כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְגֹאֲל֖וֹ ה צְבָא֑וֹת אֲנִ֤י רִאשׁוֹן֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אַחֲר֔וֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַ֖י אֵ֥ין אֱלֹקִים׃
Thus said Hashem, King of Israel and its Redeemer, Hashem, Master of Legions: I am First and I am Last, and besides Me there is no god. (Yeshayahu 44:6).
In this stirring verse from the Haftorah, the Navi presents a powerful image of Hashem not only as Melech Yisrael, the sovereign ruler, but also as Go'alo—our Redeemer. The term גואל carries rich layers of meaning; legal and emotional, personal and national.
In the Torah, a גואל is often a go'el hakarov, a close relative who steps in to rescue or support a family member in distress. This can include redeeming land that was sold out of financial desperation, ransoming a family member who has become enslaved, or even seeking justice for a murdered relative. As found in Parshat Behar, וּבָ֤א גֹאֲלוֹ֙ הַקָּרֹ֣ב אֵלָ֔יו, his redeemer who is close to him shall come (Vayikra 25:25). Rav Shimon Schwab, in his book on prayer, explains that the role of the גואל is not simply transactional. It is deeply relational. The go'el acts out of commitment, loyalty, and love, driven by the bonds of family and a profound sense of responsibility.
When Yeshayahu refers to Hashem as our גואל, he is invoking this intimate image of redemption. Hashem is not a distant liberator. He is our Divine next-of-kin, so to speak—stepping in with tenderness and strength to restore what has been lost, to reclaim those in danger, to defend those who cannot defend themselves.
This idea takes on particular resonance as we approach the Yom Tov of Pesach, the festival of redemption. One of the four expressions of redemption in Shemot—and one of the four cups we drink at the Seder—is: וְגָאַלְתִּי אֶתְכֶם, And I will redeem you (Shemot 6:6). Here, too, Hashem speaks not from a throne of distant authority, but from the heart of relationship. He is the Go'el, the ever-present redeemer who sees our pain and commits to lifting us from it—not because He must, but because He loves us.
This dual identity of Melech and Go'el, King and Redeemer, is deeply comforting. Hashem is both the ultimate power and the ultimate protector. In a world that feels uncertain and fractured, the constancy and closeness of our Divine Redeemer is a source of immense reassurance. He carries us in His care with the loyalty of family and the strength of a sovereign. As we enter the season of redemption, may we merit to experience the full embrace of our Go'el, with geulah sheleima, speedily and lovingly in our days.
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