THE SONG OF THE GRAPEVINE
The grapevine sings of Hashem’s love for His nation, focusing on our latent goodness.
[Song 23] Grapevine (Ch. 3)
גֶּפֶן אוֹמֶרֶת. כֹּה אָמַר יי כַּאֲשֶׁר י ִמָּצֵא הַתִּירוֹשׁ בָּאֶשְׁכּוֹל וְאָמַר אַל תַּשְׁחִיתֵהוּ כִּי בְרָכָה בּוֹ כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה לְמַעַן עֲבָדַי לְבִלְתִּי הַשְׁחִית הַכֹּל: (ישעיה סה ח)
The Vine is saying, “So says Hashem: As the wine is found in the cluster, and one says: 'Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it' – so shall I do for the sake of my servants, so as not to destroy everything.”
Commentary
Hashem compares His nation to a grapevine. Even if a vine consists mostly of
rotten grapes, and the vine itself is flimsy and useless, the farmer will still tend
to it for the sake of the wine that can be made from the good grapes after they
are harvested, squeezed, and fermented. So too, Hashem declares that although
the majority of our nation are not yet fitting to be a blessing to Him as we were
designed to be, He shall not to discard us. He derives sufficient satisfaction from
the righteous alone, and He patiently waits for the entire nation to repent.1
When all the grapes of our nation are harvested, and its wine produced, the blessing,
joy, and song that will come from it will fill the world. Until then, we should see
the good in everyone, ourselves included, and the song of the grapevine can be
heard even today.
LIVING WITH THE SONG
Hashem exerts mercy constantly, dealing kindness to all creatures, even to the undeserving. We too should follow suit.
We have a Mitzvah to love and be kind to all Jews, even one that has wronged us. Even the emptiest of Jews is filled
with Mitzvos like a pomegranate. Does he not care for his family and daven somehow daily? One who holds himself
back from doing a misdeed it is as if he did an active Mitzvah. If he isn’t presently doing that which is good, it should
be enough for me that he did so once in the past or may do so in the future. Hashem waits patiently many years for
repentance; I can also.
Even without all of these advocacies, he remains the descendant and extension of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.
And even if he is not at all righteous, perhaps his children will be. There is a blessing within him. Do not destroy.
Love all Jews. They are each beloved by Hashem and for any of them he could have created the universe and all that
it contains.
When all the grapes are harvested, and its wine produced, the blessing, joy, and song that will come from it will fill the
world. Until then, see the good in everyone, yourself included, and the song of the grapevine can be heard even today.
Inspirational commentary By Shmuel Ben-Tzion Kraines author of
The Song of Existence.