מִי זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים מבָּצְרָה זֶה הָדוּר בִּלְבוּשׁוֹ צֹעֶה בְּרֹב כֹּחוֹ אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר בִּצְדָקָה רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ

The redemption of Israel will be accompanied by vengeance upon Israel’s enemies, which the prophet describes in the vivid form of a figure arriving from Edom with blood-stained garments. Who is this, coming from the land of Edom, red-clothed from the prominent Edomite city of Botzra (see 34:6)? Who is resplendent in His military attire, striding [tzo’eh] in His abundant strength? Other possible interpretations of the word tzo’eh include shaking the nations, calling out, walking erect until the head bends over backward, forcing others into submission, or girding oneself. The figure from Edom introduces Himself: I speak with justice and righteousness, and have fulfilled My word. Alternatively, righteousness is with Me and strength is in My hand (see commentary on 1:16), and I am potent and ready to save.

מַדּוּעַ אָדֹם לִלְבוּשֶׁךָ וּבְגָדֶיךָ כְּדֹרֵךְ בְּגַת

The figure is once again addressed: Why is there an unusual red color on Your attire and are Your elegant garments stained with red marks like one treading grapes in a winepress?

פּוּרָה דָּרַכְתִּי לְבַדִּי וּמֵעַמִּים אֵין אִישׁ אִתִּי וְאֶדְרְכֵם בְּאַפִּי וְאֶרְמְסֵם בַּחֲמָתִי וְיֵז נִצְחָם עַל בְּגָדַי וְכָל מַלְבּוּשַׁי אֶגְאָלְתִּי

The figure responds: I have trodden the winepress [pura] alone. Others interpret the word pura as referring to a large measuring vessel that is used in the manufacture of wine. God continues: But I have not trodden upon grapes there; rather I have crushed the nations, and from the peoples there was no man with Me to assist Me; I trod them in My wrath, and I trampled them in My fury; and their lifeblood, or their stench, splashed against My garments, and I sullied all My attire with blood.

כִּי יוֹם נָקָם בְּלִבִּי וּשְׁנַת גְּאוּלַי בָּאָה

For it was a day of vengeance in My heart, and the time has come to bring it to pass, and the year of My redemption has come, when the day of vengeance will occur.

וְאַבִּיט – וְאֵין עֹזֵר וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵם – וְאֵין סוֹמֵךְ וַתּוֹשַׁע לִי זְרֹעִי וַחֲמָתִי הִיא סְמָכָתְנִי

I looked, and there was no helper, and I carefully inquired, and there was no supporter, to help Me carry out this vengeance; therefore My own arm and strength brought Me salvation, and My fury against the nations supported Me. There was no other cause for My actions other than My own might and My anger at the nations. Therefore, I was forced to stain My garments with blood.

וְאָבוּס עַמִּים בְּאַפִּי וַאֲשַׁכְּרֵם בַּחֲמָתִי וְאוֹרִיד לָאָרֶץ נִצְחָם

I trampled peoples in My wrath and made them helplessly drunk with My fury and I poured their lifeblood onto the ground.

חַסְדֵי ה' אַזְכִּיר תְּהִלֹּת ה' כְּעַל כֹּל אֲשֶׁר גְּמָלָנוּ ה' וְרַב טוּב לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר גְּמָלָם כְּרַחֲמָיו וּכְרֹב חֲסָדָיו

The prophet starts by praising God for all His past deeds for His people, as every prayer must begin with words of praise: I will proclaim the kindnesses of the Lord, the praises of the Lord in accordance with everything that the Lord has bestowed upon us, and the great goodness for the house of Israel that He bestowed upon them in His mercy and in His many kindnesses. God’s goodness to Israel is a result of His kindness despite the fact that Israel does not merit it.

וַיֹּאמֶר אַךְ עַמִּי הֵמָּה בָּנִים לֹא יְשַׁקֵּרוּ וַיְהִי לָהֶם לְמוֹשִׁיעַ

He said, at the time that He bestowed goodness upon us: Indeed, they are My people; they are My children, and they will not play false, as they are faithful to Me. And therefore, He was their Savior.

בְּכָל צָרָתָם – לוֹ צָר וּמַלְאַךְ פָּנָיו הוֹשִׁיעָם בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ וּבְחֶמְלָתוֹ הוּא גְאָלָם וַיְנַטְּלֵם וַיְנַשְּׂאֵם כָּל יְמֵי עוֹלָם

In all their troubles He was troubled. Whenever the Israelites were afflicted, He suffered together with them, and the angel of His presence, the angel that constantly stands before Him, saved them; in His love and in His compassion He redeemed them, and He took them up, raised them so that they would not be submerged in suffering, and raised them up all the days of old.

וְהֵמָּה מָרוּ וְעִצְּבוּ אֶת רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ וַיֵּהָפֵךְ לָהֶם לְאוֹיֵב הוּא נִלְחַם בָּם

But the relations between God and Israel soured, and trust between them was undermined: They, Israel, were defiant, and they aggrieved His holy spirit. Therefore, He was transformed into their enemy, and ultimately He Himself made war against them rather than helping them as He had previously done.

וַיִּזְכֹּר יְמֵי עוֹלָם מֹשֶׁה עַמּוֹ אַיֵּה הַמַּעֲלֵם מִיָּם! אֵת רֹעֵי צֹאנוֹ אַיֵּה הַשָּׂם בְּקִרְבּוֹ אֶת רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ

He, God, remembered the days of old, Moses, the leader of His people: Where is he who took them up from the sea, the shepherds, the leaders, of His flock? Where is he who placed the spirit of His holiness in their midst? Some explain that it is Israel who remembered the days of Moses, who led the nation from the sea and caused God’s spirit to rest in their midst. Consequently, He did not destroy them, despite their sins.

מוֹלִיךְ לִימִין מֹשֶׁה זְרוֹעַ תִּפְאַרְתּוֹ בּוֹקֵעַ מַיִם מִפְּנֵיהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ שֵׁם עוֹלָם

Moses did not act alone. He guided at Moses’ right with the arm of His splendor, God’s magnificent strength, splitting the water of the Red Sea before them, to make for Himself eternal renown.

מוֹלִיכָם בַּתְּהֹמוֹת כַּסּוּס בַּמִּדְבָּר לֹא יִכָּשֵׁלוּ

He led them through the depths of the sea; like a horse galloping in the wilderness, in an open, level area, they would not stumble.

כַּבְּהֵמָה בַּבִּקְעָה תֵרֵד רוּחַ ה' תְּנִיחֶנּוּ כֵּן נִהַגְתָּ עַמְּךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת לְךָ שֵׁם תִּפְאָרֶת

Like an animal will go down and walk tranquilly on the plain (40:4), so too the spirit of the Lord gave them, Israel, rest from their enemies when they went down to the sea. Alternatively, God calmed the depths so that they would be easily traversed. So You led Your people, to make for Yourself a name of splendor.

הַבֵּט מִשָּׁמַיִם וּרְאֵה מִזְּבֻל קָדְשְׁךָ וְתִפְאַרְתֶּךָ אַיֵּה קִנְאָתְךָ וגְבוּרֹתֶךָ ! הֲמוֹן מֵעֶיךָ וְרַחֲמֶיךָ אֵלַי הִתְאַפָּקוּ

After reminiscing about the glorious past, the prophet turns to God and presents a request in Israel’s name: Look down from the heavens and see what has occurred. Look from the abode of Your holiness and Your splendor, the glorious Temple in heaven. Where is Your zealotry on Israel’s behalf, which appeared in the past, and where is Your valor that You demonstrated for the nation? The stirring of Your innards, Your sympathy, and Your mercy, which were aroused in the past, have now been restrained toward me, as You do not exhibit them.

כִּי אַתָּה אָבִינוּ כִּי אַבְרָהָם לֹא יְדָעָנוּ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יַכִּירָנוּ אַתָּה ה' אָבִינוּ גֹּאֲלֵנוּ מֵעוֹלָם שְׁמֶךָ

For You, God, are our only Father, for Abraham our patriarch does not know us, and Israel, Jacob, does not recognize us. Despite their greatness, they are human and are liable to deny their connection to us as an expression of their disappointment that their descendants did not follow their path. By contrast, You, Lord, are our true Father; our eternal Redeemer is Your name. Alternatively, Your name from the earliest times is our Redeemer.

לָמָּה תַתְעֵנוּ ה' מִדְּרָכֶיךָ! תַּקְשִׁיחַ לִבֵּנוּ מִיִּרְאָתֶךָ! שׁוּב לְמַעַן עֲבָדֶיךָ שִׁבְטֵי נַחֲלָתֶךָ

Since everything is in Your hands and You control our destiny, Lord, why do You lead us astray from Your ways and harden our heart from fearing You? Return to us with love for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance. See the great distance that has developed between us.

לַמִּצְעָר יָרְשׁוּ עַם קָדְשֶׁךָ צָרֵינוּ בּוֹסְסוּ מִקְדָּשֶׁךָ

For only a short while Your holy people possessed it, the land. Alternatively, our enemies almost dispossessed Your holy people from the land entirely. Our foes trampled Your Sanctuary like one stomping in mud.

הָיִינוּ מֵעוֹלָם לֹא מָשַׁלְתָּ בָּם לֹא נִקְרָא שִׁמְךָ עֲלֵיהֶם לוּא קָרַעְתָּ שָׁמַיִם יָרַדְתָּ מִפָּנֶיךָ הָרִים נָזֹלּוּ

In the past You dwelled in our midst, but now we have become like ones over whom You never ruled and Your name was not called upon them. You are now so distant from us, it is almost as though You were never close to us. Were You to rend the heavens and descend to us as in the past, the mountains would melt before You. Alternatively, it is as though You never rent the heavens and descended to us and never caused the mountains to melt before You.