Yeshayahu: Unclothed and Barefoot/2

Yeshayahu: Unclothed and Barefoot

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Prophetic Vision

Yeshayahu's fulfillment of Hashem's command took place in a vision and was not witnessed by the public. As such, the message of the prophecy may not have been meant for the people of Yehudah. Instead, this prophecy was meant for Yeshayahu himself as part of his series of of נבואות הגוים.

Sources:Ibn EzraYeshayahu 20Hoshea First Commentary 1:1About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Rambam2 46About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim, RadakYeshayahu 20Hoshea 1:2About R. David Kimchi

וּפִתַּחְתָּ הַשַּׂק מֵעַל מׇתְנֶיךָ וְנַעַלְךָ תַחֲלֹץ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ – Hashem indeed asked Yeshayahu to untie and remove his sackcloth and shoes. However, this was only in a dream.

עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף – These commentators assert עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף means completely unclothed and barefoot.

שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים – Ibn Ezra writes that the שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים refers to the latter part of the verse. Egypt and in Cush will be destroyed three years after this prophecy.
Radak explains that the vision in reality took just a moment. It seemed, to Yeshayahu, however, as if it took three years

Standards for prophets? This approach successfully neutralizes this issue by assuming everything was in a prophetic vision and not in public.

וְחַתּוּ וָבֹשׁוּ מִכּוּשׁ מַבָּטָם וּמִן מִצְרַיִם תִּפְאַרְתָּם:

• Ibn EzraYeshayahu 20About R. Avraham ibn Ezra and RadakYeshayahu 20About R. David Kimchi read this as referring to the residents of the Land of Israel who, while at war with the Assyrians, are placing their trust in Egypt. When Egypt and Cush will be destroyed, these Israelites will be ashamed of having counted on those other nations. This account perhaps highlights the intensity of Egypt's destruction.
• R. Eliezer of Beaugency Yeshayahu 20About R. Eliezer of Beaugencyclaims this verse refers to Egyptians and Cushites ashamed and dismayed of their own land. 

Goal of the Prophecy – According to this approach, the prophecy is not meant for the Judeans living in the Land of Israel. Rather, this prophecy is solely meant to tell of the Egyptian demise by the hands of the Assyrians¹. A coincidental result of such a demise will be the shame of the Israelites in that they put there trust in Egypt.

Purpose of the שק and its removal

Historical Context

Public Action

As per the simple meaning of the text, Yeshayahu's action was performed in the real world and not in a private vision with Hashem. As such whatever message Yeshayahu intends to transmit will most likely be impressed on the Kingdom of Judah.
Two approaches of commentators diverge, however, depending on how literal the text reads.

Non-Literal

While these commentators concur that Yeshayahu's action took place in public, they dilute the potency of "עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף" to accord the story with the standards we have for our prophets.

Sources:R. Nahman bar YitzhakYoma 77a-bAbout the Bavli in Yoma, Rasag  RashiYeshayahu 20About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Eliezer of BeaugencyYeshayahu 20About R. Eliezer of Beaugency, R. Yosef ibn KaspiYeshayahu 20:2About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, ShadalYeshayahu 20About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto

וּפִתַּחְתָּ הַשַּׂק מֵעַל מׇתְנֶיךָ וְנַעַלְךָ תַחֲלֹץ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ – RashiYeshayahu 20About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki and Targum Pseudo-Yonatan understand וּפִתַּחְתָּ to mean the putting on of the sackcloth².
Most other commentators understand וּפִתַּחְתָּ to mean the removal of the sackcloth.

עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף

• Most commentators, following Yoma 77Yoma 77a-bAbout the Bavli assert Yeshayahu wore noticeably ripped clothing, where perhaps more skin was shown to the public³.
• According to R. Eliezer of BeaugencyYeshayahu 20About R. Eliezer of Beaugency and R. Yosef Ibn KaspiYeshayahu 20:2About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, Yeshayahu indeed removed clothing but covered enough to avoid being completely naked.

שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים

• According to Rashi, שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים qualifies both Yeshayahu's action and the future event related to Egypt. These commentators would take less issue with Yeshayahu walking around for a full three years as he was not fully unclothed.
• Rasag argues Yeshayahu took only three steps in his עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף state. These three steps signified three years until the events related to Egypt took place.

Standards for prophets? This approach successfully neutralize this issue by redefining עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף.

The ashamed nations relying on Egypt and Cush – R. Eliezer of BeaugencyYeshayahu 20About R. Eliezer of Beaugency claims these verses refer exclusively to Egyptians and Cushites ashamed and dismayed of their own kingdoms. This prophecy has nothing to do with Israelites and is completely directed at Egyptians.
According to RashiYeshayahu 20About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, verse 5  refers to other surrounding nations that relied on Egypt an Cush for help. The "dwellers of this island" of verse 6 refers to those living in Israel who relied on Egypt for help⁴

Goal of the Prophecy

Literal

Yeshayahu carried out Hashem's command in public and exactly how the verses make it. This effectively transmitted the prophecy's message to the people of Judah.

Sources:RambanDevarim 13:2About R. Moshe b. Nachman⁵, AbarbanelYeshayahu 20About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, MalbimYeshayahu Beur HaInyan 20About R. Meir Leibush Weiser, Da'at Mikra, Vargon

וּפִתַּחְתָּ הַשַּׂק מֵעַל מׇתְנֶיךָ וְנַעַלְךָ תַחֲלֹץ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ – Hashem indeed asked Yeshayahu to untie and remove his sackcloth as well as removing his shoes. עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף therefore literally means unclothed and barefoot.

עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף – These commentators assert עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף means completely unclothed and barefoot.

שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים

• MalbimYeshayahu Beur HaInyan 20About R. Meir Leibush Weiser asserts this phrase exclusively qualifies the sign related to Egypt. Yeshayahu walked around unclothed for a few moments or at most a day in his privacy of his own house.
• AbarbanelYeshayahu 20About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel argues Yeshayahu, though not for three years, walk around in public a few times.
• Vargon asserts that Yeshayahu's actions indeed took place over a three year period to make the biggest impression he could on the nation. While he wasn't constantly, publicly unclothed for that amount of time, Yeshayahu most likely would go into the public square at certain points, presumably enough times to make an impression⁶.

Standards for prophets?

• According to MalbimYeshayahu Beur HaInyan 20About R. Meir Leibush Weiser, the higher standards we expect of prophets were not compromised as Yeshayahu's stunt was performed in private for a short amount of time.
• According to Rid, this is but another example of how prophets are expected to suffer as part of their roles as Hashem's messengers. Prophets knowingly accept such this burden when they consent to become the nation's prophet.
• Similarly, the Keli Paz argues that though such a stunt would be a degradation to prophet, the honor of Hashem is at stake regarding the behavior of the nation and thus Hashem's honor would override the prophet's honor

The ashamed nations relying on Egypt and Cush/the dwellers of this island – Abarbanel reasons these verses refer to the Judeans who had placed their trust in Egypt and expected  Egypt and Cush to come save them from the hands of the Assyrians.

¹ If we understand this prophecy as solely relating to Egypt and Cush, it fits quite well with its placement in Sefer Yeshayahu. Chapters 13-23 make up a section that are נבואות הגוים, prophecies relating to the other nations. This chapter, discussing the fall of Egypt and Cush can be another נבואת הגוים.

² RashiYeshayahu 20About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki is motivated by the definite article qualifying שַּׂק in verse 2. How can Hashem command Yeshayahu to take off a this significant garment without having told him to put it on? Therefore, it makes more sense to say וּפִתַּחְתָּ means "to put on." Nonetheless, yeshayahu's shoes were still completely removed.

³ Shadal argues that if עָרוֹם literally meant naked, why would the verse relate that Yeshayahu was also barefoot? The succession of the two adjectives attests that Yeshayahu was not completely unclothed.

⁴ Shadal relates that this last verse reflects the focus of the entire prophecy. The message of Yeshayahu's stunt was to impart to the people of Yehudah that they should rely on Hashem for help and not Egypt and Cush.

⁵ While RambanDevarim 13:2About R. Moshe b. Nachman does not explcitly mention Yeshayahu's action as having taken place in public, his allusion to the event in Devarim 13:2 likely confirms his alignment with this approach. In discussing the difference between an אוֹת and a מוֹפֵת, Ramban writes a מוֹפֵת is a prophetic sign that is complete deviation from nature or abnormal. A paradigm of such an action is Yeshayahu's of our chapter. Such an action qualifies as a מוֹפֵת because "it is a bewilderment that a prophet should walk like this" ("this" referring to עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף).

⁶ Vargon points to Yechezkel 4 and Yirmiyahu 13 as actions taken by prophets that lasted for a significant amount of time.