יחזקאל, פרק כ״א, פסוק כ״ב

A profound tension exists between strict divine justice and deep divine sadness. As judgment is passed on Jerusalem, God does not stand detached; rather, He actively grieves the very destruction He must bring about.

Mirroring a physical action previously commanded to the prophet Ezekiel, God describes Himself as striking His hands together. The primary approach among commentators is that this divine clapping serves as a clear expression of mourning and grief. God, as it were, laments His own decree, mourning the reality that the sword is destined to strike His people [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, others view this striking of the hands differently. It can be understood as a firm confirmation of the divine decree that directs the sword toward Jerusalem [מלבי״ם], or as a metaphor for the actual delivery of the disaster and the physical blow upon the nation [רד״ק].

Despite this profound sadness, God's anger remains burning, and the judgment must run its course before it can be quieted. The commentators explain that only after the vengeance is fully executed and the sword strikes Judah will God's anger find rest and satisfaction [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. An alternative perspective suggests that this resting of anger represents the complete exhaustion and total pouring out of divine wrath upon Israel [מלבי״ם].

The conclusion of this judgment serves as a seal of absolute certainty. By declaring His identity and His spoken word, God confirms that what He has decreed will undoubtedly come to pass [מצודת דוד], and that He holds the ultimate power to fulfill it [רד״ק]. Furthermore, this final guarantee emphasizes that God has been orchestrating these events from the very beginning. It is He who determined that the enemy would carry out His will, ultimately choosing the path that leads directly to Jerusalem [מלבי״ם].