Chapter Summaries:
Chapter 7: HaShem promises salvation from the armies of Israel and Aram, who together attack Yehudah (Jerusalem). Ashur is also promised to be miraculously defeated in its conquest against Yehudah.
Chapter 8: Yeshaya warns against the people of Yehudah who wanted to conspire with the invading forces, and HaShem’s promise of salvation is reiterated. Warning against searching out forms of idolatry/forbidden magic, and description of future desolation of the land.
Chapter 9: Yeshaya praises HaShem’s salvation but notes the anger of HaShem towards those who are yet unfaithful to Him.
Chapter 10: Yeshaya reports of the wickedness of the judges who judge with bias, and tells of the future punishment for Yerushalayim. He stresses that the armies who are victorious against Yerushalayim are merely agents of HaShem carrying out punishment against His people, and as such should not be proud of their victory; for it was all HaShem. Because of the uncalled-for pride of these armies, they [specific reference to Ashur here] will be miraculously defeated instead of conquering Yerushalayim, and people will return to HaShem.
Chapter 11: This one’s famous! It tells of times of Meshach (see dvar torah), ingathering of the exiles, and the peace that will reign then; even amongst the animal kindgom.
Chapter 12: Giving thanks to HaShem.
DVAR TORAH; TIMES OF MOSHIACH…
Perek 11 is focussed on times of Moshiach, and what will happen is not well-known, so here is a brief summary of what will happen. [Taken mostly from Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s ‘Handbook of Jewish Thought’]. First, Moshiach ben Yosef comes, and this will be followed by the great war of ‘gog umagog’ which takes place around Yerushalayim. Though Moshiach ben Yosef leads us to victory in this war, he himself is killed. Next, Eliyahu HaNavi comes and announces the arrival of Moshiach ben David and causes Bnei Yisrael to repent. Some hold that Eliyahu will be the kohen gadol in the third beis hamikdash too. There is a dispute as to how long after Eliyahu announces Moshiach ben David’s arrival will Moshiach ben David come; some hold three days, whilst others seem to hold one day. Some are of the opinion that the period of Moshiach ben Yosef will be characterised by Divine concealment, with the period of Moshiach ben David seeing revelaed miracles.
Gra of the Week
8;22 ‘habatta’ means looking/staring from a distance
9;14 ‘zakein’ means someone who has acquired wisdom (zeh shekannah chochmah; gemarra kidushin)
10;2 An ‘ani’ is a poor person. A ‘dal’ means someone who was rich but is now poor.
