עמוס, פרק ה׳, פסוק י״ט

The Day of Judgment unfolds as an inescapable, ongoing nightmare where a relentless chain of disasters hunts a person down. Escaping one life-threatening situation merely serves as the gateway to the next. The primary approach among commentators is that this scenario illustrates complete helplessness, where surviving one crisis guarantees facing another. A person flees in terror from a pursuing lion, only to suddenly encounter a bear blocking the path of escape. Miraculously surviving the wild beasts of the forest, the exhausted individual finally reaches home. Filled with a false sense of security and believing the danger has passed [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ], the person looks to rest or find a secure hiding place [מצודת דוד]. Seeking physical support, the person leans a hand against the wall of the house [מצודת ציון]. Yet, precisely at this moment of perceived safety, a snake hiding within the crevices of the wall strikes and bites [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

While this terrifying sequence serves as a general metaphor for one disaster following another, an additional approach views these animals as a precise historical timeline of the exiles of the Israelites. In this framework, the lion represents the first exile brought about by the King of Assyria. Those who manage to survive this initial destruction are then met by the bear, symbolizing the second exile. Finally, even if someone escapes the second exile and returns home with the hope of finding lasting peace, they are ultimately struck by the third exile, represented by the hidden snake's bite [מלבי״ם].