ישעיהו, פרק נ״ח, פסוק ז׳

True fasting before God extends far beyond physical affliction, abstaining from food, or wearing sackcloth. It is fundamentally an active pursuit of kindness and charity [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Directed at the period of exile, this prophetic message replaces earlier rebukes concerning Temple sacrifices, emphasizing instead the social responsibilities that must accompany times of fasting and prayer [שד״ל]. Furthermore, acts of charity, along with the observance of the Sabbath, form the very foundations of repentance. These actions prove that the Israelites are children of God and serve as the catalyst to hasten redemption [נחל שורק].

The first demand is to actively share one's personal sustenance with the hungry. The primary approach among commentators is that this requires dividing one's own loaf, offering even half of a personal meal to someone in need [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, שד״ל, מצודת ציון]. The quality of the offering is paramount. One must provide the same high-quality food they themselves consume, rather than dismissing the poor with inferior scraps [מלבי״ם, חומת אנך]. Providing food in this manner represents a supreme level of charity, even likened to bringing a sacrifice, because it offers immediate relief that preserves a soul [חומת אנך]. This generosity must be given graciously, ensuring the recipient is never shamed [מנחת שי]. It also requires a deliberate effort to invite impoverished and hungry guests to one's table, rather than seeking out those who are wealthy and well-fed [צאינה וראינה].

While sending food to a needy person is commendable, the subsequent level of kindness requires bringing the destitute directly into one's private home [צאינה וראינה]. The prophet speaks of a specific group of suffering individuals. The primary approach among commentators identifies them as those who groan, sigh, and weep from their deep distress [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, שד״ל]. Others understand this to mean wanderers who lack a roof over their heads [רד״ק], or simply people who are utterly crushed and afflicted [אבן עזרא]. Regardless of the exact nuance, the obligation is to gather these vulnerable individuals into one's own home, providing them with a secure place to sleep and eat [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא].

The progression of kindness continues with the responsibility to provide proper garments from one's own possessions when encountering someone who is unclothed or wearing torn rags [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. Finally, there is a strict warning against turning a blind eye to one's own flesh. The most common interpretation is that this refers to family members. One must never ignore, hide from, or disown relatives because of their poverty [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה]. One should not even wait until a relative is reduced to begging for bread. Instead, there is a proactive duty to step in early, offering loans and creating opportunities for them to earn a dignified livelihood [רד״ק]. A broader perspective suggests that "one's own flesh" encompasses all of humanity, as all people are formed from the same material. In this view, withholding help from another human being is tantamount to acting cruelly toward one's own body [מלבי״ם, שד״ל].

Ultimately, a person who meticulously performs these acts of feeding the hungry, welcoming guests, and clothing the naked is considered to have fulfilled all the commandments. Such profound social responsibility serves as a powerful counterweight to the negative actions that originally brought rebuke upon the people [רד״ק].