Chavakuk 2 חבקוק ב׳

עַל מִשְׁמַרְתִּי אֶעֱמֹדָה. עָג עוּגָה חֲבַקּוּק וְעָמַד בְּתוֹכָהּ, וְאָמַר: לֹא אָזוּז מִכָּאן עַד שֶׁאֶשְׁמַע מַה יְּדַבֵּר בִּי עַל שְׁאֵלָתִי זֹאת לָמָּה הוּא מַבִּיט וְרוֹאֶה בְּהַצְלָחָתוֹ שֶׁל רָשָׁע.

On my watch I will stand Habakkuk dug a circular hole, stood within it, and said, “I will not budge from here until I hear what He will say to me concerning this, my question why He looks and sees the prosperity of a wicked man.”

וּמָה אָשִׁיב. אֶל הַבָּאִים לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ לְפָנַי.

and what I will reply to those who come to contend with me.

עַל תּוֹכַחְתִּי. שֶׁהֵם מוֹכִיחִים אוֹתִי בְּפָנַי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהַרְהֵר עַל מִדַּת הַדִּין. תּוֹכַחַת – מונאיפרובמנ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז.

when I am reproved mon aprobement in O.F.; the reproach one addresses to me. when I am reproved For they reprove me to my face that one should criticize the Divine standard of justice.

וַיַּעֲנֵנִי ה׳ וַיֹּאמֶר כְּתֹב לְךָ חָזוֹן. הַנִּגְלֶה לְךָ, וּבָאֲרֵהוּ עַל הַלּוּחוֹת הֵיטֵב, אֲשֶׁר יָרוּץ הַקּוֹרֵא בּוֹ לִקְרוֹתוֹ מַהֵר שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּשֵׁל, וְזֶהוּ הַחָזוֹן אֲשֶׁר תִּכְתֹּב.

And the Lord answered me and said: Write for yourself the vision that will be revealed to you, and explain it well on the tablets so that one may read it swiftly. And this is the vision that you shall write.

כִּי עוֹד חָזוֹן לַמּוֹעֵד. עוֹד עָתִיד לָקוּם נָבִיא לְקֵץ שָׁנִים שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה לוֹ חָזוֹן לְמָתַי יִהְיֶה מוֹעֵד מַפֶּלֶת בָּבֶל וּגְאֻלַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

For there shall be another vision for the appointed time A prophet shall yet arise at the end of the years, to whom a vision shall be revealed concerning when the appointed time shall be for the downfall of Babylon and the redemption of Israel.

וְיָפֵחַ לַקֵּץ. וְדִבֵּר שֶׁיֹּאמַר לוֹ עַל הַקֵּץ שֶׁל בָּבֶל לְפִי מְלֹאת לְבָבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא יְכַזֵּב.

and He shall speak of the end The speech that He shall say to him concerning the end of Babylon, (Jer. 29:10) “For at the completion of seventy years of Babylon.” וְיָפֵחַ is an expression of speech; and there are many uses of this root with similar meaning in the Book of Proverbs. Since speech is only the wind emanating from the mouth, he [the writer of the Scriptures] calls it פִּיחַ, blowing, and he calls it wind, e.g., (Ps. 33:6) “And with the wind of His mouth all their host.”

אִם יִתְמַהְמָהּ. לָבוֹא שֶׁיַּאֲרִיךְ לָכֶם אוֹתוֹ מוֹעֵד, חַכֵּה לוֹ כִּי לֹא יְאַחֵר אַחַר הַשִּׁבְעִים כְּלוּם. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ: אִם יִתְמַהְמָהּ הַנָּבִיא לָבֹא וְהוּא הָיָה יִרְמְיָה. וְיוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״כְּתִיבָא נְבוּאֲתָא וּמְפָרְשָׁא עַל סִפְרָא דְאוֹרָיְתָא״. תִּרְגֵּם ״כְּתֹב״ כְּמוֹ ״כְּתִיב״, כְּבָר נִרְמָז (בַּתּוֹרָה) ״אָז תִּרְצֶה הָאָרֶץ אֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ״ – שִׁבְעִים שְׁמִטּוֹת קִלְקְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא שָׁמְטוּ, וּכְנֶגְדָּן גָּלוּ מִמֶּנָּה שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים בְּסוֹף ב׳) ״עַד רָצְתָה הָאָרֶץ אֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ, כָּל יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה לְמַלֹּאת שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה״. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא (בִּיחֶזְקֵאל ד:ה) ״וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ אֶת שְׁנֵי עֲוֹנָם שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים יוֹם, יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה נְתַתִּיו לָךְ״. וְאוֹמֵר: ״וְאַתָּה שְׁכַב לְךָ עַל צִדְּךָ הַשְּׂמָאלִית וְגוֹמֵר״. נִמְצֵאתָ אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: הִכְעִיסוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים שָׁנָה עַד שֶׁגָּלוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים, וְשֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה קִלְקְלוּ אַרְבָּעִים. וּמִשֶּׁגָּלוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים עַד חֻרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הֵם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שֶׁל מְנַשֶּׁה וּשְׁאָר שְׁנוֹתָיו בִּתְשׁוּבָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ (מלכים ב כא:ב) ״וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע כְּכָל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אַחְאָב״, כְּמִנְיַן שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אַחְאָב, וְהוּא מָלַךְ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה. שְׁתַּיִם שֶׁל אָמוֹן בְּנוֹ וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל יְהוֹיָקִים וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל צִדְקִיָּהוּ, הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעִים וְשֵׁשׁ, וּנְבוּאָה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה לִיחֶזְקֵאל בַּשָּׁנָה הַחֲמִישִׁית לְצִדְקִיָּהוּ. מִכָּל מָקוֹם נִמְצְאוּ יְמֵי קִלְקוּלָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים שֶׁלְּאַחַר נְבוּאָה זוֹ, שֶׁהוֹסִיף שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים. אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנִים עוֹשִׂים שְׁמוֹנָה יוֹבְלוֹת, וְכָל יוֹבֵל שֶׁבַע שְׁמִטּוֹת, הֲרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שְׁמִטּוֹת וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים הַמְּקֻדָּשׁוֹת לְיוֹבֵל, הֲרֵי שִׁשִּׁים וְאַרְבַּע. וּבִשְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנָה יֵשׁ חָמֵשׁ שְׁמִטּוֹת, הֲרֵי שִׁשִּׁים וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים מְקֻדָּשׁוֹת, וּשְׁנַת יוֹבֵל זֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן נֶחְשָׁב אַף הוּא בְּמִנְיָן שֶׁבַּעֲוֹנָם לֹא נִגְמַר. וְכָאן כָּכָה אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַחֲבַקּוּק: כְּבָר כָּתוּב חָזוֹן בַּתּוֹרָה, אֲבָל סָתוּם הוּא. הוֹסִיף אַתָּה וּבָאֵר עַל הַלּוּחוֹת, כִּי עוֹד יִתְגַּלֶּה חָזוֹן לְמוֹעֵד זֶה.

and it shall not fail; though it tarry it shall not fail to come, though that appointed time may take long to come. wait for it for...; it shall not delay at all after the seventy years. This clause can also be explained to mean: though he tarry, meaning the prophet Jeremiah. Jonathan renders: the prophecy is written and explained in the Book of the Torah. He translated כְּתֹב as כָּתוּב. It has already been alluded to in the Torah (Lev. 26:34): “Then shall the land placate [God concerning] its Sabbaths.” Israel sinned by violating seventy Sabbatical Years, in which they did not release the land, and, corresponding to them, they were exiled therefrom for seventy years. And so it is stated in II Chronicles (36:21): “Until the land placated its Sabbaths; all the days it lay waste, it rested to complete seventy years.” And so you find in Ezekiel (4:5): “And I have given you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days, three hundred and ninety days... (verse 6) I gave you a day for a year.” And Scripture says (verse 4): “And you lie on your left side, etc.” You are found saying that Israel provoked God for three hundred and ninety years until the Ten Tribes were exiled, and the tribe of Judah sinned for forty years, and from the time the Ten Tribes were exiled until the destruction of Jerusalem are the twenty-two years of Manasseh. The rest of Manasseh’s years were spent in repentance, for it is stated concerning him (II Kings 21:2f.) “And he did what was evil, etc.,... as Ahab... had made.” Therefore we count Manasseh’s evil years according to the number of Ahab’s years, and he reigned for twenty-two years. With two years of his son Amon’s reign, and eleven of Jehoiakim’s, and eleven of Zedekiah’s, the evil years total forty-six, and this prophecy was said to Ezekiel in the fifth year of Zedekiah. In any case, we find the time of their sinning four hundred and thirty years, for after this prophecy they tarried there six years. [I.e., the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained in the land for six more years] In four hundred years, there are eight Jubilee Years, and in every Jubilee cycle there are seven Release Years, making a total of fifty-six Release Years and eight years consecrated as Jubilee Years making all together sixty-four. In thirty-six years there are five Release Years, totaling sixty-nine consecrated years, and this final Jubilee year is also counted in the number, since it was not completed because of their iniquity. And here, this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Habakkuk: A vision is already written in the Torah, but it is sealed. You write and explain on the tablets, for a vision of this appointed time will yet be revealed.

וְיָפֵחַ לְשׁוֹן ׳דִּבּוּר׳ הוּא, וְהַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בְּסֵפֶר מִשְׁלֵי. וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁהַדִּבּוּר אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא רוּחַ הַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַפֶּה, קוֹרֵהוּ ׳פִּיחַ׳ וְקוֹרֵהוּ ׳רוּחַ׳, כְּגוֹן ״וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם״ (תהילים לג:ו).

and He shall speak It is an expression [denoting] speech, and there are many similar instances throughout the book of Proverbs. Since speech is merely wind that goes out of the mouth, it is called פיח or רוח, wind, as in (Psalms 33:6) “and with the breath of His mouth, all their host.”

הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה. נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁלּוֹ תָּמִיד הִיא בְּכַעַס וּבְתַאֲוָה, שׁוֹאֵף לִבְלֹעַ וְלֹא שָׂבֵעַ. עֻפְּלָה לְשׁוֹן ׳עַזּוּת׳, כְּמוֹ (במדבר יד:מד) ״וַיַּעְפִּלוּ״, וְכֵן ״עֹפֶל וָבֹחַן״ (ישעיהו לב:יד).

Behold, it is puffed up The soul of the wicked man is always wroth and full of desire, longing to swallow and never satisfied. עֻפְּלָה is an expression of insolence, as in (Num. 14:44) “And they acted insolently (וַיַעְפִּילוּ)”; and (Isa. 32:14) “Rampart (עֹפֶל) and tower.”

לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ. אֵין רוּחוֹ מִתְקָרֶרֶת עָלָיו לוֹמַר דַּי בְּמַה שֶּׁקָּנִיתִי כְּבָר, לָכֵן יָבֹא עָלָיו הַפֻּרְעָנוּת.

his soul is not upright within him His spirit is not satisfied within him, and he does not say, “What I have already acquired is enough.” Therefore, retribution shall come upon him.

וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה. יְכָנְיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁעָתִיד זֶה לְהַגְלוֹתוֹ, יַעֲמֹד לוֹ צִדְקוֹ, וּבְיוֹם שֶׁיֻּשְׁלַךְ זֶה מִקִּבְרוֹ, יִשָּׂא אֱוִיל מְרֹדַךְ אֶת רֹאשׁ יְהוֹיָכִין וְיָשִׂים אֶת כִּסְאוֹ מֵעַל לְכִסֵּא הַמְּלָכִים.

but the righteous shall live by his faith Jeconiah the king, whom this wicked man is destined to exile - his righteousness shall stand for him, and on the day this one is cast out of his grave, Evil-merodach shall raise Jehoiachin’s head and place his throne above the thrones of the kings.

וְאַף כִּי הַיַּיִן בּוֹגֵד. וְאַף כְּשֶׁיָּבֹא בֵּלְשַׁצַּר בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, שֶׁיִּבְגֹּד בּוֹ יֵינוֹ, דְּ״לָקֳבֵל אַלְפָּא חַמְרָא שָׁתֵה״ (דניאל ה:א).

And surely he, whom wine betrays And surely, when Belshazzar, this one’s grandson, comes; the one whose wine shall betray him for he drank as much wine as a thousand (Dan. 5:1).

גֶּבֶר יָהִיר. הוּא.

who widened Nebuchadnezzar.

וְלֹא יִנְוֶה. לֹא יִתְקַיֵּם מְדוֹרוֹ וְנָוֵהוּ, שֶׁנִּתְגָּאָה וְאָמַר בְּטַעַם חַמְרָא לְהָבִיא כְּלֵי בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁתָה בָּהֶם, וְהִיא תִּגְרֹם לוֹ שֶׁיֵּהָרֵג וְיִכְלֶה זַרְעוֹ. כִּי גֶּבֶר יָהִיר לֵץ לֹא יִנְוֶה, לֹא יִתְקַיֵּם הוּא וְנָוֵהוּ.

a haughty man whose dwelling shall not remain [Belshazzar’s] dwelling and his residence shall not remain in existence, for he was haughty and said, with the counsel of the wine, to bring the vessels of the Temple; and he drank with them. That shall cause him to be slain, and the seed of Nebuchadnezzar to be destroyed, for a haughty man is a scorner; he shall not have a dwelling. Neither he nor his dwelling shall remain in existence.

אֲשֶׁר הִרְחִיב. נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר כִּשְׁאוֹל נַפְשׁוֹ. לְהַשִּׂיג כָּל תַּאֲוָתוֹ בְּרֹחַב לֵב.

his desire like the nether-world to attain all his desire with a full heart.

וְהוּא כַּמָּוֶת. כְּמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת שֶׁאֵינוֹ שָׂבֵעַ מִלְּהָמִית, כָּךְ זֶה אֵינוֹ שָׂבֵעַ בְּכָל קִנְיָנוֹ.

and he is like death Like the angel of death, who is not sated with slaying. So is this one not sated with all his possessions.

הֲלֹא אֵלֶּה. אֲשֶׁר אָסַף אֵלָיו לְעָבְדוֹ.

Shall not all these whom he [Belshazzar] collected for himself to pay himself tribute?

כֻּלָּם עָלָיו מָשָׁל יִשָּׂאוּ וּמְלִיצָה יִשְׂאוּ בְּפִיהֶם בִּלְשׁוֹן חִידוֹת בִּשְׁבִילוֹ. לוֹ כְּמוֹ ׳עָלָיו׳.

take up a parable against him and a figure they shall take up in their mouth an expression of a riddle concerning him. against him like עָלָיו, upon him.

וְיֹאמַר. הָאוֹמֵר אֶת מְלִיצַת הַחִידָה.

And he shall say The one who says the figure of the riddle

הוֹי הַמַּרְבֶּה לֹא לוֹ. זוֹ הִיא הַמְּלִיצָה: חֲבָל עַל הַמַּרְבֶּה הוֹן וּמַלְכוּת וְלֹא לוֹ, כִּי יָבֹאוּ מַלְכֵי מָדַי וְיִטְלוּ אֶת הַכֹּל.

Woe to him who increases what is not his! This is the figure: Woe to him who increases wealth and kingdom, and it is not his, for the kings of Media shall come and take everything.

עַד מָתַי. יִהְיֶה הוֹלֵךְ וּמַרְבֶּה וְאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא מַכְבִּיד עָלָיו מַשָּׂא עָוֹן, כְּעָב שֶׁל טִיט. עָב הוּא לְשׁוֹן קוֹרָה כְּבֵדָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּמִשְׁכְּנָא (דיחזקאל מא:כו) ״צַלְעוֹת הַבַּיִת וְהָעֻבִּים״, ״וְעָב עֵץ״ (שם).

How long? will he continue to increase when he is only loading upon himself a burden of iniquity like a beam of mud? עַב is an expression of a heavy beam, as we find concerning the Tabernacle of Ezekiel (Ezek. 41: 25): “And a wooden beam (וְעָב),” and (ibid. 26) “The casings of the House and the beams (וְהָעֻבִּים).”

וְיִקְצוּ. כְּמוֹ ׳וְיָקִיצוּ׳.

awaken like וְיָקִּיצוּ

שַׁלּוֹתָ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים. הִשְׁלַכְתָּם וּנְשַׁלְתָּם מִמְּקוֹמָם.

Since you have cast away many nations You have cast them and thrown them from their place.

יְשָׁלּוּךָ כָּל יֶתֶר. פְּלֵיטַת הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת.

all remaining peoples shall cast you away The nations that escaped.

מִדְּמֵי אָדָם. בְּנִקְמַת דְּמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַקְּרוּאִים אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל לד:לא) ״אָדָם אַתֶּם״.

because of the blood of man As revenge for the blood of Israel, called ‘man,’ as it is said (Ezek. 34:31): “You are man.”

וַחֲמַס אֶרֶץ. אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.

and the violence done to the land The land of Israel.

קִרְיָה. הִיא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם.

the city Jerusalem.

הוֹי בֹּצֵעַ בֶּצַע רָע לְבֵיתוֹ. אוֹנֵס מָמוֹן שֶׁהוּא רַע לוֹ וּלְבֵיתוֹ לִבְנוֹת לוֹ בַּיִת.

Woe to him who gains evil gains Who robs money which is harmful to him. for his house To build a house for himself

לָשׂוּם בַּמָּרוֹם קִנּוֹ. כְּדִכְתִיב בְּסֵפֶר דָּנִיֵּאל (דניאל ד:כז) ״הֲלָא דָא הִיא בָּבֶל רַבְּתָא דַּאֲנָא בְּנֵיתַהּ לְבֵית מַלְכוּ בְּתְקוֹף חִסְנִי וְגוֹמֵר״. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּצָא דָּבָר זֶה מִפִּיו, נִטְרַד מִן הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) ״עוֹד מִלְּתָא בְּפֻם מַלְכָּא״ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה.

to place his nest on high As it is written in the Book of Daniel (4:27): “Is this not the great Babylon, which I built up as a royal residence with the might of my power, etc.?” At the time this statement emanated from his mouth, [Nebuchadnezzar] was driven away from men, as it is said (ibid. 28): “When this word was still in the king’s mouth, etc.”

יָעַצְתָּ בֹּשֶׁת לְבֵיתֶךָ. אֲשֶׁר יָעַצְתָּ לִקְצוֹת עַמִּים רַבִּים וְהִפְסַדְתָּ עַצְמְךָ.

With this matter, you advised shame for your house For you advised to cut off many peoples, and you caused a loss for yourself.

קְצוֹת. לְשׁוֹן שְׁלִיפָה וְקִלּוּף, כְּמוֹ ״הִקְצוֹת אֶת הַבַּיִת״ (ויקרא יד:מג).

to cut off an expression of stripping and peeling, as in (Lev. 14: 43) “Scraping the house.”

וְחוֹטֵא נַפְשֶׁךָ. כְּמוֹ (משלי כ׳:ב׳) ״מִתְעַבֵּר וְחוֹטֵא נַפְשׁוֹ״, חוֹטֵא לְאַבֵּד נַפְשׁוֹ, פורפיי״ט שארמ״א בְּלַעַ״ז.

and you have sinned against your life As in (Prov. 20:2) “He who provokes him sins against his life.” He sins to lose his life; forsfait sa arme in O.F. he forfeits his soul.

כִּי וְגוֹ׳. כִּי הָאֲבָנִים אֲשֶׁר גָּזַלְתָּ תִּזְעַקְנָה מִן הַקִּיר.

For a stone For the stones that you stole shall cry from the wall.

וְכָפִיס מֵעֵץ יַעֲנֶנָּה. אֶל הָאֶבֶן בְּקוֹל לְנֶגְדָּהּ, שְׁנֵיהֶם צוֹעֲקִים.

and a chip of the wood shall answer it [the stone]. It shall answer aloud the stone that is opposite it; hence both of them cry.

וְכָפִיס מֵעֵץ יַעֲנֶנָּה. תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״וְשִׁיפָא מִגּוֹ מָרֵישָׁא״. שִׁיפָא לְשׁוֹן ׳קֵיסָם׳, שְׁפָאִין בִּלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים, דלדור״ש בְּלַעַ״ז. מָרֵישׁ הוּא הַקּוֹרָה.

and a chip shall answer it from a beam Jonathan renders: וְשִׁפָּא מִגּוֹ מָרֵישָׁא. שִׁפָּא is an expression of a chip; שְׁפָאִים in the language of the Sages; dokldours in O.F. - chips. מָרֵישׁ is a beam.

הֲלֹא הִנֵּה מֵאֵת ה׳. נִשְׁתַּלֵּם פֻּרְעָנוּת לְעוֹשֵׂי רִשְׁעָה.

Behold, is it not from the Lord that the retribution has been requited to the perpetrators of wickedness?

וְיִיגְעוּ עַמִּים בְּדֵי אֵשׁ. כַּאֲשֶׁר תְּבוֹאֵם חֲמָתוֹ כָּאֵשׁ עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה דַּיָּם. בְּדֵי אֵשׁ – איישי״ץ בְּלַעַ״ז.

And peoples shall toil until they are sated with fire When My wrath, which is like fire, shall come upon them until they are sated. בְּדֵי אֵשׁ - Asec in O.F.; enough; assez in modern French.

מַשְׁקֵה רֵעֵהוּ. יַיִן, וּבְאוֹתָהּ הַשְׁקָאָה הוּא מְסַפֵּחַ וְאוֹסֵף אֶת חֲמָתוֹ עָלָיו, וְאַף מְשַׁכְּרֵהוּ בַּחֲמָתוֹ. וְכָל זֶה הוּא עוֹשֶׂה לְמַעַן הַבִּיט עַל מְעוֹרֵיהֶם, עַל גִּלּוּיָם וְלִרְאוֹת אֶת עֶרְוָתָם. זֶה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר שֶׁהָיָה מַשְׁקֶה אֶת הַמְּלָכִים יַיִן וּמְשַׁכְּרָם, וְשׁוֹכֵב עִמָּם מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה, כִּדְאַמְרִינָן בְּמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת. דָּבָר אַחֵר: הוֹי מַשְׁקֵה רֵעֵהוּ – בְּסֵדֶר עוֹלָם דּוֹרְשׁוֹ כְּלַפֵּי בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר, שֶׁהִשְׁקָה אֶת הַשָּׂרִים בִּכְלֵי בֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וּבָהֶם נִסְפְּחוּ וְנִשְׁתַּכְּרוּ בַּחֲמָתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּבוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה נֶהֱרַג.

Woe to him who gives his friend to drink wine; and into that drink he adds and gathers his venom upon him, and also makes him [his friend] drunk with his venom. All this he does... in order to gaze upon their nakedness Upon their exposure, to see their nakedness. This is the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, who would give the kings wine to drink, intoxicate them, and practice pederasty upon them, as we state in Tractate Shabbath (149b). Another explanation. Woe to him who gives his friend to drink In Seder Olam, it [this verse] is expounded regarding Belshazzar, who gave the princes to drink with the vessels of the Temple, because of which they were smitten with zaraath and intoxicated by the wrath of the Holy One, blessed be He. On that night he [Belshazzar] was slain.

עַל מְעוֹרֵיהֶם. לְהִגָּלוֹת קְלוֹנָם וְרָאוּ שׂוֹנְאֵיהֶם בְּנִוּוּלָם.

upon their nakedness So that their disgrace be revealed, and their enemies see their disgrace.

וְהֵעָרֵל. הֵ״א מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בְּתֵבָה זוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳הִתְפַּעֵל׳, כְּמוֹ (דברים לב:נ) ״הֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּךָ״. אַף כָּאן ״הֵעָרֵל״, הֵאָטֵם בְּשִׁמָּמוֹן וּבְתִמָּהוֹן לֵב. כָּל עָרְלָה לְשׁוֹן ׳אֹטֶם׳ הוּא, כְּמוֹ ״עֲרֵלָה אָזְנָם״ (ירמיהו ו:י), ״עַרְלֵי לֵב וְעַרְלֵי בָשָׂר״ (יחזקאל מד:ז). וְיוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״וְאִתְעַרְטַל״ – לְשׁוֹן ״עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה״ (שם).

and become clogged up The “he” serves in this word as an expression of the reflexive, as in (Deut. 32:50) “And you shall be gathered to your people.” Here, too, הֵעָרֵל - you shall become clogged up with bewilderment and with astonishment of heart. Every expression of עָרְלָה is an expression of clogging, like (Jer. 6:10) “Their ear is clogged” and (Ezek 44:7) “Of clogged heart and of uncircumcised flesh.” Jonathan rendered: And become naked, an expression of (ibid. 16:7) “Naked and bare.”

חֲמַס לְבָנוֹן. בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא.

the violence of the Lebanon the Temple.

וְשֹׁד בְּהֵמוֹת יְחִיתַּן. שׁוֹד בְּהֵמוֹתֶיךָ וְאוּכְלוֹסֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר שָׁדְדוּ אֶת עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הוּא יִשְׁבְּרֵם.

and the plunder of cattle The plunder of your cattle, and your hordes that plundered My people Israel, shall break you.

מִדְּמֵי אָדָם. מֵחֲמַס דְּמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

because of the blood of man Because of the violence done to the blood of Israel.

וַחֲמַס אֶרֶץ. אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.

and the violence of the land The land of Israel.

קִרְיָה. יְרוּשָׁלַיִם.

a city Jerusalem.

מַה הוֹעִיל. לְבָבֶל פֶּסֶל.

What did a graven image avail Babylon?

כִּי בָטַח. הָאָדָם הַיּוֹצֵר וְיוֹצְרוֹ שֶׁל אֱלוֹהוֹ זֶה.

that the maker of his work trusted The man who formed it, who is the maker of this god of his.

עָלָיו. עַל יְצִירָתוֹ זֹאת הוּא בּוֹטֵחַ שֶׁיַּעֲזֹר לוֹ, אֲשֶׁר בָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת אֱלִילִים אִלְּמִים.

in it He trusts in this creation of his, that it assists him, so he comes to make dumb idols.

הוּא יוֹרֶה. בִּתְמִיהָּ.

Shall it teach? This is a question.

וַה׳ בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֹ. מוּכָן לִפָּרַע.

But the Lord is in His Holy Temple ready to exact retribution.

הַס מִפָּנָיו כָּל הָאָרֶץ. הַס לְשׁוֹן שִׁתּוּק וּדְמִימַת חֻרְבָּן.

Silence the whole earth before Him הַס is an expression of silencing and the silence of destruction.