Tisha B'Av Study

נמצאו 52 תוצאות חיפוש

A Fresh look at Eicha Chapter 5
Rabbi Chaim Brovender
תאריך פרסום: תשס"ט | |
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag provides a ten minute introduction concerning the book of Yirmiahu, and Yirmiahu's purpose as related to the Destruction of the Temple. Yirmiahu's purpose is not to predict the destruction, but to prevent it. This serves as important background to Megillat Eikha, which is ascribed by Chazal to Yirmiahu and which presents the Destruction in the past tense. Rabbi Brovender discusses the fifth chapter of Eikha and connects its ideas to other parts of Tanakh.
The Disappearance of Jerusalem in the Book of Ezekiel
Dr. Tova Ganzel
תאריך פרסום: תשס"ט | |
Why does the Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem, take a backseat in the book of Yehezkel? This shiur explores possible reasons for Yehezkel’s idiosyncratic approach to the Beit Hamikdash in Jerusalem. Before Yehezkel, the people had believed that God would never destroy His Temple. Yehezkel has to take a stand and emphasize that the redemption will come from those in exile. Those still living and sinning in Jerusalem during his time are not to be viewed as a source of hope. His vision of a new and different Temple service in future times reflects his view that what was done in the past brought destruction and exile and that change is essential for a fresh start after the redemption and return.
Rachel's Death and Burial
Rabbi Yaakov Medan
Where was Rachel buried? Why is she the one crying for her children, and why does God answer her prayers? The answers to these questions leads us on a fascinating journey that begins with the Yosef and Binyamin (from the birth of Binyamin and the selling of Yosef through the Concubine on Givah, the destruction of Shiloh, and the exile of the ten tribes), continues with the civil wars throughout the generations (from the selling of Yoself through the murder of Gedalia to the destruction of the Second Temple and the Bar Kokhva Revolt). Rachel's prayer for Binyamin in the merit of her selflessness for him, and her prayer for Yosef and for all of Israel in the merit of her ability to conquer her natural jealousy toward her sister - these prayers have stood by Israel throughout the generations.
Shabbat Hazon
Haftarot - Devarim/Shabbat Hazon
Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein
The word "Eikha" in the haftara connects the chapter to Megillat Eikha, which is read on Tisha B'Av. Was Eikha written with the purpose of convincing people to do Teshuva, or was it written as a book of lamentations, with the purpose of lamenting the destruction? A similar question can be posed regarding the haftara - is it focused on mourning, or reproach?
Eikha and the Power of Biblical Poetry
Part 2
Dr. Yael Ziegler | 37 דקות
This second shiur in the Eikha series, drawing from academic literature, provides a basic introduction to Biblical poetry in general: the purposes and styles, with examples from Eikha and elsewhere in the Bible. Different types of imagery, metre, and structural styles (especially the acrostic and chiasm) are demonstrated in vivid examples from Eikha.
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 דקות
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.
Sanheriv’s Siege of Jerusalem
Rabbi Alex Israel
Hizkiyahu takes advantage of a gap in Assyrian rule and joins Egypt and Babylon in rebellion against Assyria. He fortifies Jerusalem and channels water into the walled city, while cutting off the water supply outside of the city. However, the new Assyrian king Sanheriv fights back, destroying 46 fortified cities in Yehuda, and sets his sights on Jerusalem. Sanheriv sends emissaries to Jerusalem to deflate the moral of the people and encourage them to surrender while boasting that God cannot stop him. After Yishayahu first prophecy sends Sanheriv away temporarily, Sanheriv returns to Jerusalem once again. This time Hizkiyahu prays to God and miraculously the entire Assyrian army is killed in one night. This description has an indirect corroboration in Assyrian historical documents that describe the war against Hizkiyahu in a manner which is jarringly inconsistent with other battles. This miracle led to the concept of Jerusalem's invincibility, a concept that the prophet Yirmiyahu could not change when he prophesied its destruction over a century later.
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.
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.
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.
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 Attempted Rebellion against Babylon and Yirmiyahu's Prophecy Concerning the Bonds
Rabbi David Sabato
The chapter contains a three part prophecy: The first to the kings of the nations who plan a rebellion against Babylon; to Tzidkiyahu king of Yehuda; to the priest and the people. All three prophecies have a similar structure: They open with a positive command – to submit to the king of Babylonia – and then they warn against listening to the words of the false prophets who prophesy just the opposite.

King Nevuchadnetzar does not conquer countries by his own power. Rather, God puts them in his hands, and therefore anyone who rebels against Nevuchadnetzer rebels against God who gave him rule over the world. At the end, Nevuchadnetzer will be punished too since he did not act out of a sense of mission, but simply in an attempt to glorify his own name, he has no real right to do so, and he will therefore be punished for his actions.

Until the rise of the king of Babylonia, Yirmiyahu’s goal was to bring about the mending of Israel's ways so that they not become subjugated to the people from the north. However, now that this period has come to a close, Yirmiyahu's prophetic message changes. Now he preaches to accept the yoke of the king of Babylonia, and warns of the greater dangers that may fall upon the people should they try to turn back the clock and undo the decree.
The Good Figs and the Bad Figs
Rabbi David Sabato
The prevalent mood among those who remained in the Land of Israel after the exile of Yehoyakhin was that their brothers had been exiled from the land and they viewed themselves as heirs to the land. Yirmiyahu struggled against this perception, arguing that it is precisely the exiles, who are likened here to good figs, who will return to the land and inherit it, while those who remained in the land, who are likened to bad figs, will become diminished in numbers and disappear.

There are several lines of similarity between the vision concerning the figs in Yirmiyahu's prophecy and the dreams of Pharaoh that were interpreted by Yosef. Yosef interprets Pharaoh's dream and reveals to him that a great calamity is about to fall upon Egypt. However, Yosef, who was sold as a slave to Egypt, succeeds in saving his family in the years of famine and sustaining them in the exile of Egypt.

In the same way, Yirmiyahu, the prophet of destruction and exile, stands before a great calamity that is threatening to befall the people. In this vision, Yirmiyahu reveals that it is precisely in the depths of the calamity that we find a bright spot in the form of the good figs, the exile of Yehoyakhin, who were "picked" at an earlier stage, before they became ruined, in order to constitute a base for the renewal of the people after the destruction and after the exile in Babylon.
Rachel Weeping for Her Children
Rabbi David Sabato
This unique prophecy exalts the figure of Rachel and has been a source of inspiration for future generations. It has engraved the image of a loving and compassionate mother on the consciousness of the exiled and tormented people for thousands of years.

Yaakov's lack of reconciliation with the loss of Yosef expresses his inner recognition that Yosef is alive. This is the principle alluded to by Rachel's continuous bitter weeping. Her non-stop weeping and refusal to be comforted testify to a similar cognition: Deep inside, Rachel knows and feels that her children will one day return to their land. This weeping is not a weeping of despair but a weeping meant to stir up the mercies of Heaven for her children and return them to their land. Just as Yaakov merited to be comforted and to see his lost son, so too Rachel is promised that her weeping will have an effect, and in the end her children will return to their land.

In contrast, the second part of the prophecy describes a return of a different kind. Here, the son is active in the process; Ephraim's desire to return is what drives the wheels of salvation. Indeed, here too there is parental love for a lost son, but this is a father's love for his son, which symbolizes God's love for Israel.

The difference between the two parts stands out in the root "shov." In the first part, it appears twice and denotes the children's return to the land as a result of Rachel's weeping. In contrast, in the second part, it appears three times and describes Ephraim's repentance, which will bring about his salvation.
"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 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.
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 Chariot and the Journeys of God's Glory
Dr. Tova Ganzel
At the beginning of his book, Yehezkel describes how "the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God." Chapter 1, described by Chazal as the "ma'aseh merkava" is one of the most difficult chapters to understand in all of Tanakh.

This Divine vision, which appears at the very outset of the book, holds the key to understanding one of the central prophetic messages of the book. The recollection of this vision accompanies Yehezkel's prophecy throughout the rest of the book. In these visions, God's glory is borne in a chariot, which indicates motion. The upshot of all these visions is that God's glory has departed from the Temple.

Even in Yehezkel's pre-Destruction prophecies the glory of God has already departed from the Temple and the Divine Presence is no longer within the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, during the six first years of Yehezkel's prophecy – from the time he began to prophesy until the destruction of the Temple – there is no call to the nation as a whole to mend its ways and to repent. The fate of Jerusalem has already been sealed; the Temple is defiled and desecrated, and the city will not be purified until God has poured out His wrath in its midst.

Where is God's glory is to be found during the years of the Destruction? Does God's glory wander with the people to Babylon, or does it remain in the Land of Israel, outside Jerusalem, waiting for the people to return?

Yehezkel emphasizes that even though this is the first time that God's glory has departed – indeed the Temple lies in ruins – nevertheless the same Divine vision will return and once again dwell in the future Temple. The nation need not fear that the departure of God's glory from the Temple means the departure of His glory from the nation.

God’s Presence in the Temple cannot be assumed to be unconditional; God will not allow His Presence to dwell there if the nation causes the Temple to be defiled. But even though the nation refuses to accept the message of the prophets and fails to repent, even after the destruction of the Temple, God will never abandon His people.
Yehezkel's Symbolic Actions and their Meaning
Dr. Tova Ganzel
Generally speaking, the Latter Prophets, unlike the Earlier Prophets, do not perform miracles. Therefore, in order to convey their messages effectively, they must employ both elevated speech and symbolic acts. Perhaps for this reason Yehezkel only conveys his prophecies after a series of symbolic actions performed at the beginning of his prophetic career. Indeed, the difficulty of convincing the nation of the authenticity and reliability of God’s prophets is clearly demonstrated in Yirmiyahu’s struggle against the false prophets. In Sefer Yehezkel too – even in the prophecies that follow the Destruction – the prophet’s audience treats his words as mere poetry and they continue sinning.

Yehezkel’s symbolic acts are a step-by-step demonstration of what is yet to happen due to the sins of the nation: first the siege with no response from God; the unbearable hunger and thirst; and finally – annihilation of most of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, only a few of whom will escape and be saved.
The Deeds of the People in the Temple
Part 2
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The consequence foretold in Sefer Devarim for idolatry is exile. Along with this message, Yehezkel’s prophecy again emphasizes that these acts by the people have caused the defilement of the nation, the land, and the Temple – a result not mentioned in Sefer Devarim but in Sefer Vayikra. However, there is a quantitative difference: in Vayikra, only two verses speak of idolatry as causing defilement of the people and of the Temple, while in Sefer Yehezkel this issue appears in no less than thirty verses. The necessity of repeatedly emphasizing this matter during Yehezkel’s time is understandable bearing in mind the constant presence of false prophets, who continued to insist that the Temple would not be destroyed.

Yehezkel’s descriptions of the varieties of idolatry committed by the people deliberately follows the style employed in Sefer Devarim in the commands and warnings not to follow the deeds of the nations and not to serve their gods. This technique lends additional validity to Yehezkel’s prophecies about the sins – particularly about the punishment that God will bring. In addition, the nation’s sin is amplified through a broad generalization of all the different types of idolatry and their enumeration together in Chapter 8. In this way the prophet underlines the prophetic message that he is conveying: the sins of the people have included idolatry, and this represents justification for the imminent destruction and exile.
Prophecy and Prophets
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The prophets whose messages run counter to those of Yehezkel are divided into different groups, whose order in the text may reflect their respective popularity.

The first argument that was commonly used against Yehezkel’s prophecy was that, with time, his words would lose their relevance. It was enough for these opponents to remind their listeners that warnings as to the destruction had also been voiced in the past, and the passage of time showed that “that which was, is that which shall be”: Jerusalem would not be destroyed. God’s response is that before long their own claim will lose its relevance. The prophecies of the Destruction of Jerusalem will be realized soon, in their own days.

The second group that Yehezkel targets with his words consists of those who claim that their message is prophecy from God, while in fact they are making up their prophecies from their hearts. This shows even more clearly how complicated Yehezkel’s prophetic mission was. The difficulty in differentiating between true prophets and false ones arose from the fact that these were not two completely distinct and separate groups; they were not easily distinguishable from each another.

In this prophecy Yehezkel compares the false prophets to foxes reminiscent of the lamentation that follows the destruction in Eikha. Through their misleading words, the prophets have made themselves like the foxes that would soon wander among the ruins of the Temple. Yehezkel thereby connects the false prophecies with their results. Over the generations the fox came to symbolize the cause of the Destruction, the Destruction itself, but also the hope of a future redemption and rebuilding.
The Soul that Sins – It Shall Die
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The people of Yehezkel’s generation claimed that since the destruction was inevitable, their individual actions no longer had any importance and it made no difference whether they remained loyal to God’s commandments or not. Others believed that “The way of the Lord is unfair”. Therefore Yehezkel repeats and emphasizes the responsibility of every individual for his actions and the life-and-death consequences that follow. Yehezkel concludes by stating that the people’s claim – that the son dies because of the sins of the father – is simply incorrect.

The prophet also declares that the gates of repentance remain open to the individual. These verses are quite unusual given that nowhere in the book is there any call for the people to mend their ways so that God will not destroy His Temple. Although the prophet here calls upon the people to repent, he offers no promise that this will prevent the destruction; he only speaks of deliverance from the death for the sinners when the destruction comes.

The sins brought about the imminent destruction of the city according to Yehezkel are idolatry, sexual immorality and bloodshed. Yehezkel does not seem to attribute the destruction of the First Temple to the social transgressions of the nation as a whole – in neither the prophecies before nor after the Destruction.

In Chapter 22 as the Destruction of Jerusalem draws nearer the prophet appears to place more of an emphasis on the personal responsibility that the leaders of the people bear for their actions, along with the dire consequences of their corrupt leadership for the nation as a whole. This chapter attributes sins both social and religious in nature to the office-bearers in leadership positions. Thus, the fate of the city is sealed because of idolatry, sexual immorality, bloodshed, and – finally – the deeds of the leadership.
The Abominations of their Fathers
Part 1
Dr. Tova Ganzel
This chapter illustrates the cyclical process of history going back to the slavery in Egypt: Am Yisrael violates God’s laws and as a result is deemed unworthy of redemption – even survival. But nonetheless the nation is restored to its land to prevent God’s Name from being desecrated in the eyes of the nations. The desecration of God’s Name lies not only in the actual transgression of His laws, but also by how this betrayal is perceived by the nations. Thus the repair of this desecration – the sanctification of God’s Name – must likewise also be “before the nations”: through the ingathering of Am Yisrael from the places to which they have been scattered.

The commandment of Shabbat enjoys a place of honor in Sefer Yehezkel. What makes Yehezkel’s attitude towards Shabbat special is not that he mentions more often than the other prophets, but that he views Shabbat as a sign and symbol – not of the Creation of the world - but of the special sanctity of Israel.

The testimony offered by the Shabbat that “I am the Lord your God” – is a concept unique to Yehezkel; there is no parallel to it elsewhere in the Torah. This accentuates the importance of Shabbat: through its observance, the nation not only expresses its sanctity, but also testifies to and calls to consciousness the fact that the Lord is their God. Conversely, the breach of Shabbat is testimony to the distance between the nation and their God. This ultimately led to the defiling of the Temple and its Destruction.
The Beginning of the End
God’s Sword in the Hand of the King of Babylon (Part 1)
Dr. Tova Ganzel
Chapter 21 mentions God’s Name fifteen times in different forms. This emphasis is meant to counter the popular perception – prevalent in pagan thought – that God would not destroy His own land, and to emphasize the events will come about by God’s will.

Jerusalem will not be saved; not only that but the city is about to suffer a large-scale massacre, and the sword that slaughters will do so in the agency of God.

The prophet addresses the sword of the king of Babylon. The proximity of these two units highlights the idea that the sword of the king of Babylon is none other than the sword of God, in whose agency the king is acting.
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
Human Suffering in Eikha
Dr. Yael Ziegler
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.
You Comfort Me in Vain
A Clarification of the Connection Between Pesach and the 9th of Av
Rabbi Elyakim Krumbein
The Midrash comments that Pessah and the 9^th of Av always fall on the same day of the week.

The Pesach of Egypt was not an ideal sacrifice. The true festival lay ahead, in the future, in Eretz Yisrael. What was required of the nation in Egypt was a demonstration of faith in that future despite the difficult conditions that existed in Egypt. The combination of the maror and the Pesach declares that faith in the future is victorious over the depression of the present; it is indeed possible to taste the redemption in the very grains of the maror.

Eating maror in the Beit HaMikdash was meant to help us identify with the heroic faith of our forefathers in Egypt, which attained its justification and its realization in the celebration of the Pessah in the Mikdash. But after the Beit Hamikdah was destroyed, the grand celebration of Pessah appears to have been a passing euphoria; the Pessah of Egypt - observance of the mitzvot under difficult conditions - became the dominant situation for all generations. For the weary nation of Israel only absolute redemption can justify the old understanding of Pesach in Egypt - as a road-sign for the future. At this stage the Pesach of Egypt appears as nothing more than yet another example of the gloomy scenario which plays itself over and over - a perverted observance of the beautiful Torah which exists only in the dreams of seers. The maror was supposed to be the basis for the Pessah sacrifice, but Tish'a be-Av gives it a new perspective: the sacrifice has disappeared, but the maror remains.
Introduction to Eikha
Rabbi Noam Shapiro
Prophecies to Tzor
Dr. Tova Ganzel
Tyre was an economic and cultural power throughout the duration of the Israelite kingdom. This was the source of various problems: including the introduction of idolatry in the times of Shlomo and Ahav and the causing problems regarding Shabbat observance in Nehemya’s days. There were periods when positive ties prevailed between Israel and Tyre, including the building of David’s house by emissaries from Tyre and Hiram’s assistance in building the Temple.

While Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians, Tyre withstood the siege throughout the period of the Babylonian empire. The steadfastness of Tyre in contrast with the destruction of the Temple served to compound the psychological difficulty facing the inhabitants of Jerusalem: now, God’s status in the eyes of the nations had fallen even more. Not only had the god of the Babylonians seemingly prevailed over the God of Israel, but there seemed to be a different god that watched over Tyre that was even stronger than the Babylonian power. In effect, Nevukhadnetzar’s conquest of Jerusalem proved to the nations what they had wanted to demonstrate, namely, the weakness of the God of Israel. This religious challenge, and the desecration of God’s Name among the nations, are apparently the reason for the length and vehemence of the prophecy to Tyre. Tyre – which, from the earliest history of the Israelite monarchy maintained commercial ties with it – has grown arrogant to the point where it has presumed itself above the Lord God of Israel.

Yehezkel’s prophecy to Tyre and to Sidon ends with the ingathering of Israel in its land. This does not appear to be an after-thought to the prophecy, but rather an essential component, a conclusion that completes the prophecies of destruction to the nations. Sanctification of God’s Name in the eyes of the nation begins with their downfall, but it will not be open and clear until God gathers up His nation.
Rachel's Prayer
HaTanakh.com Staff
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.
God’s Eternal Preference for Israel over Edom
Dr. Tova Ganzel
Although it seems that this prophecy is directed to Edom, it is actually addressed to Israel. The shared historical background of the Israel and Edom, on one hand, and the habitation of the Edomites to the south of Yehuda, on the other, presented a religious challenge.

The nation’s fear that God preferred Esav prevailed until the beginning of the return to the land. Even after the Second Temple was built by the returnees, the status of the Edomites – the descendants of Esav – caused Am Yisrael to doubt their own status in God’s eyes. This seems to be an echo of the fear that the Divine choice of Yaakov over Esav is not an eternal choice but that God might change His mind. The impression arising from Yehezkel’s response is that the nation feels that perhaps now, following the destruction of the Temple, after it has been made clear that Am Yisrael did not uphold the covenant with God, God will continue His covenant with Avraham via the sons of Esav, rather than through the descendants of Yaakov.

The hostility between Israel and Edom throughout the generations grew even stronger during the years of Yehezkel’s prophecies, owing to the active participation of some Edomites in shedding the blood of Am Yisrael during the Destruction.

To alleviate the fear of the nation, Yehezkel prophesied the destruction and desolation of Edom as a punishment for their abuse of the remnant of Yehuda. The mountains of Israel will be rebuilt on the ruins of Mount Se’ir.
Foreign Kings and Empires during the Destruction of the Beit Hamikdash
HaTanakh.com Staff
The Enemy from the North: Nevukhadnetzar's Ascent
Rabbi David Sabato
Why does Yirmiyahu's Message Change?
Rabbi David Sabato
Babylonian Exile: Fleeting or Enduring?
Rabbi David Sabato
Ripping Scrolls or Tearing Clothes: Yehoyakim is not Yoshiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
Praying for Jerusalem: Yirmiyahu and Tzidkiyahu vs. Yeshayahu and Hizkiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
Politics and Murder: the Assassination of Gedalya
Rabbi David Sabato
Post-Gedalya Fallout: Yirmiyahu Warns Against Fleeing Israel
Rabbi David Sabato
The True Date of Tisha B'Av
HaTanakh.com Staff
Al Naharot Bavel
Atara Snowbell | 46 דקות
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.
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."
Haftarat Devarim - Raising Children Who Betray
Rabbi David Silverberg
When God is Uninterested in Sacrifices
Rabbi David Silverberg
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.