יחזקאל, פרק ל״ד, פסוק ד׳

The leaders of Israel are like shepherds who abandon their duty to care for their flock, choosing instead to exploit the sheep for their own personal gain. Through the physical condition of the animals, a picture emerges of criminal neglect toward the most vulnerable members of society, such as the poor, the sick, the exiled, and the captive. Furthermore, these leaders failed to guide the people on the right path, allowing them to fall into corrupt beliefs [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

Commentators identify different stages of physical suffering among the neglected flock. The primary approach among commentators is that the initial weakness refers to sheep that are thin, frail, or aching in a limb, requiring basic physical support [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Some draw a careful distinction, noting that this represents only the early stages of illness where basic strengthening is enough. In contrast, another level of suffering describes a sheep that has become entirely sick and requires actual medical treatment [מלבי״ם]. A more severe injury involves a sheep suffering from a broken bone in its leg or arm. Instead of acting like healers who wrap and bind the fracture with cloth, the shepherds simply ignored the pain [רש״י, מצודת ציון].

Beyond ignoring their health, the shepherds completely neglected the sheep that wandered away from the flock. There are two distinct types of separation. The first involves a sheep that has been pushed or driven away from the group. Even though its exact location is still known, the shepherds made no effort to bring it back [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. The second describes a sheep that has vanished entirely, its whereabouts unknown. In this case, the shepherds did not even bother to go out and search for it [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].

Instead of leading with mercy and caring for the weak, the leaders chose a path of tyranny and exploitation. They ruled through torment, dragging the people down from a state of freedom into harsh, body-breaking slavery [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. The language used to describe their rule highlights a deep level of humiliation. Rather than simply governing the people, the leaders treated them with absolute contempt, controlling them as if they were mere animals or a conquered city [מלבי״ם].