Introduction
In this part of the chapter, we reach the heart of the story: the decree has already been signed in an unalterable edict, and Daniel now faces his trial. We will see how the Malbim elucidates the nuances of the text's language, foremost among them the fundamental difference between ba'ah (petitioner) and metzalei (praying) - a distinction upon which the entire episode hinges, including the accusers' charges, the king's rescue attempts, and ultimately Daniel's words at the mouth of the lions' den.
Daniel's Prayer - Why in Public?
וְדָנִיֵּאל כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל בִּרְכוֹהִי וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ כׇּל קֳבֵל דִּי הֲוָא עָבֵד מִן קַדְמַת דְּנָה׃ - And Daniel, when he knew that the document was inscribed, went into his house; and he had windows open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he would kneel upon his knees and pray and give thanks before his God, just as he had been doing prior to this.
Daniel knew that the new law had been inscribed, yet he went into his house, where the windows in his upper chamber were open toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he would kneel on his knees, pray, and give thanks before his God - as had been his custom beforehand. By the way, from here our Sages derive the principle that a synagogue must have windows facing Jerusalem: "and he had windows open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem."
Here, the Malbim addresses a profound question. What did Daniel see to do this specifically now, and in public view? After all, according to many Poskim, prayer is Rabbinic, and even according to those who hold it is a Torah obligation, outside of idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed, the rule of yehareg ve'al ya'avor (one must let himself be killed rather than transgress) does not apply. Why give your life for something that carries no obligation of martyrdom? This itself is a dispute among the halachic authorities: regarding someone who sacrifices his life for something that does not fall under yehareg ve'al ya'avor, some say he receives a reward for this, while others say he is held accountable for doing so. Whatever the case, he is certainly not obligated to do so. Furthermore, even if he wished to pray, who was stopping him from going inside, closing the windows, and praying all day long? There seems to be an element of defiance here: ascending to the attic chamber, with windows open toward Jerusalem, as if deliberately provoking the king. And what is the significance of the emphasis "just as he had been doing prior to this" - as had been his custom beforehand?
The Difference Between Ba'ah and Metzalei
The Malbim explains: Daniel was fully aware of the royal edict, but he understood that what he was doing did not contradict the decree in the slightest. What had the king decreed? That anyone who had a request must direct it to the king. But Daniel had no such petition. His prayer was not a request of the sort a person makes: "I need to expand my porch," "I have an issue with taxes," or this or that civic problem. Daniel was not presenting any new petition; he was praying just as he had always done beforehand. In particular, Daniel's regular prayer concerned communal needs, such as asking the Holy One, blessed be He, to forgive sin. Could one possibly request that of an earthly king - that he forgive you for what you sinned against Hashem? That can only be asked of God: "Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned." In matters such as these, the king never undertook to fulfill the petitioner's request, since it is not within his power at all.
This is precise in the wording of the verses: in the decree, it says, "di chol di yiv'ei va'u" - anyone who petitions a petition, from the root ba'ah, to ask or petition. By contrast, regarding Daniel, the text does not say ba'u, but rather "metzalei umodei" - praying and giving thanks. This highlights the difference between praying and petitioning: "requesting" is a verb that applies both toward Hashem and toward man - I ask you to do me a favor, and I ask the Master of the Universe to help me. But "praying" never applies toward a human being; there is no such expression as "I prayed to you to do me a favor." Prayer is always directed exclusively toward Hashem, blessed be He. Therefore, regarding Daniel it says metzalei - something that cannot possibly be demanded of the king: matters that are not worldly petitions at all, but praises of Hashem, blessed be He, or matters such as the plea for life. From whom would I request life - from you, my lord king? That is something that must be requested from Hashem alone. Hence it bears the title of prayer, and prayer is reserved solely for Hashem. For this reason, Daniel saw no contradiction whatsoever between his prayer and the king's decree.
"Tzlu" - A Time for Torah and a Time for Prayer
I saw a beautiful idea on this. There are sixty tractates in the Shas, and there are letters of the Hebrew alphabet with which no tractate begins: Tzadi, Lamed, and Vav. Under the letter Ayin there is Uktzin, but there is no tractate that opens with Tzadi, none with Lamed, and none with Vav. What is this alluding to? The Gemara says: There is a designated time for Torah and a designated time for prayer. When a person is told to come and pray, he might reply: "Not now, I am studying." Is there then no prayer? Is there anything more important than Torah study? That is a mistake. There is a time for Torah, and a time for prayer. And from where is this hinted? Throughout all the tractates of Shas, there is no "tzlu" (spelling out Tzadi-Lamed-Vav) - and tzlu means prayer (as in Aramaic, and likewise in Arabic and Yemenite Hebrew, tzali means "he prayed"). That is to say: Torah stands on its own, and prayer stands apart.
The Ambush: "They Gathered and Found Daniel"
אֱדַיִן גֻּבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ הַרְגִּשׁוּ וְהַשְׁכַּחוּ לְדָנִיֵּאל בָּעֵה וּמִתְחַנַּן קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ׃ - Then these men gathered in haste and found Daniel asking and supplicating before his God.
Hargishu - an expression of rushing and seizing, as Rashi explains, and also an expression of gathering together, as in "Why do the nations gather (ragshu)?" Nor was this a matter of chance: the entire plot and the entire decree were not devised so the ministers could add a second story to their homes, but specifically to trap Daniel. Consequently, all they had left to do was post lookouts to see when Daniel would pray. And they all assembled to watch together, so that it could not be denied: had only one person said, "I saw him," they could have replied, "You did not see clearly" - but here, all of us saw it.
Notice their wording: they found him ba'eh umitchanan ("asking and supplicating"). Because they intended to inform on him, they deliberately phrased it using the term ba'eh - petitioning, asking - and not metzaleh, praying. For the king's decree specifically forbade asking any petition.
The Tactic: First Confirm the Law, Then Denounce
בֵּאדַיִן קְרִבוּ וְאָמְרִין קֳדָם מַלְכָּא עַל אֱסָר מַלְכָּא הֲלָא אֱסָר רְשַׁמְתָּ דִּי כׇל אֱנָשׁ דִּי יִבְעֵא מִן כׇּל אֱלָהּ וֶאֱנָשׁ עַד יוֹמִין תְּלָתִין לָהֵן מִנָּךְ מַלְכָּא יִתְרְמֵא לְגוֹב אַרְיָוָתָא עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר יַצִּיבָא מִלְּתָא כְּדָת מָדַי וּפָרַס דִּי לָא תֶעְדֵּא׃ - Then they approached and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: "Did you not sign a decree that any person who asks a petition of any god or man within thirty days, except from you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The matter is certain, according to the law of Media and Persia, which cannot be revoked."
The Malbim explains: they knew very well that the king would search for every possible merit to exonerate Daniel, for Daniel was dear to him and the king had elevated him above everyone else. Had they opened by saying, "Daniel was caught in the net," the king would immediately have looked for justifications why the decree did not apply to him and why he ought to go free. Therefore, they preempted him by asking with feigned innocence: "Your Majesty, we have a question - did you indeed record an absolute prohibition, that any person who makes any manner of request of any god or man for thirty days shall be thrown into the lions' den? Is this an all-inclusive decree covering every kind of petition?" And the king replied to them: "Yatziva milta - the matter is true and certain, according to the irrevocable law of Media and Persia." He conceded this before them. And only after he had committed himself did they move to the next stage.
בֵּאדַיִן עֲנוֹ וְאָמְרִין קֳדָם מַלְכָּא דִּי דָנִיֵּאל דִּי מִן בְּנֵי גָלוּתָא דִּי יְהוּד לָא שָׂם עֲלָךְ מַלְכָּא טְעֵם וְעַל אֱסָרָא דִּי רְשַׁמְתָּ וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְּיוֹמָא בָּעֵא בָּעוּתֵהּ׃ - Then they answered and said before the king: "Daniel, who is from the exiles of Judah, pays no regard to you, O king, nor to the decree that you have signed, but asks his petition three times a day."
Now they found their opening to denounce him: If you have acknowledged that the law applies to everyone, to every person and every request - what do you have to say about this? Here is Daniel, of the exiles of Judah: la sam alach malka te'em - he pays no mind to your royal decree, or in contemporary terms: he does not care about you at all. And not only that, but he disregards the strict prohibition you personally signed. Nor is this a one-time lapse, but zimnin telata beyoma ba'eh ba'uteh - "three times a day he asks his petition." And notice once again: they did not say tzala tzoluteh ("prays his prayer"), but ba'eh ba'uteh - "asks his petition," which is the very act strictly prohibited by law.
The King Strives to Save Him
אֱדַיִן מַלְכָּא כְּדִי מִלְּתָא שְׁמַע שַׂגִּיא בְּאֵשׁ עֲלוֹהִי וְעַל דָּנִיֵּאל שָׂם בָּל לְשֵׁיזָבוּתֵהּ וְעַד מֶעָלֵי שִׁמְשָׁא הֲוָא מִשְׁתַּדַּר לְהַצָּלוּתֵהּ׃ - Then the king, when he heard the matter, was deeply distressed, and set his heart on Daniel to save him; and until the setting of the sun he exerted himself to rescue him.
When the king heard these words, sagi be'esh alohi - he was deeply distressed by the matter. Ve'al Daniel sam bal lesheizavuteh - he set his heart on saving him, looking for a way to exempt him from the statutory penalty; ve'ad ma'alei shimsha - until sunset he exerted himself to rescue him. His argument, as the Malbim explains, was that the decree did not apply to Daniel at all. For Daniel prays three times a day as an obligation of his religion; this is not a newly introduced request at all, nor is it a request for things within the king's power to grant, and he does this consistently every single day. Since this is the case, it falls outside the decree's scope.
Rashi explains that the king initially tried to dismiss them, saying he did not believe their report. But when the time for Daniel's prayer arrived, he knelt down and prayed his prayer before the Holy One, Blessed be He - at which point they said to the king: Now you can no longer claim we fabricated this; everyone can see it with their own eyes. With that, the king was left with no counterargument against them.
"Di La Lehshanayah" - The Law That Cannot Be Interpreted Away
בֵּאדַיִן גֻּבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ הַרְגִּשׁוּ עַל מַלְכָּא וְאָמְרִין לְמַלְכָּא דַּע מַלְכָּא דִּי דָת לְמָדַי וּפָרַס דִּי כׇל אֱסָר וּקְיָם דִּי מַלְכָּא יְהָקֵים לָא לְהַשְׁנָיָה׃ - Then these men gathered tumultuously before the king, and said to the king: "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no prohibition or statute which the king establishes may be changed."
They came and said to him: Our master, know that any prohibition or statute that the king establishes cannot be altered. It cannot be creatively reinterpreted, nor can exceptions be read into it. You yourself declared that anyone who makes any request - this encompasses everything, and now you are attempting to alter it, to claim that this particular case is an exception? The laws of Media and Persia cannot be changed and cannot be reinterpreted. It was this argument that definitively blocked and sealed off any remaining possibility for the king to save Daniel.
Cast into the Lions' Den
בֵּאדַיִן מַלְכָּא אֲמַר וְהַיְתִיו לְדָנִיֵּאל וּרְמוֹ לְגֻבָּא דִּי אַרְיָוָתָא עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר לְדָנִיֵּאל אֱלָהָךְ דִּי אַנְתְּ פָּלַח לֵהּ בִּתְדִירָא הוּא יְשֵׁיזְבִנָּךְ׃ - Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel: "May your God, whom you serve continually, save you!"
The king had no choice, and he commanded that Daniel be brought and cast into the lions' den. He said to him: Your God, whom you serve continually - He will save you. From his words, it is evident that the king still maintained that Daniel did not deserve death. Notice that he did not say, "whom you ask of," but rather "whom you serve" (palach leh) - that you serve your God. The king had not forbidden serving God, nor had he forbidden prayer; he had only forbidden petitioning. Therefore, he emphasized "whom you serve," indicating divine service and prayer rather than making requests. Furthermore, he added "continually" (bitdira) - this is your regular practice, not a new petition that ought to have been directed to the king. In other words: I believe you are innocent of any wrongdoing or guilt, but the pressure exerted upon me by all these ministers and dignitaries leaves me no choice.
Sealing the Stone - Why with Both the King's Ring and the Ministers' Rings
וְהֵיתָיִת אֶבֶן חֲדָה וְשֻׂמַת עַל פֻּם גֻּבָּא וְחַתְמַהּ מַלְכָּא בְּעִזְקְתֵהּ וּבְעִזְקָת רַבְרְבָנוֹהִי דִּי לָא תִשְׁנֵא צְבוּ בְּדָנִיֵּאל׃ - And a stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing regarding Daniel might be changed.
After they cast him into the pit, they brought a large stone and placed it over the opening of the den, sealing it with the king's signet ring and the signet rings of his ministers and dignitaries, "so that the purpose regarding Daniel should not be changed." What was the concern? The king feared that people would attempt to harm Daniel in the pit. Even if he survived the lions, people might come and throw stones at him into the pit and the like, as in a lynching - for in their eyes, he had defied the king's decree and deserved to die. Therefore, he placed a stone over the mouth of the pit and sealed it, ensuring that the king's will - that he did not want Daniel killed - would not be circumvented. The Malbim adds: this was even to prevent them from mocking him, taunting him with harsh words, or causing him distress.
And why did the ministers seal it with their rings as well? So that no one could later claim: "He only survived because they threw enormous quantities of meat to the lions and gorged them." Therefore, he showed them: you all see that the pit is sealed, and no one can open it. This was the ancient method of sealing: when they wished to seal a door or an opening so that any tampering would be immediately evident, they would apply a plaster of clay or mortar around it and impress a seal into it. They would take wax or pitch, heat the seal, place the wax on the seam and press down, stamping the insignia - such as the king's image - into the wax. This was done with official letters, and a similar practice is used by notaries to this day. Anyone wishing to open it would have to break the seal, and restoring it would be impossible without the signet ring. So too here: the plaster might perhaps be reapplied, but the seals could not be restamped, and it would be immediately obvious if anyone had opened the pit.
A Sleepless Night in the Royal Palace
אֱדַיִן אֲזַל מַלְכָּא לְהֵיכְלֵהּ וּבָת טְוָת וְדַחֲוָן לָא הַנְעֵל קׇדָמוֹהִי וְשִׁנְתֵּהּ נַדַּת עֲלוֹהִי׃ - Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought before him, and his sleep fled from him.
The king went to his palace and "lodged in fasting" (bat tawat). Bat is an expression of lodging for the night, as in "lodge here" (beitu hacha), and tawat means in fasting. "And diversions were not brought before him" (vedahavan la hanael kodamohi) - they did not bring his dining table before him. Some say that dahavan is an anagram of chedvan, rejoicing, meaning that joy and merriment were not present before him. Others explain that it refers to his concubines, who were not brought before him. "And his sleep fled from him" (veshinteh nedat alohi) - his sleep drifted away from him, and he could not sleep.
בֵּאדַיִן מַלְכָּא בִּשְׁפַּרְפָּרָא יְקוּם בְּנׇגְהָא וּבְהִתְבְּהָלָה לְגֻבָּא דִי אַרְיָוָתָא אֲזַל׃ - Then the king arose at daybreak, with the light, and went in haste to the den of lions.
The king arose "at daybreak" (bishparpara) - at the break of dawn; "with the light" (venogha) - with the first glimmer of light that began to shine dimly. As in the verse, "He will illuminate my darkness" (yagiah choshki), and "there is no light for him" (velo nogah lo), where nogah denotes light. And in a rush and with great urgency, he went to the lions' den to see what had become of Daniel: whether any bones remained of him or not.
"Was He able to save you?" - The Will Was Certain, the Ability in Doubt
וּכְמִקְרְבֵהּ לְגֻבָּא לְדָנִיֵּאל בְּקָל עֲצִיב זְעִק עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר לְדָנִיֵּאל דָּנִיֵּאל עֲבֵד אֱלָהָא חַיָּא אֱלָהָךְ דִּי אַנְתְּ פָּלַח לֵהּ בִּתְדִירָא הַיְכִל לְשֵׁיזָבוּתָךְ מִן אַרְיָוָתָא׃ - And as he drew near the den, he cried out to Daniel with an anguished voice; the king spoke and said to Daniel: Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to save you from the lions?
As he drew near to the pit, he cried out in an anguished voice: Daniel, servant of the living God! The title "the living God" comes to indicate that the Holy One, blessed be He, acts within creation and is capable of acting, in contrast to dead deities that a person cries out to and they can do nothing. And the king chose his words with precision: "Your God, whom you serve continually" - since you worship Him constantly, it is obvious to me that He would desire to save you. What I do not know is: "Has He been able to save you from the lions?" - could He save you from the lions? His desire was clear to him; it was the divine ability that he doubted.
Daniel's Response: Merit Before Hashem and Merit Before the King
אֱדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל עִם מַלְכָּא מַלִּל מַלְכָּא לְעָלְמִין חֱיִי׃ - Then Daniel spoke with the king: O king, live forever!
אֱלָהִי שְׁלַח מַלְאֲכֵהּ וּסְגַר פֻּם אַרְיָוָתָא וְלָא חַבְּלוּנִי כׇּל קֳבֵל דִּי קׇדָמוֹהִי זָכוּ הִשְׁתְּכַחַת לִי וְאַף קׇדָמָךְ מַלְכָּא חֲבוּלָה לָא עַבְדֵת׃ - My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they did not harm me, inasmuch as before Him merit was found in me; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.
Daniel said to him: My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions, and they did not harm me. And why? "Inasmuch as before Him merit was found in me" - merit was found for me before Him, the merit of having prayed before Him all those days, and that is what stood by me. He further added: "And also before you, O king, I have done no harm" - and before you as well, my lord the king, I have done no wrong, nor did I defy your royal decree. What did he intend to convey by this? That had he violated the king's command in a matter where it was unnecessary, he would no longer have been worthy of being saved from the lions. For Hashem has placed upon us a mitzvah of dina demalchuta dina (the law of the land is binding), and the Torah commands reverence for the monarchy, for were it not for the fear of government, people would swallow one another alive. Defying the king's word without true necessity would thus have been enough to forfeit his salvation. It turns out that he had neither a sin between himself and the Omnipresent, nor a sin between himself and the king - and this was the ultimate proof of his righteousness.
Daniel is Brought Up from the Pit
בֵּאדַיִן מַלְכָּא שַׂגִּיא טְאֵב עֲלוֹהִי וּלְדָנִיֵּאל אֲמַר לְהַנְסָקָה מִן גֻּבָּא וְהֻסַּק דָּנִיֵּאל מִן גֻּבָּא וְכׇל חֲבָל לָא הִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּהּ דִּי הֵימִן בֵּאלָהֵהּ׃ - Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that Daniel be lifted up out of the den; and Daniel was lifted up out of the den, and no manner of harm was found upon him, because he trusted in his God.
The king was exceedingly pleased, and he commanded that Daniel be lifted up out of the pit. They brought him up and examined him, and no manner of hurt was found on him - because he trusted in his God, and in the merit of his faith, the miracle was performed for him. And what is meant by "any hurt"? Even a lion coming merely to test and leave a slight scratch - not even that was upon him. Nothing at all; he was entirely unblemished.
The Punishment of the Informers
וַאֲמַר מַלְכָּא וְהַיְתִיו גֻּבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ דִּי אֲכַלוּ קַרְצוֹהִי דִּי דָנִיֵּאל וּלְגוֹב אַרְיָוָתָא רְמוֹ אִנּוּן בְּנֵיהוֹן וּנְשֵׁיהוֹן וְלָא מְטוֹ לְאַרְעִית גֻּבָּא עַד דִּי שְׁלִטוּ בְהוֹן אַרְיָוָתָא וְכׇל גַּרְמֵיהוֹן הַדִּקוּ׃ - And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and cast them into the lions' den - them, their children, and their wives; and before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
So may all Your enemies perish, Hashem, Amen. The king ordered those men who had eaten pieces of Daniel - that is, the informers, as we have previously explained why slander is called "eating their pieces" - to be brought and cast into the lions' den, together with their children and wives. And why their children and wives as well? Under the law regarding rebels against the monarchy, no remnant of them was spared, so as to avoid any situation where a son, a wife, her next husband, or any family member might attempt to seek vengeance against the king.
And come and see: "And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them." There were those who might have claimed that perhaps the lions were not hungry, perhaps they had been well fed and that is why Daniel was saved. The king said to them: Let us test it. He cast them into the den, and it became clear that they were ravenously hungry - to the extent that they did not even have time to reach the floor of the pit before the lions seized and devoured them in midair. "And crushed all their bones" - lest one think that at least bones remained: they pulverized the bones as well, leaving nothing whatsoever of them.
Daryavesh's Letter to All Peoples
בֵּאדַיִן דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא כְּתַב לְכׇל עַמְמַיָּא אֻמַּיָּא וְלִשָּׁנַיָּא דִּי דָיְרִין בְּכׇל אַרְעָא שְׁלָמְכוֹן יִשְׂגֵּא׃ - Then King Daryavesh wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: May your peace be abundant.
מִן קֳדָמַי שִׂים טְעֵם דִּי בְּכׇל שׇׁלְטָן מַלְכוּתִי לֶהֱוֺן זָיְעִין וְדָחֲלִין מִן קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ דִּי דָנִיֵּאל דִּי הוּא אֱלָהָא חַיָּא וְקַיָּם לְעָלְמִין וּמַלְכוּתֵהּ דִּי לָא תִתְחַבַּל וְשׇׁלְטָנֵהּ עַד סוֹפָא׃ - A decree is made by me that in all the dominion of my kingdom people shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be until the end.
The king wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages dwelling in all the earth - across all the provinces of his kingdom - "May your peace be multiplied. I issue a decree that in every dominion of my realm people must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is a living God, enduring forever." For idols possess no vitality, no understanding, and no intellect. And even the forces of nature that they deified - the Persians, for instance, worshipped fire - do not live and endure forever: if water comes, it extinguishes fire, and if fire prevails, it evaporates water. Thus neither of them is living and enduring forever. But Hashem is the God of gods, living and enduring for all eternity, and no other power can overpower Him. "And His kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed" - there is no opposing force that can diminish His sovereignty in any way; "and His dominion shall be until the end" - His rule and sovereignty extend to the end, that is, for all eternity.
מְשֵׁיזִב וּמַצִּל וְעָבֵד אָתִין וְתִמְהִין בִּשְׁמַיָּא וּבְאַרְעָא דִּי שֵׁיזִב לְדָנִיֵּאל מִן יַד אַרְיָוָתָא׃ - He delivers and rescues, and works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
"He delivers" - He redeems and rescues, performing signs and wonders, marvelous deeds. A "sign" (ot) refers to an event within the bounds of nature, while "wonders" (timhin) - as we have explained - refers to astonishing events that are supernatural. And He performs these in heaven and on earth, for behold, they saw that He rescued Daniel from the clutches of the lions.
Daniel's Latter Years in the Two Kingdoms
וְדָנִיֵּאל דְּנָה הַצְלַח בְּמַלְכוּת דָּרְיָוֶשׁ וּבְמַלְכוּת כּוֹרֶשׁ פָּרְסָאָה׃ - And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Daniel continued to prosper during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian, as stated elsewhere: "And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus." The kingdom of Media belonged to Darius, followed by the kingdom of Cyrus; Darius the Mede reigned for only one year. Abarbanel cites Yosippon that after being cast into the lions' den, Daniel requested to resign from royal service and move to Shushan. He was granted permission, Zerubbabel took his place in the royal court, and Daniel departed for Shushan. From here we see where he ended up: Daniel is Hatach, who resided in Shushan the capital, called "Hatach" because he was cut down (chathakuhu) from his greatness. As for the matter of Cyrus's reign - we will discuss that further on.
Here Darius sought to proclaim publicly that he accepted the sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He, and this serves as an introduction to what we will see in the subsequent chapters: the desire to rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. What prompted a non-Jewish king to desire to build the House of Hashem, the House of God in Jerusalem? This desire sprang from the wondrous miracle they witnessed performed for Daniel. All of this came about so that they would acknowledge the God of Israel, and through this develop the goodwill, agreement, and support for the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.
In summary:
Daniel did not provoke the king, nor was he seeking unnecessary self-sacrifice. The Malbim teaches us that the entire episode hinges on a linguistic precision: the decree was against a ba'u - a petition, whereas Daniel was metzaleh u-modeh - praying and giving thanks, acts that are entirely inapplicable to request from a mortal king. From this stemmed the king's argument to spare him, and from this came the scheming of the informants, who initially had him sign an all-inclusive interpretation of the law. Daniel, who transgressed neither his Creator's will nor the reverence due to the king, was found worthy and was rescued from the lions without a scratch. The ultimate outcome of the miracle was that Darius wrote to all the nations to acknowledge the living God Who endures forever - serving as the prelude and the gateway to the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.