After the universal apocalyptic chapters, this chapter returns to a seemingly “classic” rebuke, directed at Efrayim and Yehuda. Among other things, the prophet delivers harsh criticism of the leaders, including the spiritual leaders: “Priest and prophet gone astray with their ale, been swallowed up in wine” (28:7). The punishment awaiting them is striking and involves clear measure-for-measure justice: “So the word of the Lord is to them law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little bit here, a little bit there, for them to walk and stumble on backward, be broken, be beaten, be caught” (28:13). The word of God will become incomprehensible to these prophets, undermining their ability to fulfill their prophetic role until they stumble and fall. This is a fitting punishment for their failure to uphold their responsibilities.

The concept of prophecy becoming inaccessible as punishment for the nation’s sins also appears in Chapter 8, where Yeshayahu was commanded: “Bind up the testimony; seal Teaching in My students” (8:16). Another verse there parallels almost word-for-word the punishment described in our chapter: “Many will stumble on these, and many will fall and be broken, will be ensnared, be caught” (8:15). In each case, the punishment fits the particular sin: In Chapter 8, the sin was the people’s inability to abandon political alliances and rely on God. The punishment was the necessity to trust God and wait for Him without hearing His word for a time. In our chapter, the sin involves the corruption of justice and the poor leadership of priests and prophets. Their punishment is that the word of God becomes to them “law after law, line after line” — incomprehensible and unclear. As a result, they are reduced to the level of ordinary people, struggling to understand prophecy and effectively losing their status as prophets.

A fascinating feature of this chapter is its possible references to the preceding apocalyptic chapters. At the very opening, we encounter the torrent of water motif, symbolizing destruction: “See what comes - something strong and determined of the Lord, like pelting hail, like a cataclysmic storm, like a river of great waters, flooding waters” (28:2). In Chapter 27, Jerusalem was described as a fortress protected from this torrent, whereas here the torrent brings destruction upon Efrayim. Later in the chapter, the prophet addresses the rulers of Jerusalem, sharply opposing their claim: “‘We have forged a covenant with death,’ you say, ‘we have reached a seers' agreement with Sheol’” (28:15). Why do the rulers of Jerusalem believe they have a covenant with death? Perhaps they misinterpreted the prophecy of Chapter 25, which was directed at the redeemed Jerusalem: “He will swallow up death forever; the Lord God, He will wipe every tear from every face” (25:8). They may have arrogantly thought, “Surely, this prophecy applies to us because we are righteous!”

To this, the prophet responds: “I laid down law as the measuring line, and justice as the plumb weight” (28:17). While they may have initiated significant religious reform, they overlooked a crucial metric: justice and righteousness. These are the standards — the line and the weight — by which everything is measured. Without these, the shelter they believe they have in Jerusalem is merely a delusional refuge. This interpretation aligns with the suggestion that Chapter 1 was delivered during the time of Chizkiyahu: Though the period was marked by religious devotion, widespread social injustices persisted. Perhaps the prophet in our chapter addresses this very issue.

Part of today’s chapter (along with a portion of Chapter 27) was read yesterday as the Haftara for Parashat Shemot (according to Ashkenazi tradition). Attached are insights from Harav Yaakov Medan and Harav Mosheh Lichtenstein on the Haftara. Harav Medan addresses the phenomenon of "law after law, line after line" — Yeshayahu’s focus on teaching young children, its context, and its reasons. Harav Mosheh expands on the prophet’s critique of hedonism and indulgence.