דברים, פרק ל״ב, פסוק מ״ג

The conclusion of the great song at the end of Deuteronomy paints a final picture of history. God reveals Himself to redeem the Israelites, avenge their suffering in exile, and purify both His nation and His land.

The primary approach among commentators is that a call is issued to the nations of the world to praise the Israelites [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, אור החיים, אבן עזרא, רשב״ם, העמק דבר, רלב״ג, דעת זקנים, בכור שור]. In the future, the world will recognize the righteousness of the Israelites, who clung to God through years of exile and hardship without ever abandoning Him. This praise is a public declaration of Israel's greatness, born out of a deep recognition of divine justice [ספורנו]. Alternatively, this call is directed at the nations during the time of exile itself, urging them to treat the Israelites with mercy, to bring joy to their hearts, and to refrain from making the burden of their dispersion too heavy [רש ר הירש, ביאור יש״ר, אלשיך]. A unique perspective suggests that the address to the nations is actually directed at the scattered Israelites themselves. Dispersed across different lands, they may appear as separate groups, but they are called to rejoice because they remain God's chosen people despite their scattering [שד״ל].

The ultimate joy and praise are rooted in divine justice, as God will hold the enemies of the Israelites accountable for two distinct types of harm [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, מזרחי, ריב״א, צפנת פענח, תולדות יצחק]. First, He will avenge the physical harm and actual bloodshed inflicted upon His servants. Second, He will exact retribution for the financial and psychological abuse they endured, such as the robbery, violence, heavy taxes, and extortion suffered throughout the generations.

The culmination of this redemption is a profound process of atonement. Commentators interpret this act either as a process of appeasement, reconciliation, and comfort [רש״י, מזרחי, חזקוני, מלבי״ם], or as an act of deep purification and cleansing [אבן עזרא, רבנו בחיי, רלב״ג, שפתי כהן, פענח רזא]. The precise relationship between the land and the people in this final purification reflects different views on how redemption unfolds. One approach maintains that God will simply comfort and purify both His land and His people from all the troubles they have endured [אבן עזרא, רבנו בחיי, חזקוני, מלבי״ם]. Another perspective reverses the roles, viewing the people as the agents of atonement. By bringing justice to their enemies, the Israelites themselves will purify the land from the innocent blood spilled upon it, as true atonement is fittingly achieved through human action [אבן עזרא, הטור הארוך, רשב״ם, שד״ל, רא״ש].

Conversely, a third view suggests that the land itself provides atonement for the people. The suffering of exile, the desolation of the land, and the destruction of the Temple serve to cleanse the Israelites of their sins [אור החיים, ספורנו, חתם סופר]. In this light, the very soil of the Land of Israel carries a purifying power; anyone living or buried there is granted forgiveness, as the earth itself is considered as holy as the soil of the altar [רבנו בחיי, תורה תמימה, צאינה וראינה, תולדות יצחק, שפתי כהן]. Finally, some unite the people and the land into a single essence. The land is inextricably linked to the nation, and when the people find comfort and receive atonement, the land is comforted right alongside them [רש״י].