זכריה, פרק י״ד, פסוק ד׳

On the future day of redemption, the landscape surrounding Jerusalem will undergo a dramatic and unprecedented transformation, becoming the stage for an epic struggle and divine revelation. The focal point of these events will be the Mount of Olives, the ridge rising to the east of the city. The image of God standing upon the mountain is not meant to be taken literally. The primary approach among commentators is that it serves as a powerful metaphor for the appearance of His power, the revelation of His might, and the chain of miracles He will orchestrate in that very spot [רד״ק, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. The specific choice of the Mount of Olives is highly deliberate. Historically, it was the most strategic location from which to besiege Jerusalem, and foreign armies camped there during the city's destruction. Therefore, it is fitting that this exact location becomes the site of ultimate justice against the enemies of Israel. Additionally, the mountain carries a deep symbolism of purity and repentance, as it was the historical site where the red heifer was burned to purify people from defilement [אהבת יהונתן].

The central event on this day will be the violent splitting and tearing of the mountain itself. There are different ways to understand the nature of this fracture. The primary view describes it as an immense, unprecedented physical miracle [אבן עזרא], manifesting as a massive earthquake [מלבי״ם, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Conversely, a symbolic approach suggests that this is not an alteration of nature, but rather an allegory for an enormous human war. In this view, massive armies will position themselves on opposite sides of the mountain, flattening the terrain for battle [אברבנאל]. Another perspective suggests the physical breaking of the mountain is designed to uproot and destroy the impurity of idolatry that was historically practiced on mountain peaks [אהבת יהונתן]. The fracture will strike exactly through the middle of the mountain [רש״י], creating a massive crack that runs its entire length from east to west [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

This dramatic rupture will create a remarkably deep and wide valley between the two newly formed halves [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. The northern half of the mountain will detach and slide northward, while the southern half will shift to the south [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. Commentators offer several reasons for this drastic movement of the earth. The newly formed valley might serve as a safe escape route for Jewish exiles fleeing from their captors [מצודת דוד], or conversely, as a deadly trap for the foreign armies laying siege to Jerusalem [רד״ק]. Another approach explains that the shifting of the mountain is necessary to completely alter the region's geography, making room for the massive future expansion of Jerusalem foretold by other prophets [מלבי״ם]. Over time, the gap between the two halves of the mountain will continue to widen, eventually causing Jerusalem itself to split in two [ביאור שטיינזלץ].