אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים. יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יִתְבָּרֵךְ וְיִתְעַלֶּה זִכְרוֹ. שֶׁכָּל הַנִּסִּים שֶׁעָשָׂה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר, כָּךְ עָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם בְּצִיּוֹן. בַּמִּדְבָּר כְּתִיב: אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים. וּבְצִיּוֹן כְּתִיב: אָשִׂים מַחְשָׁךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם לָאוֹר וּמַעֲקַשִּׁים לְמִישׁוֹר אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים עֲשִׂיתִים וְלֹא עֲזַבְתִּים (ישעיה מב, טז). בַּמִּדְבָּר כְּתִיב: וְכָל הָעָם רוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת (שמות כ, יח). וּבְצִיּוֹן כְּתִיב: קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה (ירמיה לג, יא). בַּמִּדְבָּר, אֶרֶץ רָעֲשָׁה אַף שָׁמַיִם נָטָפוּ (תהלים סח, ט). וּבְצִיּוֹן, אֲנִי מַרְעִישׁ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ (חגי ב, ו). בַּמִּדְבָּר, וַה' הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם (שמות יג, כא). וּבְצִיּוֹן כִּי הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם ה' וּמְאַסִּפְכֶם וְגוֹ' (ישעיה נב, יב). בַּמִּדְבָּר, כִּי יָשׁוּב ה' לָשׂוּשׂ עָלֶיךָ (דברים ל, ט). וּבְצִיּוֹן, וְגַלְתִּי בִירוּשָׁלַיִם וְשַׂשְׂתִּי בְעַמִּי (ישעיה סה, יט). יְשֻׂשׂוּם מִדְבָּר וְצִיָּה (שם לה, א). מָה רָאָה יְשַׁעְיָה לוֹמַר כָּךְ. אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁכְּשֶׁעָבְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, עָמַד הוֹשֵׁעַ וְאָמַר, וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ כַמִּדְבָּר וְשַׁתִּיהָ כְּאֶרֶץ צִיָּה (הושע ב, ה). לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר יְשַׁעְיָה, יְשֻׂשׂוּם מִדְבָּר וְצִיָּה. וְכָל נֶחָמוֹת שֶׁאָמַר יְשַׁעְיָה, יְשֻׂשׂוּם מִדְבָּר וְגוֹ', כִּפְלַיִם הֵם. לְפִי שֶׁלָּקְחָה מִיַּד ה' כִּפְלַיִם בְּכָל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ (ישעיה מ, ב), לְפִיכָךְ נִחוּמֶיהָ בִּלְשׁוֹן כִּפְלַיִם, נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי (שם פסוק א), אֲנֹכִי אֲנֹכִי הוּא מְנַחֶמְכֶם (שם נא, יב), עוּרִי עוּרִי (שם פסוק ט), הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי (שם פסוק יז), שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ (שם סא, י), פָּרֹחַ תִּפְרַח וְתָגֵל (שם לה, ב). דָּבָר אַחֵר, יְשֻׂשׂוּם מִדְבָּר וְצִיָּה. מִפְּנֵי מַה כְּתִיב כָּךְ. לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְגַלֶּה שְׁכִינָתוֹ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵינוֹ נִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם כְּאַחַת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינָן יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹד בְּאוֹתָהּ טוֹבָה בְּפַעַם אַחַת. שֶׁאִם יְגַלֶּה לָהֶם טוֹבָתוֹ כְּאַחַת, יָמוּתוּ כֻּלָּם. רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב: וּמֵעוֹלָם לֹא שָׁמְעוּ לֹא הֶאֱזִינוּ, עַיִן לֹא רָאֲתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ (שם סד, ג). צֵא וּלְמַד מִיּוֹסֵף. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּתְוַדַּע לְאֶחָיו לְאַחַר כַּמָּה שָׁנִים, אָמַר לָהֶם: אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם, מֵתוּ כֻּלָּם, וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לַעֲנוֹת אוֹתוֹ וְגוֹ' (בראשית מה, ג). הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. אֶלָּא מָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה, מִתְגַּלֶּה לָהֶם קִמְעָא קִמְעָא. בִּתְחִלָּה מֵשִׁישׁ אֶת הַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יְשֻׂשׂוּם מִדְבָּר וְצִיָּה. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן, תָּגֵל עֲרָבָה וְתִפְרַח כַּחֲבַצֶּלֶת. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן, פָּרֹחַ תִּפְרַח. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן, כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן נִתַּן לָהּ. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן, הֵמָּה יִרְאוּ כְּבוֹד ה' הֲדַר אֱלֹהֵינוּ. לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר דָּוִד, כִּי בָנָה ה' צִיּוֹן, נִרְאָה בִּכְבוֹדוֹ (תהלים קב, יז). וְאוֹמֵר: כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב ה' צִיּוֹן (ישעיה נב, ח). וְאוֹמֵר: וְאָמַר בְּיוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ וְגוֹ' (שם כה, ט). (Deut. 1:1:) “These are the words (elleh hadevarim).” May the name [of the Holy One, blessed be He,] be blessed and may His memory be exalted. All the miracles that he did for Israel in the wilderness, He is likewise going to do in Zion. It is written concerning the wilderness (ibid.), “These are the words;” and it is written concerning Zion (in Is. 42:16), “I will turn darkness before them into light and rough places into level ground. These things (elleh hadevarim) I will do, and I will not forsake them.” It is written concerning the wilderness (in Exod. 20:15), “Now all the people saw the thunderings (qol in the plural)”; and it is written concerning Zion (in Jer. 33:11), “The sound (qol) of joy and the sound (qol) of gladness, [the voice (qol) of the bridegroom and the voice (qol) of the bride].” It is written concerning the wilderness (in Ps. 68:9), “The earth quaked”; and it is written concerning Zion (in Hag. 2:6), “I will cause the heavens and the earth to quake.” It is written concerning the wilderness (in Exod. 13:21), “And the Lord went before them by day”; and it is written concerning Zion (in Is. 52:12), “for the Lord shall go before you.” It is written concerning the wilderness (in Deut. 30:9), “for the Lord shall be glad over you again”; and it is written concerning Zion (in Is. 65:19), “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people.” [Also (according to Is. 35:1),] “The wilderness and the arid land shall be glad.” What did Isaiah see to say this? It is simply that, when Israel transgressed the Torah, Hosea arose and said (in Hos. 2:5), “I will make her like a wilderness and render her like an arid land.” For that reason Isaiah has said (in Is. 35:1), “The wilderness and the arid land shall be glad.” Now all the consolations of which Isaiah spoke are double, because (according to Is. 40:2) “she (i.e., Jerusalem) has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.”1Lam. R. 1:22. So for that reason the consolations are double (in vs. 1) “Comfort, O comfort My people.” [Similarly (in Is. 51:12),] “I, I am the one who comforts you.” [Also (in Is. 51:9),] “Awake, awake.” [Also (in Is. 51:17),] “Rouse yourself, rouse yourself!” [Also] (in Is. 61:10),] “I will be glad with rejoicing.” [Also] (in Is. 35:2),] “It shall blossom with blossoms.” Another interpretation (of Is. 35:1), “The wilderness and the arid land shall be glad.” For what reason was this written? To teach you that when the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals His Divine Presence over Israel, He does not reveal it all to them on one occasion, because they would not have been able to persevere in this bounty all at once; for if He had revealed His bounty to them at one time, they would all have died. See what is written (in Is. 64:3), “From time immemorial they have not heard, nor has an ear perceived, nor has an eye seen a God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.” Go and learn from Joseph; for when he made himself known to his brothers after so many years, [when] Joseph said to them (in Gen. 45:3), “I am Joseph,” they all died, “and they could not answer him; [for they were dismayed because of him].” How much the more [would Israel be dismayed] at [a sudden revelation of] the Holy One, blessed be He! So what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do for them instead? He reveals himself to them little by little. At the beginning, He makes the mountains glad, as stated (in Is. 35:1), “The wilderness and the arid land shall be glad.” Then after that (ibid.), “the steppes shall rejoice […].” Then after that (in vs. 2), “It shall bloom abundantly.” Then after that (ibid.), “the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it.” Then after that (ibid.), “they shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.” For that reason David said (in Ps. 102:17), “For the Lord has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory.” It also says (in Is. 52:8), “for eye to eye they will see the return of the Lord to Zion.” And it also says (in Is. 25:9), “In that day they shall say, ‘See, this is our God; we waited for Him, and He delivered us; [this is the Lord; we waited for Him, let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.’”