יחזקאל, פרק כ׳, פסוק ל״ז

The process of refining and judging the people of Israel operates as a careful, individual examination that ultimately leads to an eternal bond with God. The primary approach among commentators is that this evaluation mirrors a shepherd tending to a flock. Just as a shepherd guides his sheep one by one under his staff to count them and separate a tenth as a tithe, God will evaluate the people individually. This counting serves as a strict sorting process: those who sin will perish, while the chosen individuals will be sanctified and kept secure in their faith [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. However, another perspective views this guidance under the staff not as a counting process, but as a profound act of submission, representing the people willingly accepting the yoke of God's discipline [רש״י].

Following this period of judgment and sorting, God promises to establish a secure covenant with the people. Most commentators explain that this relationship acts as a firm binding or a chain. God will secure the people so tightly to this agreement that they will never be able to break away from it [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. This creates a new, permanent relationship, ensuring that the people will not return to sin and that His presence will never depart from them [מלבי״ם]. In contrast to the idea of being tied or chained, a different approach suggests that this promise refers to a tradition passed down. In this view, God is bringing the people back into the original, historical covenant that He handed down to them long ago [רש״י].