(יט) יי עֻזִּ֧י וּמָעֻזִּ֛י וּמְנוּסִ֖י בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה אֵלֶ֗יךָ גּוֹיִ֤ם יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ מֵֽאַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ וְיֹאמְר֗וּ אַךְ־שֶׁ֙קֶר֙ נָחֲל֣וּ אֲבוֹתֵ֔ינוּ הֶ֖בֶל וְאֵֽין־בָּ֥ם מוֹעִֽיל׃
(19) O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, My refuge in a day of trouble, To You nations shall come From the ends of the earth and say: Our fathers inherited utter delusions, Things that are futile and worthless.
- (Language) Notice the way the Uzi and Mauzi are written. How they differentiate the words with only one letter.
- The theme is of one who realizes that his ways were mistaken until now
- Hevel in Oleinu. Removed in modern Siddurim.
- Responding to G-d's claim that he will punish the Jews fro not obeying them. Says the prophet, idol worship means absolutely nothing, so why would yo be bothered by it? (Rashi)
(כ) הֲיַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֥וֹ אָדָ֖ם אֱלֹקִ֑ים וְהֵ֖מָּה לֹ֥א אֱלֹקִֽים׃
(20) Can a man make gods for himself? No-gods are they!
- Continuing the question: obviously the gods that man make are not gods, so why be bothered by it?
(כא) לָכֵן֙ הִנְנִ֣י מֽוֹדִיעָ֔ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֔את אוֹדִיעֵ֥ם אֶת־יָדִ֖י וְאֶת־גְּבֽוּרָתִ֑י וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־שְׁמִ֥י יי (ס)
(21) Assuredly, I will teach them, Once and for all I will teach them My power and My might. And they shall learn that My name is LORD.
- G-d answers that he obviously doesn't care about things that are nothing, but he does care about the people who choose the silly and the vapid.
(א) חַטַּ֣את יְהוּדָ֗ה כְּתוּבָ֛ה בְּעֵ֥ט בַּרְזֶ֖ל בְּצִפֹּ֣רֶן שָׁמִ֑יר חֲרוּשָׁה֙ עַל־ל֣וּחַ לִבָּ֔ם וּלְקַרְנ֖וֹת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
(1) The guilt of Judah is inscribed With a stylus of iron, Engraved with an adamant point On the tablet of their hearts, And on the horns of their altars,
- Et is a pen in modern Hebrew
- A Stylus of Iron is saying that it is so verily embedded.
- (Language) The word Charusha stems from the root "חרש," which means "to plow", indicating that it's really deep in the heart, as plowing is deep in the ground.
(ב) כִּזְכֹּ֤ר בְּנֵיהֶם֙ מִזְבְּחוֹתָ֔ם וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־עֵ֣ץ רַֽעֲנָ֑ן עַ֖ל גְּבָע֥וֹת הַגְּבֹהֽוֹת׃
(2) While their children remember Their altars and sacred posts, By verdant trees, Upon lofty hills.
- it can be read other that their children simply remember these altars (as in they are so steeped in this way of life, that it becomes their children's memories
- or, that these adults love their idols so much, just like they are always remembering their children.
(ד) וְשָׁמַטְתָּ֗ה וּבְךָ֙ מִנַּחֲלָֽתְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ וְהַעֲבַדְתִּ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ בָּאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדָ֑עְתָּ כִּֽי־אֵ֛שׁ קְדַחְתֶּ֥ם בְּאַפִּ֖י עַד־עוֹלָ֥ם תּוּקָֽד׃ (ס)
(4) You will forfeit, by your own act, The inheritance I have given you; I will make you a slave to your enemies In a land you have never known. For you have kindled the flame of My wrath Which shall burn for all time.
- First word has the same root as Shmitah, the topic of our first Parsha this week.
- The prophet is saying that since you didn't follow the laws of Shmitah and forfeit the land voluntarily, you will be forced to forfeit it.
- The word Tukad is reminiscent of the same word as described with the altar in the Temple
(ה) כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יי אָר֤וּר הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְטַ֣ח בָּֽאָדָ֔ם וְשָׂ֥ם בָּשָׂ֖ר זְרֹע֑וֹ וּמִן־יי יָס֥וּר לִבּֽוֹ׃
(5) Thus said the LORD: Cursed is he who trusts in man, Who makes mere flesh his strength, And turns his thoughts from the LORD.
(ו) וְהָיָה֙ כְּעַרְעָ֣ר בָּֽעֲרָבָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א יִרְאֶ֖ה כִּי־יָב֣וֹא ט֑וֹב וְשָׁכַ֤ן חֲרֵרִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֶ֥רֶץ מְלֵחָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א תֵשֵֽׁב׃ (ס)
(6) He shall be like a bush in the desert, Which does not sense the coming of good: It is set in the scorched places of the wilderness, In a barren land without inhabitant.
- Ungratefulness, or not looking at the bigger picture.
- Expecting the worst
(ז) בָּר֣וּךְ הַגֶּ֔בֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְטַ֖ח בַּֽיי וְהָיָ֥ה יי מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃
(7) Blessed is he who trusts in the LORD, Whose trust is the LORD alone.
- We say this every day in the morning prayers
(ח) וְהָיָ֞ה כְּעֵ֣ץ ׀ שָׁת֣וּל עַל־מַ֗יִם וְעַל־יוּבַל֙ יְשַׁלַּ֣ח שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔יו וְלֹ֤א ירא [יִרְאֶה֙] כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א חֹ֔ם וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֵ֖הוּ רַֽעֲנָ֑ן וּבִשְׁנַ֤ת בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙ לֹ֣א יִדְאָ֔ג וְלֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ מֵעֲשׂ֥וֹת פֶּֽרִי׃
(8) He shall be like a tree planted by waters, Sending forth its roots by a stream: It does not sense the coming of heat, Its leaves are ever fresh; It has no care in a year of drought, It does not cease to yield fruit.
- Completing the analogy.....
- when one trusts in God, things work out for the best in the end...
(ט) עָקֹ֥ב הַלֵּ֛ב מִכֹּ֖ל וְאָנֻ֣שׁ ה֑וּא מִ֖י יֵדָעֶֽנּוּ׃
(9) Most devious is the heart; It is perverse—who can fathom it?
- Pointing out the obvious that the above is a tall order, and the heart will lead you in all kinds of directions.
- As we say in the Shema...
(י) אֲנִ֧י יי חֹקֵ֥ר לֵ֖ב בֹּחֵ֣ן כְּלָי֑וֹת וְלָתֵ֤ת לְאִישׁ֙ כדרכו [כִּדְרָכָ֔יו] כִּפְרִ֖י מַעֲלָלָֽיו׃ (ס)
(10) I the LORD probe the heart, Search the mind—To repay every man according to his ways, With the proper fruit of his deeds.
- G-d sees it all, even that which is in your inner heart. So be honest....
- Klayot are kidneys...
(יא) קֹרֵ֤א דָגַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָלָ֔ד עֹ֥שֶׂה עֹ֖שֶׁר וְלֹ֣א בְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט בַּחֲצִ֤י ימו [יָמָיו֙] יַעַזְבֶ֔נּוּ וּבְאַחֲרִית֖וֹ יִהְיֶ֥ה נָבָֽל׃
(11) Like a partridge hatching what she did not lay, So is one who amasses wealth by unjust means; In the middle of his life it will leave him, And in the end he will be proved a fool.
- A call to honesty, as god knows how one earns their livelihood and when not done honestly....
(יב) כִּסֵּ֣א כָב֔וֹד מָר֖וֹם מֵֽרִאשׁ֑וֹן מְק֖וֹם מִקְדָּשֵֽׁנוּ׃
(12) O Throne of Glory exalted from of old, Our Sacred Shrine!
(יג) מִקְוֵ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יי כָּל־עֹזְבֶ֖יךָ יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יסורי [וְסוּרַי֙] בָּאָ֣רֶץ יִכָּתֵ֔בוּ כִּ֥י עָזְב֛וּ מְק֥וֹר מַֽיִם־חַיִּ֖ים אֶת־יי (ס)
(13) O Hope of Israel! O LORD! All who forsake You shall be put to shame, Those in the land who turn from You Shall be doomed men, For they have forsaken the LORD, The Fount of living waters.
- Mikvah and Mayim CHayim in the same pasuk
- Perhaps Mikvah is connected to Hope, as in the hope of purification.
(יד) רְפָאֵ֤נִי יי וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א הוֹשִׁיעֵ֖נִי וְאִוָּשֵׁ֑עָה כִּ֥י תְהִלָּתִ֖י אָֽתָּה׃
(14) Heal me, O LORD, and let me be healed; Save me, and let me be saved; For You are my glory.
- Translation is a little off...