chap28

Chapter 28

Yirmiyahu A Teachers' Guide

Home || Intro || Gen. Intro || 1 || 2:1-29 || 2:30-3:5 || 7:1-28 || 8:13-9:23 || 16:19-17:14 || 19 || 23:13-40 || 26 || 27 || 28 || 29:1-14 || 31:1-19 || 36 || 39 || 40 || 41 || 42 || App.

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Verse 1:

ויהי בשנה ההיא בראשית ממלכת צדקיה מלך יהודה בשנה הרביעית בחודש החמישי אמר אלי חנניה בן עזור הנביא אשר מגבעון בבית ה' לעיני הכהנים וכל העם לאמור

ויהי בשנה ההיא

At that time, when Nebuchadnezzar appointed Tzidkiyahu to rule over five other nations. This was after Yirmiyahu gave the messengers the straps of the yokes to deliver to their kings. (Rashi)

בראשית ממלכת צדקיהו

1. It was the beginning of Tzidkiyahu's control over the five other kings. (Rashi)

2. It was his first year as king of Yehudah. (Metzudat David)

3.* This part of the verse refers to the story in the previous chapter, that of giving the bars and straps to the messengers (This division of the verse is based on the zakef katan found over the word יהודה). (Mahari Kra)

It is extremely important for the students to be able to divide a verse according to the position of its etnachta and zakef katan.

בשנה הרביעית

1. He became ruler of these kings in the fourth year of his reign, when he went to greet Nebuchadnezzar. (Rashi)

2. This was the fourth year of the shmittah cycle. In calculating Tzidkiyahu's 11-year reign, we see that the Temple was destroyed at the end of a shmittah year. (Metzudat David)

The Temple was destroyed at that time, since the Jews were not careful about observing the laws of shmittah. (Radak)

3. The second part of the verse is referring to the story of Chananyah, which happened in the fourth year of Tzidkiyahu's reign. (Mahari Kra)

The teacher should have the students find the difficulty in the text themselves.

This worksheet, which is to be done in pairs, lets the students study primary texts themselves, and compare them. In an advanced class the students can read the Mahari Kra on their own, or else do it in a group.

See Appendix for worksheet on this section of the verse.

בחודש החמישי

This is a foreshadowing of the destruction, which happened in the fifth month (Av). (Radak)

אמר אלי חנניה בן עזור הנביא אשר מגבעון

1. Chananyah's message was based on a kal vachomer that he deduced from a prophecy that Yirmiyahu had given in the first year of Tzidkiyahu's rule. Yirmiyahu had said that Hashem was going to break the bow of Elam (See Yirmiyahu 49:34-35). Chananyah therefore deduced that if Elam, which had only aided Babylon, was going to be destroyed, kal vachomer (how much more so) that Babylon itself should be destroyed. (Rashi)

2. Chananyah was a false prophet. (Radak)

3.* Chananyah was a true prophet. However, this particular prophecy was a result of his own deductions. Chananyah thought that the 70 years of oppression under Babylon began when the Babylonians first visited Chizkiyahu. Sixty-eight years had passed since then, and Chananyah was therefore confident that in two years the yoke of Babylon would be lifted. Chananyah wanted to encourage the people to fight against Babylon, and that is why he publicized his prophecy. (Da'at Sofrim)

Verse 2:

כה אמר ה' צבקות אלוקי ישראל לאמור שברתי את עול מלך בבל

שברתי את עול מלך בבל

1. Nebuchadnezzar would no longer rule over other countries and subjugate them. (Metzudat David)

2.* This was in direct opposition to Yirmiyahu's prophecy about the bars and straps. (Malbim)

Verse 3:

בעוד שנתיים ימים אני משיב אל המקום הזה את כל כלי בית ה' אשר לקח נבוכדנאצר מלך בבל מן המקום הזה ויביאם בבל

בעוד שנתיים ימים

At the end of two years. (Metzudat David)

Verse 4:

ואת יכניה בן יהויקים מלך יהודה ואת כל גלות יהודה הבאים בבלה אני משיב אל המקום הזה נאום ה' כי אשבור את עול מלך בבל

כי אשבור את עול מלך בבל

The captives would therefore be able to go free. (Metzudat David)

Verse 6:

ויאמר ירמיה הנביא אמן כן יעשה ה' יקם ה' את דבריך אשר ניבאת להשיב כלי בית ה' וכל הגולה מבבל אל המקום הזה

אמן כן יעשה ה' יקם ה' את דבריך

1. Oh, that Hashem should indeed fulfill Chananyah's words, and the captives and the Temple vessels should be allowed to return to the land of Israel! (Metzudat David)

2. Yirmiyahu was wrong for flattering Chananyah and not rebuking him directly. From what happened afterwards, we learn that כל המחניף לרשע סוף נופל בידו או ביד בנו או ביד בן בנו (He who flatters a wicked person, in the end will suffer in his hands, or in the hands of his son or grandson): Chananyah's grandson ultimately arrested Yirmiyahu and had him put in prison (Yirmiyahu 37:13-14). (Rashi)

אשר ניבאת

Yirmiyahu refers to Chananyah's words as a prophecy, although he knows that this is not a true prophecy. (Metzudat David)

Verse 7:

אך שמע נא הדבר הזה אשר אנוכי דובר באזניך ובאזני כל העם

אך שמע נא הדבר הזה

1. Although Yirmiyahu wishes that Chananyah's words would come true, he now makes the point, that although Chananyah's prophecy is favorable, and Yirmiyahu's is not, that is not a good enough reason not to listen to Yirmiyahu's. (Metzudat David)

2. Yirmiyahu informs Chananyah and the people, that when a prophet gives a good prophecy, it will always come true. This, in contrast with a bad prophecy, which, if the people repent, will not necessarily come true. (Radak)

Verse 9:

הנביא אשר יינבא לשלום בבוא דבר הנביא ייוודע הנביא אשר שלחו ה' באמת

הנביא אשר יינבא לשלום

A prophet like Chananyah, who contradicts other prophets, and offers a favorable prophecy. (Metzudat David)

בבוא דבר הנביא ייוודע הנביא אשר שלחו ה' באמת

Only when the favorable prophecy comes true, will the people know that he is a true prophet, and not necessarily before that time. Therefore, there is no reason for the people to believe Chananyah's prophecies more than Yirmiyahu's. (Metzudat David)

Verse 10:

ויקח חנניה הנביא את המוטה מעל צוואר ירמיה הנביא וישברהו

ויקח חנניה הנביא את המוטה מעל צוואר ירמיהו

This bar either had not yet been given to the kings, or was a different one, which Yirmiyahu was wearing as a reminder to the king of Yehudah. (Metzudat David)

The students should note which one of these options would lend support to Rashi or the Mahari Kra, in their commentaries on verse 1.

Verse 11:

ויאמר חנניה לעיני כל העם לאמור כה אמר ה' ככה אשבור את עול נבוכדנאצר מלך בבל בעוד שנתיים ימים מעל צוואר כל הגויים וילך ירמיה הנביא לדרכו

וילך ירמיהו הנביא לדרכו

Yirmiyahu was afraid to respond without receiving direct guidance from Hashem. (Metzudat David)

Verse 13:

הלוך ואמרת אל חנניה לאמור כה אמר ה' מוטות עץ שברת ועשית תחתיהן מוטות ברזל

ועשית תחתיהן מוטות ברזל

Yirmiyahu was instructed to create iron bars, which are stronger than the wooden ones which Chananyah broke. This reflects Hashem's anger at Chananyah's attempt to discredit Yirmiyahu's prophecy, and the result will be that the yoke of Babylon will become stronger. (Metzudat David)

Verse 16:

לכן כה אמר ה' הנני משלחך מעל פני האדמה השנה אתה מת כי סרה דיברת אל ה'

כי סרה דיברת אל ה'

Chananyah spoke words from Hashem that Hashem never said. (Metzudat David)

Verse 17:

וימת חנניה הנביא בשנה ההיא בחודש השביעי

וימת חנניה הנביא בשנה ההיא בחודש השביעי

According to Chazal, he died on the day before Rosh Hashanah. However, he commanded his sons to bury him after Rosh Hashanah, in order to create the impression that Yirmiyahu, who said he would die that year, prophesied falsely. (Metzudat David)

See Appendix for test on this chapter (together with chapter 19).

Summary - Chapter 28
Key phrases

· "שברתי את עול מלך בבל" [ב]

· "כן יעשה ה' יקם ה' את דבריך אשר ניבאת" [ו]

· "הנביא אשר יינבא לשלום בבוא דבר הנביא ייוודע הנביא אשר שלחו ה' באמת" [ט]

· "מוטות עץ שברת ועשית תחתיהן מוטות ברזל" [יג]

· "השנה אתה מת כי סרה דיברת אל ה'" [טז]

Major Themes

· Prophecy of Chananyah ben Azur.

· The altercation between Yirmiyahu and Chananyah ben Azur.

· Chananyah breaking the yokes, and the command to replace them with stronger ones.

· The prophecy of the death of Chananyah, and its fulfillment.

Yirmiyahu A Teachers' Guide

Home || Intro || Gen. Intro || 1 || 2:1-29 || 2:30-3:5 || 7:1-28 || 8:13-9:23 || 16:19-17:14 || 19 || 23:13-40 || 26 || 27 || 28 || 29:1-14 || 31:1-19 || 36 || 39 || 40 || 41 || 42 || App.

Project of 613.org - Largest Archive to Date of Jewish Sound and Video on the Internet!