ישעיהו, פרק נ״ו, פסוק י׳

Following a call to return to God and walk in His ways, a severe rebuke is directed at the nation's leaders. Their fundamental duty is to guide the public and warn them of impending spiritual and physical dangers. Instead, they completely betray their responsibility, surrendering to laziness and corruption. These leaders and false prophets are compared to watchmen stationed on a high tower, tasked with scanning the horizon to warn the city of approaching enemies [מצודת ציון, אברבנאל]. However, rather than fulfilling their purpose, they are entirely blind. The primary approach among commentators is that this is not a physical blindness, but a blindness of the heart. The leaders ignore the moral decay of their generation and fail to distinguish between good and evil. Consequently, they are oblivious to what is truly happening among the people and cannot foresee the coming disaster [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

To illustrate the depth of this failure, the leaders are further compared to mute guard dogs. A dog is meant to protect a home or a flock of sheep; upon spotting a thief or a wild animal, it must bark to frighten away the attacker and alert its master. Yet, these leaders are like dogs incapable of making a sound [מלבי״ם, אבן עזרא, שד״ל, אברבנאל]. Their muteness represents the silence of the officials and false prophets who refuse to rebuke the people or call them to repent, effectively abandoning the flock to the mercy of enemies and wicked predators [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Alongside this straightforward understanding, an alternative approach questions whether a naturally mute dog even exists, suggesting instead that this silence is the result of bribery. Just as a dog stops barking when tossed a piece of food that fills its mouth, the judges of Israel accepted bribes and avoided executing justice, or they foresaw the future but deliberately forced themselves to remain silent [רד״ק, אברבנאל].

Finally, the state of these supposed protectors is characterized by a love for lying down, dreaming, and slumber. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to a state of deep sleep, reflecting the natural tendency of dogs to love resting [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. Another perspective suggests this refers to delusion and imagination, indicating that the false prophets invented empty visions or were completely lost in a mental fog [שד״ל, שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Ultimately, these leaders prefer to lie in their beds and indulge in sleep rather than remain alert and work toward the betterment of the nation [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. Even if they are not entirely blind or completely mute, their profound laziness and love for slumber prevent them from fulfilling their duty and protecting the public [שטיינזלץ].