David Kimhi

These actions seem to be related to idolatry.

Where are they doing them? First place, the pasuk mentions, "al panai." The Radak understands this is a reference to in the Beit HaMikdash, in the very precincts where God's presence is most directly felt.

Then, "zovchim be-ganot." This refers to the fertility cult of Asherah, which is spoken of elsewhere in Tanakh as be-- and especially in Sefer Yermiyahu, as being, um, observed under every leafy tree.

And so here, "zovchim be-ganot," who sacrifice in the altar-- in the gardens.

My servants will rejoice, and you will be embarrassed.

My servants will sing from goodness of heart, and you will scream from broken hearts, and from, um, the spirit of s- of your, um, spirit, you shall sh-shriek out." This is this, this sort of contrasting, um, description between the, um, chosen ones of God and those who have chosen to abandon God.

The Radak here comments on the imagery, which begins with the idea of my servants will eat and you will be starving.

What does this, what does this indicate? Um, he sees this as in, in a metaphoric sense.

It is not the focus of the events at Sefer Shemot, but it does seem to be the idea understanding of the events at Har Sinai that we see in Shirat Vora and here in Sefer Yeshayahu.

And that idea is understood by the Radak here, where he mentions this explication of the whole idea of, this Pasuk is referring to Har Sinai, and then he concludes, This whole idea should be understood as a parable, referring to the wars that God fought against the enemies of Israel for the sake of the Jewish people.

That idea is also presented explicitly in Pasuk Bet.

Beginning the Pasuk is quite difficult.

Or in your ways they do mention you.

In your ways they will mention you.

What is this referring to? The Radak understands this is a reference to the concept of the good people are gone from the world.

All those tzaddikim who would do your command with rejoicing, There are no longer such righteous men who can stand and daven for us as the earlier ones used to do.

Obviously, that was obvious, but he's making it clear at the end.

Radak has a very interesting piece on this last pasuk.

He says, Why does it emphasize in the last fasuk that the sheep are man? Like, it was kind of obvious that this whole metaphor had Bnei Yisrael, Bnei Yisrael were represented in these sheep, right? It has to say, you, my sheep, are really man.

Like, yeah, we knew that.

And that is very interesting.

So that's why he says, you, my sheep, are adam.

Because, it's not just explaining the metaphor, it's saying, once I bring you to the land of Israel, and I judge between the weak and the poor, and I... put a leader upon you who serves me and you guys are have biracha but are also excelling in the service of God then you've achieved the level of human being and you've distinguished yourselves from the animals very very cool idea to end off that Radak points out and I thought it was nice to read

It just never occurred to me before.

So you have certain Mepharshim who are diktuk people, right? Like the Radak, you know, or Ibn Ezra, Rashi has diktuk.

And one of the frustrating things is sometimes you'll find a published translation of of a commentary, and it will translate the commentary, but it will not touch the text.

So, for example, Rabbi Palkowitz's translation of Sforno commentary is excellent, but then you look at the Chumash text, and it's not translated according to Sforno, right? He didn't do that.

at the time appointed to our festive day.

So that's one that it changed to when the moon is covered or something like that, or at the waxing of the moon.

But this is according to the Radak.

It is a statute for Israel, legislation by the God of Yaakov.

People will only fear me, says God.

And whoever is afraid, the Radak says, if anybody gathers to attack the Jewish people, he himself will fall.

I am the one that created the smith.

I'm the one who fans the fires of the coal.

The first is in Pasuk Dalet, where Hashem said they went down to Egypt and Assyria oppressed them for nothing.

And as we mentioned earlier, the Radak and the Ramban as well in his commentary in Sefer Shmos say that the reason why the Egyptians and the Assyrians were punished, even though Hashem predicted or decreed that the Jewish people would be exiled, oppressed, worked very hard, punished.

So if that's the case, why were the Egyptians and the Assyrians punished? They were just merely fulfilling what God had ordained.

The Radak and the Ramban and others say that they went too far.

That's one reason why Hashem will redeem the Jewish people, because the nations of the world have oppressed them too much.

Reason number two was in Pasuk Hey, which is that Hashem exiled them because they sinned, which caused the Chilul Hashem, but now that they're in exile and their oppressors are saying, oh, it's all me, it's all my idols, so Hashem is still having a Chilul Hashem.

Yeshayahu is telling the Jewish people, leave exile, touch no unclean one.

Some of Farshim say this is a reference to all non-Jews.