קְרָא בְגָרוֹן אַל תַּחְשֹׂךְ כַּשּׁוֹפָר הָרֵם קוֹלֶךָ וְהַגֵּד לְעַמִּי פִּשְׁעָם וּלְבֵית יַעֲקֹב חַטֹּאתָם

The passage begins with a statement of God to the prophet: Cry full-throated; do not restrain yourself; like a shofar raise your voice and tell My people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins. You must deliver your message publicly, although it contains ideas that are unpleasant for the people to hear.

וְאוֹתִי יוֹם יוֹם יִדְרֹשׁוּן וְדַעַת דְּרָכַי יֶחְפָּצוּן כְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר צְדָקָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהָיו לֹא עָזָב יִשְׁאָלוּנִי מִשְׁפְּטֵי צֶדֶק קִרְבַת אֱלֹהִים יֶחְפָּצוּן

Daily, they seek Me. My people approach the prophets, priests, and Sages to ask various questions. And they desire to know My ways, like a nation that acted with righteousness and did not forsake the justice of their God. Outwardly, they appear to be righteous and God-fearing individuals, as they ask Me about the laws of justice, they desire the closeness of God.

לָמָּה צַּמְנוּ – וְלֹא רָאִיתָ עִנִּינוּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ – וְלֹא תֵדָע

The prophet cites one of the important theological questions that concerned the people: Why did we fast, and You did not see? Why did we afflict our soul, and You did not know? The prophet immediately gives God’s response: Behold, on the day of your fast you pursue your usual desires, instead of using the day for introspection and repentance. Alternatively, this phrase means: You satisfy your own desires, not Mine, as you are fasting for your own reasons. And you oppress all your victims [atzeveikhem]. You continue to afflict your usual victims whom you upset on a regular basis. According to this interpretation, atzeveikhem refers to individuals who are sad or weary. Alternatively, atzeveikhem means your money. While this day should be set aside for repentance and the restoration of monetary debts to their rightful owners, you exploit it by demanding and collecting your debts and hurting those who are unable to pay you.

הֵן בְּיוֹם צֹמְכֶם תִּמְצְאוּ חֵפֶץ וְכָל עַצְּבֵיכֶם תִּנְגֹּשׂוּ הֵן לְרִיב וּמַצָּה תָּצוּמוּ וּלְהַכּוֹת בְּאֶגְרֹף רֶשַׁע לֹא תָצוּמוּ כַיּוֹם לְהַשְׁמִיעַ בַּמָּרוֹם קוֹלְכֶם

Behold, you fast for contentiousness, and strife. You argue with each other on the fast day itself, possibly because you have too much free time, or because you are more inclined to quarreling in your gloomy mood. And you fast to smite with the fist of wickedness. As the quarrel escalates, you reach the point of striking your opponents. You are not fasting today, there is no indication that you are fasting now, so as to make your voice heard on high. Although you refrain from eating and you congregate to call out to God, you do not undergo any internal change.

הֲכָזֶה יִהְיֶה צוֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ יוֹם עַנּוֹת אָדָם נַפְשׁוֹ ! הֲלָכֹף כְּאַגְמֹן רֹאשׁוֹ וְשַׂק וָאֵפֶר יַצִּיעַ ! הֲלָזֶה תִּקְרָא צוֹם וְיוֹם רָצוֹן לַה'!

The prophet continues to cite God’s answer to the people: Will like this be the type of fast that I choose, a day that a man afflicts his soul for naught? Is it fitting for each person to bow his head like a bulrush [agmon] in a swamp, which stands upright with its top bent over, flapping in the wind because of the weight of the stalks, while spreading under himself sackcloth and ashes to sit or lie upon? Others explain that agmon refers to a sharp hook with a curved head. So too, even as you are bent over you harm others with your sharp edges (see also commentary on 9:13). Is this what you call a fast and a day of favor to the Lord? Do you think that I want the external gesture of bending one’s head in submission that accompanies fasting, which is designed to display humility, or any of your other formal expressions of mourning?

הֲלוֹא זֶה צוֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ פַּתֵּחַ חַרְצֻבּוֹת רֶשַׁע הַתֵּר אֲגֻדּוֹת מוֹטָה וְשַׁלַּח רְצוּצִים חָפְשִׁים וְכָל מוֹטָה תְּנַתֵּקוּ

Isn’t this the fast that I choose? Isn’t the ultimate goal of an ideal fast to bring righteousness to the world, loosening the fetters of wickedness, untying the binds, the chains, and ropes of the yoke, binding it to the one who bears it, sending the oppressed free, and severing entirely every yoke that you have placed upon others?

הֲלוֹא פָרֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת כִּי תִרְאֶה עָרֹם – וְכִסִּיתוֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם

The ideal fast must also include assistance to suffering individuals: Isn’t it slicing your bread for the hungry, and bringing the wretched poor home, to shelter them? In addition, when you see the naked, you must clothe him yourself or ensure that he is covered, and you do not disregard your own flesh, by abandoning your needy relatives. If you wish to repent, search for any poor people whom you may have forgotten, and provide them with sustenance. Your fasting, outward submission to God, and wearing of sackcloth are not the primary components of the fast. Rather, providing for the poor and covering the naked should be your central focus.

אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ מְהֵרָה תִצְמָח וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ כְּבוֹד ה' יַאַסְפֶךָ

If you observe your fast days in the proper manner, then your light will burst out suddenly like the dawn, as it will appear from the darkness like the light of the morning breaking through the sky. This use of the terms bursting or breaking [yibbaka] is similar to the language of the prayer recited on the Sabbath morning during the blessings of Shema: And breaks forth through the windows of the heavens, as well as an expression in the Talmud: The light of dawn diffuses to here and to there. And your healing will quickly grow, and your justice will go before you, as your acts of righteousness will be renowned wherever you go, and the glory of the Lord will escort you, for God will accompany you. You will be honored by others, generally successful, and you will be protected from harm. The Sages expound this phrase as referring to the period after one’s death.

אָז תִּקְרָא – וַה' יַעֲנֶה תְּשַׁוַּע – וְיֹאמַר הִנֵּנִי אִם תָּסִיר מִתּוֹכְךָ מוֹטָה שְׁלַח אֶצְבַּע – וְדַבֶּר אָוֶן

To those who asked why they were not answered when they fasted and prayed (verse 3), the prophet adds: If you perform the following actions properly, then you will call, and the Lord will answer, you will implore, and He will say: Here I am. You must refrain not only from eating, but also from the following types of activities: If you remove from your midst the yoke that you placed upon the unfortunate, and finger-pointing toward another in a threatening, incriminating, or contemptuous manner, and speaking evil,

וְתָפֵק לָרָעֵב נַפְשֶׁךָ וְנֶפֶשׁ נַעֲנָה תַּשְׂבִּיעַ וְזָרַח בַּחֹשֶׁךְ אוֹרֶךָ וַאֲפֵלָתְךָ כּצָהֳרָיִם

and you will present yourself to the hungry. Instead of hiding from the hungry, you reach out to him, by expressing your desire to help, or by giving him some of your food. Alternatively, you treat him with a positive spirit, and greet him warmly. And if you will satisfy the afflicted person, suffering from hunger or other troubles, then your light will shine in the darkness and your blackness will be brightened like the noon.

וְנָחֲךָ ה' תָּמִיד וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶיךָ יַחֲלִיץ וְהָיִיתָ כְּגַן רָוֶה וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו

The Lord will guide you always; alternatively: The Lord will grant you continuous tranquility, and He will satisfy your soul in brightness [betzah··], with a bright, clear light. This term, which appears nowhere else in the Bible, is used in a mystical sense in esoteric works. Alternatively, betzaḥtzaḥot means that God will satiate you in a time of drought, just as you satisfied the souls of the afflicted. And He will release your limbs and allow them unlimited movement, just as you freed the imprisoned from their chains; and you will be refreshed and joyful like a watered garden and like a water source whose water never fails.

וּבָנוּ מִמְּךָ חָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם מוֹסְדֵי דוֹר וָדוֹר תְּקוֹמֵם וְקֹרָא לְךָ גֹּדֵר פֶּרֶץ מְשֹׁבֵב נְתִיבוֹת לָשָׁבֶת

If you are worthy enough, you will even be able to improve the world: Ancient ruins will be rebuilt by you. You will rebuild that which was destroyed long ago, in addition to recently destroyed edifices. You will reestablish generations-old foundations, those buildings constructed many generations earlier, of which only the foundations remain; and then you will be called by others: Repairer of the breach. The restoration of injustices is similar to repairing a breach that has been neglected for a protracted period. And you will also be termed: Restorer of paths for habitation. You will reinstate the desolate paths. Instead of crying and sitting idle, you should arise and act: remove harmful stones, repair injustices, and rebuild destroyed fences and other structures. This statement is both a demand of the people and a promise.

אִם תָּשִׁיב מִשַּׁבָּת רַגְלֶךָ עֲשׂוֹת חֲפָצֶיךָ בְּיוֹם קָדְשִׁי וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עֹנֶג לִקְדוֹשׁ ה'מְכֻבָּד וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ מִמְּצוֹא חֶפְצְךָ ודַבֵּר דָּבָר

In addition to implementing social reforms, the prophet also insists on the observance of the Sabbath: If you restrain your walking because of the Sabbath, and do not venture beyond the prohibited Sabbath limit, and you refrain from pursuing your needs on the day of My holiness, in addition to avoiding all prohibited labor; and instead you call the Sabbath a delight, and you call the Lord’s sacred day, the Sabbath, honored, as is written in the Torah; and if you honor it by refraining from doing your business, your normal weekday activities, and from seeking and planning your business needs, and from speaking of such matters;

אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל ה' וְהִרְכַּבְתִּיךָ עַל בָּמֳתֵי אָרֶץ וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךָ כִּי פִּי ה' דִּבֵּר

if you fulfill these directives, then you will delight in the Lord, and I will mount you onto the heights of the earth, as you will be exalted and will rule the world, with nothing standing in your way. Alternatively, the phrase “the heights of the earth” is a reference to the Land of Israel, or its high mountains. And I will feed you the inheritance of Jacob your forefather, as you will receive the entire blessing of Jacob: “Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. This is the prophet’s response and his advice, which he received directly from God.