Abravanel and Ramban in Ha'azinu Seem to Talk About Ukraine

Putin is a monster. Yet, at the same time, Putin is a friend of the Jews. 

Ukraine is seemingly a Jew-friendly place. Yet, Ukraine has a deeply antisemitic and bloody history.

Yes, things are confusing and complicated. 

The only thing that is clear is that there are Jewish Ukrainians that need help - both the ones who escaped and the ones who remain behind.  We must pray for them and help them as much as possible.  May Hashem keep them safe, housed, nourished and protected.  There are a few righteous gentiles there too, who also deserve our prayers.  And we always pray for peace.

However, despite the pronouncements from the EU, UN, US, secular media, Jewish media, and even the Agudah, Ukraine is not blameless here.  Not even close.

Please watch Rabbi YY Jacobson from the 46:03 mark until the 50:45 mark where he goes through the history of how Jewish blood saturates the soil of the entire country:  

But how do we contrast that with the fact that 73% of the country elected a Jewish president? 

Some have therefore come to the conclusion that this war is not Hashem's punishment for past deeds.  While that is a well-written article, I ultimately disagree with his conclusion.

The problem is: Does the fact that members of leadership are Jewish truly reflect the Ukrainian mentality? It's not so clear. See this (h/t Shirat Devorah).  And would 73% of Ukraine have elected a visibly Jewish president? Unlikely.  Now, we have reports of an increase of antisemitism - and even violent antisemitism (h/t Shirat Devorah) - due to the war, which would imply that those old time feelings never really went away.

As a country dripping in Jewish blood, does that antisemitic DNA disappear so fast?  

The verse at the end of Yoel says:

כא  וְנִקֵּיתִי, דָּמָם לֹא-נִקֵּיתִי; וַיהוָה, שֹׁכֵן בְּצִיּוֹן.

21 And I will hold as innocent their blood that I have not held as innocent; and the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

The commentators say that Hashem will absolve the nations from their other sins, but will not absolve them from the Jewish blood they spilled.  

Another important source for Hashem's vengeance against the nations who were cruel to Jews is in Parashat Ha'azinu:

לב  כִּי-מִגֶּפֶן סְדֹם גַּפְנָם,  {ר}  וּמִשַּׁדְמֹת עֲמֹרָה:  {ס}  עֲנָבֵמוֹ, עִנְּבֵי-רוֹשׁ--  {ר}  אַשְׁכְּלֹת מְרֹרֹת, לָמוֹ.  {ס}	32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter;
לג  חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם, יֵינָם;  {ר}  וְרֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים, אַכְזָר.  {ס}	33 Their wine is the venom of serpents, and the cruel poison of asps.
לד  הֲלֹא-הוּא, כָּמֻס עִמָּדִי;  {ר}  חָתוּם, בְּאוֹצְרֹתָי.  {ס}	34 'Is not this laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries?
לה  לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם,  {ר}  לְעֵת תָּמוּט רַגְלָם:  {ס}  כִּי קָרוֹב יוֹם אֵידָם,  {ר}  וְחָשׁ עֲתִדֹת לָמוֹ.  {ס}	35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense, against the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste.

Regarding these verses, the Abravanel says the following (my translation):

...ואם יטענו קצת העכו"ם מענין צדקתם וזכותם. אין גם כן מקום לזה לפי שמגפן סדום גפנם ומשדמות עמורה. רוצה לומר כי הם ירשו הרוע והפסד התכונה מאבותיה' ואבות אבותיהם כי הם רעים וחטאים לה' מאד מלידה ומבטן ומהריון. ולכן אין ראוי לתלות הצלחתם בצדקת' וביושר לבבם. והוא אמרו כי מגפן סדום גפנם. לומר שמשרש נחש יצא צפע. ופריו שרף מעופף וכן להיות שרשם ומצבם מגפן סדום ומשדמות עמורה. לכן היין היוצא מהם הוא חמת תנינים וראש פתנים אכזר. והענבים הם רמז למחשבות והיין היוצא מהם הוא רמז אל המעשים. או הוא בהפך. וידוע שעץ הגפן הוא המשובח מכל העצים. והענבי' הם היותר טובים בפירות ושהיין הוא המובחר שבמשקים. ולכן היה ענין המאמר הזה כי אם המצא תמצא בידי האומות מעשים שיראו נאותים ומתיחסים אל עץ הגפן הנה באמת כשיוטעמו ימצא כי מגפן סדום גפנם ומשדמות עמורה שהיה להם העקוב למישור. וכן מישור יחשב להם לענבי' הם ענבי רוש ואשכלות מרורות. ואם יראו שהם עושים משקה ויין דע לך כי חמת תנינים יינם וראש פתנים אכזר. רוצה לומר כי כל מעשיהם לפני לאכזריות חמה ושטף אף. והם חושבין שאין דרכיהם רעים בעיני. אחרי שאני יושב דומם כל הזמן שעמדו על תלם. ובאמת הלא הוא כמוס עמדי וגו'.

...

יאמר שאל יחשוב אדם שנשכחו לפני עונותיהם ותועבותיהם של האומות האלה. כי באמת הלא הוא כמוס עמדי. וחוזר כנוי הוא ליין תנינים אשר זכר. כאלו אמר אותו יין תנינים שהוא רמז אל המעשים שעשו לישראל וראש פתנים אכזר שהוא משל לאכזריותם ורוע פעולתם. זהו כמוס עמדי וחתום באוצרותי. להשקות אותו אליהם ושתו ולעו והיו כלא היו. כי אמדוד אותם מדה כנגד מדה. וכמאמר ירמיה (איכה ד׳:כ״א) גם עליך תעבור כוס תשכרי ותתערי. ופירש צורך החתימה והשמירה באמרו לי נקם ושלם לעת תמוט רגלם. רוצה לומר כי לי תאות הנקימה והשלום מהאויבי' לעשות בזמן הראוי אליו והוא לעת תמוט רגלם שהוא לעת שתתמלא סאתם ולעת שישלם זמן ממשלת' הנגזרת עליהם. וכענין שאמר (ירמיהו כ״ז:ז׳) ועבדו אותו ואת בנו ואת בן בנו עד בא עת ארצו גם הוא. ואמנם אמרו כי קרוב יום אידם וחש עתידות למו. פירשו המפרשים כי מעת שיתחיל רגלם להתמוטט לא יתאחר יום אידם וחש ומהרה יבאו למה העתידו' מהנקמה והשלום שאני מיעד בהם

...And if some of the non-Jews will claim their righteousness and merits [YY - We elected a Jew!], there is also no place for this because their vine is of the vine of Sedom and of the fields of Amora.  It means to say that they inherited the evil and immorality from their fathers and fathers' fathers - for they are "evil and sinners to Hashem very much" from birth, from the womb, and from conception.  Therefore, it is not fitting to attribute their success to their righteousness and straightness of heart.  And that's what it means by "their vine is of the vine of Sedom" - to say that "out of the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a flying serpent".  And also, since their root and status is from the vine of Sedom and from the fields of Amora, therefore, the wine that comes out of them is the venom of serpents and the cruel poison of asps.  And it's known that the vine is the most praiseworthy of all trees, grapes are the best of all fruits, and wine is the choicest of all drinks.  Therefore, the idea of this section of verses is that if you will find among the nations acts that look proper and relate to the fruit of the vine, in reality, when this will be tasted, it will be found that their vine is of the vine of Sedom and of the fields of Amora for what was really rugged was made level for them.  And they also think that their grapes are level, while they are really "grapes of gall and bitter clusters."  And if they see that they are making a drink and wine, you should know that their wine is the venom of serpents and the cruel poison of asps.  It means to say that all their acts before Me are cruel wrath and overwhelming anger.  And they think that their paths are not evil in My eyes after I sat silently the whole time that they sat [quietly] on their hill.  And really, "it is laid up in store with Me..."

...

He is saying that no man should think that the sins and abominations of these nations were forgotten from before Me.  For really, it is laid up in store with Me.  And the pronoun "it" refers back to the venom of serpants that He mentioned - as if He said that that venom of serpants, which is a hint to the actions that they did to Israel, and the cruel poison of asps, which is a parable to their cruelty and evil acts, is laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries - to give it to them to drink and they shall drink, and swallow down, and shall be as though they had not been - for I will measure them measure for measure.  And this is like Yirmiya said: "the cup shall pass over unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked."  

And He explained the need for this sealing and waiting when He said, "Vengeance is Mine, and recompense, against the time when their foot shall slip".  This means to say that I have the desire for vengeance and recompense from the enemies to do so at a time fitting for it.  And that is "when their foot shall slip" - which is at the time that their measure [of evil] is full and at the time that the period for their rulership that was decreed upon this is completed.  And this is like what it says: "And all the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the time of his own land come".  And indeed it says: "for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste."  And the commentators explain that once their feet starts to slip, their day of calamity will not delay, and the vengeance and recompense that is designated to come upon them will come hastily and quickly...

It gives me no pleasure to say that these descriptions of Hashem's vengeance fit the Ukrainian situation perfectly.  I'm no prophet, but my best guess is that its measure of sin has filled up and its designated time has come.  Excuses of fake righteousness will not save it as the evil is in their DNA and has passed down from generation to generation.

The Ramban on these verses says the following (Sefaria translation):

הלא הוא כמס עמדי ראש הפתן האכזרי שלהם שמתי באוצרותי להאכילם מפרי מעשיהם

כי לי נקם ושלם לנקום נקמת ישראל מידם ולי שלם לשלם להם כפעלם שכחשו בי לעת תמוט רגלם כשתתמלא סאתם כענין כי לא שלם עון האמורי עד הנה (בראשית טו טז)

IS NOT THIS LAID UP IN STORE WITH ME — their cruel poison of asps? I have put it in My treasures before us to feed them from the fruit of their deeds.

VENGEANCE IS MINE, AND RECOMPENSE. [To Me belongs vengeance] to avenge the cause of Israel from their hands, and Mine is the recompense to pay them according to their deeds for having repudiated Me. AGAINST THE TIME WHEN THEIR FOOT SHALL SLIP — when their measure [of sin] will be full, as it is stated, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.

It is quite interesting how the Ramban explains that the vehicle through which Hashem put in His treasuries to be released at the End of Days to exact vengeance against Israel's enemies is called ראש הפתן האכזרי - the cruel poison of asps (based on verse 33).  Possibly, the word פתן can also be read as "Putin", as in "the poison of the cruel Putin."  The cruel Putin is the one released from Hashem's treasuries at the End of Days to act as His messenger to avenge the Jewish blood that was spilled in the country called Ukraine.

It is obvious to me that לב מלכים ושרים ביד ה' - the heart of kings and officers is in the hands of Hashem.  Everyone is asking, "What was Putin thinking?"  I care more about the answer to: "What was Putin's Boss thinking?"   Therefore, when Putin is calling for the deNazification of Ukraine, we shouldn't dismiss it as דברים בטלים (idle chatter).  There is something to it, and Putin said it because Hashem put it in his mouth.  I'm by no means defending Putin, who is a dictatorial and murderous bully, but nor will I defend a nation with a cruel history that only changed in appearances and are starting again to show its true colors.

מג  הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ,  {ס}  כִּי דַם-עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם;  {ר}  וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו,  {ס}  וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ.  {ר}  {ש}

43 Sing aloud, O ye nations, of His people; for He doth avenge the blood of His servants, and doth render vengeance to His adversaries, and doth make expiation for the land of His people.

May Hashem have mercy on His children and not allow us to get caught up in this cruelty - from either side.  May we only see Hashem's salvation.  Amen.