יחזקאל, פרק כ״ב, פסוק כ״ג

When facing severe divine judgment, people naturally wonder why such a heavy punishment falls upon their land. A new prophetic message emerges specifically to answer this fundamental question, providing a comprehensive explanation of society's total moral and religious collapse across every level of the population [אברבנאל]. The chain of failures begins with the land itself, which remained tainted by idolatry without any signs of repentance, leading God to withhold the rains.

The spiritual leadership completely failed in its duties. False prophets banded together, acting like predatory lions to deceive the people with empty promises. Their actions destroyed lives and left many women as widows. At the same time, the priests, who were responsible for teaching law and proper practice, distorted the teachings. They erased the crucial boundaries between the holy and the ordinary, and between the pure and the impure, while turning a blind eye to the desecration of the Sabbath.

This deep corruption eventually poisoned the political leaders and the everyday citizens. Government officials behaved like vicious wolves, shedding blood and destroying lives simply to gain wealth. Taking advantage of the complete lack of law and order, ordinary city dwellers and farmers began to oppress the most vulnerable members of society, robbing the poor, the needy, and the stranger.

In the face of this absolute moral collapse, God searched for just one person who could repair the damage and halt the spreading corruption. When not a single individual could be found to stand in the gap, the resulting destruction and the outpouring of His anger are shown to be an act of absolute, perfect justice, brought on directly by the actions of the people themselves [אברבנאל].