יחזקאל, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ה׳

A newborn infant lies abandoned in an open field, a stark image of total helplessness and rejection. In these first moments of life, no human showed enough concern to perform even a single basic act of care for the child, let alone provide for all of its many needs [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. The infant was entirely deprived of two distinct types of mercy [מלבי״ם]. The first is a protective care driven by personal interest, much like a father who protects his son to preserve his own legacy. The second is pure compassion, a desire for the child to live simply for its own sake. Tragically, neither form of mercy was extended to this child. Instead, the infant was cast out on the very day of its birth, its physical body left unwashed, repulsive, and stained with the blood of delivery [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond the immediate physical tragedy, this harsh abandonment carries a deep national meaning. The casting of the infant into the open field symbolizes the dark period when the Israelites were exiled to Egypt. In that foreign land, they were forced into crushing labor in the fields, completely cut off from any mercy or protection from Pharaoh [מלבי״ם, רד״ק].

On a personal and spiritual level, the open field represents the physical world, a landscape crowded with material temptations and bodily pleasures that constantly pull at a person. The day of birth signifies the exact moment when negative urges first begin to take control of an individual as they step into the world [אדרת אליהו]. The absence of a caring eye also reflects a profound flaw within the human mind. Absurdly, while people often extend mercy to others, their own intellect frequently fails to show mercy to their own soul by correcting their harmful behaviors. Therefore, when God steps in with harsh correction, it is actually an act of pure, unselfish compassion. His intervention is designed entirely for the ultimate benefit and survival of the person, rather than for God Himself [אדרת אליהו].