Yirmiyahu's Prophetic Visions

נמצאו 9 תוצאות חיפוש

Yirmiyahu 19-20
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
One of Yirmiyahu's harshest prophecies of rebuke appears in perek 19, addressing the worshippers of Ba'al in the Valley of Ben-hinnom who sacrifice their children in the name of divine worship. The prophecy opens with God's commandment to Yirmiyahu to buy a "jug of potter's ware," a symbolic act similar to the purchase of the belt (perek 13) and the shattering of the earthenware (perek 18). Yirmiyahu is commanded to first share his prophecy with the elders and priests of the nation, and then repeat it in front of the nation in the courtyard of the Temple. Pashchur the son of Immer, who is both a priest in the Temple and a false prophet, reacts with vehemence to the prophecy: Pashchur beats Yirmiyahu and then jails him overnight. Upon his release from jail, Yirmiyahu pronounces a severe prophecy of destruction about Pashchur himself.

While the previous perek discusses Yirmiyahu's actions and prophetic messages, perek 20 gives the reader insight into Yirmiyahu's emotional reality. His prophecy, which rages uncontrollably inside of him, cannot be suppressed and brings Yirmiyahu great pain and suffering. The first section of the prophecy ends on a brighter note of thanksgiving (7-13); however, in the prophecy's continuation, Yirmiyahu regrets his entering the world and curses the day he was born (14-18).
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 23-24
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
As a continuation to the rebuke which was addressed to the kings in prakim 21 and 22, perek 23 rebukes the leaders of the nation. The leaders are compared to shepherds who have abandoned their flocks, just as they have not taken care of their people and thereby brought the nation to the difficult situation they are in. The rebuke ends with a prophecy of future consolation which speak of establishing new, trustworthy shepherds, and of setting up a new king from the House of David who will embody the values of David, justice and righteousness. In the continuation, the prophet turns to a different type of leader - the false prophets, who constitute one of the most difficult obstacles in Yirmiyahu's life. The false prophets prophesize in God's name, but their prophecies are lies and foresee peace for the sinning nation. Yirmiyahu turns to them and points out the foundation of lies upon which their behavior rests and the differences between them and the true prophets. In addition, he rebukes them for leading the nation astray with their false prophecies and thereby causing the situation to further deteriorate.

After the exile of Yehoyachin king of Yehudah, along with the elite members of society, his uncle, Tzidkiyahu, became king of the people who were left in Israel. Those who remained in Israel interpreted the fact that God had not exiled them as a sign that they were better than those who were exiled to Babylonia. Yirmiyahu, however, has a vision which shows this to be wrong: the exiles in Babylonia will merit returning to the land and reestablishing themselves while those who remain in the land will become lost.
Yirmiyahu 25-26
Matan Al Haperek
Rabbi David Sabato
Perek 25 is the first perek in Yirmiyahu which opens with the date on which the prophecy was said. During the prophecy, Yirmiyahu summarizes twenty-three years during which he tried in vain to cause the nation to repent and change their ways. Because the people refused to listen to the prophecies they will be punished by the king of Babylonia, who will destroy the land and enslave the people. In the second half of the perek (15-38) the calamity spreads past the borders of Israel. The prophecy describe the "wine cup of fury" which God will give to the nations to bring them to their destruction. It seems that the prophetic vision in these pesukim symbolizes the domination of the Babylonian empire over the nations and kingdoms mentioned in the prophecy.

Perek 26 goes back to deal with Yirmiyahu's prophecy about the Temple, a prophecy which first appeared in perek 7, this time from a different angle. While perek 7 focused on the content of the prophecy, our perek focuses on the story of Yirmiyahu being put on trial for the prophecy of the destruction of the Temple (described in brief in pesukim 1-6), and on the rescue of Yirmiyahu from death as a result of his pronouncements. The Priests make a serious accusation against Yirmiyahu, but his response does not directly answer their accusation, and so he brings a second explanation to prove his innocence. The story presents to us the nation's distorted perception of holiness in relation to Jerusalem.
Sticks, Stones, & Sour Figs: Misinterpreting Messages of Nevuah
Shani Taragin |
What is the unique nature of Yirmiyahu's mission? By focusing on the first perek detailing Yirmiyahu’s inauguration, we can explore Yirmiyahu’s prophetic purpose at a deeper level. God asks Yirmiyahu three times over the course of the book - "what do you see", and through an analysis of the text we can infer that this as a test to see whether he grasps the full meaning of his prophetic mission. This leads us to grapple with the concept of true and false prophecies in general, and the messages we are meant to learn from these prophecies for the future.
The Weeping of Yosef and Yirmiyahu
Rabbi David Silverberg
The Symbolic Meaning of Clothing in Tanakh
Dr. Avigail Rock |
The Tanakh generally minimizes in the description of detail. Therefore, when we are privy to extra details we always have to wonder why these details are given, as they are always significant to the story. However, when it comes to clothing, the Tanakh often goes into great detail. Why is this? Why does the Tanakh give so many descriptions of specific clothing? By closely examining specific Tanakh texts we can see that clothing plays many roles in the Tanakh narrative, besides being simply what people wore. Clothing has a significant metaphorical meaning as well, reflecting a person’s identity and character. Clothing transfers the identity and emotion of a character, and provides the reader with the much deeper subtext of a story. Therefore, understanding the nature of clothing in Tanakh on a much deeper level can help shed light on the Tanakh narrative as a whole.
First Shabbat Haftara of the Three Weeks: Boiling Pot of Discord
Rabbi David Silverberg
Yirmiyahu's First Prophetic Vision: The Almond Branch
Rabbi David Silverberg