ישעיהו, פרק נ״ט, פסוק י״ג

A profound spiritual and moral collapse takes hold when the bond with the Creator is broken, a fracture that inevitably destroys relationships between people. This downward spiral begins quietly with internal rebellion and ends with public boasting of evil. Stepping outside of God's authority and denying Him takes several forms. It is not necessarily a philosophical disbelief in God's existence, but rather living day-to-day as if one is not His servant [שד״ל]. This denial can be highly practical; secretly keeping money entrusted by a friend without witnesses is considered a direct denial of God Himself, since God acts as the unseen witness between them [רד״ק]. The rejection of God also surfaces through breaking the command against lying or by invoking His name only in negative contexts, such as curses and falsehoods [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This rebellion involves a deliberate retreat, moving backward and away from God. It represents the exact opposite of the core command to follow Him [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. This retreat manifests as a flat refusal to accept His commandments [מצודת דוד]. At its most extreme, it develops into an absolute denial of divine providence and the fundamental principle of reward and punishment [מלבי״ם].

As the connection with God deteriorates, the corruption spills over into human interactions. People begin to speak with distortion, stubbornness, and rebellion [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא]. Society devolves into a reality where individuals rob and oppress others openly, taking such satisfaction in their wrongdoing that they turn injustice into a source of pride [מלבי״ם].

The creation of this false reality follows a distinct process. The primary approach among commentators compares the formulation of lies to pregnancy and birth. The initial thoughts and planning of the lie take shape in the heart, much like conception, while speaking the false thoughts aloud serves as the delivery. Other perspectives view this process as a system of education, where sinners actively teach and spread lies [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק], passing them down as if from teacher to student [רש״י]. It is also compared to shooting or casting falsehoods outward into the world [רש״י]. Ultimately, the sinners develop such a deep affection for oppression and crime that they invent lies from their own hearts. They make up stories of robbery and exploitation that never even happened, purely so they can boast about these imaginary misdeeds in society [מלבי״ם].