Destruction of the First Mikdash

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Multiple Reflections Upon the Fast of Tammuz
Rabbi Dr. Aharon Adler
תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | |
Turning to the book of Zekharya, we begin with a question posed to the prophet: are the fast days still to be in place after the exile? An ambiguous and lengthy answer ends with the response that they will be transformed into days of joy. Conspicuously absent in the answer is a time frame. To better understand what is going on, we explore what happened on the day commemorated by the “fast of the fourth month.” Excerpts from poetry of Ibn Gabirol, among other sources, contribute to a richer picture of what the fast day is about.
An Interim "Introduction" to Sefer Melakhim
Rabbi Alex Israel
From chapter 14 and onwards, we read brief accounts of kings that are formal and contain standardized language. The focus of the book of Melakhim is to be on the Mikdash. The book begins with the rise of Shlomo and the building of the Mikdash, and it ends with its destruction. The blame is also clear. This is a book that targets the leaders, and hence it assesses the leadership – king by king - to discern which national figures accelerated the path to that great calamity of destruction and which tried to reverse or stem that process, steering the nation on a path of repentance. Every king is listed and surveyed in order to understand their part. Hence, no link in the chain from building to destruction may be omitted. It knows precisely where to place the blame, which area of deviance constitutes the core of the problem. Our book is focused and locked-in upon idolatry and its associated practices.
Yirmiyahu and the Goal of Prophecy
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag
תאריך פרסום: תשס"ט | | 10 minutes
Who is Yirmiyahu? This short shiur explores the personality of this prophet who is commonly associated with the destruction of the Temple and the exile. Through a discussion about the seventy years usually attributed to the length of exile, we can learn about Yirmiyahu and the goal of prophecy in general.
The Book of Ovadya: Content and Meaning
Dr. Avigail Rock
תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |
Sefer Ovadya in its entirety is comprised of a prophecy directed at the nation of Edom, rebuking them for various offenses they had perpetrated against the Jewish nation during the destruction of the first Temple. Through a close reading of the book, as well as by referencing many other sources throughout the Tanach, we can appreciate how crucial this prophecy is for understanding the events that are to unfold in the future of the Jewish nation.
The End
Rabbi Alex Israel
Sefer Melakhim has little to say about the life of the last king of Yehuda, Tzidkiyahu. No specific happening or event that occurred during the first nine years of his eleven year rule are recorded. It is as if his reign was almost inconsequential and the Hurban just happens to transpire on his watch.

From the book of Yirmiyahu, King Tzidkiyahu emerges as a weak leader, a spineless and fickle character. On the one hand, he seeks Yirmiyahu's advice and assistance, and then, when intimidated by his own officials, he submits to their demands that Yirmiyahu be imprisoned as a traitor. When conditions get dire, Tzidkiyahu tries to escape Jerusalem, saving his own life but abandoning his nation still entrapped within. Tzidkiyahu conspires with other kings to rebel against Babylon, supported by local false prophets, but Yirmiyahu continues to prophesy the imminent destruction of the Beit HaMikdash.

In the aftermath of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, Gedaliah is murdered, sealing the fate on any chance of continued Jewish life in Israel. Yehoyakhin's reprive at the end of Sefer Melakhim gives a glimmer hope for a better future for the Jewish people.
Two -Person Drama of Eikhah Chapter 1
Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman |
What is the book of Eikhah all about? What is its purpose? By closely examining Chapter 1 and viewing it in play form we notice that Eikhah is not a book of kinot, but rather a guide for Am Yisrael in the aftermath of the churban. It is meant to instruct the nation grappling with the social and psychological realities of rebuilding their lives, allowing them to realize that God is there and they can turn to Him during times of crisis.
The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Fate of Yirmiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
The account of the capture and the destruction of Jerusalem parallel – both linguistically and substantively – Yirmiyahu's prophecy of consecration, in which he predicted the destruction already at the beginning of his mission. This parallel indicates that Nevukhadnetzar's rebuke of Tzidkiyahu for rebellion and treachery represents, as it were, God's rebuke of him for his spiritual rebellion.

Chapter 39 is the direct continuation of chapter 38, and it describes the fulfillment of Yirmiyahu's prophecy in two directions. It emphasizes the contrast between the fate of the heads of the kingdom – Tzidkiyahu and his princes who failed to heed Yirmiyahu's prophecy and even tried to kill him – to the fate of Yirmiyahu, the prophet who remained faithful to God's word. Yirmiyahu was saved by Nevuzar'adan on the direct order of Nevukhadnetzar himself and Tzidkiyahu and his princes are severely punished. Therefore in this chapter the remaining of Yirmiyahu in Eretz Yisrael is not described as his choice.

In the account in chapter 40, Yirmiyahu chooses to remain in Eretz Yisrael and not be under Nevukhadnetzar’s care in Babylon. This action clarifies the fact that Yirmiyahu's support for surrender did not stem from political motives or from excessive closeness to Babylon, but was rather a result of his prophecy. It seems that after the destruction, Yirmiyahu thinks that that there is hope for reestablishing national life in Eretz Yisrael through Gedalya. Therefore, it is stressed in this chapter that the remaining of Yirmiyahu in Eretz Yisrael was by his choice.

Insisting upon the honor due to the Father and the honor due to the son characterizes the entire length of Yirmiyahu's mission. This duality underlies the two accounts of Yirmiyahu's fate: On the one hand, chapter 39 describes Yirmiyahu's rescue at the hand of the king of Babylon owing to his "pro-Babylonian" loyalty, as it were, and his prophecies of calamity and rebuke of the people – and his call for surrender. All these are the result of his prophetic mission from God. On the other hand, chapter 40 emphasizes that Yirmiyahu tied his fate of his own free will to the fate of the nation that he so greatly loved.
Eikhah and Eikhah Rabbah: Different Responses to the Hurban
Dr. Yael Ziegler
תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |
Focusing on the books of Eikhah and Eikhah Rabbah, this lecture highlights the differences between Megillat Eikhah and midashic work of Eikhah Rabbah - the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash as portrayed by Chazal. By examining the differences between the books we understand that Chazal's goal in Eikhah Rabbah is to help the nation contend with the destruction and with future tragedies as well.
Inside the Divine Chariot: Deciphering the Book of Yechezkel
Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky
תאריך פרסום: תשע"ד | |
This shiur begins with the Ma’ase Merkava (the Chariot Vision), and takes a broad look at the entire book of Yehezkel, noticing Yehezkel’s distinctive style in dealing with the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash in his prophecies, such as that of the “double prophecy” wherein Yehezkel provides the prophetic content twice: first allegory and then exposition. Emerging from this study is a recurring image of the Garden of Eden, a comparison between the Kohen Gadol and Adam HaRishon, the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and a message of sadness and consolation about the departure and return of the Divine Presence.
The Book of Yehezkel
Introduction
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The Book of Yehezkel covers a fateful period of some 22 years in the history of the Jewish People: beginning with year five of the exile of King Yehoyakhin and ending fifteen years after the Destruction of the First Temple. As opposed to other prophets, Yehezkel's prophecies are conveyed in Babylon and grapple with the contemporaneous crisis from a Diaspora vantage point.

The purpose of Yehezkel's prophecies – in the years preceding the Destruction – was to inform the people that God had departed from His Temple in Jerusalem. He therefore describes in detail the Divine chariot and the journeys of God's glory outside the Temple.

Yehezkel presents the view of the "inhabitants of Jerusalem," who say that the exiles have distanced themselves from God and from His Land, and that they are not counted among the inheritors of the land and those close to God. God's response, however, conveyed through the prophet, is that while those taken in captivity are currently in exile, God is with them there, as a "miniature Temple". For the first time, the prophet affirms the Jewish identity of the exiles: they remain part of God’s nation, even though the Jews still living in their homeland have a different view, and maintain that God's place is still in the Temple in their midst.

Both groups, the inhabitants in the land and those exiled to Babylonia, despite their differences, have this in common: neither changed its behavior during these years. Thus, Yehezkel's prophetic mission during these years was not to call upon the people to mend their ways and repent, but rather to explain the significance of the events in Jerusalem, and thereby to prepare the ground for the prophecies of rebuilding which came after the Destruction, as well as the vision of the future 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.
The Destruction of the City
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The prophecy concerning the imminent fate of the city resembles the destruction that Yehezkel had prophesied in the past, but he no longer reacts with cries of surprise or distress, as he had earlier; now he is apathetic. From now on, his pre-destruction prophetic mission is limited to describing the situation in the city.

The description begins presenting a city that is full of bloodshed. Yehezkel’s accusation is against all of Jerusalem’s inhabitants – all classes and positions. Throughout the book Yehezkel avoids using the name Jerusalem altogether. Perhaps this is that the actions of the nation have not only led to the defiling of the name, but have also caused a rupture in God’s attitude towards the eternity of the city.

Chapter 24 contains two accounts of loss: the loss of Yehezkel’s wife, and the loss of the Temple. The connection between Yehezkel’s private loss and the nation’s loss of the Temple indicates that the profaning of the Temple is irreversible: in other words, the Temples that will be built after the destruction of the First Temple represent a new creation, not a recreation of the Temple that existed.

Yehezkel is commanded not to mourn for his wife as a sign to the people. Why, then, is Am Yisrael commanded not to mourn over the Temple?

The withholding of mourning may represent a sort of Divine punishment – or, alternatively, an act of acceptance of God’s will. Perhaps mourning is only significant for the comfort that others give to the mourner and the commandment not to mourn signifies that there are none to comfort.

This prophecy concludes Yehezkel’s prophecies of rebuke uttered before the destruction and ends his term of silence.
Chapters 39 and 40: Yirmiyahu's Fate and Free Will
Rabbi David Sabato
Shall Kohen and Prophet be Slain in the Sanctuary?!
Rabbi Moshe Taragin
Why is the story of the murder of a Kohen and Prophet in the Beit Hamikdash so dominant in the midrashim and in the prayers of Tisha be-Av? The connection between him and the tragedy of Tisha be-Av is quite indirect; why, then, is his murder presented as such a fundamental and important event?

The Sages pinpoint several sins that were themselves the cause of the destruction. Aside from these specific sins, the Sages regarded the nation's refusal to accept rebuke from the prophets as a fundamental factor leading to the great tragedy.

The people would ignore the prophets of God and wave off their warnings with stubbornness and a complacency born of illusion. They convinced themselves that God would not destroy His own Temple. They wished to continue making merry and living their worry-free lives, rejecting out of hand the concept of reward and punishment. Additionally, people of vulgar spirit who were living successful lives were incapable of accepting advice from dusty, wandering moralizers.

For this reason Yirmiyahu mourns for the destruction, which came about mostly because of the nation's inability to listen to the prophets and their messages. Every individual always has the ability to repent, thereby avoiding punishment and destruction. But the moment he shuts himself off and blocks his ears, the road to repentance is closed.
Introduction to Eikha
Rabbi Noam Shapiro
The People, the Prophet, and God in Response to the Destruction
Dr. Tova Ganzel
Yehezkel and the Jews in Babylon receive the news of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. Yehezkel must contend with the claim of the remnant left in the land that they are the ones who will eventually inherit it despite their small numbers. And indeed, size or number is not the decisive factor. The argument of the remnant is erroneous: not because of their small number, but rather their due to the multitude of their sins.

The claim of the remnant seems to belong to the period preceding the murder of Gedalya. The claim of the remnant in the land indicates that they assumed that exile was a matter pertaining only to those now in Babylonia, while they themselves were continuing the national survival of Am Yisrael, and were therefore deserving of possession of the land. The murder of Gedalya brought this claim to an end. They ceased to view themselves as a distinct group that was separate from their brethren in Babylonia.

An understanding of the prophecy from which its historical context raises two exegetical possibilities: If Gedalya was murdered in the Tishrei immediately after the destruction of the Mikdash, then Yehezkel’s prophecy – taking place in the month of Tevet – which seem polemical is no longer relevant. The other, seemingly more likely possibility is that this prophecy describes the situation in the land at a slightly later stage – not during the weeks immediately following the Destruction. At this time there were still a good number of Jewish inhabitants in the land, and they still viewed their group as an alternative to the Babylonian exiles. This perspective rests upon the assumption that Gedalya was assassinated not in the month of Tishrei immediately after the Destruction, but rather a year or more later.

The prophet does not focus on the Destruction itself; he looks to the past and to the future. The reason for this is that the exiles in Babylonian have not experienced the direct crisis, and they have already begun to internalize the new reality. These prophecies contain nothing in the way of consolation, sorrow, reconciliation or compassion over what has happened in Jerusalem. This is especially conspicuous if we compare these chapters with Yirmiyahu, who laments at length over the Destruction.
Responses to the Destruction
HaTanakh.com Staff
Foreign Kings and Empires during the Destruction of the Beit Hamikdash
HaTanakh.com Staff
The True Date of Tisha B'Av
HaTanakh.com Staff
Al Naharot Bavel
Atara Snowbell | 46 minutes
Psalms chapter 137 known as "Al Neharot Bavel" is commonly recited during the Nine Days - the period of mourning leading to Tisha B'Av. What are the main messages that lie within this chapter? By closely examining the words and imagery, we can learn about the danger in the comforts of exile, as well as the important role that the Land of Israel and, more specifically, Jerusalem, play in the poet's relationship with God.
What's in a Name?
HaTanakh.com Staff
Punishment and Hope: The Haftora for Tisha B'Av
Rabbi Yehuda Shaviv
By closely examining the haftara for Tisha B'Av, we can gain a new understanding of the destruction of the Temple through the imagery expressing brokenness and despair, and the prophecies of punishment. However, the continuation of Yirmiyahu's words shows that knowledge of God means proper social leadership. God presents Himself, as it were: "For I am God who performs faithful love, justice and righteousness in the earth." It turns out that understanding God means knowing Him through these attributes. And what does God desire? That man should follow His ways and likewise perform faithful love, justice and righteousness. These deeds are the key to redemption.
Eikha: A Verbal Capsule of Jewish History
Rabbi Moshe Taragin
The word "Eikha" - an incredulous cry of "how?!" occurs three times in Tanakh. To underscore the succession between these three occurrences of the term "eikha," the Midrash comments that Moshe witnessed the Jews during their triumphant moments and recited, 'Eikha'; Yeshayahu saw them during their degenerate period and recited, 'Eikha'; and Yirmiyahu encountered them during their tragic torment and recited the same term. By building this sequencing, Chazal establish more than just historical or prophetic symmetry. Their message is that Jewish history – at every stage - can only be described with the term "eikha."
Destruction to Restoration - Chart and Explanation
Rabbi Dr. Yehoshua Reiss
"Houses and fields and vineyards shall yet again be bought in this land" (Jer. 32:15)

The chart below displays the story of Am Yisrael during the last 300 years of the Biblical era. It depicts the dramatic story of the transition between the destruction of the kingdoms of Israel and Yehuda and the Temple to the return to Zion and the building of the second Temple. The optimistic conclusion of the Tanakh reflects the prophetic perception of the revival and rebuilding of Am Yisrael in its land.
Self Study Questions for Tisha B'Av
"Houses and fields and vineyards shall yet again be bought in this land" (Jer. 32:15)
Rabbi Dr. Yehoshua Reiss
Below is a series of questions related to the "Destruction to Restoration" chart. These questions facilitate an in-depth study of the chart and an understanding of the general historical outlook on the period of the final kings of Yehuda, the destruction of the Temple, and the return to Zion.

Please download the attached file for a formatted question sheet.
Answers for Self Study Questions
"Houses and fields and vineyards shall yet again be bought in this land" (Jer. 32:15)
Rabbi Dr. Yehoshua Reiss
Please see the attached answers for the self study questions for Tisha B'Av.

The chart below displays the story of Am Yisrael during the last 300 years of the Biblical era. It depicts the dramatic story of the transition between the destruction of the kingdoms of Israel and Yehuda and the Temple to the return to Zion and the building of the second Temple. The optimistic conclusion of the Tanakh reflects the prophetic perception of the revival and rebuilding of Am Yisrael in its land.
Yirmiyahu 11-12
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
The prophecy in perek 11 is the product of three combined prophecies delivered on three different occasions. The combination of these prophecies reflects the deterioration of the nation's spiritual state. The first section (1-5) describes a covenant that engendered hopeful expectations. The second and third sections (6-8, 9-13) describe the nation's failure to fulfill their commitment. After the description of the punishment in the third section (11-13), Yirmiyahu requests permission to pray on behalf of the nation. However, God refuses his request.

The second half of perek 11, and perek 12 reveal painful details of Yirmiyahu's tortured life by describing the mistreatment and harassment he suffered at the hands of his family and neighbors. The first section (11:18-23) describes the evil committed by the people of Anatot and the punishment they received as a result of their behavior. In the second section (12:1-6), Yirmiyahu joins the ranks alongside great leaders, prophets, and composers of Tehillim who have questioned the ways of God, wondering why the sinners succeed while the righteous consistently suffer. The perek continues with two prophecies in which God speaks about the destruction of the Temple and the land of Israel as an event which has already taken place. God's distress over the nation's betrayal is interwoven with expression of His deep love for them and His pain at the site of the destruction.
Yehezkel 7-8
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
In perek 7 the prophecy is directed at the land of Israel and focuses on the violence that fills the land and with a description of the end and destruction that will follow as its consequence. This is a continuation of the previous prophecy to the mountains of Israel concerning the sin of idolatry. This prophecy contains phrases from the portion of disasters in Sefer Vayikra and for the first time in this sefer, the destruction of the Temple is mentioned. The first part of the prophecy (1-9) contains two parallel sections and describes the end that will be visited on the land. Beginning with pasuk 10, the process of destruction is described: the disruption of the way of life (12-13), the horrors of siege and war (14-15), refugees and grief (16-19), and finally the destruction of the Temple by the enemies (20-22). This prophecy is characterized by the repetition of words, ideas, and even entire phrases.

Perakim 8-11 describe Yehezkel's prophetic visit to Jerusalem. God's hand lifts Yehezkel while he sits with the elders of Judah, and he is taken in a vision to Jerusalem and exposed step-by-step to the great abominations being committed in the Temple, acts that will ultimately bring about its destruction.
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.
Zechariah 7-8
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
With the building of the Second Temple and the end of the seventy years of exile, the people began to wonder how to relate to the fast days which were decreed after the destruction of the First Temple. Perek 7 begins with a description of the arrival of a delegation, apparently from the Babylonian exile, to the priests and prophets in Jerusalem in order to ask about one of the fast days (7:1-3). Zechariah’s answer includes several short prophecies which are based on quotes from earlier prophecies of the “former prophets”, mostly from Yirmiyahu. At the beginning and again at the end Zechariah addresses the question of the status of the fast days directly, and in the middle he reviews the past and remembers the early prophecies of doom and then the prophecies of consolation. These prophecies are presented in a chiastic structure and together are designed to deal with this question.
The Fall of Shiloh: The Mystery of the Tanach's Silent Tisha B'av
Rabbi Moshe Shulman | Hour and 6 minutes
Yirmiyahu the prophet uses the destruction of the mishkan in Shiloh as the paradigm on which to model the imminent destruction of the Temple. What is the relationship between the destruction of Shiloh and the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash? What was the sin of Shiloh? When and why was Shiloh destroyed? This lecture addresses these questions, as well as the discussion of why this cataclysmic event in Jewish history is barely mentioned in Tanach.
The Weeping of Yosef and Binyamin and the Exiles to Come
Rabbi David Silverberg
Tablets, Temples, and Tefilot
Shani Taragin | 55 minutes
Two of the tragedies that befell Am Yisrael on 17 Tammuz are the breaking of the first set of luchot by Moshe following the Sin of the Golden Calf, and the beginning of the destruction of the first Beit Hamikdash. By placing the mourning for the luchot and the Beit Hamikdash on the same day, Chazal are pointing out important parallels between them, in order to understand the tragedy of the day. By exploring the differences between the first and second luchot and appreciating the relationship between them, we can better understand the differences between the first and second Beit Hamikdash, and learn about the partnership between God and Am Yisrael as we learn from the past and look towards the future.

Courtesy of tanachstudy.com
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.
The Five Fast Days of Tevet
Rabbi Dr. Aharon Adler
תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour
What are the "five fast days of Tevet?" Well, there are at least four possible dates in traditional Jewish sources, as well as a fifth idea. We examine some of them, and explore the different aspects of the Fast of Tevet.

We begin with an unusual phenomenon in Tanakh: a Halakhic question and answer. The question is posed to the prophet Zechariah: is it proper to cry and fast for the four Fast Days of mourning once the second Beit HaMikdash is being built? Zechariah's answer is not clear, and neither are the dates of the fasts.

When is the Fast of Tevet meant to be, and what is it really marking? Aside from signifiying another stage of the protracted Destruction of Jerusalem, the Fast of Tevet also marks the time when the Jewish community already in Babylonia heard that Jerusalem was destroyed in the time of the prophet Yehezkel - months after the burning of the Beit HaMikdash! This and other events linked to the Fast of Tevet lead us to identify another dimension what this fast may be mourning: assimilation of the Jewish people.
Introduction to Eikha
Shiur #01
Dr. Yael Ziegler
תאריך פרסום: 5778 |
In this series on Eikha, we will examine broad themes, such as theodicy, false prophets, national sinning, and human suffering, but we will also engage in a close reading of the text. While drawing on academic sources and methodology, my interpretative framework is rooted deeply in the world of Torah learning. I hope that this reading will yield a stimulating understanding of the book, and that it will illustrate how biblical poetry works and how it offers its readers spiritual insights and wisdom.

In this introductory class, I will raise some of the technical questions that arise with respect to the book of Eikha. The book’s title, its author, its unity, and its date of composition are all subject to dispute. After presenting a brief overview of various approaches to each of these issues, I will explain the approach that I will adopt in this series in addressing each of these subjects.
Royal Quarter and Bullae House, City of David
Megalim Institute
Megalim | 6 minutes
The archaeological site of the Royal quarters of King Jehoiakim gives us a glimpse into the biblical narrative that ultimately lead to the destruction of the first Temple.

Courtesy of Megalim Institute
Chapter 2 Part I: The Narrator’s Account of Jerusalem’s Destruction
Shiur #22
Dr. Yael Ziegler
To describe the assault on the city, the narrator harnesses several tools of verbal artistry. Most prominently, as noted, synonyms shape the narrative. God’s purposeful destruction is the subject of nearly every sentence in the first eight verses of the chapter.
Eikha Chapter 2 (continued)
Shiur #27
Dr. Yael Ziegler
After eight active verses of destruction, God begins to recede into the background. The physical city has been obliterated, Jerusalem’s gates sunk deeply into the ground, her defensive fortifications annihilated. Having completed His task, God issues one final blow, shattering the locks of the city, rendering her exposed and defenseless. God exits the scene, abandoning Jerusalem to her fate, with no further instruction. The verse closes by focusing our attention upon the loss of direction or guidance for the nation. Bereft of political leadership, religious instruction, or prophetic visions, Jerusalem’s inhabitants appear rudderless and disoriented.
Eikha Chapter 2 (continued)
Shiur #29
Dr. Yael Ziegler
The narrator steps in to fill the hollow chasm carved out by Jerusalem’s silence. Speaking directly to Jerusalem, the narrator presents a series of rhetorical questions. Will I bear witness to Jerusalem’s suffering? Can anything be compared to Jerusalem’s pain? Is there anything that can console the ruined city? The answer implied by these rhetorical questions is a resounding no. These events seem unprecedented, the suffering incomparable. A barrage of rhetorical questions conveys the narrator’s profound sense of helplessness, his inability to provide consolation or a path to recovery.
When Politics and Religion Clash: A Crash Course on Sefer Yirmiyahu
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag | Hour and 4 minutes
Yirmiyahu, like most other prophets, rebukes the nation on issues relating to idol worship and ethical behavior. However, at a certain point in his career, Yirmiyahu finds himself in a unique and most uncomfortable position, when God demands that he tell the people (and the King) to surrender to the Babylonian army. In our class, we will explain when and why this happens, and how it affects our understanding of not only the book of Yirmiyahu, but also the underlying reason for the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the first Temple.
Singing with Asaf: Facing Destruction and Preparing to Build the Future Temple
The Structure & Story of Books books II (42-72) & III (73-89)
Dr. Beni Gesundheit | Hour and 8 minutes
Second Asaf Collection A2 (73-83) and Mizmor 72

The second Asaf collection paints a depressing picture of the destruction of the Temple, the exile of the Jews and the victory of their enemies. How could these mizmorim have been put to music and even be called songs?

The second Asaf collection A2 (73-83) remembers King David (72) and the history of the Jewish people in order to face the destruction and the exile. Influenced by Megilat Eicha and the prophet Isaiah, Asaf builds new hope for the future as reflected in Books IV and V.