Ask. This continues the preceding passage: the young men and maidens will proclaim that they desire only grain and wine. Therefore, do not ask Hashem for crown jewels; rather, “ask Hashem for rain at the time of the latter rain.” Hashem will provide rain through His particular Providence, even when natural conditions are not prepared for rainfall. “Hashem makes lightning clouds and gives showers of rain.” That is, He will provide rain through Providence, not only for the needs of the multitude, but even for one individual and for the sake of a single plant in the field. If that plant requires rain, He will cause rain to fall for its sake.

For. They will no longer rely upon the powers of nature, the use of talismans, or the methods of astrologers, because they will recognize that “the teraphim spoke falsehood, and the diviners” who foretold the future through divination “spoke lies.” Nor will they continue to believe in dreams, for they will know that “dreams speak vanity.” This alludes to the fact that before the Messiah comes, practitioners of teraphim, diviners, and dreamers will arise and mislead the people with their vanities; they will then recognize that these things have no substance. “Therefore,” because they believed in these vanities, “they wandered like sheep” and “suffered because there was no shepherd.” They had no wise shepherds to guide them according to the Torah and reason. Instead, they were deceived with dreams, vanities, and an abundance of empty words, and became like sheep without a faithful shepherd.

Against. Therefore, “My anger burns against the shepherds,” namely, their leaders who led the flock astray, “and I will punish the male goats,” namely, the officials, the wealthy, and the powerful. As it is written (Ezekiel 34:17), “Behold, I am against the shepherds,” and, “Behold, I judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.” “For Hashem has attended to His flock,” as it is written there, “I will seek out My flock and inspect them.” “And He will make them like His majestic horse in battle.” Whereas they had previously been like a submissive flock, they will now resemble a horse whose majesty is displayed in battle, where its strength and power become evident. Likewise, their power will be revealed in the war of Gog and Magog.

From him shall come the cornerstone. The cornerstone is the foundational and principal stone in the construction of a building, and it represents the king. “And from him shall come the tent peg.” The peg supports the entire tent, which represents the dwelling of the shepherd—namely, the priest or the head of the Sanhedrin, who guides the people in matters of religion. As it is written, “I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place.” Correspondingly, the monarchy is depicted as a house, as it is written, “Hashem will make you a house” (II Samuel 7:11). Thus, both the king and the teacher of religion will arise from among the people themselves, unlike during the Second Temple period, when they were appointed by the kings of Persia, Greece, and Rome, under whose dominion they lived. “From him shall also come the battle bow.” They will not require the assistance of other nations in their wars, for their own warriors will arise from among the people. Consequently, “from him shall come every ruler together,” and foreigners will no longer rule over them.

And they shall be. Although they will have neither chariots nor horses, they shall be like mighty warriors in battle, advancing on foot and trampling through the mud of the streets beneath their feet. Nevertheless, they shall fight because Hashem is with them, and they shall put the riders on horses to shame, for they will prevail over them.

And I will strengthen the House of Judah. Though they are weak and oppressed, I will make them strong. “And I will save the House of Joseph.” They are already mighty, but they are dispersed and lost; therefore, “I will restore them” to their place in the Land of Israel. Although I cast them from their land in anger and wrath and rejected them, now “I will have compassion upon them, and they shall be as though I had never rejected them.” Although until now I had not acted as their God and had not turned toward their prayers, now “I am Hashem their God,” watching over them through My Providence, “and I will answer them.”

And Ephraim shall be like a mighty warrior. The Ten Tribes, collectively called Ephraim, will then arise with courage to fight Hashem’s battle. “And their hearts shall rejoice as through wine.” Joy will arise within their hearts like the joy produced by drinking wine. “And their children,” the following generation, will no longer need to wage war. They will see the salvation with which I saved their fathers and will continually rejoice over that past deliverance. Moreover, “their hearts shall exult in Hashem” with renewed joy at every moment, because of the new miracles Hashem will perform for them and the ever-increasing Divine revelation. This is the particular meaning of exultation: joy arising from something newly revealed.

I will whistle. Regarding Judah, whose people are scattered among the nations and subjugated in exile, “I will whistle to them” as a signal for them to return to the Land of Israel. In this way, “I will gather them, for I have redeemed them” from exile. Whereas during the exile their numbers continually diminished through false accusations, persecutions, and killings, now “they shall multiply as they once multiplied” in former times.

And I will sow them among the peoples. Even those descendants of Judah who, because of religious persecutions, withdrew from Hashem and became assimilated among the nations will resemble seed that is sown. Just as a seed decays in the earth and then sprouts with many times its former abundance, so through them many nations will be added in the future and will recognize the true faith, making them like seed. For “even in distant places they will remember Me.” Although physically distant from Me, in their hearts they will remember the belief in Divine unity. Neither they nor the children they bear will die a spiritual death, for “they shall live with their children and return” to Hashem, the God of their fathers.

And I will restore them. I will then bring back those driven away to the land of Egypt, as well as those lost in the land of Assyria, which is even farther away. I will also gather those scattered throughout those lands, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon. They will return to their ancestral inheritance, which extended through Gilead east of the Jordan and Lebanon to the west. And there shall not be enough room for them, for the boundaries of the land will then expand in every direction (as explained in Ezekiel, chapter 47).

And he shall pass through the sea of distress. He depicts distress as a raging sea. Although they will be surrounded by this sea of distress—when afflictions intensify during the birth pangs of the Messiah—they will pass through it safely. “And He shall strike the waves in the sea.” This refers to the actual sea with its waves: He will dry it up so that they may cross it on their journey from exile, as it is written, “Hashem shall dry up the tongue of the Egyptian sea and wave His hand over the river.” This is the meaning of “All the depths of the Nile shall dry up,” referring to the river of Egypt. Then “the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.” These nations, which formerly ruled over Israel, will fall among the peoples gathered for the war of Gog and Magog (as explained in Ezekiel, chapters 32 and 38).

And I will strengthen them through Hashem. Their strength will come through Hashem, not through military power or might, and in His name they shall journey forth from the exile.