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This was one of my best from yeshiva, and it’s on this weeks haftara.
The navi says:
???? ??? ? ?????? ?? ????: ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?; ????? ??????? ??? ?????.
Hear the words of the L-rd, those who fear his word: Your enemies who excommunicate you have said, “For my name G-d will be honored”, but we will see in your joy, and they will be humiliated.”
The Metzuda explains that these enemies are the reshaim who are referred to in the previous perek, and the reshaim say that they are actually the true tzadikim, and that the tzadikim are really reshaim. To which the navi reassures the tzadikim that they are really the tzadikim and they should ignore the reshaim.
The reshaim referred to in the previous perek, in 65:5, say to the tzadikim: ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??????, Stay to yourself, do not approach me, for I am holier than you (Rashi there). The pesukim there describe these people as complete reshaim, who sit in graves so that the tumaah will descend on them, and worship avoda zarah.
So basically, we have some dudes, who are complete reshaim, and they are telling the tzadikim that they are really the reshaim, and that the reshaim are tzadikim. And the navi is reassuring the tzadikim that it isn’t so.
That means, that without the Navi’s reassurance, the tzadikim would not be so sure. Which is very interesting, and means that it really isn’t so easy to tell who is a tzaddik and who is a rasha. Even where the reshaim are doing things which are blatantly avoda zara.
But still, we need to wonder: If it is possible to get confused, then how is the Navi’s reassurance effective? Yeshaya didn’t specify who he was speaking to, he just spoke to the “ones who fear His word”. So won’t everyone think he is speaking to them?
So the answer clearly is that everyone really knows deep down who the tzadikim are and who is worshiping avoda zara, and knew who the Navi was speaking to.
So the answer clearly is that everyone really knows deep down who the tzadikim are and who is worshiping avoda zara, and knew who the Navi was speaking to
That’s good because I was confused 1/4 of the way through.
I disagree. The point isn’t that everyone knows who the tzadikim are and who the idolaters are. The point is that we all think we know deep down and the Navi is coming to remind us to check our assumptions every once in a while to make sure we ourselves are on the right side of that line.
Very good, Itche. That’s how I understood it, too.
I’ll look at it again later. Right now my Tanakh inside is in Chagai, just started.
Or perhaps the idea is that it is always possible for someone to convince you that their way is much higher than yours and that you are practically a Chotte for ignoring their holy Avoda. “You think it’s Avoda Zara? Ach! What do you understand? Come, I’ll explain everything.”
It sounds reminiscent of how the Christains through the ages would chastise us that we are doomed for not believing their belief.
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