Yeshayahu 45

Torat Imecha Nach Yomi - [email protected]

This episode of Torat Imecha Nach Yomi explores Isaiah 45, focusing on the prophetic vision of Cyrus (Choresh) as an instrument of divine redemption for the Jewish

Key takeaways

• Hashem uses non-Jewish leaders like Cyrus not only for political salvation but as part of a larger spiritual mission to reveal His sovereignty over all creation.
• The idea that Hashem created both good and bad from nothing underscores the belief in divine control over all aspects of existence, including suffering.

Main topics

• Cyrus (Choresh) as an instrument of divine redemption
• Divine sovereignty over history and non-Jewish nations

Notable quotes

I will go before him and I will smash down doors and I will break copper bolts.

Conclusion

Isaiah 45 presents a profound vision of divine unity and universal redemption, where even non-Jewish figures like Cyrus serve

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Welcome to Torek Timei Hanach Yomi with the OU Women's Initiative. My name is Shalvi Friedman, and today we'll be studying Sefer Yishayahu, Perek Mem Hei, the 45th Perek. This parakh has lots of different pieces or different sections which don't seem to fit together in a very clear or obvious way. And I want to suggest perhaps that the connection here is going to be a focus on the place, the positive place of the other nations in the building of the Messianic era and the geula mentality. In other words, as we look through history, we see that on the one hand, Yeshayahu speaks about the destruction of evil and the destructions of the nations who hurt the Jews. But there is another component, which is the invitation to the other nations to join us and make the world into a better place, a place of more godliness. Our parik opens up with a description or an invitation to Choresh. As we ended last parik with a pasuk which talks about Choresh. The parik before, Haomer l'choresh ro'i, Hashem says to Choresh to go and build the base ha-megdash. And thus our parik begins, Ko amar Hashem l'meshicho l'choresh. Thus says Hashem to his Mashiach, his anointed one, Choresh, Hashem says, I have. Speaker 1 (1:22) grasped onto his right hand to subdue other nations, and I will open up or weaken the strength of the other nations, to open up doors before him and no gates should be shut. Let's remember that Yeshayahu is prophesying long before Chorban Ba'is Rishon, the destruction of the first base HaMikdash. So the prophecy about Choresh, who is the, king of Persia who is going to bring about the rebuilding of the second Beis Hamikdash in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah and it's going to be much of the focus of Sifre Ezra and Nehemiah or Sefer Ezra and Nehemiah is talking about something which is in the distant future this is a prophecy which for us is in past tense but it's important to remember it was written in future tense in a big way and Yeshayahu says HaKadosh Baruch Hu promises not only that he's going to instruct Choresh to rebuild Ba'i Sheini, but he's going to open up all opportunities to allow him to build that second base, HaMikdash. He says, I will go before him and I will smash down doors and I will break copper bolts. Speaker 1 (2:34) And I will do this all. Why? Because I am Hashem Hakorei B'shimcha. I called your name Elokei Yisrael, the God of Israel. I have called you, Choresh, to partner with me to release the Jewish people from the exile of Pavel. Now, the personality of Choresh is a very complex one. Was he righteous? Wasn't he? Why did he allow the Jewish people to go back? One could argue that he felt like he was a messenger of Hashem. He knew. Tanakh, he knew the prophecies of Yeshayahu and Yirmiyahu, and he became a messenger of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Alternatively, we could understand that he is doing this because he is self-serving. In fact, if we look at what he tells the Jewish people to do at the beginning of the book of Ezra, he says they can go back and he acknowledges Hashem, but he describes Hashem as Hashem Elokei Hashemayim, God who is the God of heaven, implying perhaps that there is another God, the God of earth, who is himself. And that's maybe what our Pasuk Dalet says. I will allow Choresh to be so powerful only for the sake of Am Yisrael and for the Jewish people. I will call you in my name, I will coin your name. And means you do not know me or you did not know me. What is being referred to here? There are a couple of different ways of reading this. The way the Radak reads it in the Ibn Ezra is, you weren't yet known. I have declared, Khorash, that you're going to come and save the Jewish people long before you even exist. No one's even dreamt or thought about you. No one even thought about the Persian empire taking over the world. And I've still called you by name long before that happens. However, Rashi has a more sinister take on Khorash. And therefore, he