"All Who Are Thirsty"/2
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"All Who Are Thirsty"
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
Commentators differ in how they understand the prophet's cry, "all who are thirsty, come for water". Rashi reads the verse metaphorically, as a call to the nation to learn Torah and return to Hashem. Ibn Ezra, on the other hand, suggests that the words are addressed to the Gentiles. It is they who are being invited to share in God's Torah. Finally, a third position suggests that the verse be read more literally. Hashem comforts the oppressed in exile, telling them that in Messianic times they will prosper and find food and drink without effort.Call for Repentance
The chapter constitutes a call to the nation in exile to return to Hashem and His Torah.
Who is being addressed? The prophet's message is aimed at the Nation of Israel who suffer in the current exile.
"כׇּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם" – According to this approach, the verse is metaphoric. Water symbolizes Torah, and wine and milk represent its ethical lessons.1 The prophet cries to the people to follow Hashem's Torah and its teachings. After all, they are free ("שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא כֶסֶף") and accessible to all. One might point to verse 3 in support of this understanding. Yeshayahu's words there, "הַטּוּ אׇזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם", provide the interpretation of the analogy of verse 1.
"לָמָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ כֶסֶף בְּלוֹא לֶחֶם" – Rashi and R"Y Kara understand this verse literally, suggesting that it describes the fate of the people when they do not heed Hashem's word. Due to the situation in exile, they are forced to pay money to their enemies, but get nothing in return. The prophet, thus, exhorts the people to turn back to Hashem so that they can eat well and be satiated.
"גוֹי לֹא יְדָעוּךָ אֵלֶיךָ יָרוּצוּ" – In this verse the prophet provides an alternative portrait of Israel's relationship with her neighbors, describing what could have been, and what could be in the future, were the people to follow Hashem. Instead of Israel serving the nations, the nations would have / will serve Israel.
Scope of the prophecy – This approach can read the entire chapter as comprising one prophecy. Verses 6-7 continue the exhortation to repent, while the rest of the chapter sends a message of encouragement, that if the people do confess and change, Hashem will accept them and redeem them from exile.
Call to Conversion
Hashem invites the Gentiles to recognize Hashem and learn His Torah.
Who is being addressed? The prophet addresses the foreign nations in the Messianic era.2
"הוֹי כׇּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם" – Ibn Ezra and Radak read the water, milk, and wine as metaphors for Torah.3 In the end of Days, the prophet will encourage the foreign nations to turn to Hashem and learn His Torah.4
"לָמָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ כֶסֶף בְּלוֹא לֶחֶם" – This verse, too, is figurative. The spending of money represents the search for false truths and the chasing after the wisdom of the Gentiles. Such learning is futile, and won't produce "bread" or result in satiation; i.e. it won't bring any benefit to the body or soul.
"וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם" – The prophet explains that if the Gentiles follow Hashem ("הַטּוּ אׇזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי"), they will have a place in the World to Come (their souls will live). Ibn Ezra also raises the possibility that Hashem is promising that they, along with Israel, will be resurrected by the Mashiach (their souls will be brought back to life).
"הֵן גּוֹי לֹא תֵדַע תִּקְרָא וְגוֹי לֹא יְדָעוּךָ אֵלֶיךָ יָרוּצוּ" – According to these sources, in this verse the prophet turns back to address Israel, telling them that in the End of Days, many foreign nations will head to Israel for the sake of Hashem. Ibn Ezra claims that this verse supports his reading of the earlier verses; all speak of the repentance of the Gentiles rather than of Israel.
Scope of the prophecy – This position suggests that verse six ("דִּרְשׁוּ י"י בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ") opens a new prophecy, with a new audience, Israel.
Promise of Prosperity
Hashem promises the nation success and prosperity in Messianic times.
Sources:Shadal
Who is being addressed? According to Shadal, the prophet is speaking to the nation in exile, close to the time of the redemption.
"הוֹי כׇּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם" – Shadal understands the water to represent the miraculous prosperity in the End of Days. Just as all can find water without payment, since it is so prevalent, so too, all will be able to find provisions in the future. Moreover, the "good" that Hashem will provide won't be of poor quality, but it will be substantial and pleasant, like bread, milk, and wine. According to this, the thirsty could be a literal description of those suffering economic distress in the present.5
"לָמָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ כֶסֶף" – This position can understand this verse either literally or metaphorically:
- Literal – Hashem questions why the people would want to continue in the present situation in exile, where they are forced to pay money to enemy rulers and get nothing in return.6
- Metaphoric – Shadal suggests, instead, that the verse is figurative and refers to people chasing after their desires and indulgences. As these bring no lasting happiness ("בְּלוֹא לְשׇׂבְעָה"), the prophet questions why the people continue to do so.
Conditional promise: "שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ אֵלַי וְאִכְלוּ טוֹב" – The promise of prosperity is contingent on the nation's repentance. If they listen to Hashem, then He will redeem them.
Mention of David: "הֵן עֵד לְאוּמִּים נְתַתִּיו" – According to Shadal this refers to the descendant of David who will rule in the Messianic era.
"הֵן גּוֹי לֹא תֵדַע תִּקְרָא וְגוֹי לֹא יְדָעוּךָ אֵלֶיךָ יָרוּצוּ" – During the future redemption, all the other nations will rush to serve Israel and do their bidding. This is another example of the blessings of the period. Shadal points out that this promise is evidence that the prophecy speaks of Messianic times, as no such blessing was evident during the redemption from Bavel.
Scope of the prophecy – This approach could take one of two positions on this issue:
- Verses 1-5 – It is possible that the prophecy ends in verse 5, in which case it is essentially a description of the blessings to be had in the Messianic era, with only a passing reference to the need to heed Hashem's word as a precondition to merit the blessing. The rest of the chapter is its own unit.
- Whole chapter – Shadal assumes that the entire chapter comprises one prophecy. After the blessings promised in the first half, the prophet continues to exhort the people to repent to ensure that they are able to partake of them.7 This reading of the chapter comes much closer to the first approach above.
