מיכה, פרק ד׳, פסוק ו׳

In the end of days, a profound promise of healing and the gathering of exiles will unfold. To describe the redemption of the people of Israel from their long exile, a gentle image is used: a shepherd carefully bringing back his injured and scattered flock. Within this flock is a limping sheep, an animal unable to walk quickly or move from its place [מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. The primary approach among commentators is that this limping animal symbolizes the people of Israel suffering from illness, pain, and distress caused by the exile. Alternatively, this concept is understood not just as a description of injury, but as an expression of recovery, indicating that God will personally heal the wounds of the nation [רש״י].

The shepherd also seeks out the wandering sheep that was pushed away and banished to foreign lands [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ]. While some commentators view the mention of both the limping and the banished sheep as poetic repetition meant to reinforce the promise of redemption [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא], others see a clear historical and spiritual distinction. According to this approach, the limping sheep represents the Ten Tribes, who were hidden at the edges of the earth with weakened faith, requiring them to be brought inward from the outside. In contrast, the banished sheep represents the tribe of Judah, which was scattered to the four corners of the earth and requires a vast ingathering from its wide dispersion [מלבי״ם, חומת אנך].

This promise of return also addresses the reality of past punishments, recognizing those upon whom God brought disaster and disgrace among the nations as a result of their sins [רש״י, אבן עזרא]. This contains a deep acknowledgment that everything, including the immense suffering of the exile, ultimately comes from God [שטיינזלץ]. It even suggests that God takes a level of responsibility for creating the evil inclination that originally caused the people to stumble [חומת אנך]. Yet, within this acknowledgment lies a promise of exact balance. In the very same measure that God brought suffering and hardship upon the people, He will bring them goodness and comfort during the redemption [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. This emphasis on intense suffering is particularly directed at the tribe of Judah, which endured continuous and severe hardships throughout history, from the times of the Greeks and Romans through a long, painful exile, far exceeding the suffering of the Ten Tribes [מלבי״ם].