ישעיהו, פרק נ״ח, פסוק א׳

God commands His prophet to deliver a piercing, uncompromising rebuke to a generation that maintains an outward illusion of righteousness while remaining deeply flawed within [רד״ק]. Directed at the Israelites living in exile [שד״ל], this mission requires the prophet to broadcast a clear, unhesitating voice, even when the message is difficult to hear [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The prophet is instructed to project his voice powerfully from the throat, rather than relying on the softer, ordinary speech formed by the lips and teeth. This roaring call ensures the message echoes far and wide [אברבנאל]. Raising his voice serves a profound purpose: it expresses righteous anger at the people's transgressions and is designed to shatter their spiritual deafness. The sheer volume is needed to break through the distance they have created and pierce the thick barrier of sin separating them from their Creator [אברבנאל].

The prophet is urged never to withhold his voice or cease his calling [אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון]. This demands relentless consistency. Like a dedicated doctor who visits a patient daily because their medical condition constantly shifts, the prophet must plead with the people repeatedly rather than offering a mere one-time warning [אברבנאל]. He must press on even if he faces insults and curses [אברבנאל], and he must never surrender to the despairing thought that the people are not listening anyway, for simply delivering the message publicly fulfills his duty [חומת אנך]. To ensure his voice reaches everyone [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד], his call is compared to a ram's horn. Just as the blast of the horn builds in strength to awaken fear and inspire repentance, so too must the voice of the prophet, who serves as the vessel through which God speaks [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, the horn symbolizes the need to tailor the message to the moment and the audience. Just as specific blasts are reserved for appointed times, the rebuke must fit current events. Similarly, just as the horn produces different sounds—a long simple blast, a sharp alarm, or broken cries—the prophet must adapt his delivery. He is to speak plainly to the general public while sharing deep, sharp insights with the wise [אברבנאל].

The message is directed at the entire nation, emphasizing the absolute duty to deliver this rebuke [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. However, the primary approach among commentators reveals a deeper spiritual and social division within the audience. The prophet is warned not to shrink from confronting the elite; he must first challenge the leaders and dignitaries before turning to the common masses [אברבנאל]. This creates a fundamental distinction between different types of sinners and their respective failings. The higher spiritual class, the Torah scholars, are held to a rigorous standard where even an unintentional mistake in their learning is judged as a deliberate rebellion [רש״י, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, their specific failures are understood as direct sins committed against God [מלבי״ם]. In contrast, the simpler, uneducated masses are viewed with greater leniency. Because of their ignorance, even their intentional wrongdoings are treated as mere accidents [רש״י, אברבנאל], or their transgressions are characterized primarily as offenses committed between one person and another [מלבי״ם].