תהלים, פרק קמ״ז, פסוק ב׳

A vision of the ultimate redemption centers on God's active role in restoring His people and their homeland. The primary approach among commentators focuses on a future era when God will reconstruct the holy city and return the exiles. God does not merely oversee this process; He is directly and personally involved in shaping the city to serve as a supreme, holy dwelling place [מלבי״ם]. The long, painful period of exile actually served a necessary purpose in this divine plan. It prepared the Israelites to merit a purely spiritual city, one built by God Himself out of fire, because only a city of such boundless spiritual dimensions could possibly hold the vast number of returning exiles [אלשיך]. Furthermore, the city itself can be seen as a representation of the Divine Presence, serving as the ultimate spiritual magnet for the returning people [חומת אנך].

The returning masses are those who were pushed away and scattered across the four corners of the earth [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. This vast ingathering specifically includes the Ten Tribes and the descendants of Moses, whose numbers rival the stars in the sky [חומת אנך]. The process of bringing these scattered people together is not just a general assembly [מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא]. It is a highly specific act of bringing them into a secure, protected space enclosed by walls and doors [מלבי״ם].

This detailed understanding leads to an interesting sequence regarding how the rebuilding and the return unfold. One perspective suggests that the two processes are entirely intertwined, with God building the city at the exact same time He gathers the scattered people [תורה תמימה]. Conversely, [מלבי״ם] outlines a clear chronological order. A general gathering of the exiles will take place first. However, the final, secure placement of the people—bringing the united tribes safely inside the newly protected walls—will only occur after God has fully rebuilt the city.