Blindness

“He said, ‘Go and say to this people, ‘Surely you hear, but you do not comprehend; and surely you see, but you fail to know.’ This people is fattening its heart, hardening its ears, and sealing its eyes, lest it see with it eyes, hear with its ears and understand with its heart, so that it will repent and be healed.’ (Isaiah 6:9-10)”

Many Christians believe that Isaiah is making a reference to the Jewish refusal to accept Christian teachings. This refusal has perplexed and irritated adherents to Christianity for the past two thousand years. Jews persist in awaiting the true Jewish messiah who is human in every respect, not believed to be a physical representation of G-d. Judaism rejects Christianity because it finds no support in Jewish scripture. They do not reject it out of blindness.

Hashem instructs Isaiah to speak to "this people" meaning those living in the time of Isaiah. They themselves are hardening their ears and sealing their hearts. The prophets words would require them to repent of their evil and they don't want to acknowledge this and stop sinning. Isaiah asks, “How long, my L-rd? (Isaiah 6:11)” to which he receives a detailed response that ends with a hopeful analogy. Israel is then compared to a barren tree that will retain its vitality even after shedding its leaves. Like a tree, the Land of Israel too will sprout again.