Introduction: From the Writing on the Wall to Daniel
In this chapter, we find ourselves in the midst of the night of Belshazzar's feast. The king brought out the vessels of the Beis HaMikdash, drank from them with his nobles and wives, praised the gods of silver and gold, and immediately fingers of a human hand emerged and wrote upon the wall. The king was terrified; he summoned all the wise men of Babylon, yet none of them could read the writing or interpret it. From here on, we will address the entry of the queen, the bringing of Daniel before the king, the great rebuke he delivered to him, the interpretation of the writing - and the end of Belshazzar that very night.
The Queen's Entry into the Banquet Hall
מַלְכְּתָא לׇקֳבֵל מִלֵּי מַלְכָּא וְרַבְרְבָנוֹהִי לְבֵית מִשְׁתְּיָא עַלַּת. עֲנָת מַלְכְּתָא וַאֲמֶרֶת מַלְכָּא לְעָלְמִין חֱיִי, אַל יְבַהֲלוּךְ רַעְיוֹנָךְ וְזִיוָךְ אַל יִשְׁתַּנּוֹ. - The queen, on account of the words of the king and his nobles, entered the banquet hall. The queen spoke and said: O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts terrify you, and let not your countenance change.
The queen heard the words of the king and his nobles and the distress that fell upon them, and entered the banquet hall. "Anas" is not a proper name, but rather "she answered" - the queen answered and said: May my lord the king live forever, let not your thoughts terrify you, and let the color of your face not change.
Who was this queen? Some say she was the wife of Nebuchadnezzar; as we will see immediately, she was intimately familiar with the history and what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar - a sign that she was a veteran of the royal court. Accordingly, if she was Nebuchadnezzar's wife, she was Belshazzar's mother according to those who hold he was his son, or his grandmother according to those who hold he was his grandson. Others say that although the other women had been brought into the banquet hall, the principal queen remained secluded in her palace, as it was beneath her dignity to participate. This resolves a difficulty: bringing women into the feast was part of the sin, so how can it say here that the queen "entered"? The answer is that initially she did not enter; only when she heard of the crisis did she come to the banquet hall and say to him: Do not be terrified by the visions you have seen.
"There is a Man in Your Kingdom" - You Have Someone Who Knows
אִיתַי גְּבַר בְּמַלְכוּתָךְ דִּי רוּחַ אֱלָהִין קַדִּישִׁין בֵּהּ, וּבְיוֹמֵי אֲבוּךְ נַהִירוּ וְשׇׂכְלְתָנוּ וְחׇכְמָה כְּחׇכְמַת אֱלָהִין הִשְׁתְּכַחַת בֵּהּ, וּמַלְכָּא נְבֻכַדְנֶצַּר אֲבוּךְ רַב חַרְטֻמִּין אָשְׁפִין כַּשְׂדָּאִין גָּזְרִין הֲקִימֵהּ אֲבוּךְ מַלְכָּא. - There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and in the days of your father, illumination, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father - your father the king - appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers.
The queen begins by saying: There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy God. We have already seen in the previous chapters that Nebuchadnezzar himself said of Daniel that he possesses "the spirit of the holy gods," as opposed to his enchanters, Chaldeans, and magicians, who possessed the spirit of lower forces. "The spirit of the holy God" means that Daniel has authorization and access to the Supreme God - and for this reason he knew the dream's solution even though it was never told to him at all. Who could know such a thing? Only someone who has access to the Supreme God.
And this is what she is saying: You are correct that the wise men do not know, for this matter stems from the Supreme God; but you have a man who is indeed able to know what emanates from Him and what His intent is. Already in the days of your father, illumination, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of God were found in him - meaning that he knows the secrets and mysteries of the Creator of the world. And should you say: Does a revelation withheld from me mean there is no remedy and no hope? To this she replies: After all, your father appointed him chief over the magicians, enchanters, and astrologers, an authority above them all, a sign that your father already knew he possessed knowledge no one else had. When you summoned all the wise men of Babylon, he is the one you should have called first! And do not say you did not know of him - do you not know whom your father appointed as ministers and dignitaries?
כׇּל קֳבֵל דִּי רוּחַ יַתִּירָה וּמַנְדַּע וְשׇׂכְלְתָנוּ מְפַשַּׁר חֶלְמִין וְאַחֲוָיַת אֲחִידָן וּמְשָׁרֵא קִטְרִין הִשְׁתְּכַחַת בֵּהּ בְּדָנִיֵּאל דִּי מַלְכָּא שָׂם שְׁמֵהּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר, כְּעַן דָּנִיֵּאל יִתְקְרֵי וּפִשְׁרָה יְהַחֲוֵה. - Inasmuch as an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and untying knots were found in him, in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar; now let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation.
Do not think that he is wise in other matters but inexpert in things such as these. He possesses an "extraordinary spirit" - a spirit of knowledge and intellect, by which he interprets dreams, reveals riddles, and unties knots. "Achvayat achidan" - from here we learn that a riddle (chidah) is related to something seized (achuz): a closed, sealed matter whose solution is unknown is called achidan in Aramaic, referring to held and closed matters that have not yet been opened and have no interpretation. Therefore, the queen says, Nebuchadnezzar gave him the name Belteshazzar and appointed him chief of the magicians over all the enchanters, because of that special divine spirit he saw within him, knowing how to solve riddles and hidden matters. Everyone acknowledged that he was greater than all of them, both the enchanters and the Chaldeans.
Furthermore, there is comfort here: the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not come to convey an obscure message without an interpretation, for if so, why convey it? Rather, it certainly has an explanation, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, relied on the fact that you would ask Daniel, and Daniel would tell you the solution.
Why Is He Now Called "Daniel" and Not "Belteshazzar"?
Pay close attention to her phrasing: "Whom the king named Belteshazzar; now let Daniel be called." The king had named him after his god - the god of Babylon was "Bel," and he named him Belteshazzar, his name being like that of his god. All this was well and good until Nebuchadnezzar himself had a son named Belshazzar, who is the very king before us. The difference in spelling is only in the letter Tet: Daniel was called Belteshazzar (בלטשאצר) and the king is called Belshazzar (בלשאצר), and evidently this distinction was made to differentiate him from the name of the deity. In any case, since there is now a king named Belshazzar, it is no longer appropriate to call Daniel by the king's name, and so his name reverted to being called Daniel.
And this was her intention: True, the king named him Belteshazzar, and now one cannot call him by the king's name, which is why he is called Daniel - yet do not think that the change of name diminished anything of his wisdom. That same divine wisdom on account of which they called him Belteshazzar is still within him, and only his name has changed. And Rav Saadia Gaon gives another reason for the omission of the letter: the letter Tet was dropped from the king's name, and he was not called Belteshazzar (the name of the deity), because he laid his hands upon the vessels of the House of Hashem. And the meaning of "Belshazzar" is balash otzar, he searched the treasury; "balash" in Aramaic denotes searching, as "and he searched" (vaychapes) is translated by the Targum as u'velash. And because of this, the letter Tet was dropped from his name.
Daniel Is Brought Before the King
בֵּאדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל הֻעַל קֳדָם מַלְכָּא. עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר לְדָנִיֵּאל אַנְתְּ הוּא דָנִיֵּאל דִּי מִן בְּנֵי גָלוּתָא דִּי יְהוּד דִּי הַיְתִי מַלְכָּא אַבִי מִן יְהוּד. - Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel: "Are you that Daniel who is of the exiles of Judah, whom the king, my father, brought from Judah?"
Seemingly, there is a redundancy here: "of the exiles of Judah," and again, "whom the king, my father, brought from Judah." The Malbim explains: The king begins with words that magnify his stature and praise him, in order to accord him great honor. Exiles were always considered downcast, battered, and despised - a mixed multitude gathered from all kinds of nations and exiled elsewhere, possessing no prestige. Therefore, he came to honor him and said: You are distinguished in my eyes, for you are from the exile of Judah - and not from the exile carried away by Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, but from the exile brought by my father the king, namely the exile of Jehoiachin, the exile of Jeconiah, which was an honorable and distinguished exile whose people were the notables. Similarly, when the Megillah characterizes Mordechai, it writes of him: "Who had been exiled from Jerusalem with the exile that had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah" - for they were the distinguished ones, whereas the exiles of the second deportation were from the poorest of the land.
וְשִׁמְעֵת עֲלָךְ דִּי רוּחַ אֱלָהִין בָּךְ, וְנַהִירוּ וְשׇׂכְלְתָנוּ וְחׇכְמָה יַתִּירָה הִשְׁתְּכַחַת בָּךְ. - "And I have heard of you, that a spirit of God is in you, and illumination and understanding and extraordinary wisdom are found in you."
And there is another reason for your importance: from the standpoint of the good reputation you have earned, and "a good name is better than good oil." I have heard that a spirit of God is in you, and light, intellect, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you.
וּכְעַן הֻעַלּוּ קׇדָמַי חַכִּימַיָּא אָשְׁפַיָּא דִּי כְתָבָה דְנָה יִקְרוֹן וּפִשְׁרֵהּ לְהוֹדָעֻתַנִי, וְלָא כָהֲלִין פְּשַׁר מִלְּתָא לְהַחֲוָיָה. - "And now the wise men and astrologers were brought in before me to read this writing and make its interpretation known to me, but they were unable to declare the interpretation of the matter."
וַאֲנָה שִׁמְעֵת עֲלָךְ דִּי תִכּוּל פִּשְׁרִין לְמִפְשַׁר וְקִטְרִין לְמִשְׁרֵא. כְּעַן הֵן תִּכּוּל כְּתָבָא לְמִקְרֵא וּפִשְׁרֵהּ לְהוֹדָעוּתַנִי, אַרְגְּוָנָא תִלְבַּשׁ וְהַמְנִיכָא דִי דַהֲבָא עַל צַוְּארָךְ וְתַלְתָּא בְמַלְכוּתָא תִּשְׁלַט. - "And I have heard of you that you can give interpretations and solve knots. Now, if you can read the writing and make its interpretation known to me, you shall be clothed in purple, with a gold chain around your neck, and you shall rule as third in the kingdom."
I brought the wise men and astrologers before me so they would read the inscription and inform me of its interpretation, but they were unable to do so. And I have heard of you that you can solve riddles and untie knots. Having elevated his stature, the king arrived at his request: if you can read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you shall be clothed in purple, a golden chain shall be placed around your neck, and you shall rule as third in the kingdom. In other words: I have a great request of you, a request that no one else could meet, and I have heard that you can accomplish even that which others cannot.
"Your gifts shall be yours" - Daniel's Reply
בֵּאדַיִן עָנֵה דָנִיֵּאל וְאָמַר קֳדָם מַלְכָּא: מַתְּנָתָךְ לָךְ לֶהֶוְיָן וּנְבָזְבְּיָתָךְ לְאׇחֳרָן הַב, בְּרַם כְּתָבָא אֶקְרֵא לְמַלְכָּא וּפִשְׁרָא אֲהוֹדְעִנֵּהּ. - Then Daniel answered and spoke before the king: "Let your gifts remain yours, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless, I will read the inscription to the king and make known to him the interpretation."
The Aramaic word nevazbeyach relates to spoils and wealth. Daniel is telling him: Let your gifts remain yours, and the riches you wish to shower upon me - give them to others; but I will read the inscription to the king and make known its interpretation to him, even without any promises and without any gifts.
In a simple sense, one might explain that Daniel acted this way because the king had committed an unspeakable act: defiling the sacred vessels of the Beit HaMikdash in such a manner, desecrating God, and engaging in all the sins involved in this terrible, disgraceful banquet. He therefore wanted neither the king's gifts nor his honor. It is like a person whom Hitler, may his name and memory be blotted out, would approach and say, "I wish to give you a gift," and the person would reply, "Spare me your favors; I want nothing from you."
However, the Malbim finds this difficult, for it is unfitting to address a king in such a derogatory manner: "Let your gifts remain yours, and give the lavish spending you planned for me to someone else." The respectful conduct before a monarch is to accept his gift. And this applies not only to royalty; even between friends, if someone brings you a present and you reply, "No, no, there is no need, take it back" - he feels deeply hurt, for he invested effort and wanted to give. To turn someone down and say, "I waive your gift, thank you very much, keep it for yourself" - is an insult, and certainly anyone who treats a monarch that way would be considered a rebel guilty of treason.
Therefore, the Malbim explains that Daniel was actually speaking to him in an entirely different vein: All that you are promising me - these are superfluous pledges. Even the third of the kingdom you offer is unnecessary; let your kingdom remain whole, for I desire that you govern without any diminishing or deficiency. And why? Because I am not performing any great feat by resolving this difficulty for you. It is a simple matter that requires neither great exertion nor extraordinary wisdom, and it is not fitting that I take payment for it, nor is it fitting that you go to such lengths to reward me.
To what may this be compared? To a person whose washing machine stopped working. In his mind, he already starts looking at advertisements for new washing machines costing two thousand shekels, calculating that a repair would cost him at least five hundred shekels. The technician arrives, pulls a small sock out of the pump - and the machine springs back to life. The technician tells him, "No charge; pay me next time." Why? Because it is such a simple fix that even if you had asked me over the phone, I would have told you what to do. So said Daniel: The matter is so straightforward to me that it would be a pity for you to expend your treasures and reward me for it.
"You, O King" - By What Power Are You King
אַנְתְּ מַלְכָּא, אֱלָהָא עִלָּאָה מַלְכוּתָא וּרְבוּתָא וִיקָרָא וְהַדְרָא יְהַב לִנְבֻכַדְנֶצַּר אֲבוּךְ. - "You, O king: The Most High God gave kingship, greatness, glory, and splendor to your father Nebuchadnezzar."
According to Rashi, "You, O king" means: Listen closely, my lord the king. But according to the Malbim, his intention was: By what authority are you king? Have you ever paused to consider why you are king and from what your royalty stems? You are king solely by virtue of your father. The Holy One, blessed be He, granted the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar and promised him three generations - in the merit of that letter he dispatched to Chizkiyahu, when he ran after his couriers and rewrote it, placing the honor of Heaven before the honor of King Chizkiyahu. And that is what Scripture states: "And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son." And you, which generation are you? The third generation. That is the sole reason you now reign as king, and remember this. It was the Holy One, blessed be He, who gave him malchuta u'revuta - kingship and greatness, vikara - honor, vehadra - and majesty; he was the one who conquered all the realms and held dominion over the world, and it all came from the Creator of the universe. Your father received it from the Creator of the universe, and you are merely your father's continuation.
וּמִן רְבוּתָא דִּי יְהַב לֵהּ, כֹּל עַמְמַיָּא אֻמַּיָּא וְלִשָּׁנַיָּא הֲווֹ זָיְעִין וְדָחֲלִין מִן קֳדָמוֹהִי, דִּי הֲוָא צָבֵא הֲוָה קָטֵל וְדִי הֲוָה צָבֵא הֲוָה מַחֵא, וְדִי הֲוָה צָבֵא הֲוָה מָרִים וְדִי הֲוָא צָבֵא הֲוָא מַשְׁפִּל. - "And because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and tongues trembled and feared before him; whomever he wished he put to death, and whomever he wished he kept alive, and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he brought low."
Because of the immense greatness that the Holy One, blessed be He, granted him, all nations and tongues trembled and shook before him: whomever he wished - he put to death, and whomever he wished to keep alive - he kept alive; whomever he wished he exalted, and whomever he wished he brought low. That is, he was granted absolute monarchy. For there were kings whose people placed limits on them: You reign, but we will appoint ministers and judges who will hem in your rule with checks and balances, so that you do not do whatever enters your mind and do not, God forbid, harm the welfare of the people as tyrants and despots do; they would serve as a dam preventing the king from bursting his bounds, overflowing, and causing harm.
Where do we see this? In the case of Achashverosh. When he wanted to execute Vashti, he summoned the seven who saw the king's face, the satraps who held the first rank in the kingdom. Then a certain clever fellow named Haman came along and said: let a royal edict go forth from him, and let it be written into the laws of Persia and Media, never to be repealed. My lord the king, must you consult others about executing your wife after such an act? You ought to decide on your own. From now on, the king will be able to decide by himself whom to execute, without convening the council of seven. The idea pleased them and they agreed - and the Holy One, blessed be He, frustrated their counsel, for by right they should have objected: who is willing to have their power stripped away? Even a supreme court is not willing! Yet Hashem frustrated their counsel. And why, in truth, was it done this way? Because had it not been so, when the time came for Haman to die and it was said, "Hang him on it," the king would have had to convene the forum, gather the seven, submit a formal decision, petitions would be filed, there would be objections and an utter mess - and in the end the matter would have been overturned. But since Haman himself had eliminated the seven advisors who decided for the king, the king was able to decree in a single moment, "Hang him on it," and they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordechai - yet another way Haman dug his own grave with his own hands.
Daniel says: Come and see, the reign of Nevuchadnezzar was not like that. He held absolute sovereignty; there was no prince, no ruler, no advisor, and no judge who could say a word to him. Whom he wished he raised up, and whom he wished he cast down; he gave life and put to death, and everything was solely according to his will.
וּכְדִי רִם לִבְבֵהּ וְרוּחֵהּ תִּקְפַת לַהֲזָדָה, הׇנְחַת מִן כׇּרְסֵא מַלְכוּתֵהּ וִיקָרָה הֶעְדִּיו מִנֵּהּ. - But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became haughty to act willfully, he was deposed from his royal throne, and they took his glory away from him.
And when his heart grew haughty and his spirit overpowered him *lahazadah* - from the root of willful wickedness and presumption - the Holy One, blessed be He, brought him down from his royal throne and stripped his glory from him. Look at what became of him.
וּמִן בְּנֵי אֲנָשָׁא טְרִיד וְלִבְבֵהּ עִם חֵיוְתָא שַׁוִּיו, וְעִם עֲרָדַיָּא מְדֹרֵהּ, עִשְׂבָּא כְתוֹרִין יְטַעֲמוּנֵּהּ וּמִטַּל שְׁמַיָּא גִּשְׁמֵהּ יִצְטַבַּע, עַד דִּי יְדַע דִּי שַׁלִּיט אֱלָהָא עִלָּאָה בְּמַלְכוּת אֲנָשָׁא וּלְמַן דִּי יִצְבֵּא יְהָקֵים עֲלַהּ. - He was driven from among mankind, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys; they fed him grass like oxen, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules over the realm of mankind, and sets over it whomever He wishes.
He was driven out and banished from human society; his heart became like that of a beast, feeling and thinking as though he were an animal; and with the wild asses and donkeys was his dwelling place set, in the wilderness or in the forests; they fed him grass like oxen; and his body was exposed to the winds and the dew of heaven. And until when? Until he recognized that he was not the ruler, but that there is a Sovereign - the Most High God over the realm of mankind, and whomever He desires, He raises over it.
"And You, His Son, Belshazzar" - The Rebuke
This entire historical survey is nothing other than an introduction to the next verse:
וְאַנְתְּ בְּרֵהּ בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר לָא הַשְׁפֵּלְתְּ לִבְבָךְ, כׇּל קֳבֵל דִּי כׇל דְּנָה יְדַעְתָּ. - And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
And you, his son, Belshazzar, did not humble your heart - and all this while knowing everything. Had you not known, you might have claimed: I thought I was great, I am the king's son. But you know what happened to your father, how much he was afflicted and how much he suffered, all because his heart became proud. How can you repeat the very same folly and the very same mistake, refusing to humble your heart?
וְעַל מָרֵא שְׁמַיָּא הִתְרוֹמַמְתָּ, וּלְמָאנַיָּא דִי בַיְתֵהּ הַיְתִיו קׇדָמָךְ, וְאַנְתְּ וְרַבְרְבָנָךְ שֵׁגְלָתָךְ וּלְחֵנָתָךְ חַמְרָא שָׁתַיִן בְּהוֹן, וְלֵאלָהֵי כַסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא נְחָשָׁא פַרְזְלָא אָעָא וְאַבְנָא דִּי לָא חָזַיִן וְלָא שָׁמְעִין וְלָא יָדְעִין שַׁבַּחְתָּ, וְלֵאלָהָא דִּי נִשְׁמְתָךְ בִּידֵהּ וְכׇל אֹרְחָתָךְ לֵהּ לָא הַדַּרְתָּ. - And you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; they brought the vessels of His House before you, and you and your nobles, your royal consorts, and your concubines drank wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, copper, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see nor hear nor know; but the God in Whose hand is your very breath, and Whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.
See, my lord the king, what folly you have committed - like a dog returning to its father's vomit. You exalted yourself in arrogance against the Master of heaven; you had the vessels of His House brought before you, and you, your nobles, the queen, and your concubines drank wine from them; and the gods of silver and gold, copper and iron, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor know - those you praised; but the God in Whose hand your breath rests at every single moment, and before Whom all your ways are laid bare - Him you did not glorify or honor.
"Mene Mene Tekel Ufarsin" - The Meaning of the Inscription
בֵּאדַיִן מִן קֳדָמוֹהִי שְׁלִיחַ פַּסָּא דִי יְדָא וּכְתָבָא דְנָה רְשִׁים. וּדְנָה כְתָבָא דִּי רְשִׁים: מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין. - Then from before Him was the palm of the hand sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene Mene Tekel Ufarsin.
From before the Creator of the world the palm of the hand was sent, and this inscription was written. And what is "Mene Mene"? The Holy One, blessed be He, counted, and His count is doubled - He counted twice. The Malbim explains: There are two counts here, and a mistake could arise from either of them. On one hand, the Holy One, blessed be He, promised that he, his son, and his grandson would reign - Nebuchadnezzar, his son Evil-Merodach, and his grandson who had begun to reign, Belshazzar; and according to this calculation, you still have time, for Belshazzar is still young and has more years of reign ahead of him. On the other hand, it is stated: "And these nations shall serve the king of Babylonia for seventy years," and according to that calculation, the time is already up, and the hour of redemption and the termination of your kingdom has arrived. Thus, we have two conflicting counts before us: according to the seventy years, your kingdom was already supposed to end, while according to the prophecy of three generations, you are the third generation and should still continue to reign.
And this is "Mene Mene" - two counts. And what does one do when there are two conflicting factors? One weighs them. And this is "Tekel" - the matter is weighed on the scales: do we follow the general kingdom or the count of the king's years of life? Daniel then comes and explains:
דְּנָה פְּשַׁר מִלְּתָא: מְנֵא - מְנָה אֱלָהָא מַלְכוּתָךְ וְהַשְׁלְמַהּ. - This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene - God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.
The Holy One, blessed be He, counted your kingdom and completed it, meaning He brought it to an end - for the seventy years have reached their conclusion.
תְּקֵל - תְּקִילְתָּא בְמֹאזַנְיָא וְהִשְׁתְּכַחַתְּ חַסִּיר. - Tekel - you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
And should you say: "Three generations were promised, and I am still here?" To that: the Holy One, blessed be He, weighed your merits against your sins and found you wanting. You are not worthy of fulfilling your reign based on being the third generation. If so, which count do we follow? We follow the count of seventy years - that is the decisive count, and that is what the Holy One, blessed be He, focuses upon.
פְּרֵס - פְּרִיסַת מַלְכוּתָךְ וִיהִיבַת לְמָדַי וּפָרָס. - Peres - your kingdom has been divided and given to Media and Persia.
And for this reason the writing says, "Ufarsin." Note the precision: in the inscription it says "Farsin" in the plural form, and not just "Peres" - to convey two things: first, that your kingdom is divided (from the word perisah, slicing), just as one slices a loaf of bread in half, as in the phrase kdei achilat peras (the time it takes to eat half a loaf of bread); and second, that it was handed over to Persia (Paras). Thus, there is a dual aspect of "Peres": division and Persia.
Why the Sages Were Unable to Read It
It is worth considering: did they not know Aramaic? And even if it had been in Hebrew script, they could have brought a sage from among the Hebrews to read it. Rather, the Sages explain that they could not read the script in its written arrangement. It appeared as: Mamtos Nankafei A'alran (מַמְתּוּס נַנְקָפִי אַאלְרָן). Anyone reading "Mamtos" encounters an unfamiliar word, and likewise "Nankafei" and "A'alran," and no one could make sense of it. Only Daniel knew that the form of writing and the method of reading were different, and that it had to be read vertically from top to bottom, which then yielded: Mene Mene Tekel Ufarsin. And because Daniel knew this, the Gemara says, he was the one who succeeded in deciphering it.
From here, the Malbim explains a marvelous point: the hint that his kingdom is divided and given over to Persia and Media is alluded to in the very form of the writing itself. For the word u-farsin is the only one written split across two lines, while the other words - mene mene tekel - each stood in its place. It alone is divided within this riddle, and from this it is learned that your kingdom shall be divided and handed over to Media and Persia.
"On That Very Night" - The End of the Kingdom
בֵּאדַיִן אֲמַר בֵּלְשַׁאצַּר וְהַלְבִּשׁוּ לְדָנִיֵּאל אַרְגְּוָנָא וְהַמְנִיכָא דִי דַהֲבָא עַל צַוְּארֵהּ, וְהַכְרִזוּ עֲלוֹהִי דִּי לֶהֱוֵא שַׁלִּיט תַּלְתָּא בְּמַלְכוּתָא. - Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel in purple and placed a golden chain upon his neck, and they proclaimed concerning him that he should rule as third in the kingdom.
Belshazzar was confident in the attitude of "after me, the deluge." He said to himself: surely this refers to another seventy years or sixty years; who knows what time he is speaking of? Therefore, he still believed he had the power to distribute portfolios and grant appointments: he dressed Daniel in purple, placed a golden chain around his neck, and proclaimed that he would rule over a third of the kingdom.
בֵּהּ בְּלֵילְיָא קְטִיל בֵּלְאשַׁצַּר מַלְכָּא כַשְׂדָּאָה. - That very night, Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.
How long did Daniel rule? It was perhaps the shortest administration in world history. That very night retribution was exacted and Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed, and the prophecy was fulfilled on that very night. How did this happen? As explained at the beginning of the chapter, and based on historical chronicles: Persia and Media, whom he had subdued in battle that day, did not sit idly by. They took advantage of his preoccupation with the feast, organized their forces, and returned to conquer the kingdom that very night. Thus was fulfilled "your kingdom is divided," the seventy years during which they were destined to rule came to an end, and the promise given to Nebuchadnezzar reached its conclusion.
In Summary:
The chapter teaches us how in a single night a kingdom is sealed. The queen reminds Belshazzar of Daniel, who possesses the spirit of the holy gods and access to the Most High God, and Daniel is brought before the king. He rejects the gifts - not out of contempt, but with the claim that this deciphering requires no effort deserving of reward - and opens with rebuke: your kingdom is not your own, but a gift of Heaven to your father for three generations; and your father, who wielded absolute dominion, was brought low until he recognized that the Most High God rules over the realm of mankind. And you, though you knew all this, did not humble your heart, but rather exalted yourself against the Lord of Heaven with the vessels of His House. The writing on the wall - mene mene tekel u-farsin - represents two calculations weighed by the Holy One, blessed be He: the seventy years versus the three generations, and it was decided that he was found wanting. The dual parsin, along with the division of the word across two lines, hints that his kingdom would be divided and handed over to Media and Persia. Belshazzar still handed out appointments, and on that very night he was slain - and all the words of the prophecy were fulfilled to the letter.