He then began a discourse on the verse: “And it shall come to pass in that day that a great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt” (Isa. 27, 13). ‘What is meant’, he said, ‘by “that day”? It is that day which shall be known to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, “But it shall be one day which is known unto the Lord” (Zech. 14, 7), or again, “In that day when Gog shall come against the land of Israel” (Ezek. 38, 19).
“A great trumpet shall be blown”? What difference does it make whether it will be great or small? It refers, however, to that great trumpet through which slaves go forth to freedom; this is the trumpet of the supernal Jubilee, and it is very mighty, and when it is aroused all freedom is set in motion, and it is called “the great trumpet”.
“They that are perishing in the land of Assyria”: because those who live in an alien land suck from an alien power, and, as it were, do not abide in the faith. They are lost from all sides, for when Israel dwell in the Holy Land they are ever virtuous in all, both above and below.
According to another explanation, “those that are perishing” are the Zaddik and the Community of Israel. These are also called “lost”, as it is written, “Wherefore perisheth the land” (Jer. 9, 12), to wit, the Community of Israel. The Zaddik, as it is written, “The righteous (Zaddik) perisheth” (Isa. 57, 1).
If it is asked, Whence are they to “come”, the answer is, the Community of Israel from exile, and the Zaddik, as it is written, “When the Lord returneth with (eth) the captivity of Zion” (Ps. 126, 1), which, as we have explained, means that He will return to His place and join the Community of Israel. “And they shall bow down to the Lord on the holy mountain, Jerusalem”: this means, if we may say so, that Israel will not go out of captivity save with the Shekinah.’
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו כ״ז:י״ג) וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתָּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל וּבָאוּ הָאוֹבְדִים בְּאֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר וְהַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְגוֹ'. וְהָיָה בְּיוֹם הַהוּא, מַאן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא. אֶלָּא הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְדַע לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (זכריה י״ד:ד׳) וְהָיָה יוֹם אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַיְיָ'. תּוּ, בַּיוֹם הַהוּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (יחזקאל ל״ח:י״ח) בְּיוֹם בֹּא גּוֹג עַל אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל.
He then began a discourse on the verse: “And it shall come to pass in that day that a great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and they that were outcasts in the land of Egypt” (Isa. 27, 13). ‘What is meant’, he said, ‘by “that day”? It is that day which shall be known to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, “But it shall be one day which is known unto the Lord” (Zech. 14, 7), or again, “In that day when Gog shall come against the land of Israel” (Ezek. 38, 19).
יִתָּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל. מַה לָן בֵּיהּ, אִי הוּא רַב אוֹ זְעֵיר. אֶלָּא הַהוּא שׁוֹפָר עִלָּאָה, דְּבֵיהּ נָפְקִין עַבְדִּין לְחֵירוּ תָּדִיר, וְהַאי אִיהוּ יוֹבְלָא, דְּיוֹבְלָא עִלָּאָה וְרַבְרְבָא הוּא. וְכַד הַאי אִתְּעַר, כָּל חֵירוּ דְּעָלְמִין מִתְעָרִין בֵּיהּ, וְהַהוּא אִקְרֵי שׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל.
“A great trumpet shall be blown”? What difference does it make whether it will be great or small? It refers, however, to that great trumpet through which slaves go forth to freedom; this is the trumpet of the supernal Jubilee, and it is very mighty, and when it is aroused all freedom is set in motion, and it is called “the great trumpet”.
וּבָאוּ הָאוֹבְדִים בְּאֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר. הָאֲבוּדִים מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, אוֹ הַנֶּאֱבָדִים, מַאי הָאוֹבְדִים. הָאוֹבְדִים מַמָּשׁ, בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן בְּאַרְעָא אַחֲרָא, וּמַאן דְּשָׁארִי בְּאַרְעָא אַחֲרָא, יָנִיק מֵרְשׁוּתָא אַחֲרָא וּכְאִלּוּ לָא שַׁרְיָא בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, בְּגִין כָּךְ אוֹבְדִים אִקְרוּן. אוֹבְדִים אִינּוּן בְּכָל סִטְרִין, דְּכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל שַׁרְיָין בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, זַכָּאִין, זַכָּאִין תָּדִיר בְּכֹלָּא, זַכָּאן לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא.
“They that are perishing in the land of Assyria”: because those who live in an alien land suck from an alien power, and, as it were, do not abide in the faith. They are lost from all sides, for when Israel dwell in the Holy Land they are ever virtuous in all, both above and below.
דָּבָר אַחֵר וּבָאוּ הָאוֹבְדִים, מַאן אִינּוּן. אִלֵּין צַדִּיק וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. דְּאִקְרוּן אוֹבְדִים. מְנָלָן. כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִּיב, (ירמיהו ט׳:י״א) עַל מַה אָבְדָה הָאָרֶץ, אֲבוּדָה אוֹ נֶאֱבֶדֶת לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא אָבְדָה הָאָרֶץ, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. צַדִּיק, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו נ״ז:א׳) הַצַּדִיק אָבָד, אָבוּד אוֹ נֶאֱבַד לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא אָבָד, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ.
According to another explanation, “those that are perishing” are the Zaddik and the Community of Israel. These are also called “lost”, as it is written, “Wherefore perisheth the land” (Jer. 9, 12), to wit, the Community of Israel. The Zaddik, as it is written, “The righteous (Zaddik) perisheth” (Isa. 57, 1).
וְאִי תֵּימָא, וּבָאוּ, מֵאָן אֲתָר אַתְיָין אִלֵּין אוֹבְדִים. אֶלָּא, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן גָּלוּתָא. צַדִּיק, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקְמוּהָ, דִּכְתִּיב (תהילים קכ״ו:א׳) בְּשׁוּב יְיָ' אֶת שִׁיבַת צִיּוֹן, בְּגִין דְּיֵיתוּב לְאַתְרֵיהּ, וְיֵיתֵי לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעַל דָּא, וּבָאוּ הָאוֹבְדִים בְּאֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר. וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַיְיָ' בְּהַר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אֶלָּא מִלָּה דָּא דְּהַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, כִּבְיָכוֹל, יִשְׂרָאֵל לָא יִפְּקוּן מִן גָּלוּתָא, אֶלָּא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקְמוּהָ, וְאִינּוּן נִדָּחִים הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַיְיָ'.
If it is asked, Whence are they to “come”, the answer is, the Community of Israel from exile, and the Zaddik, as it is written, “When the Lord returneth with (eth) the captivity of Zion” (Ps. 126, 1), which, as we have explained, means that He will return to His place and join the Community of Israel. “And they shall bow down to the Lord on the holy mountain, Jerusalem”: this means, if we may say so, that Israel will not go out of captivity save with the Shekinah.’