ישעיהו, פרק י״ב, פסוק א׳

The era of final redemption brings a profound shift in perspective, where the pain and suffering of the past are finally understood as essential steps in a process of healing. Looking back, gratitude is offered to God not merely for the ultimate salvation, but surprisingly, for the very anger and punishment that preceded it. The primary approach among commentators is that this realization will occur in the future Messianic era, a day of redemption when the Israelites return to their homeland [מלבי״ם, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל, שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, another perspective links this awakening to a more immediate historical event, specifically the downfall of Sennacherib's army [שד״ל].

Central to this future gratitude is the acknowledgment of God's anger. This anger is characterized as an outward, open expression of wrath accompanied by punishment, rather than a hidden, lingering grudge [מצודת ציון]. There is a distinct advantage to this open display: through punishment, the divine wrath is fully exhausted and spent, paving the way for complete forgiveness. In contrast, harboring a silent grudge would have left no room for hope or reconciliation [מלבי״ם].

Commentators differ on how to frame this gratitude. One approach suggests that the praise is offered because the difficult period has ended; the people thank God that although He was angry and punished them in the past, His wrath has now passed [אבן עזרא, שד״ל, שטיינזלץ]. However, the more widely accepted view is that the gratitude is actually for the anger and the exile themselves. In this light, the exile served as a necessary atonement for past wrongs. The suffering endured was the very mechanism that allowed for sins to be forgiven and for the current era of goodness to arrive [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, צאינה וראינה].

This thankfulness for past suffering stems from the realization that it was administered gradually and with deep compassion. God is compared to a creditor who collects a debt from a beloved friend slowly, little by little, to avoid ruining him, unlike how one might extract a full debt all at once from an enemy [צוארי שלל]. Furthermore, the specific divine name used in this context represents the attribute of mercy, revealing that even the harsh judgments and anger were guided by compassion rather than strict, unyielding justice [אהבת יהונתן]. The anger itself was simply a reaction to negative actions, not a sign that God felt an internal disgust or rejection toward the nation [אברבנאל]. Instead, the hardships acted as a wake-up call, rousing the people from their spiritual slumber. It forced them to recognize their flaws, repent out of love, and return to the Torah study they had previously abandoned [נחל שורק, חומת אנך].

Through this painful but necessary process, ultimate comfort is achieved. Once the debt of sin has been fully paid, the anger completely dissipates and is replaced by profound peace. This future salvation will be fundamentally different from past deliverances. During the Exodus from Egypt, for example, the Israelites still harbored a deep fear of their pursuers. In the final redemption, however, the comfort will be so absolute that the people will trust in God completely, free from any lingering fear of returning to slavery or exile [אברבנאל].