דברים, פרק ל״ב, פסוק כ״ח

Military victories and the accumulation of power often bring about a deep spiritual and moral blindness in those who conquer. The true identity of the blind nation in this context is a matter of fundamental debate. The primary approach among commentators is that the criticism is aimed at the nations of the world and the historical enemies of the Israelites, such as the Babylonians [ספורנו]. Conversely, a different perspective suggests that this is a harsh rebuke directed at the Israelites themselves [רלב״ג, חזקוני], who abandoned the greatest guidance ever given to them, the Torah [תורה תמימה].

When applied to the enemies of the Israelites, their lack of direction represents a state of internal collapse. These nations are driven by arrogance and flawed political strategies that ultimately lead to their own ruin [רש״ר הירש]. They reject divine wisdom and moral laws [ביאור יש״ר], refusing to accept good guidance. Even when they are presented with sound advice, they ruin it [מלבי״ם, תולדות יצחק]. Some view this loss of direction as a passive decay where their plans naturally wither away [אבן עזרא, אבי עזר], while others emphasize that these nations actively destroy any good counsel they receive [הכתב והקבלה]. Furthermore, their failure to produce a thoughtful response is not the result of a calculated, wise silence, but rather stems from an absolute and profound internal emptiness [נחל קדומים].

This deep emptiness directly results in a complete lack of understanding. True understanding is defined as the ability to logically deduce one concept from another [אור החיים, מלבי״ם]. The enemies reveal their lack of understanding by attributing their massive military successes entirely to their own strength. They fail to realize that their victory over the Israelites is exclusively a decree from God, serving as a punishment for the Israelites' sins [רמב״ן, העמק דבר, שטיינזלץ].

If these conquering nations possessed true understanding, they would arrive at a simple yet terrifying conclusion: if God is willing to punish His own people so severely, then the nations that actively rebel against Him will certainly pay a devastating price in the end [רמב״ן, אור החיים, אלשיך]. Instead, they choose to completely deny divine providence [ביאור יש״ר]. Their foolishness blinds them to basic logic, preventing them from asking how a single soldier could possibly chase away a thousand enemies unless God Himself had orchestrated the defeat [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים].