any pursuer. Comp. (Num. 10:25) “And the division of the camp of Dan shall travel, the rear guard of all the camps.” Whoever goes after the camp is called מְאַסֵּף, the rear guard, because he waits for the stragglers and the stumblers. Similarly, Scripture states in Joshua (6: 13): “And the rear guard was going after the Ark.”

כִּי לֹא בְחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן כִּי־הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם יְהֹוָה וּמְאַסִּפְכֶם אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ {ס}        

רש"י
  • כִּי הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם. שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים שֶׁבְּסוֹף הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה מְיַשְּׁבִין שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁוֹ: כִּי לֹא בְחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ – מָה טַעַם? כִּי הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם ה׳ לַנְחוֹתְכֶם הַדֶּרֶךְ, וּמִי שֶׁשְּׁלוּחוֹ מַקְדִּים לְפָנָיו לַנְחוֹתוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ אֵין יְצִיאָתוֹ בְחִפָּזוֹן. וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן – לְפִי שֶׁמְּאַסִּפְכֶם אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הוֹלֵךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיכֶם לִשְׁמֹר אֶתְכֶם מִכָּל רוֹדֵף, כְּמוֹ ״וְנָסַע דֶּגֶל מַחֲנֵה דָן מְאַסֵּף לְכָל הַמַּחֲנוֹת״ (במדבר י:כה). הַהוֹלֵךְ אַחֲרֵי הַמַּחֲנֶה קָרוּי מְאַסֵּף, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא מַמְתִּין אֶת הַנֶּחֱלָשִׁים וְאֶת הַנִּכְשָׁלִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ (יהושע ו:יג): ״וְהַמְאַסֵּף הוֹלֵךְ אַחֲרֵי הָאָרוֹן״:

“Indeed, My servant shall prosper,
Be exalted and raised to great heights.

Rashi’s Commentary
  • Behold My servant shall prosper Behold, at the end of days, My servant, Jacob, [i.e.,] the righteous among him, shall prosper.

הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ מְאֹד׃

רש"י
  • הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי. הִנֵּה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים יַצְלִיחַ עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב, צַדִּיקִים שֶׁבּוֹ:

Just as the many were appalled at him
So marred was his appearance, unlike that of a person,
His form, beyond human semblance—

Rashi’s Commentary
  • As many wondered As many peoples wondered about them when they saw them in their humble state, and said to one another, How marred is his [Israel’s] appearance from that of a man! See how their features are darker than those of other people, so, as we see with our eyes.

כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְמוּ עָלֶיךָ רַבִּים כֵּן־מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ וְתֹאֲרוֹ מִבְּנֵי אָדָם׃

רש"י
  • כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְמוּ. כַּאֲשֶׁר תָּמְהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עַמִּים רַבִּים בִּרְאוֹתָם שִׁפְלוּתָם, וְאָמְרוּ זֶה אֶל זֶה: כַּמָּה מִשְׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ (שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל), רְאוּ מַה תָּאֳרָם חָשׁוּךְ מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי אָדָם, כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ רוֹאִים בְּעֵינֵינוּ:

Just so he shall startle many nations.
Kings shall be silenced because of him,
For they shall see what has not been told them,
Shall behold what they never have heard.”

Rashi’s Commentary
  • So shall he cast down many nations So now, even he his hand will become powerful, and he will cast down the horns of the nations who scattered him.
  • shall shut Heb. יִקְפְּצוּ. They shall shut their mouths out of great bewilderment. for honor. what had not been told them concerning any man, they saw in him.
  • they gazed Heb. הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ, they gazed.

כֵּן יַזֶּה גּוֹיִם רַבִּים עָלָיו יִקְפְּצוּ מְלָכִים פִּיהֶם כִּי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־סֻפַּר לָהֶם רָאוּ וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמְעוּ הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ׃ {ס}        

רש"י
  • כֵּן יַזֶּה גּוֹיִם רַבִּים. כֵּן עַתָּה גַּם הוּא תִּגְבַּר יָדוֹ וְיַזֶּה אֶת קַרְנוֹת הָעֲוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אֲשֶׁר זֵרוּהוּ (זכריה ב:ד):
  • יִקְפְּצוּ. יִסְגְּרוּ פִּיהֶם מֵרוֹב תִּמָּהוֹן, כִּי כָבוֹד אֲשֶׁר לֹא סֻפַּר לָהֶם עַל שׁוּם אָדָם רָאוּ בּוֹ:
  • הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ. ״אִסְתַּכָּלוּ״:

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