Yeshayahu: Unclothed and Barefoot/2

Yeshayahu: Unclothed and Barefoot

Exegetical Approaches

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Not Real: 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 Judah. 

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 as well as removing his shoes. עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף therefore literally means unclothed and barefoot. Of course, however, this was only in a dream.

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

Real

Non-Literal

While these commentators concur 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,  RashiYeshayahu 20About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Eliezer of BeaugencyYeshayahu 20About R. Eliezer of Beaugency, R. Yosef ibn KaspiYeshayahu 20:2About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi

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 sackcloth¹.
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.
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. 

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. Nachman², AbarbanelYeshayahu 20About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, MalbimYeshayahu Beur HaInyan 20About R. Meir Leibush Weiser

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.

¹ Rashi Yeshayahu 20About R. Shelomo Yitzchakiis 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.

² 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).