ירמיהו, פרק ה׳, פסוק כ״ח

A society steeped in material excess often finds itself sliding into moral decay. When wealth and physical indulgence become the primary focus, the most vulnerable members of the community are left unprotected, and systemic corruption takes root. The primary approach among commentators is that an abundance of good fortune leads to a physical thickening. The wealthy become fat, their skin glowing and smooth like polished ivory [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. Metaphorically, this physical plumpness represents a massive hoarding of wealth and property [רד״ק]. Alternatively, this thickening is not physical but mental. Instead of glowing skin, this describes a calculated mindset where people carefully plot their wicked deeds in their minds before carrying them out [מלבי״ם].

Fueled by this extreme abundance, the elite easily cross the line into active wrongdoing. Whenever an opportunity to commit a sin or do evil presents itself, they do not hold back; they execute it without hesitation [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Their existing wealth is never enough. Driven by greed, they rob and steal to such an extent that their wickedness actually surpasses that of other evil people, openly violating the laws of the Torah [רד״ק]. This deep social corruption is most visible within the justice system. Those in power fail to deliver truthful verdicts, refusing to rescue orphans and the weak from those who exploit them. The total disregard for the impoverished is heavily emphasized, highlighting how the most vulnerable are entirely abandoned by the courts [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A painful question arises regarding the continued prosperity of these corrupt leaders. One perspective suggests that this success is the very motive for their corruption; they deliberately deny justice to the orphan specifically to secure their own personal and financial gain [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. Another viewpoint sees this prosperity as a tragic reality of the present moment. Even though they pervert the law, they continue to thrive and have not yet faced God's punishment. It is precisely because they keep succeeding that they stubbornly hold onto their wicked ways, remaining entirely deaf to the desperate cries of the poor [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].