During the long years of exile, the experience of joy is inherently limited, always shadowed by the knowledge that the world remains broken and incomplete. Because of this flawed reality, perfect happiness is impossible to achieve right now, making it inappropriate to experience entirely unbridled laughter in the present world. True, complete joy is reserved for the future era of redemption, when reality itself will undergo a total transformation [תורה תמימה, מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
When that time arrives, the laughter that was kept hidden in people's hearts and the songs that existed only as distant dreams will finally burst into reality [מלבי״ם]. This outpouring of joy will be so profound that it will bring about a physical miracle. Naturally, a person whose mouth is stretched wide in laughter cannot clearly pronounce words to sing. However, the goodness brought into the world will be so overwhelming that the physical body will be able to perform these two opposing actions at the exact same time, combining roaring laughter with clear, beautiful song [אלשיך]. This celebration will not be fragmented; rather, a deep unity will bind the Israelites together, allowing them to rejoice and share the good news with one another as if speaking with a single voice [אבן עזרא].
This redemption will not be a private event hidden within the community of the Israelites. It will be an extraordinary occurrence witnessed openly by the entire world [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. As the surrounding nations observe these events, they will recognize that this is not the result of blind historical chance, but the undeniable work of God's direct providence [מצודת דוד].
The amazement of the nations carries deep significance. The Israelites, having endured immense suffering and hardship throughout their exile, might easily be brought to great joy by even a minor improvement in their condition. The nations of the world, on the other hand, are accustomed to greatness, power, and ruling empires, and are not easily impressed by ordinary favors. The fact that these mighty nations will stand in absolute awe of the Israelites' salvation proves just how massive, extraordinary, and unprecedented the miracle will truly be [אלשיך]. Some suggest that the nations themselves will even serve as the messengers who announce the return to Zion to the rest of the world [אבן עזרא].
Despite this shared witness, there remains a fundamental difference in how this redemption is experienced. To the nations of the world, this will be a completely new and shocking surprise. But for the Israelites, it will be the realization of an ancient hope—a promise they had already seen, felt, and celebrated in prophetic visions long ago [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, it is this worldwide recognition and the sheer magnitude of the miracle God performs for the Israelites that will bring their joy to absolute perfection, filling them with boundless laughter [רד״ק].