יחזקאל, פרק מ״ה, פסוק ט׳

A piercing prophetic call challenges the nation's leadership, demanding an end to the exploitation of citizens and a commitment to governmental fairness. The corrupt behavior that characterized past rulers is sharply contrasted with a strict demand for justice. The primary approach among commentators is that this critique targets the kings and officials who ruled before the destruction of the Temple [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. However, opinions differ regarding the specific era when this moral correction is meant to take place. Some suggest the demand is directed at the leaders appointed later under Persian rule [מצודת דוד]. Others view it as a vision for the distant future, looking toward the messianic era. In that ideal time, leaders will receive a regulated allowance from public funds, removing any need or temptation to steal from the people [אברבנאל].

The prophet issues a strong warning to the leadership, which is understood in two main ways. The most common interpretation is a shocked command to stop immediately; the leaders are told that they have engaged in oppression for far too long and must cease their corrupt practices at once [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. An alternative perspective reads the warning as a reminder of the leaders' own economic abundance. Since the rulers already possess vast personal wealth, they have absolutely no justification or need to take from others [מלבי״ם].

The leaders are commanded to eliminate the oppression and exploitation of the weak [מצודת ציון]. True reform, however, is not limited to merely avoiding harm. It requires the active pursuit of honesty and mercy, with leaders stepping in to rescue victims from the hands of their oppressors [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The climax of this demand focuses on reversing the cruel practice of casting out the vulnerable [מצודת ציון]. Commentators debate the exact nature of this abuse. One view suggests it refers to physical dispossession, where leaders would use false accusations to evict citizens from their ancestral lands. By rendering these fields ownerless, the corrupt rulers could freely plunder the property [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A second perspective interprets the abuse economically, understanding it as a demand to abolish the crushing taxes and heavy financial burdens that the government forcefully imposed upon the people [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].