"Mine is revenge and payment!": I, Myself exact payment of them, and I do so not through an angel and not through a messenger. As it is written (Shemoth 3:10) "Go and I shall send you to Pharaoh, etc.," and (II Kings 19:35) "And an angel of the L-rd went out and smote in the camp of Ashur, etc."
It is not written "Mine is revenge and I shall pay," but "Mine is revenge and payment." I pay for their deeds and for the deeds of their fathers before Me, as it is written (Isaiah 65:6-7) "I will repay into their bosom, your sins and the sins of your fathers together … and I will mete out (payment for) their deeds first into their bosom."
"at the time their foot gives way": viz. (Isaiah 26:6) "The foot will tread it down, the foot of the poor one (the Messiah), the soles of the (heretofore) impoverished ones (Israel)." (Devarim, Ibid.) "For near is the day of their calamity": R. Yossi said: If of those of whom it is written "For near is the day of their calamity" — their punishment is being delayed, then of those of whom it is written (Isaiah 24:22) "and after many days they (their sins) will be remembered," how much more so!
(Devarim, Ibid.) "and what is destined (for them) shall quickly befall them": When the L-rd brings punishment upon the nations, He "quickens" it upon them viz. (Habakkuk 1:8) "They (the avengers) will fly like an eagle, hastening to eat," and (Isaiah 5:19) "… who say: Let Him hasten, 'quicken' His act, so that we may see it. Let it approach and come near, etc." But when He brings afflictions upon Israel, they come gradually. How so? He relegated them to four exiles of subjugation. And, (in this connection, Jeremiah 1:8) "Do not fear … for I am with you."
(דברים לב לה) לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם, אֲנִי נִפְרָע מֵהֶם בְּעַצְמִי לֹא עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ג י): ״וְעַתָּה לְכָה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֶל פַּרְעֹה״, וְאוֹמֵר (מ״ב יט לה): ״וַיֵּצֵא מַלְאַךְ ה׳ וַיַּךְ בְּמַחֲנֵה אַשּׁוּר״.
"Mine is revenge and payment!": I, Myself exact payment of them, and I do so not through an angel and not through a messenger. As it is written (Shemoth 3:10) "Go and I shall send you to Pharaoh, etc.," and (II Kings 19:35) "And an angel of the L-rd went out and smote in the camp of Ashur, etc."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם, מְשַׁלֵּם אֲנִי שְׂכַר מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁעָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם לְפָנַי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ישעיה סה ו): ״לֹא אֶחֱשֶׁה כִּי אִם שִׁלַּמְתִּי״, וְאוֹמֵר (ירמיה טז יח): ״וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי רִאשׁוֹנָה מִשְׁנֵה עֲוֹנָם וְחַטָּאתָם״.
It is not written "Mine is revenge and I shall pay," but "Mine is revenge and payment." I pay for their deeds and for the deeds of their fathers before Me, as it is written (Isaiah 65:6-7) "I will repay into their bosom, your sins and the sins of your fathers together … and I will mete out (payment for) their deeds first into their bosom."
לְעֵת תָּמוּט רַגְלָם, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה כו ו): ״תִּרְמְסֶנָּה רָגֶל רַגְלֵי עָנִי פַּעֲמֵי דַלִּים״. כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם אֵידָם, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: אִם מִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם אֵידָם, הֲרֵי פֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת מְמַשְׁמְשׁוֹת וּבָאוֹת, מִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם (ישעיה כד כב): ״וּמֵרֹב יָמִים יִפָּקֵדוּ״, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
"at the time their foot gives way": viz. (Isaiah 26:6) "The foot will tread it down, the foot of the poor one (the Messiah), the soles of the (heretofore) impoverished ones (Israel)." (Devarim, Ibid.) "For near is the day of their calamity": R. Yossi said: If of those of whom it is written "For near is the day of their calamity" — their punishment is being delayed, then of those of whom it is written (Isaiah 24:22) "and after many days they (their sins) will be remembered," how much more so!
וְחָשׁ עֲתִידוֹת לָמוֹ, כְּשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵבִיא פֻּרְעָנוּת עַל הָאֻמּוֹת מַרְעִישׁ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הָעוֹלָם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (חבקוק א ח): ״יָעֻפוּ כְּנֶשֶׁר חָשׁ לֶאֱכוֹל״, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה ה יט): ״הָאֹמְרִים יְמַהֵר יָחִישָׁה מַעֲשֵׂהוּ לְמַעַן נִרְאֶה וְתִקְרַב וְתָבוֹאָה״. וּכְשֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵבִיא יִסּוּרִים עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין מֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם מִיָּד אֶלָּא מַמְתִּין. הָא כֵּיצַד? מוֹסְרָם לְאַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת שֶׁיְּהוּ מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִים בָּהֶם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה א ח): ״אַל תִּירָא כִּי אִתְּךָ אֲנִי נְאֻם ה׳ לְהַצִּילֶךָ״.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "and what is destined (for them) shall quickly befall them": When the L-rd brings punishment upon the nations, He "quickens" it upon them viz. (Habakkuk 1:8) "They (the avengers) will fly like an eagle, hastening to eat," and (Isaiah 5:19) "… who say: Let Him hasten, 'quicken' His act, so that we may see it. Let it approach and come near, etc." But when He brings afflictions upon Israel, they come gradually. How so? He relegated them to four exiles of subjugation. And, (in this connection, Jeremiah 1:8) "Do not fear … for I am with you."