ישעיהו, פרק י״א, פסוק ג׳

The leadership of the Messianic king is defined by a spiritual intuition and a judicial power that completely bypass ordinary human limits. While mortal judges must rely on external evidence that can easily be manipulated, the Messiah possesses a deep, internal understanding that cuts right through masks of flattery and deceit. The primary approach among commentators is that his unique ability is like a finely tuned sense of smell, serving as a metaphor for quick and delicate discernment. Because smell is the most subtle of the senses, it represents his power to easily tell the difference between good and bad people with just a moment of attention [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Furthermore, while sight and hearing can be fooled by illusions or false witnesses, this spiritual scent is entirely reliable. Through his profound fear of God, he will sense the absolute truth [אבן עזרא].

Other perspectives connect this unique sense directly to the concept of spirit. In this view, the Messiah will be so filled with spirituality and detached from material drives that he will literally breathe the fear of God, making it his constant breath and speech [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, רד״ק]. Alternatively, this ability is understood as a matter of pure delight. He will find no pleasure in anything other than the fear of God, choosing to bring only deeply devoted people into his inner circle [שד״ל]. Looking at the broader spiritual history, some explain that ever since the sin of the first man, the spiritual sense of smell was corrupted and handed over to forces of impurity. In the future, the Messiah will rescue this sense, restore it to its holy source, and use it to judge humanity [אהבת יהונתן, חומת אנך, נחל שורק].

Operating from this state of spiritual perfection, his justice will not depend on what his eyes see or what his ears hear. A standard judge is trapped by physical senses and can easily fall for the tricks of smooth-talking individuals. The Messiah, however, will not need any outside proof or testimony. He will simply know who is innocent and who is guilty through the divine wisdom resting within him [שד״ל, רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. This applies both to judging everyday disputes between people and to issuing final verdicts, clarifying complex issues, or giving moral guidance [מצודת ציון, שד״ל, מלבי״ם]. While an ordinary person might correct a friend based on rumors that could turn out to be false, he will guide the people using truth revealed through the Holy Spirit [מלבי״ם].

Relying on physical sight, such as trying to read a person's facial features, is inherently flawed. Some people lack spiritual depth, so their faces do not naturally project the truth of who they are. Conversely, there are incredibly humble people who intentionally hide themselves out of modesty. Because physical appearances are so misleading, the Messiah must lean entirely on his refined spiritual intuition to truly understand the inner character of every human being [אהבת יהונתן].