Yirmiyahu Prays for the Nation

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1. The Prophet in Prayer

   Sharón Rimón

   What exactly does God reveal to Avraham before the destruction of Sodom? Why does God feel the need to reveal His plans to Avraham? Does God tell him He is going to destroy Sodom, or is he only informed that God is planning on judging Sodom? What is the purpose of the prophet? How is his role expressed in the prayers of Moshe and Jeremiah?

2. The Personal Dimension of Yirmiyahu’s Prophecy

   Part I

   Rabbi David Sabato

   Yirmiyahu stands out among the prophets with the descriptions of the deep involvement of his personal life with his prophecies. There is no other prophet whose prophecies are described as inseparably connected to the prophet's personal life as those of Yirmiyahu.

   Embedded among Yirmiyahu's chapters of prophecy are his personal prayers, in which he pours out his supplications before God and reveals his doubts and troubles. A tension exists between Yirmiyahu the prophet, who is not permitted to cry in front of the people, because this would contradict his standing and his mission, and Yirmiyahu the representative of his people, who identifies with their grief and suffering and secretly weeps with them day and night. On the one hand he transmits God’s prophecies of destruction. On the other hand he attempts to rip up the decree of evil through his prayers. On numerous occasions God halts his prayers, but not because of a deficiency in Yirmiyahu, but because of the nation's inability to repent.

3. Can the People Keep the Covenant?

   Rabbi David Sabato

4. Yirmiyahu's Prayers and the People

   Rabbi David Sabato

5. 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.  

6. Yirmiyahu 15-16

   Matan Al Haperek

   Rabbi David Sabato

   In perek 15 we once again encounter Yirmiyahu's personal life and the duality which troubles his tortured soul. In the first section of this perek (1-9), Yirmiyahu responds to God's refusal to accept his prayers which was discussed in perek 14. God tells Yirmiyahu that even if the greatest leaders of past generations would stand before Him in prayer, they wouldn't be able to save the nation. The perek continues to describe the many facets of the exile: plagues, death by the sword, famine, and captivity. In the second section of the perek (10-21), Yirmiyahu laments the suffering, mockery, and isolation he has endured and gives expression to the anguish caused by his life's mission. God's response to this outcry encourages Yirmiyahu to continue marching forward despite his desperation.

   Perek 16 continues the portrayal of Yirmiyahu as a man struggling with his divinely ordained fate to live a life which reflects his tragic prophecies. The perek opens with an unbearable and unusual commandment: Yirmiyahu is forbidden to marry and create a family; The instruction to disconnect from general society is meant to symbolize the future destruction which is described in great detail by the continuation of the perek.