יְשֻׂשׂוּם מִדְבָּר, וְצִיָּה; וְתָגֵל עֲרָבָה וְתִפְרַח, כַּחֲבַצָּלֶת. פָּרֹחַ תִּפְרַח וְתָגֵל, אַף גִּילַת וְרַנֵּן--כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן נִתַּן-לָהּ, הֲדַר הַכַּרְמֶל וְהַשָּׁרוֹן; הֵמָּה יִרְאוּ כְבוֹד-יְהוָה, הֲדַר אֱלֹהֵינוּ. חַזְּקוּ, יָדַיִם רָפוֹת; וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּשְׁלוֹת, אַמֵּצוּ. אִמְרוּ, לְנִמְהֲרֵי-לֵב, חִזְקוּ, אַל-תִּירָאוּ; הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, נָקָם יָבוֹא--גְּמוּל אֱלֹהִים, הוּא יָבוֹא וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם. אָז תִּפָּקַחְנָה, עֵינֵי עִוְרִים; וְאָזְנֵי חֵרְשִׁים, תִּפָּתַחְנָה. אָז יְדַלֵּג כָּאַיָּל פִּסֵּחַ, וְתָרֹן לְשׁוֹן אִלֵּם: כִּי-נִבְקְעוּ בַמִּדְבָּר מַיִם, וּנְחָלִים בָּעֲרָבָה. וְהָיָה הַשָּׁרָב לַאֲגַם, וְצִמָּאוֹן לְמַבּוּעֵי מָיִם; בִּנְוֵה תַנִּים רִבְצָהּ, חָצִיר לְקָנֶה וָגֹמֶא. וְהָיָה-שָׁם מַסְלוּל וָדֶרֶךְ, וְדֶרֶךְ הַקֹּדֶשׁ יִקָּרֵא לָהּ--לֹא-יַעַבְרֶנּוּ טָמֵא, וְהוּא-לָמוֹ; הֹלֵךְ דֶּרֶךְ וֶאֱוִילִים, לֹא יִתְעוּ. לֹא-יִהְיֶה שָׁם אַרְיֵה, וּפְרִיץ חַיּוֹת בַּל-יַעֲלֶנָּה--לֹא תִמָּצֵא, שָׁם; וְהָלְכוּ, גְּאוּלִים. וּפְדוּיֵי יְהוָה יְשֻׁבוּן, וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה, וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם, עַל-רֹאשָׁם; שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּ, וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה
The last verse appears as the title of our list. The English Standard Version is as follows:The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
This shows a deeper reason for gladness than what was said here. The Way of Holiness is not a physical road. Rather, physical reality is a Mashal for something deeper. It is the way to the tree of Life, a secret road to longevity, protected by the flaming sword. Therefore, "the unclean shall not pass over it," "even if they are fools, they shall not go astray." Also "no lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it." The miracle of the water, is also a Mashal for this deeper reality. "For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water," points to the Way. The Way of Holiness, Derech Hakodesh, is a remedy to the brain and hence for many diseases; "then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy," and even death is not forced upon him/her who has found this Way of Holiness. Therefore, "everlasting joy shall be upon their heads." Who will come to show this Derech Hakodesh? "The Lord will arise upon you". "Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” And "the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing." "The lame man shall leap like a deer;" the lame man is called פִּסֵּחַ. Therefore:Pesach Sameach!
