Explanation of the Haftarah of Parshat Balak 3 Tammuz 5786

The Connection Between the Haftarah and the Parshah

In the Haftarah, it is told about the Kindness of Hashem that he did for Israel, who put into the heart of Bilaam to bless Israel, and even when they abandoned him in the region of Shittim and worshipped Baal Peor, despite all this, Hashem brought them to Gilgal to occupy the Land; and this is similar to the Parsha, in which it is told about the efforts of Balak and Bilaam to curse Israel, and in place of this He [Bilaam] blesses them, and it is also told about what they did at Shittim.

Contents of the Haftarah

The prophet says that in the future to come, the nation of Israel will be like dew and rain; just as people hope to Hashem to bring down dew and rain, so too the people of Israel will trust only and exclusively in Hashem, may He be blessed.

They will rule over the nations of the world that oppressed them, and in that period, Israel will not need horses, chariots, and weapons of war, because peace will increase in the world. Likewise, due to the magnitude of the quiet and tranquility, they will dwell in unwalled cities, and the nation of Israel will return in sincere repentance; there will be no soothsayers or sorcerers among them, for everyone will worship Hashem with a whole heart.

And Hashem tells the prophet to arise and argue with Israel, and let the patriarchs of the world and the matriarchs hear about the actions of their children. And thus you shall rebuke them: "My nation, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you?" And why do you not remember the kindnesses of Hashem that He performed for you in the days of Balak and Bilaam, who tried to curse Israel, and instead, great blessings came out of their mouths. Likewise, despite the fact that they worshipped Baal Peor at Shittim, with all this, Hashem brought them to Gilgal to give them the land.

And Israel says to the prophet: "With what shall we come before Hashem to appease Him? Shall we offer Him burnt offerings and sacrifices, or shall we sacrifice one of our children to Him? Surely this is certainly not His will, may He be blessed, and if so, with what shall we appease Him?" And the prophet answers that it is possible to appease Hashem by performance of justice, righteousness and love of kindness.               ...

Micah chapter 5, verse 6 – chapter 6, verse 8

6 In prophecy of consolation for the future to come: “And it shall be the [A] remnant of Yaakov” — The remnant of Israel  in the future (Radak) shall be among within in the midst of many nations like the dew [B] that comes from Hashem, and so abundant rains, as the rain that descends upon the blades of grass that does not come into the world by means of a person, so too Israel, will not hope for a man for help and will not wait expectantly for the sons of man, but they will trust only in Him, blessed be He (Rashi): 

7 And the remnant of Yaakov shall be among the nations, the lesser ones, and likewise in the midst of many peoples, the important ones who have a king (Malbim), and Israel will rule over them like a lion that rules

over the beasts of the forest, [C] the animals of the forest, and like a kefir lion, a young lion, that rules among flocks of sheep (Radak) which, if he is hungry, passes through and treading down, trampling on the spot and eating, and tears, carrying the prey to his den for the lioness and the cubs (Rashi), and there is none to deliver, so will Israel kill among their enemies and none delivers from their hand (Radak): 

8 At that time, your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, to prevail over them [D]  and all your enemies shall be cut off [E]:

9 And it shall come to pass on that day, after the war of Gog and Magog, says Hashem, they will not need any wars, and therefore, "And I will cut off your horses from your midst for there is no need for them (Malbim) and I will destroy your chariots and so in our days, they will not need for the Mercava tank and fighter aircraft and the atomic bomb;

10 And I will cut off the cities of your land those surrounded by a wall, for there will be peace in the land and I will tear down all your strongholds you will not need a fortified city (Radak) and bunkers and an Iron Dome; 

11 In seeing you My supervision over you, and I will cut off sorceries from your hand [from your midst (Radak)] for you will not need them to know futures and to operate with them certain activities (M"D) and soothsayers those who look at clouds to know futures (Ibn Ezra) and there are those that explain the sleight of hand, and also calculations of times and hours that this hour such will happen, today is good to go out etc. (Radak) they shall not be to you;

12 And I will cut off your carved images of wood and stone (Ibn Ezra) and your pillars from your midst [F] and then you will recognize that there is no god besides Me and you shall no longer bow down to the work of your hands to the carved images (M"D); 

13 And I will uproot I will pluck out (M"Z) your Asherah poles from your midst for you will return...

in repentance and I will destroy your cities that they worshipped in them foreign worship (Malbim) and another explanation: I will destroy your enemy (M"D);

14  And I will execute in anger anger in a revealed way and in wrath anger in the heart (Malbim) vengeance upon the nations that still have not heard  a great vengeance like this (M"D) and another explanation: that they did not hear – that they did not want to accept the Torah (Radak according to T"Y) [G];

1 The prophet says and rebukes Israel: Hear now what Hashem says: Arise says the prophet contend argue with Israel so that they will hear the mountains which are the patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and let the hills hear the matriarchs who are Rivka, Rachel, and Leah [the hills are smaller than the mountains and they are around the mountains (Malbim)] your voice what their children paid back to the Almighty, may He be blessed (Rashi, Radak); 

2 Hear listen (Ibn Ezra) O mountains, the dispute of Hashem the argument of Hashem, may He be blessed (M"D) and the enduring the strong mountains (Radak) foundations of the earth ...that they were the foundation of the earth during the Work of Creation, "For Hashem has a dispute with His nation on account that they sinned against him, and with Israel He will contend. To show that he is righteous in his quarrel (Malbim)".

3"My nation pay attention to understand, what abundant good have I done to you [H], and what is the matter in which have I wearied you [I]? ['I exhausted you' (Metzudat Zion) or 'I tired you out' (according to Onkelos, Deut. 19:18) by My service]? Answer [and] testify against Me [J] (Rashi)."

4 Look and contemplate how many favors I did with you, "For I brought you up from the land of Egypt where you were in backbreaking labor (Radak), and from the house of bondage I redeemed you before the [destined] time,  and I sent before you Moshe, Aaron, and Miriam." [K] by whose merit you were sustained, and they taught you the good way Malbim)."

5 My nation, remember please the kindness that Hashem did with Israel, what Balak king of Moab counseled by Bilaam and who hired Bilaam to come and curse you in order to destroy everything (Ibn Ezra), and what Bilaam son of Beor answered him,"— how can I invoke wrath if Hashem has not been angry against Israel? [and what occurred] from Shittim where you sinned there, and even so I did not withhold My goodness and I helped you (Rashi), to Gilgal where there you crossed the Jordan on dry land (Radak), and I conquered the land before you (Rashi); remember everything, in order to know the righteous acts of Hashem [L] which He performed with you, so that you may improve your deeds (Radak)."

6 Israel says to the prophet: "With what shall I come before Hashem—what gift shall we give to Hashem so that He will be pleased with it (Radak)? [With what] shall I bow myself before him  —and with what shall I be bent (Rashi) and humbled Before the L-rd on high to request forgiveness (Malbim)?

Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old [M]?" Is there a benefit in this, that I should bring before You the best and most choice burnt offerings and calves (Metzudat Zion)?"

"Will Hashem be pleased —will Hashem truly desire—with thousands of rams, for sacrifices, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?  to pour upon the meal offerings?  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression —shall I offer before Him my firstborn son on account that the Holy One, Blessed be He, forgave my rebellious sin , the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? —and shall I offer before Him one of my sons on account that he has atoned for my sin (Metzudat Zion)."

8: And the prophet responds with what Hashem, may He be blessed, is appeased:  already has the Holy One, Blessed be He told  you, son of man, what is good to do (Rashi) and what Hashem demands of you for He has no desire for burnt offerings but to do justice (Radak) all commandments between man and his fellow like monetary damages [and also the prohibition of incest/forbidden relationships is included] and love of kindness acts of loving-kindness and walking humbly with your L-rd [N] to unify the Almighty, may He be blessed, and the love of him with all one's heart and all one's soul [and he said "and walking humbly" because the matter is entrusted to the heart]:

Insights and Comments

[A] The remnant shall be— that remnant of which the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to 'Eliyahu: "And I will leave in Israel seven thousand," and they are those who were separated in the days of Gideon, at the time when he said: "If You will save Israel by my hand as You have spoken,"

"behold, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there be dew only on the fleece, and upon all the ground it be dry, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have spoken."

"The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: "I wrote, 'I will be like dew to Israel,'   and you said, 'let there be dryness upon all the earth.' I will not do [this]. From where [do we know this]?"

"For it is not written, 'And The L-rd did so,' but rather, 'And it was so' — it happened on its own"...

The Holy One, Blessed be He said to him,": 'The people who are with you are too many; bring them down to the water, and those who knelt upon their knees to drink', whether willingly or unwillingly, they were bowing down to idolatry. "

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him": 'With the three hundred men who lap, I will save Israel' ". And regarding them He says: 'And I will leave in Israel,' and regarding them He says: 'And the remnant of Yaakov shall be, etc., like dew from Hashem,' for the dew is a sign for the resurrection of the dead, as it is said: 'Your dead shall live.'

Another interpretation: "And the remnant of Yaakov shall be"— Rabbi Pinchas bar Chama said: [The people of] Israel said, "You make us like dew." He said to them: "When you do the will of the Omnipresent, just as no creature has dominion over the dew, so too you — no creature shall have dominion over you".

You find that at the hour Eliyahu said: "If there shall be [during] these years dew or rain except according to my word", the Holy One, Blessed be He, did not listen to him regarding the dew, but rather the dew continued to descend. And so He says to Eliyahu: 'Go, show yourself to Achav' and I will give rain upon the face of the earth, but 'dew and rain' is not written here, to inform you that no one rules over the dew, therefore it says "And the remnant of Yaakov shall be... like dew (Tanchuma).

And the remnant shall be — those who will remain after they are refined, as they said "and I will refine them as silver is refined, etc.". In the midst of many nations — who will gather against Jerusalem with Gog and Magog, and Israel will be among them like dew from Hashem, for the dew comes from Hashem from the heavens, and he that hopes for it does not hope for any man to bring it to him but rather to Hashem, for He is the One who causes rain and the One who brings the dew to the earth, and the rain, so too Israel, in that salvation will not hope on anything except for the Almighty, may He be blessed, for He is the One who saves them and there is no savior besides Him, for they will be a small nation and the nations that are gathered against them will be many, and who will be able to save them except Him, and their salvation will descend to them just as the dew descends upon the earth, and it says afterward as showers upon the grass because the showers are the abundant rains, and the grass grows great from the vegetation, so they will be going and growing and their goodness will be going and increasing.

Which does not look to man - nor wait for the sons of man He repeated the matter in different words (Radak).

[B] Come and see that all the blessings with which Yitzchak blessed Yaakov from below correspondingly the Holy One, Blessed be He, blessed him from above; Yitzchak said "And may the L-rd give you from the dew of the heaven,  and rain, as it is said "And the remnant of Yaakov shall be, etc., like dew from Hashem"

(Bereishit] Rabbah] 75).

Another interpretation, this is what the scripture said [Proverbs 19:12] "The roaring as of a young lion is the wrath of a king, and like dew upon the grass is his favor"; "the roaring as of a young lion is the wrath of a king " regarding the nations of the world, but regarding Israel "and like dew upon the grass is his favor", and just as the dew brings life to the world so the Holy One, Blessed be He, comes as dew to Israel, as it is said "I will be like dew to Israel" [Hoshea 14:6], even when He is angry He still comes upon them like dew, as it is said "and like dew upon the grass is his favor". They, the people of Israel said to Him [to the Holy One, Blessed be He], because of this we are able to stand, for you are like dew to us, for it is stated: "And the remnant of Yaakov shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from Hashem". (Aggadat Bereishit chapter 8, 1).

[C] As a lion among the beasts of the forest — the commentators explained by that which is written in the Holy Zohar, that in the future to come there will be [wrath] from Hashem upon Nevuchadnetzar and Sancheriv (Nebuchadnezzar and Sennacherib) and all the oppressors of Israel and they will come in war, and Israel will kill them all. And this is what is written 'And the remnant of Yaakov shall be among the nations' in the midst of the nations known to have oppressed Israel, and they will take vengeance upon them 'as a lion among the beasts of the forest' (Nachal Sorek letter B).

[D]. Your hand shall be lifted up — they will not need to fight their oppressors with both hands, but only one hand will be enough to raise it against your adversary — and there is a difference between an adversary (tzar) and an enemy (oyev), for the adversary oppresses in practice and fights with him, and the enemy seeks his harm but does not oppress in practice, and over the oppressors who fight with you, your hand shall be lifted up, and the enemies shall be cut off on their own (Malbim).

[E]. Your hand shall be lifted up etc. — it is known that the accusers who are created from the sins of man, they are his oppressors, and they demand vengeance from him in heaven, and from this come upon him all the troubles and all the enemies below.

And when he returns in complete repentance to finish off rebellious transgression and to make an end of sin, they are the damaging spirits (mazikin) that were created from his iniquities, then he will find rest from the nations that provoke him below. And this is what it said, 'Your hand shall be lifted up against your adversaries', they are oppressors who were created from your iniquities, and then 'all your enemies', the physical ones, 'shall be cut off'. (The Chida).

Rabbi Yishmael says: Five fingers of the right hand of the Holy One, Blessed be He, are all for the sake of redemption: the small finger — with it He showed Noah [how] to make the ark, as it is said, "And this is how you shall make it"; the second finger (adjacent) to the small one — with it He struck the Egyptians, as it is said, "It is the finger of the L-rd"; the third (adjacent) to the small one — with it He wrote the tablets, as it is said, "written with the finger of the L-rd"; the fourth to the small one — with it He showed Moshe, as it is said, "This they shall give, everyone who passes over the census"; the thumb and with it the entire hand — with it the Holy One, Blessed be He, uses in the future to destroy the sons of Eisav who are his oppressors and to cut off the sons of Yishmael who are his enemies, as it is said, "Your hand shall be lifted up against your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off" (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer).

[F]. And I will cut off your graven images and your pillars from your midst — it will be understood according to the Gemara "Anyone who gets angry is as though he worships idols." And the reason is that anger is because of the bile that spreads through the entire body. And it is known what the Rambam and his supporters wrote, if a person worships Hashem for the sake of the desire for money and similar other reasons his service is not proper and it is not considered for him as worshiping Hashem, but rather as though he worships the money, which if he is lacking it, it is possible that he will not worship. And this is "and I will cut off your graven images from your midst" specifically that which dwells within you and inside you like anger or the desire for money, and it is considered for him as though he worships a statue, just as it is written "Lest your heart be enticed etc. and you worship them etc."  it refers to the turning of the heart to the desire for money, and it is easy understand.

And you shall no longer bow down to the work of your hands — it will be understood by what the scripture says "and you shall worship there other lords" [Deuteronomy 4:28] which the Targum explains: "and you shall serve there nations that worship idols", and so too the Rambam wrote there, that because of our many sins in this bitter exile it was fulfilled and you shall serve there other lords of wood and stone and the reason is on account that we are subdued and humiliated beneath the 70 angels (of the nations) in our exile in the four directions of heaven. And behold, when Israel sins, a destroying angel is created, and we cause the nations to succeed and they prevail over us, and they sit in their tranquility burning incense to the host of heaven, and this is considered for us as though we are doing this, for our iniquities tilted all this success of the nations and we are subjugated and serve them, and this is "and you shall worship there other lords," for we cause them success. And in the future to come, Hashem will consume the worshippers of idols and they will fall before him slain, and this is "And you shall no longer bow down to the work of your hands," meaning to say, to the (angelic) minister of the nations and their graven images, who satisfy the names of impurity so that they prevail when we sin, and it is considered as though this is the work of our hands because they prevailed when we sinned. All of these Hashem will cut off, for to all of them there will be one language to call upon the name of Hashem (Ahavat Yonatan).

[G]. And in the Midrash. This is what the scripture said [Deuteronomy 33, 2] "Hashem came from Sinai," - it should have said 'came to Sinai' and why did it say "from Sinai"?

Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: From Sinai [the Holy One, Blessed be He] He comes to judge the nations of the world who heard the Torah and did not accept it, as it is said "And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the nations, that they have not heard (ie. accepted)."(Midrash Tanna'im on Deuteronomy).

[H]. Rabbi Acha said: Testify by me and receive a reward, and do not bear false witness against your neighbor so that you receive judgment and reckoning. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: In three places the Holy One, Blessed be He, came to argue with Israel, and the worshippers of idols rejoiced and said, "How can they argue with their Creator, now He will destroy them"; once the Holy One, Blessed be He, saw that they (the nations) were rejoicing, He turned it for them to good; at the hour He said "Come now, and let us contend together" they rejoiced and said now He will destroy them, once the Holy One, Blessed be He, saw that they were rejoicing He turned it for them to good, as it is said "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow," when the worshippers of idols heard this they wondered, and they said: Is this a response and is this a rebuke? He did nothing but pamper His children. A second time, when He said to them "Hear, O mountains, Hashem's quarrel" the

worshippers of idols rejoiced, and they said now He will destroy them; once the Holy One, Blessed be He saw this, He similarly turned it for them to good, as it is said, "remember now what [Balak] counseled... Wherewith shall I come before Hashem," the worshippers of idols wondered and said: Is this a response and is this a rebuke? He did not come except to pamper His children (Bereishit Rabbah).

Answer against me — the Holy One, Blessed be He, out of His love for Israel calls them "My nation, what have I done to you," as if to say, why did I do this to you..

Only so that you would go to the synagogues and to the houses of study and testify about Me that I am one. As it is said, "Hashem is one." And this is what is written "answer about me" testify about Me that I am one, and unify me upon yourselves (Zohar Chadash page 48a).

[I]. Rabbi Berechiah said: A parable of a king who sent his prostagma [a document of decrees] of his to a province, what did the citizens of the province do? They took it and uncovered their heads and read it with fear, and with awe, and with trembling, and with sweat. Said the Holy One, Blessed be He: This reading of the Shema is my prostagma, I did not trouble you, and I did not tell you that you should be reading it while standing upon your feet and with uncovered heads, but rather when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way.

Another interpretation: "and wherein have I wearied you," Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Simon said: Ten [types of] beasts I handed over to you (defined as kosher), three in your domain and seven not in your domain, those in your domain: ox, young lambs, and young goats; and those not in your domain: deer, and gazelle, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the adax, and the bison, and the giraffe {note: There is a dispute about the identification of some of the seven wild kosher species.}, and I did not trouble you and I did not say to you to go up into the mountains and to weary yourself in the fields to bring a sacrifice before Me from these, but rather from those growing at your feeding trough, as it is said, "an ox, or a sheep, or a goat."(Yalkut Shimoni).

[J]. It is known that anything regarding which a person does not understand the purpose and the benefit that comes from doing the thing, behold, he is lazy to do the thing and it is heavy upon him. But if a person understands that all the acts of the commandments are for the benefit of man, then it will be sweet to him to do and to fulfill all the words of the Torah. And the matter will be understood by way of a parable: A certain person decreed upon his servant that he should count money all the night and should not give sleep to his eyes; if the servant thinks that this is only for the benefit of the master, then it will be heavy upon him to sit all the night and not to give sleep to his eyes; but if the master at several times did some good things for the servant without having received any compensation, there must fall a doubt in the heart of the servant: perhaps also currently when he decreed upon me that I should not sleep during the night, this also will be for my benefit, for surely he will give me the money, and then his service will be sweet to him.

And this is what the scripture says: "My nation, what have I done to you"—

I have done a number of good things for you, and if so, "and why have I wearied you"— why will you do all the commandments with slackness, for behold, there should at least fall a doubt in the person's heart that everything is for his benefit (Misgeret HaSha'ar).

[K]. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Come and see what is the difference between Me and flesh and blood; a king of flesh and blood sends envoys to a province, the citizens of the province supply them sustenance, but I did not do so, but rather I sent before you three redeemers, and you did not need to provide sustenance for them, but rather they were providing sustenance for you: the manna in the merit of Moshe, the clouds of glory in the merit of Aharon, the well in the merit of Miriam (Yalkut] Shimoni).

 [L]. What is that which is written "that you may know the righteous acts of Hashem," Rabbi Eliezer said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: My nation, know how many righteous acts I did for you, that I did not get angry with you in the days of Bilaam the wicked, for if I had gotten angry with you in the days of Bilaam the wicked, there would not have remained a remnant or survivor from the enemies of [euphemism for] Israel, and this is that which Bilaam said: "How shall I curse, whom the Almighty has not cursed?", teaching that on that day, Hashem did not invoke his wrath (Berachot 7a).

The counsel of Balak was not to fight with Israel publicly — openly. Balak was afraid lest the name of heaven be sanctified by that which the Holy One, Blessed be He, would do open miracles for Israel as in the time of their exodus from Egypt, therefore he acted wisely and advised that Bilaam should curse them in private — in secret, and even if his curses would not take effect, in any manner the name of heaven would not be sanctified.

The will of the supreme Providence was otherwise, from heaven they did not give to that wicked one to fulfill his plot. "And what Bilaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal"— Our Sages of blessed memory said in Yalkut Shimoni (Balak, sign 766) "the voice of Bilaam went sixty mils" (a mil is equal to 2000 cubits)— "from Shittim unto Gilgal".

All this why? — "that you may know the righteous acts of Hashem"— that everyone should recognize and know cherished is Israel before Hashem, may He be blessed; not in private and not in secret but rather openly and publicly. (Sidduro shel Shabbat, part 2 sermon 6 chapter 1).

[M]. Rabbi Yehoshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, even though the words are spoken concerning (criticism of) Mesha king of Moab, yet he speaks only of Yitzchak, "Will Hashem be pleased with thousands of rams" (Bereishit Rabbah). Bilaam the wicked was a defender of the worshippers of idols, and over the worshippers of idols he says "Will Hashem be pleased with thousands of rams," Does He want what you offer to Him? A log of oil; we offer to Him, "tens of thousands of rivers of oil." What did Avraham offer before Him?

One ram, as it is said, "And Avraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a ram after ... If he wants, we offer to Him thousands of rams, and what did Avraham offer to Him? His son. I offer to Him my son and my daughter, as it is said, "Shall I give my firstborn for my rebellious transgression", this is his son the firstborn, "the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul," this is his daughter. So thus the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Bilaam the wicked: What are you doing? He said before Him: "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered a bullock and a ram on every altar." He said to him: "Will Hashem be pleased with thousands of rams." He said to Him: "Shall I give my firstborn for my rebellious transgression." He said to him: Wicked one, if I were seeking a sacrifice I would say to Michael and to Gavriel and they would offer before Me, as it is said, "For who in the sky can be compared to Hashem? who can be likened unto Hashem among the sons of the mighty (elim)," among the sons of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, who are the mighty ones of the world, and I am not accepting sacrifices from anyone except from Israel (Tanchuma).

[N]. Rabbi Eleazar said: "To do justly, "this is justice; "and to love kindness," this is acts of lovingkindness; "and to walk humbly", this is the taking out of the dead and the bringing in of the bride. And are these things not an argument based on a rule of logic (kal vachomer)?; if for things that it is not their way to do them humbly, the Torah said "and to walk humbly", for things that it is their way to do them humbly, how much more so.     Our Sages taught: In three things is acts of lovingkindness greater than charity: charity [is done] with his money, acts of lovingkindness are performed whether with his body or with his money; charity [is given] to the poor, but acts of lovingkindness whether to the poor or to the rich; charity [is given] to the living, but acts of lovingkindness whether to the living or to the dead (Sukkah 49b).

Rabbi Simlai expounded: 613 commandments were stated to Moshe at Sinai, 365 corresponding to the days of the sun, and 248 corresponding to the limbs of a man. David came and established them on eleven, as it is written "who shall dwell in your tent etc."... Yishayahu (Isaiah) came and established them on six, as it is said "he who walks righteously [this is Avraham]"... Micah came and established them on three, as it is said "He has told you, O man, what is good etc., to do justly [this is justice], and to love kindness [this is acts of lovingkindness], and to walk humbly [this is the taking out of the dead and the bringing in of the bride]." Yishayahu returned and established them on two, as it is said "Thus says Hashem: Keep justice and do righteousness etc.", Chavakuk (Habakkuk) came and established them on one, as it is said "but the righteous shall live by his faith"(Makkot 23b).