ישעיהו, פרק ל״ב, פסוק ו׳

The decay of a person's character is rarely confined to fleeting thoughts; it seeps into every layer of their existence. When an individual loses their moral compass, they operate completely detached from truth, a reality that surfaces in their speech, their faith, and their cruelty toward the most vulnerable members of society. This type of corrupt person stands in stark contrast to a generous, noble individual. Some suggest this is a historical reference to the ministers of King Ahaz [אבן עזרא]. The nature of such a person is tied to the concept of falling, much like a leaf that drops from a tree, dries out, and loses its shape. In the same way, the corrupt individual loses their basic human form and becomes a figure of disgrace [שד״ל].

The wickedness of such an individual unfolds across three main areas: in their thoughts and speech, in their relationship with God, and in their treatment of others [מלבי״ם]. First, there is a sharp contrast between their outward behavior and their inner life. Publicly, they habitually and shamelessly speak words of ugliness and disgrace [רש״י, מצודות, מלבי״ם]. Secretly, their heart is busy at work. While a heart does not perform physical actions, it actively gathers and hoards wicked thoughts [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. Over time, this constant harboring of malice inevitably sprouts into actual, destructive deeds [רד״ק, שטיינזלץ].

In their relationship with God, this corruption takes two forms. They act with calculated hypocrisy, performing religious commandments merely to inflate their own pride or gain personal benefits, rather than out of genuine devotion to God [מלבי״ם, רש״י]. Others interpret this behavior not merely as hypocrisy, but as engaging in acts that are fundamentally corrupt and abominable [שד״ל]. Furthermore, they sin in their faith by speaking lies and falsehoods regarding God. The primary approach among commentators is that they claim God does not oversee human affairs and that there is no ultimate justice in the world [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. An alternative view suggests they utter deceitful words and false oaths directly in His presence [שד״ל].

Because they falsely believe there is no divine supervision, they have no fear of God. Consequently, their cruelty spills over into how they treat their fellow human beings, specifically targeting the weak who have no one to help them [רד״ק]. Instead of showing compassion to the poor, they oppress them, robbing the hungry of the little food they have left and reducing them to total destitution [מצודות, שד״ל]. They do not merely reduce what the poor have; they completely deprive the thirsty, withholding drink from them entirely [שד״ל]. Alongside this literal understanding of robbing the poor, there is a symbolic interpretation. Withholding water from the thirsty represents the suppression of the teachings of the Torah, which are compared to life-giving water for a parched soul [רש״י].