A voice cries in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Isaiah 40:3). The Aggadat Bereshit connects this voice — the herald of the return from Babylon — to the word of God that came through the prophet Haggai in the second year of King Darius (Haggai 1:1). The return from exile is being orchestrated by the same voice that created the world. The prophet is not announcing a political development. He is announcing a divine re-entry.
"Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain" (Isaiah 40:4). The rabbis read this geography spiritually: the valleys of despair become navigable; the mountains of pride and empire that blocked the way become flat. The obstacles to redemption are not primarily military or political — they are the internal distortions that make the path back to God seem impassable.
And then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together (Isaiah 40:5). Not just Israel. Not just the returnees from Babylon. All flesh. The revelation that accompanies the return from exile is the revelation that ends history's long argument about who God is and what God does. The voice in the wilderness is not speaking only to the exiles. It is speaking to everyone who has been watching from the outside, wondering whether the God of Israel would keep His word.
Chapter (66) 67: Torah [1] After two years’ time, (Genesis 41:1). Like Scriptures say: "As an endless dream [(with no awakening, so was their end [viz. Isaiah 37:36])]. The Lord (אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י), in the city [that they violated (Jerusalem)], despised their form [(burning them all)]." (Psalm 73:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, God does not reveal himself to the wicked during the day, and why is that? To shame them, like a dream in the summer, and why at night? Because their deeds are darkness and obscurity, as it is written, "And it shall be in the darkness of their deeds" (Isaiah 29:15). Therefore, He reveals Himself to them in darkness, like a dream in the summer. And even at night, the wicked are not worthy of having God revealed to them. However, He makes Himself a messenger to the wicked in order to fulfill the wishes of the righteous. This is also evident in the case of Pharaoh. When he took Sarah, God did not send an angel or a fiery seraph, but rather He Himself, as it were, went and struck Pharaoh and finished with him, as it is written, "And the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his household with great plagues" (Genesis 12:17). This was in the merit of Sarah, as it is written, "On account of the matter of Sarah, the wife of Abraham" (ibid. 18). Two are better than one. And similarly, when Abimelech took Sarah, God appeared to him in a dream at night, as it is written, "Then God came to Abimelech in a dream at night" (Genesis 20:3). And so it was with Laban, as it is written, "Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night" (Genesis 31:24). Similarly, Pharaoh showed him in a dream what he was going to do, and it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed. And so it was with Nebuchadnezzar, who dreamed dreams. Why did God reveal Himself to them in dreams? To shame them, "Like a dream of summer, O Lord, may their city be put to shame." [Psalm 73:20] [2] Another interpretation: "And there will be an end..." Like scriptures says: "For from the house of bondage he went out to reign" (Ecclesiastes 4:14), referring to Abraham who left Ur of the Chaldeans and was raised in the world, as it says, "I am the Lord who brought you out" (Genesis 15:7). Alternatively, "from the house of bondage" refers to Isaac, whom God saved from the sword of his father, as it is written: "And he said, 'Do not stretch out your hand against the lad'" (Genesis 22:12). Isaac went out into the world and grew up, as it is written: "And Isaac went out to meditate" (Genesis 24:63). Additionally, regarding "from the house of the prisoners," this refers to Jacob, who left his father's house when he fled from Esau, as it says "And Jacob went out" (Genesis 28:10). And what is written about him? "And the man broke out exceedingly" (Genesis 30:43). However, even in his kingship he was born poor (Ecclesiastes 4:14), as when Esau came and took his goats and more (Genesis 32:15). Alternatively: "Regarding Joseph, who came from the house of prisoners and became king, as it is said 'The king sent and released him, even the ruler of peoples, and set him free.' (Psalms 105:20). However, even in his kingship, he was born poor, as it says 'A poor man who became king.' (Ecclesiastes 4:14). He did not elevate himself to become king, but just as his heart was when he was imprisoned, as it says 'And Joseph was the ruler...and he was the provider' (Genesis 42:6). And do not think that I only know him as the ruler and provider, but rather to teach you that he was both in his youth and as a king. As Solomon says: "If the spirit [of judgment] of the Ruler arises against you..."(Ecclesiastes 10:4)." [3] Another interpretation: "And there will be an end..." Like Scriptures say: "For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds" (Jeremiah 30:17). The measures of God are not like the measures of flesh and blood, for He can strike with a sword and heal with a sword. He is able to heal Israel in the very thing in which they sinned. For example, when they sinned with a cloud, it is written, "He has covered Himself with a cloud" (Lamentations 3:44), and they were struck with a cloud, as it is written, "Behold, he shall come up like clouds" (Jeremiah 4:13), and they were healed with a cloud, as it is written, "Who are these that fly as a cloud?" (Isaiah 60:8). Similarly, it is written, "And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day" (Isaiah 4:5). When they sinned with a thick darkness, it is written, "And darkness shall cover the earth" (Isaiah 60:2), and they were struck with darkness, as it is written, "He has made my skin black and my bones to shake" (Lamentations 3:4), and they were healed with darkness, as it is written, "Who are these that fly as a cloud?" (Isaiah 60:8). When they sinned with justice, it is written, "They judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless" (Jeremiah 5:28), and they were struck with justice, as it is written, "He will speak judgment to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 42:1), and they were healed with justice, as it is written, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment" (Isaiah 1:27). They were struck in dreams, "as a dream when one awakens" (Psalms 73:20), and they were healed in dreams, "Your old men shall dream dreams" (Joel 3:1). Similarly, Joseph was not sold except for the sake of dreams, as it is written, "Behold, this dreamer comes" (Genesis 37:19), and he was healed in a dream, as it is written, "And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed" (Genesis 41:1), "For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds" (Jeremiah 30:17).
