Kabbalah Library

16. It is written, “Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength?” The Creator is destined to clothe in apparel of vengeance against Edom for destroying His house and burning His hall, and sending the assembly of Israel into exile among the nations. He will do to them eternal vengeance until all the mountains from the mountains of the world are filled by the slain of the nations. Every bird in the sky will be called out about them to eat from their corpses, and all the animals of the field will feed on them for twelve months, and the birds in the sky, seven years, until the earth cannot tolerate their rotting. It is written, “For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom,” until these garments of vengeance are defiled by the slain, as it is written, “and all My clothes were stained.”

17. “Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,” since the battalions of the world went out from Bozrah to gather against Jerusalem. They began to burn the Temple, and the children of Edom were destroying the walls and uprooted the foundation stones, as it is written, “Remember, O Lord, the sons of Edom, the day Jerusalem fell, saying, ‘Tear it down to its foundations!’”

18. “In crimsoned garments from Bozrah.” This one is adorned in his attire, in those garments of vengeance that he is destined to dress, “marching in his great strength.” “Marching” means breaking, as it is written, “Nations will fall under you”; Israel said to Isaiah, “Who is this who would do this?” He said, I am speaking in righteousness, the one who is of great strength to save, the one of whom it is written, “Who loves righteousness and justice, Malchut, who is called righteousness.

19. Why is all this? It is for causing the assembly of Israel to lie in the grass in exile and fall to the earth, as it is written, “She has fallen, she will not rise again, the virgin of Israel.” For this reason, the Creator will clothe them with garments of vengeance, to defile them with the multitude of the slain, as it is written, “and all My clothes were stained.”

20. Why is all this? It is written, “And his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no one, for her he may defile himself.” His sister, the Shechina, the sister of ZA, who is not the part of Esau or was in the fate of the one of whom it is written, “a skillful hunter, a man of the field,” for her he may defile himself with those garments of vengeance that are destined to be defiled among the slain masses. This is why it is written, “for her he may defile himself,” for her, since she lies in the dust in exile and he wants to raise her, as it is written, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.”