Rashi on Isaiah Chapter 56
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יַעֲשֶׂה זֹּאת. שׁוֹמֵר שַׁבָּת וְגוֹ׳:
who will do this who observes the Sabbath, etc.
הַבְדֵּל יַבְדִּילַנִי ה׳ מֵעַל עַמּוֹ. לָמָּה אֶתְגַּיֵּר? הֲלֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יַבְדִּילֵנִי מֵעַל עַמּוֹ כְּשֶׁיְשַׁלֵּם שְׂכָרָם:
“The Lord will surely separate me from His people,” Why should I become converted? Will not the Holy One, blessed be He, separate me from His people when He pays their reward.
וְאַל יֹאמַר הַסָּרִיס. לָמָּה אֵיטִיב דְּרָכַי וּמַעֲלָלַי? הֵן אֲנִי כְּעֵץ יָבֵשׁ, מֵאֵין זִכָּרוֹן:
Let not the eunnuch say Why should I better my ways and my deeds? I am like a withered tree, for lack of remembrance.
וּמַחֲזִיקִים. אוֹחֲזִים:
and hold fast Heb. וּמַחֲזִיקִים, and hold fast.
לְכָל הָעַמִּים. וְלֹא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַדָּם, כִּי אַף לַגֵּרִים:
for all peoples Not only for Israel, but also for the proselytes.
עוֹד אֲקַבֵּץ עָלָיו. מִן הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁיִּתְגַּיְּרוּ וְנִלְווּ עֲלֵיהֶם:
I will yet gather of the heathens ([Mss. and K’li Paz:] of the nations) who will convert and join them.
לְנִקְבָּצָיו. נוֹסָפִים עַל קִבּוּצֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
(together with his gathered ones In addition to the gathered ones of Israel.)
כֹּל חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי. כָּל גֵּרֵי הָאֻמּוֹת, אֵתָיוּ וְהִתְקָרְבוּ אֵלַי, וְתֹאכְלוּ אֶת כָּל חַיְתוֹ בַּיַּעַר, אֶת גִּבּוֹרֵי הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁאִמְּצוּ אֶת לִבָּם מִלְּהִתְגַּיֵּר:
All the beasts of the field All the proselytes of the heathens ([Mss. and K’li Paz:] All the nations) come and draw near to Me, and you shall devour all the beasts in the forest, the mighty of the heathens ([Mss. and K’li Paz:] the mighty of the nations) who hardened their heart and refrained from converting.
חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי. חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֵין כֹּחָהּ רַב כְּחַיַּת הַיַּעַר, חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה חֲלָשָׁה וְתַשּׁוּשַׁת כֹּחַ מֵחַיַּת הַיַּעַר, וְעַל שֶׁאָמַר עוֹד אֲקַבֵּץ עָלָיו אָמַר הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה:
the beasts of the field [The beast of the field is not as strong as the beast of the forest.] The beast of the field is weaker and of weaker strength than the beast of the forest. Since he stated, “I will yet gather others to him,” he stated this verse.
צֹפָיו עִוְרִים כֻּלָּם. לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר ״דִּרְשׁוּ ה׳״ (ישעיהו נה:ו) וְכָל הָעִנְיָן, וְהֵם אֵינָם שׁוֹמְעִים, חוֹזֵר וְאוֹמֵר: הִנֵּה הַנְּבִיאִים צוֹעֲקִים לָהֶם וּמַכְרִיזִים עַל הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְתֵיטִיב לָהֶם, וַהֲרֵי פַּרְנָסֵיהֶם כְּעִוְרִים כֻּלָּם, וְאֵינָם רוֹאִין אֶת הַנּוֹלָדוֹת, כְּצוֹפֶה הַמֻּפְקָד לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַחֶרֶב בָּא לְהַזְהִיר אֶת הָעָם, וְהוּא עִוֵּר מִלִּרְאוֹת אֶת הַחֶרֶב בָּאָה וְאִלֵּם מִלְּהַזְהִיר אֶת הָעָם, כַּכֶּלֶב שֶׁמִּנּוּהוּ לִשְׁמֹר הַבַּיִת וְהוּא אִלֵּם מִלִּנְבֹּחַ, כָּךְ פַּרְנָסֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָם מַזְהִירִין אוֹתָם לַחֲזוֹר לַמּוּטָב:
His lookouts are all blind Since he said, “Seek the Lord,” and the entire section, and they do not heed, he returns and says, Behold the prophets cry out to them ([Mss.:] to you) and announce concerning repentance, so that it will be good for them. Yet their leaders are all like blind men, and they do not see the results, like a lookout appointed to see the approaching army, to warn the people, but he is blind, unable to see whether the army is coming, and dumb, unable to warn the people, like a dog that was appointed to guard the house, but he is dumb, unable to bark. Similarly, the leaders of Israel do not warn them to repent to do good.
הֹזִים שֹׁכְבִים. פֵּירֵשׁ דּוּנָשׁ: נִרְדָּמִים שׁוֹכְבִין, וְיוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״נַיְימִין שָׁכְבִין״, וְאֵין לוֹ דִּמְיוֹן:
they lie slumbering Heb. הֹזִים. Dunash (Teshuvoth Dunash p. 24) explained: lying sound asleep, and Jonathan rendered: lying slumbering, and there is no comparable word in Scripture.
וְהַכְּלָבִים עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ. רוֹצִים לְמַלֹּאות כְּרֵסָם (אינגר״ש בלע״ז):
And the dogs are of greedy disposition wanting to fill their stomachs [engrote talent in O.F.], sick with hunger.
וְהֵמָּה רֹעִים. כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַכְּלָבִים לֹא יָדְעוּ שָׂבְעָה, כֵּן הָרֹעִים לֹא יָדְעוּ הָבִין מַה יִּהְיֶה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים:
and they are shepherds Just as the dogs know no satiety, neither do the shepherds know to understand what will occur at the end of days.
כֻּלָּם. לְדֶרֶךְ הֲנָיָתָם פָּנוּ אִישׁ לְבִצְעוֹ, לִגְזוֹל אֶת שְׁאָר הָעָם שֶׁהֵם מְמֻנִּים עֲלֵיהֶם:
they all turned to the way of their benefit, each one to his gain, to rob the rest of the people over whom they are appointed.
מִקָּצֵהוּ. כְּמוֹ ״כָּל הָעָם מִקָּצֶה״ (בראשית יט:ד), מִקְצֵה מִנְיָנָם וְעַד קָצֵהוּ, כֻּלָּם נוֹהֲגִים כֵּן:
every last one Heb. מִקָּצֵהוּ, [lit. from its end.] Comp. (Gen. 19:4) “all the people from the end (מִקָּצֶה),” from one end of their number until its other end, they all behave in this manner.
אֵתָיוּ אֶקְחָה יַיִן. כָּךְ הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים זֶה לָזֶה:
Come, I will take wine So would they say to one another.
וְהָיָה כָזֶה יוֹם מָחָר. בְּמַאֲכָל וּבְמִשְׁתֶּה:
and tomorrow shall be like this with feasting and drinking.