Yirmiyahu A Teachers' Guide

Chapter 2:30 - Chapter 3:5

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Verse 30:

לשווא היכיתי את בניכם מוסר לא לקחו אכלה חרבכם נביאיכם כאריה משחית

לשווא הכיתי את בניכם מוסר לא לקחו

1. Hashem inflicted punishments on the children, so that the parents would improve their own conduct, but since the parents did not change their ways, these punishments were for naught. (Metzudat David)

 

See Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah, chapter 6, halachah 1.

 

2. The children could not be held responsible for not learning their lesson, a lekach mussar, since the parents had killed all the prophets. Therefore the children were punished for naught. (Malbim)

 

The students should define the purpose of punishing the children according to each commentator (Metzudat David - a lesson to the parents; Malbim - a lesson to the children). They should also note the subject of the phrase מוסר לא לקחו.

אכלה חרבכם נביאיכם

This is a reference to the murder of the prophets Zechariah and Yeshayahu.

 

See Divrei Hayamim II 24:20-21, and Yevamot 49b.

 

See Appendix for worksheet on verse 30.

Verse 31:

הדור אתם ראו דבר ה' המִדבָּר הייתי לישראל אם ארץ מאפֵּליה מדוע אמרו עמי רדנו לוא נבוא עוד אליך

הדור אתם ראו דבר ה'

1. That generation should perceive and understand the word of Hashem (see Kohelet 1:16). (Radak)

 

2. Yirmiyahu showed them the tzintzenet haman (the vessel which contained a sample of the manna), in order to show them how faithful Hashem is towards Bnei Yisrael. (Rashi)

 

a) The vessel also demonstrated to the Jewish people that Hashem cares for their livelihood when they are involved in the study of Torah. (Mahari Kra)

 

b) See Tanchuma, Parashat Beshalach .

 

 

It is advised to read the Tanchuma with the students. This selection contains a lot of principles of mussar regarding the importance of learning Torah, and Hashem's relationship to the people of Israel.

המדבר הייתי לישראל אם ארץ מאפליה

1. Did Hashem appear to the Jewish people as a desert until now? Has Hashem been unable to provide for all of their needs? Rather, Hashem provided all that they needed when they followed him. (Radak)

 

2. Did the desert seem like a desert to the Jewish people when they lived in it for forty years? Did Hashem not provide them with the necessary food in order to exist? (Rashi)

מדוע אמרו עמי רדנו לוא נבוא עוד אליך

The people have separated themselves from Hashem, and will no longer follow him. (Metzudat David)

 

The students should be able to note the different time periods referred to by Rashi and Radak in this verse.

Verse 32:

התשכח בתולה עדיה כלה קישוריה ועמי שכחוני ימים אין מספר

התשכח בתולה עדיה כלה קישוריה

A young woman does not forget to adorn herself with her jewelry; a bride does not forget to wear her headpiece. Likewise, a person never forgets what is important to him. (Metzudat David)

ועמי שכחוני ימים אין מספר

The people of Israel have forgotten Hashem for many days now - Hashem, who is the mainstay of their existence. (Metzudat David)

Verse 33:

מה תיטיבי דרכך לבקש אהבה לכן גם את הָרָעוֹת לימדת את דרכייך

מה תיטיבי דרכך לבקש אהבה

The Jews tried to improve their worship of the Baal, in order to win the love of the nations. (Metzudat David)

לכן גם את הרעות לימדת את דרכייך

The Jews acted in the most evil of all ways. (Rashi)

Verse 34:

גם בכנפייך נמצאו דם נפשות אביונים נקיים לא במחתרת מצאתים כי על כל אלה

גם בכנפייך נמצאו דם נפשות אביונים נקיים

1. The Jews were guilty of murdering innocent people. (Metzudat David)

 

2.* The wicked people of that generation prided themselves on murdering. They displayed the blood on their coats publicly. See Melachim II 2:5. (Abarbanel)

לא במחתרת מצאתים

These acts were committed publicly, without any embarrassment - not stealthily, in private. (Metzudat David)

כי על כל אלה

1. This phrase connects to the next verse. (Radak)

 

2. Aside from the other transgressions that they committed, they also committed these.

 

3.* This is referring to the blood that was displayed publicly on their clothes. (Abarbanel)

 

See Appendix for worksheet on verse 34.

Verse 35:

ותאמרי כי ניקיתי אך שב אפו ממני הנני נשפט אותך על אמרך לא חטאתי

ותאמרי כי ניקיתי אך שב אפו ממני

The Jews contend that they are innocent, and are no longer deserving of punishment from Hashem. (Metzudat David, Radak)

הנני נשפט אותך על אמרך לא חטאתי

The Jews will get a double punishment: for their sins and for their denial that they sinned. (Metzudat David)

 

A crucial component of teshuvah is the recognition of the sin. See Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah, chapter 2, halachah 2.

Verse 36:

מה תיזלי מאוד לשנות את דרכך גם ממצרים תיבושי כאשר בושת מאשור

מה תיזלי מאד

The Jews continue to go and seek help from the Egyptians. (Metzudat David)

לשנות את דרכך

The Jews do change their ways - at times they go to Assyria for help, and at times they go to Egypt. (Metzudat David)

גם ממצרים תיבושי כאשר בושת מאשור

1. Egypt will not be able to help the Jews in their fight against their enemies. (Metzudat David)

 

2. This is a reference to Melachim II 23:34-35; 24:7. (Radak)

 

The students should review this section of Melachim II as homework, prior to the class.

 

3. Ahaz sent a bribe to Assyria, and they further oppressed him. See Divrei Hayamim II 28:20. (Metzudat David)

 

 

Verse 37:

גם מאת זה תצאי וידייך על ראשך כי מאס ה' במבטחייך ולא תצליחי להם

גם מאת זה תצאי וידייך על ראשך

Seeking help from Egypt will lead to the same dejection as seeking help from Assyria. (Metzudat David)

כי מאס ה' במבטחייך ולא תצליחי להם

The Jews' reliance on outside forces is despicable to Hashem. Therefore these outside forces will be of no avail in helping the Jews in their struggle against their enemies. (Metzudat David)

Chapter 3, Verse 1:

לאמור הן ישלח איש את אשתו והלכה מאתו והיתה לאיש אחר הישוב אליה עוד הלוא חנוף תחנף הארץ ההיא ואת זנית רֵעים רבים ושוב אלי נאום ה'

לאמר

The people of Israel deserve that Hashem should say to them the following sentence.

הישוב אליה עוד

1. When a woman leaves her first husband, and marries another man, she cannot remarry her first husband (See Devarim 24:4). (Metzudat David)

 

2. The Jews left the marriage agreement with Hashem, and married the gods of the land. (Malbim)

הלא חנוף תחנף הארץ

When such an act is committed, the land becomes defiled. This is in accordance with the verse ולא תחטיא את הארץ אשר ה' אלקיך נתן לך נחלה (Devarim 24:4). (Radak)

 

The students should be assigned Devarim 24:1-4 as preparation for the class. They should then be asked to compare these verses from Yirmiyahu with the section from Devarim, prior to studying the commentaries on them.

 

ואת זנית רעים רבים

1. The Jews worshipped many different idols. (Metzudat David)

 

2.* The Jews never gave their total allegiance to any other single deity. Futhermore, their intention in serving these many gods was to become like other nations, not specifically in order to serve that god. (Malbim)

ושוב אלי נאום ה'

1. Hashem is accepting and encouraging the people's return, and He will forgive them. (Metzudat David).

 

2.* Since the Jews never adopted another deity, but were only straying (מזנה) towards other gods, they are still able to return to Hashem. (Malbim)

Verse 2:

שאי עינייך על שפיים וראי איפה לא שוּכַּבת על דרכים ישבת להם כערבי במדבר ותחניפי ארץ בזנותייך וברעתך

שאי עינייך על שפיים וראי איפה לא שגלת [שוכבת]

Yirmiyahu exhorts the people to look up to the mountaintops, and try tfind a hill on which they didn't worship avodah zarah.

על דרכים ישבת להם

1. The prophet continues to use the metaphor of a prostit. (Metzudat David)

 

2. They sat and waited for idol-worshippers from all over, and longed to practice their idol-worship. (Radak)

כערבי במדבר

The Arabs were accustomed to sit and wait for caravans that come by, and buy and sell wares. (Radak)

 

The students should be able to cite as an example of this phenomenon Bereishit 37:25.

 

The Arabs are called by that name because they sat in the ערבה. (Rashi)

ותחניפי ארץ בזנותייך וברעתך

As a result of their flirtation with the idol-worshippers, and their other evil acts, the land deserves to be destroyed. (Metzudat David)

Verse 3:

ויימנעו רביבים ומלקוש לוא היה ומצח אשה זונה היה לך מאנת היכלם

ויימנעו רביבים ומלקוש לוא היה

The first rains, which usually come in the month of Mar-Cheshvan, and the last rains of the season, which usually come in Nissan, were withheld from the land. Yet, the Jews still did not feel any remorse for their sins, and did not return to Hashem.

 

The students should be asked to bring scriptural proof that rains are withheld when the Jews sin (Devarim 11:13-17).

ומצח אשה זונה היה לך מאנת הכלם

The people were not embarrassed because of their deeds, just like a harlot is not ashamed of her actions. (Metzudat David)

Verse 4:

הלוא מעתה קראת לי אבי אלוף נעורי אתה

הלא מעתה קראת לי אבי אלוף נעורי אתה

1. When the rains were withheld, the Jews turned to Hashem in prayer, and referred to Him as their father. They stressed that Hashem has been their master from their youth, from the time Hashem chose them as His nation. (Metzudat David)

 

2.* Hashem wishes that the Jews would call out to Him and repent. (Rashi)

Verse 5:

הינטור לעולם אם ישמור לנצח הנה דברת ותעשי הרעות ותוכל

הינטור לעולם אם ישמור לנצח

1. This is part of the Jews' prayer to Hashem. Does Hashem hold a grudge forever? (Metzudat David)

 

2. If the Jews return to Hashem, He will not hold a grudge against them. Rather, He will accept their teshuvah. (Rashi)

הנה דיברת ותעשי הרעות ותוכל

1. But these words of prayer were only a verbal commitment to Hashem. The people, however, continued to practice their evil behavior. They were not even embarrassed that their hearts were not fully committed to Hashem. (Metzudat David)

 

2. The people stated that they would not return to Hashem, and that they would continue to do evil without any intention of repenting. (Rashi)

 

The students should explain the themes of verses 4 and 5, according to Rashi and Metzudat David, and state the differences between both approaches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary - Chapter 2:30-3:5

Key phrases

 

· "לשווא היכיתי את בניכם מוסר לא לקחו" [ל]

· "הדור אתם ראו דבר ה' [לא]

· "התשכח כלה עדיה כלה קישוריה" [לב]

· "ואת זנית רעים רבים ושוב אלי נאום ה'" [ג:א]

· "קראתי לי אבי אלוף נעורי" [ג:ד]

Major Themes

 

· Rebuke for the lack of acknowledgement of Hashem.

· Reprimand for the sin of murder.

· Rebuke of the repentance of Yehudah, which lacked complete sincerity.

Home || Intro || Gen. Intro || 1 || Chapter 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!