Cry with full throat, without restraint;
Raise your voice like a ram’s horn!
Declare to My people their transgression,
To the House of Jacob their sin.
Rashi’s Commentary
- and relate to My people their transgression These are the Torah scholars, whose every inadvertent sin is counted as a transgression, for an error in study is accounted as an intentional sin.
- and to the house of Jacob their sins These are the ignorant people, whose willful sins, are accounted inadvertent.
קְרָא בְגָרוֹן אַל־תַּחְשֹׂךְ כַּשּׁוֹפָר הָרֵם קוֹלֶךָ וְהַגֵּד לְעַמִּי פִּשְׁעָם וּלְבֵית יַעֲקֹב חַטֹּאתָם׃
רש"י
- וְהַגֵּד לְעַמִּי פִּשְׁעָם. אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, שֶׁכָּל שִׁגְגָתָם פֶּשַׁע, שֶׁשִּׁגְגַת תַּלְמוּד עוֹלָה זָדוֹן:
- וּלְבֵית יַעֲקֹב חַטֹּאתָם. אֵלּוּ עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁאַף זְדוֹנָם שְׁגָגָה (בבא מציעא לג ב):
To be sure, they seek Me daily,
Eager to learn My ways.
Like a nation that does what is right,
That has not abandoned the laws of its God,
They ask Me for the right way,
They are eager for the nearness of God:
Rashi’s Commentary
- Yet they seek Me daily Like the matter that is stated (Ps. 78:36): “And they beguiled Him with their mouth.”
- and they wish to know My ways They wish to ask instructions of the wise men as if they wished to fulfill them.
- like a nation that performed righteousness, etc. In this manner they constantly ask Me ordinances of righteousness, but they do not intend to fulfill them, and when they fast and are not answered, they say, “Why have we fasted, and You did not see?” But I say, “Behold, on the day of your fast you pursue business,” all the affairs of your necessities you toil to pursue, even robbery and violence.
וְאוֹתִי יוֹם יוֹם יִדְרֹשׁוּן וְדַעַת דְּרָכַי יֶחְפָּצוּן כְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר־צְדָקָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהָיו לֹא עָזָב יִשְׁאָלוּנִי מִשְׁפְּטֵי־צֶדֶק קִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים יֶחְפָּצוּן׃
רש"י
- וְאוֹתִי יוֹם יוֹם יִדְרֹשׁוּן. כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיְפַתּוּהוּ בְּפִיהֶם״ (תהלים עח:לו):
- וְדַעַת דְּרָכַי יֶחְפָּצוּן. חֲפֵצִים לִשְׁאוֹל הוֹרָאוֹת לַחֲכָמִים, כְּאִלּוּ רוֹצִים לְקַיְּמָם:
- כְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר צְדָקָה עָשָׂה וגו׳. כָּךְ שׁוֹאֲלִים אוֹתִי תָּמִיד מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק, וְאֵין דַּעְתָּם לְקַיְּמָם. וּכְשֶׁהֵן צָמִים וְאֵין נַעֲנִין, אוֹמְרִים: לָמָּה צַמְנוּ וְלֹא רָאִיתָ? וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר: הֵן בְּיוֹם צוֹמְכֶם תִּמְצְאוּ חֵפֶץ – כָּל חֶפְצֵי צָרְכֵיכֶם אַתֶּם עֲמֵלִים לִמְצוֹא, וְאַף בְּגָזֵל וְחָמָס:
“Why, when we fasted, did You not see?
When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?”
Because on your fast day
You see to your business
And oppress all your laborers!
Rashi’s Commentary
- and [from] all your debtors Heb. עַצְּבֵיכֶם [lit. your griefs.] Your debtors, who are grieved because of you, you exact payment from them on the day of your fast.
Is such the fast I desire,
A day for people to starve their bodies?
Is it bowing the head like a bulrush
And lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call that a fast,
A day when GOD is favorable?
Rashi’s Commentary
- Is it to bend Heb. הֲלָכֹף. This ‘hey’ is the interrogative. That is to say, “Perhaps I require bending the head like a fishhook (כְּאַגְמֹן)?” אַגְמֹן is a sort of bent needle with which they catch fish, and they call it ajjm in O.F.
- Will you call this a fast Heb. הֲלָזֶה. An interrogative form. Therefore, the ‘hey’ is punctuated with a ‘hataf-pattah.’
הֲכָזֶה יִהְיֶה צוֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ יוֹם עַנּוֹת אָדָם נַפְשׁוֹ הֲלָכֹף כְּאַגְמֹן רֹאשׁוֹ וְשַׂק וָאֵפֶר יַצִּיעַ הֲלָזֶה תִּקְרָא־צוֹם וְיוֹם רָצוֹן לַיהֹוָה׃
רש"י
- הֲלָכֹף. הֵ״א זוֹ תְּמִיהָא, כְּלוֹמַר: שֶׁמָּא לָכֹף כְּאַגְמוֹן רֹאשׁוֹ אֲנִי צָרִיךְ? אַגְמוֹן הוּא כְּמִין מַחַט כָּפוּף, וְצָדִין בּוֹ דָּגִים וְקוֹרִין לוֹ איי״ם בלע״ז:
- הֲלָזֶה תִּקְרָא צוֹם. לְשׁוֹן תְּמִיהָא, לְפִיכָךְ הַהֵ״א נְקוּדָה חֲטַף פַּתַּח:
No, this is the fast I desire:
To unlock fetters of wickedness,
And untie the cords of the yoke
To let the oppressed go free;
To break off every yoke.
Rashi’s Commentary
- fetters Heb. חַרְצֻבּוֹת, an expression of tying and binding.
- perverseness Heb. מוֹטָה, perversion of justice.
- and all perverseness you shall eliminate Heb. וְכָל מוֹטָה תְּנַתֵּקוּ. Jonathan renders: And all perversion of justice you shall eliminate.
It is to share your bread with the hungry,
And to take the wretched poor into your home;
When you see the naked, to clothe them,
And not to ignore your own kin.
Rashi’s Commentary
- moaning poor Heb. מְרוּדִים. Sighing and moaning about their distress. Comp. (Lam. 3:19) “my affliction and my sighing (וּמְרוּדִי)”; (Ps. 55:3) “I mourn (אָרִיד) in my grief.”
- and from your flesh And from your kinsman.
הֲלוֹא פָרֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת כִּי־תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם׃
רש"י
- וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים. נֶאֱנָחִים וְנֶאֱנָקִים עַל צָרָתָם, כְּגוֹן ״עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי״ (איכה ג:יט), ״אָרִיד בְּשִׂיחִי״ (תהלים נה:ג):
- וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ. וּמִקְּרוֹבְךָ:
Then shall your light burst through like the dawn
And your healing spring up quickly;
Your Vindicator shall march before you,
The Presence of GOD shall be your rear guard.
Rashi’s Commentary
- as the dawn Like the ray of dawn that breaks through the clouds.
- and your healing Heb. וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ, and your healing shall quickly sprout. Comp. (Jer. 30:17) “I will bring up healing (אֲרֻכָה) for you.”
GOD will guide you always—
Slaking your thirst in parched places
And giving strength to your bones.
You shall be like a watered garden,
Like a spring whose waters do not fail.
Rashi’s Commentary
- in drought Heb. בְּצַחְצָחוֹת, at the time of thirst and drought. So did Jonathan render.
- strengthen Heb. יַחֲלִיף [lit. arm.] Comp. (Num. 31:5) “Armed (חֲלוּצֵי) for war.”
Some from your midst shall rebuild ancient ruins,
You shall restore foundations laid long ago.
And you shall be called
“Repairer of fallen walls,
Restorer of lanes for habitation.”
Rashi’s Commentary
- restorer of the paths, to dwell in Heb. מְשׁוֹבֵב. Jonathan renders: restorer of the wicked to the Torah.
- מְשׁוֹבֵב is like מֵשִׁיב, restores.
- to dwell, to the Torah, which insures the settlement of the world.
Then you can seek GOD’s favor.
I will set you astride the heights of the earth,
And let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob—
For GOD’s mouth has spoken.
Rashi’s Commentary
- the heritage of Jacob your father An inheritance without boundaries, as it is said (Gen. 28: 14): “And you shall spread to the west and to the east, etc.” Not like Abraham, about whom it is stated (ibid. 13:15): “The land that you see...” And Jacob indeed kept the Sabbath, as it is said (ibid. 33: 18): “And he encamped before the city,” i.e., he established the Sabbath limits at twilight. So did Rabbi Samson explain it.
אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל־יְהֹוָה וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ עַל־[בָּמֳתֵי] (במותי) אָרֶץ וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ כִּי פִּי יְהֹוָה דִּבֵּר׃ {פ}
רש"י
- נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ. נַחֲלָה בְּלֹא מְצָרִים, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וּפָרַצְתָּ יָמָּה וָקֵדְמָה וְגוֹ׳״ (בראשית כח:יד). לֹא כְּאַבְרָהָם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יג:טו) ״הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה רוֹאֶה״. וְיַעֲקֹב שָׁמַר אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית לג:יח) ״וַיִּחַן אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר״, שֶׁקָּבַע תְּחוּמִין עִם דִּמְדּוּמֵי חַמָּה. כָּךְ פֵּרֵשׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְשׁוֹן: