יחזקאל, פרק ל״ה, פסוק ה׳

The heavy punishment decreed upon the nation of Edom stems not from a passing conflict, but from a historic and deeply cruel betrayal. As close relatives to the Israelites, the Edomites harbored a deep, ancient grudge [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. Edom, which had often been subject to the Kingdom of Judah, waited for a moment of severe crisis to exact revenge and compound the slaughter that was already taking place [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This profound animosity was kept hidden for a long time. Even when the Edomites pretended to come to Israel's aid, their historic hatred simmered beneath the surface until it violently erupted [מלבי״ם].

When disaster finally struck, Edom's cruelty took a physical toll. The primary approach among commentators is that the Edomites actively spilled the blood of the Israelites by the sword [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, another perspective suggests their betrayal involved cruel opportunism. Rather than just killing the Israelites directly, the Edomites captured desperate refugees who were trying to escape through their territory and ruthlessly handed them over to the invading enemy [רש״י, מלבי״ם].

These acts of betrayal occurred during a period of immense sorrow and tragedy [מצודת ציון], specifically during the destruction of the Temple when the Israelites were delivered into the hands of their enemies [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. It was the exact moment when the consequences of Israel's sins had reached their absolute limit, bringing about total destruction and exile [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. It is precisely this timing that makes Edom's actions so unforgivable. Once Israel's punishment was already sealed and the disaster was complete, the Edomites should have shown mercy. Instead, driven by blind hatred and without any practical benefit to themselves, they chose cruelty [מלבי״ם]. For this reason, the judgment against them is exceptionally severe.