הושע, פרק ו׳, פסוק ד׳

A profound sense of divine frustration and pain emerges over the spiritual instability of the nation, highlighting a tragic gap between the potential for lasting change and the stark reality of their behavior. God directs a painful question toward both kingdoms, Ephraim and Judah, wondering how He can possibly heal them or bestow goodness upon them. Because their repentance is incomplete, they lack true merit [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Looking at the situation through the lens of strict justice, God essentially asks how He can vindicate them in judgment when their own actions make such a defense impossible [רש״י, אברבנאל].

The people are not entirely without merit. There are times when they display genuine righteousness, perform positive deeds, and experience momentary awakenings to return to God [רש״י, אבן עזרא, שטיינזלץ]. Their goodness includes acts of kindness toward others as well as a pious devotion to God's commandments that goes beyond the basic requirements of the law [מלבי״ם]. However, the commentators agree that the central tragedy lies in the fleeting nature of this devotion; all of their goodness and righteousness simply fails to last.

This fleeting behavior is compared to a morning cloud that appears at the beginning of the day, holding the promise of rain. Yet, as soon as the sun rises, the cloud scatters and fades away without ever watering the dry earth [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. Similarly, their devotion is likened to the early dawn dew. Just as dewdrops gather during the night only to evaporate and disappear the moment they are hit by the heat of the sun, the good deeds of the people vanish as soon as they step out into their daily routines and business affairs [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ].

This spiritual instability is not merely a personal failing but a deeply rooted national and historical reality. Throughout the generations, there were moments when righteous kings took power and led meaningful movements of repentance, such as Hezekiah and Josiah in Judah, or during the early reign of Jehu in Israel. Yet, these spiritual revivals never endured. Almost immediately, they were succeeded by rulers who committed evil and dragged the nation right back to its corrupt ways, proving time and again that the goodness of the people vanishes as quickly as it appears [רד״ק, אברבנאל].