ישעיהו, פרק נ״א, פסוק כ״א

The nation of Israel, enduring the harsh reality of exile, finds itself in a state of deep suffering and overwhelming confusion. Addressed directly in its darkest moment, the people are called upon to pay close attention. This urgent appeal arises from their desperate situation. Some explain that the plea is necessary because there is no one left among the nation's own children capable of bringing salvation [מלבי״ם]. However, others suggest that the time has simply come to listen, as the nation has finally endured the full measure of punishment for its past sins [מצודת דוד]. Now, they are urged to heed the prophecy that is about to be revealed [אבן עזרא].

In this prolonged exile, the people are impoverished and completely tormented [צאינה וראינה]. Their condition is compared to drunkenness, yet it is a state that has nothing to do with actual wine. The primary approach among commentators is that the nation has been forced to drink from a cup of poison, filled with troubles, poverty, and deep sorrow. When individuals endure such severe agony, they experience symptoms much like physical intoxication. Their minds become confused, their footing unstable, and they lose their senses to the bitter reality of exile [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אהבת יהונתן]. They are, in essence, drunk on suffering and evils [אבן עזרא].

This specific detail—that their condition is not caused by wine—also carries a deeper historical resonance. It suggests that through enduring these terrible hardships, the ancient sin of Eve, who according to tradition sinned by squeezing grapes, has finally been corrected and healed [אהבת יהונתן].