Shalom Avraham,

Thank you very much for your question. If I understand correctly, you are asking whether, when Achiyah ha'Shiloni brings an analogy from a Kaneh (reed) and compares the exile of Yisrael beyond the river to that reed, his intention is to refer to a reed that has been uprooted from its roots, just like Yisrael are uprooted and sent beyond the river.

But I believe you are not entirely correct. If Achiyah intended to compare Yisrael to a plant that has been uprooted, then there would be no particular reason to choose specifically a Kaneh. Any branch or plant that has been uprooted and cast into the water will naturally drift aimlessly. One must always examine the prophet's analogy to understand what he is truly intending to convey, just as with Bilʿam, who likened Yisrael to a cedar tree, where it is clear that the primary trait of the cedar is its strength or its towering stature. And so, even though it appears to be a praise that Yisrael are as mighty as cedars, that very strength contains a subtle weakness: the same rigidity that grants the cedar its power can also lead to its downfall. And a wicked person, even when offering a blessing, will always seek to insert a subtle sting against Yisrael.

But when a Navi compares Yisrael to a Kaneh, even in the context of a curse, one must search for the gentleness and compassion of the Navi, even within his rebuke. The unique traits of the Kaneh that Chazal list in the Gemara are embedded in this analogy as well, and those traits exist only when the Kaneh remains connected to its roots.

We can go even deeper in understanding this matter. The insight offered by the Gemara is not merely a reflection on the metaphor alone, for if that were the case, perhaps you would be correct. In my view, the Gemara is also alluding to the actual condition of Yisrael in exile: they are not uprooted from their source, but rather in a state that is unfavorable. Yet their great hope for redemption lies precisely in what you mentioned, that they remain connected to their roots, even beyond the river. For wherever Yisrael are exiled, the Shechinah goes with them, and exile is but a temporary state, like a Kaneh in a storm. So, when the Navi uses a Kaneh and also says "v'Natash," he wants us to hear that the "Natash" is not for good, but rather a kind that is like a Kaneh that was cut off, but will sooner or later grow back.

This is not simply a discussion about analogies; it is a discussion about the essence of the matter. The Rasha tries to curse Yisrael by saying that even in their strength, they are brittle (as we can hear even today from our enemies), while the righteous Navi hints to the opposite: that even in the darkest and most difficult places, there is hope. And even if it seems the Kaneh has been cut down and uprooted, it grows back and returns to itself, as in days of old.

Pesach Kasher v'Same'ach!

Aharon Steiner