What do we learn from "b'Chazkah"?
Rashi citing Ta'anis 16a: They enclosed the mothers by themselves, and the children by themselves, and said 'if You will not have mercy on us, we will not have mercy on these.'
Radak: It was with the entire heart.
What do we learn from "mi'Darko ha'Ra'ah"?
Radak: From other sins [than theft].
Why does it specify theft? Is it not included in "Darko ha'Ra'ah"?
Radak: Theft is equal to all sins, and their decree was due to it.
Malbim: Confession and regret do not help [atone for theft] until he returns the theft in his hand to its owner 1 .
Surely some people already consumed what they stole, or did not know from whom they stole, e.g. he cheated via false measures - he cannot do proper Teshuvah (CM 231:19)! The verse implies that returning the theft in their hands sufficed to nullify the decree. Or, perhaps such people publicly confessed and accepted to compensate anyone who had even a Safek claim against them. Or, everyone pardoned each other for such cases of theft. (PF)
