Yehoyakim ben Yoshiyahu

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The Attempted Rebellion Against the King, and the Promotion of Haman
Prof. Jonathan Grossman
The story of Bigtan and Teresh raise many questions that do not seem to be answered in the text. Apparently the purpose of the story is limited to the information that is conveyed, and there is no reason to try and fill in the missing details. This article will analyze the phrase "And it was after these things," and discuss the verses describing Haman's rise to power.
Introduction - Daniel
Rabbi Yaakov Medan
The beginning of Sefer Daniel dates back to the Exile of Yehoyakim – the first Exile of Yehuda. Yehoyakim’s father Yoshiyahu was the final independent ruler of Yehuda and after his death a power struggle began between Egypt and Babylon. The date at the beginning of the book is reconciled with the dates in other books and the description of Yehoyakim’s demise is reconciled with description of his death and burial in Jerusalem.
Daniel and his Companions in the Court of the King of Babylon
Rabbi Yaakov Medan
Daniel and his three companions go into exile in Babylon at the end of Yehoyakim’s reign. The Babylonian attempt to assimilate them by giving them Babylonian names is confronted by their adherence to a pre-Halakhik decree to abstain from Babylonian food – even if technically permissible. Their challenge is compared to Yoseph’s challenge. While in a foreign land, he fought assimilation by refusing the seduction of Potiphar’s wife. Taking part in food and wine of the gentiles - like in the instance of Ba’al Pe’or or in the instance of Ahashverosh’s party - led to disastrous results. If eating the food was indeed not permissible, the improved health of the four boys might be explained as a spiritual result of their abstention.
The Decline towards Hurban
Rabbi Alex Israel
The last four kings of Yehuda struggle under the crippling hegemony first of Egypt and then of Babylon, suffering military defeat, vassalage, humiliation, deportation, siege and torture. The sun is setting on the First Temple period and it will swiftly end in the conquest of Jerusalem and the exile of its people.

Soon after Yehoahaz becomes king, Pharaoh Nekho makes his brother Yehoyakim the king placing on him a heavy tax. Yehoyakim and the higher strata of society lead a lavish lifestyle oppressing the regular people to pay the tax and for their lifestyles - something that the prophet Yirmiyahu fights against. Despite the growing power of Babylon and despite Yirmiyahu's prophecies, the people remain indifferent and believe the Beit HaMikdash to be invicible. Yehoyakim is removed by the Babylonian king and the child king Yehoyakhin rules for a mere three months. He, the skilled laborers and the vessels of the Beit HaMikdash are taken to Babylon beginning the exile of Yehuda and creating two centers - in Jerusalem with Tzidkiyahu and in Babylon with Yehoyakhin.
Regarding the Kings of the Davidic Dynasty
Rabbi David Sabato
These chapters contain a collection of prophecies that Yirmiyahu delivered to the last kings of Yehuda. The institutions of the Beit HaMikdash and the Davidic dynasty are perceived by the people as stable, absolute, and unassailable. Both rely on a Divine promise regarding their eternity, and the two promises are intertwined. However, the biological continuity of the descendants of David does not in itself entitle them to the kingdom, but only when coupled with its moral continuity. Only then can they truly sit on the throne of David. In contrast, the non-realization of the moral purpose will lead to the destruction of the house of David, just as it will lead to the destruction of the house of God.

In contrast to the ideal description of the monarch at the beginning of the chapter, Yirmiyahu traces the debased moral situation in the days of Yehoyakim. This rebuke revolves around the building of Yehoyakim's magnificent royal palace, which involved the breach of the most fundamental principles of morality and justice.

The future of Yehoyakhin’s seed is described in bleak terms by Yirmiyahu, but that is contradicted by his descendant Zerubavel who takes a leadership role in the Return to Zion. In contrast, Tzidkiyahu is described by Yirmiyahu as a potential Mashiah, a role that his poor decisions do not allow him to realize.
The Rise of Nevuchadnetzar and the Beginning of the Babylonian Era
Rabbi David Sabato
After twenty-three years of prophecy during which Yirmiyahu and his fellow prophets warned about the impending calamity, the geopolitical situation becomes clarified; the "enemy from the north" about whom Yirmiyahu had warned over the years of his prophecy takes on concrete form in the figure of Nevuchadnetzar, king of Babylonia, serving as God's agent, who will come and punish the people for their refusal to hear His words during those years. Additionally, Yirmiyahu provides a long list of nations and kings who will fall into the hands of Nevuchadnetzar, and he thus highlights the global revolution that will take place in the wake of his conquests. After seventy years however, Babylon too will be destroyed.
The Scroll of Yirmiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
The fourth year of the reign of Yehoyakim is a pivotal one for the prophecies of Yirmiyahu. Babylon’s victory over Egypt made Babylon the most powerful empire in the region. This victory was a clear proof of the validity of Yirmiyahu's prophecies over the course of twenty three years. Now it became clear to all that Babylon was the primary enemy threatening the kingdom of Yehuda. Yirmiyahu is commanded to summarize all of the prophecies that he delivered until that time and to record them in a scroll. This scroll is read in Beit Hamikdash and ultimately in the ears of King Yehoyakim. The account of the reading of the scroll in the ears of Yehoyakim brings to mind a similar event involving his father, Yoshiyahu, when the Torah was read in his ears.

There is an enormous difference between the responses of the two kings. While Yoshiyahu rends his garments when they read the scroll before him, Yehoyakim abstains from rending his garments, and instead tears up the scroll itself! Yoshiyahu is shocked to the depths of his soul, and he drags his princes and the entire people after him to take dramatic action to change the decree. In contrast, Yehoyakim demonstrates terrible scorn. While his princes are shocked by the scroll and bring it before the king, the king himself holds it in contempt, tears it up, and burns it. Rather than the king influencing his princes and dragging them after him, the reverse takes place here; the king stops his princes and refuses to listen to the princes who plead with him not to burn the scroll. Yoshiyahu immediately sends a delegation to seek the word of God from the mouth of Chulda the prophetess, whereas Yehoyakim sends his emissaries to kill the prophet and prevent him from sounding the word of God.

Yehoyakim is absolutely impervious to the words of the prophet; he is not prepared to listen even after the Babylonian enemy begins to go up against Yehuda, and all of his behavior demonstrates scorn and contempt. Yehoyakim's conduct, which is described here and in other places in the book of Yirmiyahu, brings the people one step closer to the destruction.
Introduction to the Book of Yirmiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
The introduction to the study of Sefer Yirmiyahu discusses the introductory verses of the book, including the biographical information provided about the prophet and the background of the time period in which he lived. Also discussed is the place of this book among the other books of the Prophets, and as its structure.
"Shall He Return to her Again?" - A Collection of Prophecies of Repentance
Rabbi David Sabato
In chapter 3, Yirmiyahu presents a prophecy that portrays the difficulty inherent in the repentance of the Jewish People through a parable. Israel is compared to a woman who has left her husband – God - for other men - idols. Such a woman is halakhically forbidden to return to her first husband and that sin pollutes and defiles the Land of Israel. Can Israel possibly return to God?
"The Words of the Covenant" in the Prophecy of Yirmiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
In Yirmiyahu's three part prophecy in chapter 11, he relates to the historic covenants at Sinai and at Arvot Moav. He challenges the people to keep the covenant which was attempted during Yoshiyahu’s reign. In this regard, Yirmiyahu differed from the prophetess Hulda by expressing hope in Yoshiyahu’s ability to repair and save the covenant. But the days of Yoshiyahu’s reign ended with the realization that his upheaval did not succeed in penetrating deeply and did not succeed in creating a real change. With the arrival of Yehoyakim’s reign it becomes apparent to the initially optimistic Yirmiyahu that the covenant will not be repaired and the fate of the people is sealed to the extent that Yirmiyahu is forbidden to pray on behalf of the people.
The Potter's House and the Earthen Bottle
Rabbi David Sabato
In the prophecy in the potter’s house, the house of Israel is like clay in the hand of God, the creator of history, and the fashioning of its destiny is based on its moral quality. But Israel's moral quality does not depend upon God's will because from the moment that God created the world and constricted Himself, He entrusted the choice between good and bad in the hands of man alone. If they choose to do that which is good in God's eyes, their historical destiny will be fashioned in a positive manner. But the moment that they corrupt their ways, their destiny will perforce change in accordance with their deficient moral quality. Despite the resoluteness of the prophecy itself and the decree of calamity that it contains, there is always the possibility of change, which depends exclusively on the people.

In contrast, the breaking of the bottle prophecy symbolizes the hopeless situation – the potter's vessel that cannot be made whole again. The first prophecy was delivered to the people at a stage when there was still a place for repair and renewal, while the second prophecy reflects the crisis to which the people arrived when the malleable clay hardened to the point that it turned into a bottle that could no longer be changed and that can no longer be fixed, but only broken.
The Fate of the Kings of Yehuda
Dr. Tova Ganzel
Yehezkel’s prophecy to the kings of Yehuda in this chapter is conveyed through two parables: in the first, the royal family of Yehuda is compared to a family of lions; in the second, to a vine. To understand the significance of the first parable, the prophecy is compared with the historical events to which it refers.

This second parable does not appear to be directed at any specific king of Yehuda; rather, it marks the end of the monarchy of the kings of Yehuda collectively. This parable is noticeably harsher than the previous one. The outcome in the first parable is the capture of the kings alive, whereas in the second parable nothing remains of the vine at all.

This prophetic unit is entirely devoid of any mention of God’s Name. The parable does not mention His Name, and – unlike the other parables that Yehezkel uses to convey his messages – no interpretation is supplied at its conclusion. This omission is especially glaring given the many instances in which Yehezkel’s prophecy is attributed to God.

The description of the fate of the last king of Yehuda, Tzidkiyahu, appears as part of a series of prophecies in Chapter 21 that describe the end of the kingdom of Yehuda. The message it suggests is that the kings of Yehuda have been arrogant; they have not maintained, along with their role as kings, their subjugation to God and His charge. They have not upheld God’s sanctity. In this way they have brought about the Destruction of Jerusalem and of the Temple.
The Beginning of the End
God’s Sword in the Hand of the King of Babylon - Part 2
Dr. Tova Ganzel
This article provides historical background about the king of Babylonia, Nevukhadnetzar and contrasts how he was seen by the two major prophets of his time, Yirmiyahu and Yehezkel. Additionally, this article examines life in the Babylonian exile, based on extra-biblical sources.
Ripping Scrolls or Tearing Clothes: Yehoyakim is not Yoshiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
What's in a Name?
HaTanakh.com Staff
Yirmiyahu 21-22
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
Perakim 21-22 are comprised of a unit of prophecies rebuking the kings of Yehuda for their sinful behavior. These prophecies, which are not organized in chronological order, were received at different points in Yirmiyahu's life and relate to a number of different kings. Tzidkiyahu, the last king to rule Yehuda before the destruction of the Temple, sends a group of messengers to Yirmiyahu in order to receive words of comfort. The prophecy in perek 21 is a response to the arrival of that group. Yirmiyahu sends the messangers back to Tzidkiyahu, who had refused to believe in Yirmiyahu's prophecies until that point, with a prophecy depicting Yerushalayim's destruction. The perek continues with a rebuke of Tzidkiyahu's corrupt justice system which is partly responsible for the destruction of the kingdom.

The unit of prophecies discussing the kings of Yehuda continues into this perek as well. Four kings reigned in Yehuda after Yoshiyahu. Yehoachaz, the son of Yoshiyahu, who in this prophecy is named "Shalum", rules Yehuda for three months before being exiled by Pharaoh Necho. Yehoyakim, the son of Yoshiyahu, rules for eleven years. His son, Yehoyachin, rules for three months and is then exiled with his mother by the Babylonian king. Tzidkiyahu, the son of Yoshiyahu, serves as the final king of Yehuda. The perek begins with general words of rebuke addressed to the king of Yehuda (1-9). This is followed by a prophecy of destruction about "Shulam" (Yehoachaz) (1-12), Yehoyakim (13-19), and Yehoyachin (24-30). In these prophecies, Yirmiyahu paints a picture of the ideal kingship, which stands in stark contrast to the immoral nature of the kings mentioned.
Yirmiyahu 35-36
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
At the time when the Babylonian army reached Jerusalem in the days of Yehoyakim, Yirmiyahu is commanded to take action to demonstrate to the nation their sins. Yirmiyahu is told to go to the house of Rechav, a family of nomads who were in danger for their lives and who had escaped into the city, and to give them wine to drink. The Rechav family passes the test and declines the wine, and reveals to Yirmiyahu that the patriarch of the family, Yehonadav ben Rechav, who had lived 250 years previously, forbade them to settle the land and to drink wine. In contrast to the complete devotion of the Rechav family to the commandments of their father, stand the traitorous acts of Israel who transgress the commandments of God.

In the fourth year of Yehoyakim's reign, the year that Nevuchadnezzer took the throne, Yirmiyahu is commanded to write down all of his prophecies, and this gives us a rare glimpse into the process of the writing of Sefer Yirmiyahu. Yirmiyahu asks Baruch ben Neryah the scribe to transcribe his prophecies and read them to the people in the Temple on the fast day which was set for the month of Kislev. From a Babylonian chronicle we learn that in that month Nevuchadnezzer conquered Ashkelon, and this act symbolized the beginning o fthe Babylonian conquest of the land of Israel. It may be that the fast day was set because of this event, making this an appropriate time to cause the nation to repent. However, while the words of Yirmiyahu are still ringing in the ears of the nation and their leaders, Yehoyakim remains rebellious, and tears and burns the scroll of prophecies.
Sefer Yirmiyahu - When Politics and Religion Clash
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag | Hour and 3 minutes
What is the role of prophecy? Typically the role of a prophet is to share a religious message. This shiur illustrates what happens when politics and religion clash- when religious status is used to promote political opinion. By differentiating between politics and religion, the nation during the time of Yirmiyahu could have prevented the destruction of the Temple. Analyzing Yirmiyahu's prophecies leads us to an understanding of the false messages of the political and religious leaders of the time, and about how to act as a nation representing God.
BABYLONIA
Ruma
Karkemish
Background of Shivat Tzion
Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky
Yirmiyahu predicted that within just seventy years the Babylonian Empire would be humbled and the Jews restored to their homeland. However, Yirmiyahu alluded to multiple counts of seventy, underscoring the utter opacity of the prophet’s prediction.

Cyrus was the king who finally fulfilled Yirmiyahu’s prophecy – at least the first count of seventy. Still, the mystery shrouding the end of the seventy years heightens the dramatic irony in the opening of Ezra. The people who had been expelled to Babylonia had not fully anticipated the destruction, preferring to believe the conveniently optimistic message of the false prophets. Those who did arrive were traumatized and had little meaningful hope of redemption. While Yirmiyahu had predicted that the Temple would be rebuilt in relatively short order, it wasn’t entirely clear when exactly it would be rebuilt, by whom and how. There was no meaningful plan in place for a return to Zion. The Jews were just becoming comfortable in their new surroundings as they received news of Cyrus’ proclamation. And so when Cyrus did issue his proclamation, relatively few heeded the call. Those who did return were reproached by Chagai and Zekharia for their apathy, and required constant goading and emphatic leadership to finally complete the Temple.

It is against this backdrop of unanticipated trauma, unmitigated disaster, renewed comfort and prophetic uncertainty that the period of Shivat Tzion was ushered in. These challenges, and the overall sense of ambivalence, continued to plague the returnees.
בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְשָׁלֹ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ יְהוֹאָחָ֣ז בְּמָלְכ֔וֹ וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה חֳדָשִׁ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ חֲמוּטַ֥ל בַּֽת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מִלִּבְנָֽה׃
II Kings 23, verse 31
בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָ֨ה יְהוֹיָקִ֣ים בְּמָלְכ֔וֹ וְאַחַ֤ת עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ זבידה [זְבוּדָּ֥ה] בַת־פְּדָיָ֖ה מִן־רוּמָֽה׃
II Kings 23, verse 36
וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הָרְבִיעִ֔ת לִיהוֹיָקִ֥ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה הָיָ֞ה הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
Jeremiah 36, verse 1
בְּרֵאשִׁ֗ית מַמְלֶ֛כֶת יְהוֹיָקִ֥ם בֶּן־יֹאושִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה הָיָ֞ה הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔ה מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
Jeremiah 27, verse 1
וַיִּקְחוּ֙ עַם־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֶת־יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֑הוּ וַיַּמְלִיכֻ֥הוּ תַֽחַת־אָבִ֖יו בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
II Chronicles 36, verse 1
בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ יְהוֹיָקִ֣ים בְּמָלְכ֔וֹ וְאַחַ֤ת עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיַּ֣עַשׂ הָרַ֔ע בְּעֵינֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃
II Chronicles 36, verse 5