יואל, פרק ד׳, פסוק י״ח

In the End of Days, following the fall of the nations and the conclusion of the exile, the ancient curse upon the land will be reversed into an era of unprecedented abundance. This period will be defined by immense material and spiritual blessing for Israel, arriving effortlessly and without human toil [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. The landscape itself will undergo a dramatic agricultural transformation. Mountains will drip with sweet wine and fruit juice [אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. The hills will grow pasture so rich that they will yield an endless supply of milk from the grazing sheep and cattle [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. The imagery of the hills themselves flowing with milk is used to capture the overwhelming volume and power of this blessing [רד״ק]. Furthermore, the valleys and dry riverbeds of Judah, which naturally lacked water, will suddenly rush with abundant, life-giving springs [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

At the heart of this transformation is a special miracle: a spring that will emerge directly from the House of God. Commentators offer two complementary ways to understand this phenomenon. The primary approach views it literally, anticipating a massive physical river bursting from the Temple. Historically, Jerusalem suffered from a shortage of fresh spring water, forcing its inhabitants to rely on drawn pools. The sudden eruption of a powerful spring will prove to the entire world that nature has been miraculously altered by the merit of God's House [אברבנאל, רד״ק]. Another perspective understands this spring as a profound metaphor for the Torah, faith, and Divine truth. Just as water sustains life, Divine wisdom and knowledge will flow outward from the House of God in Jerusalem to nourish and enlighten the whole world [אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].

These waters will flow onward until they reach the Valley of Shittim. Geographically, this may refer to the Jordan River near the area known as Shittim [רד ק ומלבי ם בשם רב סעדיה גאון], or to the lower section of the Kidron Valley that runs east from Jerusalem toward the Dead Sea [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Beyond its physical location, this destination carries deep spiritual significance. Shittim is remembered as the site where the Israelites historically sinned with idolatry and immorality. The arrival of holy waters from the House of God to this specific location is meant to cleanse that ancient impurity, atone for past sins, and wash away foreign desires [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. Through the metaphorical lens where the water represents the Torah, Shittim symbolizes a world that has strayed from the truth, wandering foolishly off its path. Ultimately, the waters of faith will flow from Jerusalem to teach, heal, and purify all of humanity [אברבנאל].