ירמיהו, פרק ב׳, פסוק ו׳

A profound failure of memory and gratitude lies at the heart of the people's spiritual betrayal. They abandoned their Creator without pausing to reflect on the immense kindness that accompanied their birth as a nation, or the miracles that ensured their survival in impossible conditions. They never stopped to question how they could forsake God to follow other gods [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ], nor did they turn back from their destructive path to serve Him again [מצודת דוד]. In doing so, they completely ignored the tremendous benefits of sheltering under God's protection and the severe harm that would come from leaving Him [מלבי״ם].

This protective kindness began with the Exodus from Egypt. This event was far more than mere physical liberation; it was the complete removal of the Israelites from the boundaries of natural law and astrological influence [חומת אנך]. From there, God continued to lead them through the wilderness. He guided them with absolute precision using the pillar of cloud to ensure they would not lose their way, and He miraculously provided them with bread and water so that they lacked absolutely nothing [מצודת דוד, חומת אנך].

To highlight the magnitude of the miracle of their survival, the wilderness environment is described as a place where natural existence is entirely impossible [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. It was a barren desert plain [רש״י, מצודת ציון] overrun with thorns and thistles [מלבי״ם], and a treacherous, sloped terrain riddled with deep pits, holes, and obstacles [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, it was a desolate, dry wasteland [רש״י, מצודת ציון] scorched by the burning heat of the sun [מלבי״ם]. The atmosphere itself was threatening, characterized by a deep gloom resembling the darkness of the grave [רש״י, מצודת ציון], or filled with stale, dangerous air [מלבי״ם].

The desolation of this land was absolute. It was so hostile that it was unfit even for the temporary passage of caravans [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some explain that this extreme desolation meant that not even animals could cross it, let alone human beings [מלבי״ם]. Consequently, it was certainly impossible for permanent human settlement [מצודת דוד]. This was not merely a previously inhabited area that had fallen into ruin; rather, since the dawn of creation, it was decreed that this land would never be suitable for civilization [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].

However, this absolute isolation served a profound spiritual purpose. Because no human had ever traveled through or lived in this wilderness, the land remained completely pure. Unlike the rest of the world, which had been defiled by the corpses of the Generation of the Flood, this barren expanse held no dead to contaminate the ground. Thanks to this pristine purity, which mirrored the holiness of the Land of Israel, the wilderness became the perfect, untainted location to build the Tabernacle and offer sacrifices that would be willingly accepted by God [אהבת יהונתן].