Introduction: A New Prophecy Within the Chapter
The passage before us, from verse 15 onward, is essentially a chapter in its own right. We have noted in the past that the division into chapters is not of Jewish origin, and here is another example: from verse 15, an entirely new prophecy and a completely new subject begin.
To understand what this is about, let us provide some background. Anyone who studied Melachim II (II Kings) remembers that when Sanheriv besieged Jerusalem, there were individuals inside Jerusalem who acted as a fifth column. They secretly collaborated with Sanheriv's forces and told them: Know that only Chizkiyahu and his faction have not surrendered, but Shebna and his faction have made peace, and we are the majority here. In doing so, they essentially sought to seize power from Chizkiyahu, so that Sanheriv would accept Shebna as ruler and appoint him and his men to govern Jerusalem.
"This Steward" - Who Was Shebna?
כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה צְבָאוֹת לֶךְ־בֹּא אֶל־הַסֹּכֵן הַזֶּה עַל־שֶׁבְנָא אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבָּיִת׃ - "Thus said the Lord God of Hosts: Go, proceed to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the palace:"
What is "this sochein" (steward)? Why does the prophet refer to Shebna as a sochein? The term "sochein" is interpreted in several ways. The well-known and familiar explanation is: an official appointed over the king's estate and royal household, responsible for revenues and expenditures. Likewise, "arei miskenot" (store cities) for Pharaoh were cities where grain was stored. Similarly, "and she became an attendant (sochenet) to the king," whose simple meaning is that she managed the royal household.
The Malbim adds that the term also refers to a person of pleasure, someone who pursues worldly desires, indulgences of food, and the like. After all, grain and fruits were stored in store cities for consumption. Therefore, Chazal explain, as cited by Rashi, "the sochein" - he was a seeker of pleasures. According to this, "and she became an attendant (sochenet) to him" is also related to pleasure. There is another explanation there that does not apply here: Chazal derived "sochenet" from the phrase "he who chops wood is warmed (yisachen) by them," meaning warmth, as one who chops wood warms himself through heating, and so David took Avishag to warm him. But here, that explanation is not relevant.
There is another explanation specific to this context: "sochein" is related to Sikhni - "he was a heretic from Sikhni." He came from a place called Sikhni near Jerusalem, and from there he arrived in Jerusalem. Another explanation: just as a "sochenet" is in charge of the household, there is an opinion in Chazal that Shebna was in charge of the Beit HaMikdash. Some say he was the Kohen Gadol, to our shame, and some say an amarkal (chief administrator). An amarkal is like an executive director: "amar kol" - all that he says, everything is carried out according to his word.
"What Have You Here, and Whom Have You Here" - A Grammatical Note
מַה־לְּךָ פֹה וּמִי לְךָ פֹה כִּי־חָצַבְתָּ לְּךָ פֹּה קָבֶר חֹצְבִי מָרוֹם קִבְרוֹ חֹקְקִי בַסֶּלַע מִשְׁכָּן לוֹ׃ - "What have you here, and whom have you here, that you have hewn yourself a grave here, hewing his grave on high, carving a dwelling for himself in the rock?"
Let us first examine a grammatical point that we have addressed before, but it is a rule well worth knowing. Notice: "mah lecha foh" and "u-mi lecha foh" appear without a dagesh (in the letter peh), whereas "ki chatzavta lecha poh kever" appears with a dagesh. Why? According to the rules of Hebrew grammar, when preceded by one of the vowel letters (alef, hei, vav, yud - the letters of AHVI), the dagesh drops from the letters begad kefat. The letters beit, gimel, dalet, kaf, peh, and tav at the start of a word take a dagesh: we say k'far and not chaf'ar. But if it is immediately preceded by a word ending with one of the letters alef, hei, vav, or yud, the dagesh drops. "Par'oh" is always read with a dagesh, but in "ki far'oh," the preceding word ends in a yud and drops the dagesh. Likewise, "vayar Balak" - the alef at the end of "vayar" causes the beit to lose its dagesh.
This rule also applies to the word "lecha." Seemingly it ends with a chaf and not one of the AHVI letters, but phonetically it sounds as though it ends in a hei - "lecha." Therefore, it is treated as an adjoining vowel sound, which is why "mah lecha foh" is read without a dagesh. Had the text said "melech poh," we would have read "poh" with a dagesh.
And why does the dagesh remain in the last instance, "that you have hewn for yourself here" (כִּי חָצַבְתָּ לְּךָ פֹּה)? Because of the tevir cantillation mark. The tevir accent creates a pause and a lowering tone, so the phrase is read: "that you have hewn for yourself, here, a grave." Since there is a pause, it is no longer treated as immediately adjacent to a vowel sound, and the letter peh retains its dagesh. In the first two instances, "lekha foh" are read together without a disjunctive pause, adjacent to the open vowel, and so the dagesh drops out. So much for the grammatical point; now let us turn to the message of the verse.
What Are You Looking for Here?
The prophet turns to Shebna and says to him: After all, you came from another city, as we saw in the explanation that "soken" relates to the town of Sichni. You are not a local at all. What are you looking for here in Jerusalem? "What have you here?" - do you possess a field or an ancestral estate here? "And whom have you here?" - do you have relatives from your father's household here? For a person generally settles in a city where his family resides, and he wishes to be buried near his kin. Yet you have neither.
"That you have hewn you out a sepulchre here" - and yet you have hewn a tomb for yourself here, which implies that you expect to remain here for many long years; you have acquired a burial plot where you plan to be buried after one hundred and twenty. In other words, you feel completely settled and permanent here.
"Hewing his sepulchre on high, engraving a habitation for himself in the rock" - you went and carved yourself a tomb into the mountain, in a prominent, elevated place. And why "hewing" (khotzevi)? Because it was their custom to quarry out burial caves: they would hollow out a chamber and carve niches (kukhim) into the sides, placing the deceased there. "Engraving a habitation for himself in the rock" - inside the quarried chamber, they carved out a place to rest the coffin. And what is the difference between "hewing" (khotzev) and "engraving" (chokek)? Hewing is done directly into the attached bedrock, whereas engraving is done upon detached stone. One who sculpts a detached stone is called a chokek, as in "engraved upon the tablets," while one who carves into the mountain itself is called a khotzev. First he hewed out a burial chamber, and then he engraved the niche.
It is worth understanding how burials were conducted in those days. Anyone who visits the Israel Museum or other historical sites can see stone ossuaries, known as geluskemaot. In reality, the deceased was not placed in them immediately: they would first bury the body in the ground, and after a year, once the flesh had decomposed, they gathered the bones and placed them into the ossuary. Therefore, one should not be surprised when seeing a small casket and wonder how a body could fit inside - this was done only after no flesh remained on the bones. This is how they maintained family crypts, which is permitted according to Halachah. Incidentally, this was the earliest form of multi-tiered burial: they constructed shelf-like recesses, placed the ossuaries inside, and sealed them. But first they allowed the flesh to decompose in the earth, because upon stone the flesh decomposes slowly, whereas in earth it decomposes much faster. And it is necessary for the flesh to decompose quickly so that the soul can depart from the body, for as long as the flesh has not fully decayed, the soul does not leave the body and experiences distress.
The prophet says to him: You prepared a magnificent resting place for yourself on the high mountain, seeking honor and prestige, and you carved an elaborate repository for your bones. But the Creator of the world is preparing something entirely different for you - downfall, disgrace, and humiliation, as we will see immediately.
The First Fifth Column
Rashi explains that the passage comes to condemn him, for he was the earliest known "fifth column." These are the traitors who deliver Israel into the hands of the nations, operating from within our midst to dismantle us from the inside. This was Shebna: he was the one who opposed Chizkiyahu and shot an arrow to the king of Assyria to announce that "Shebna and his faction have surrendered" - when you arrive to fight here, know that you have allies among us. The Gemara relates: "He wrote a note and tied it to an arrow." That was their version of a text message: he would wrap a letter around an arrow and shoot it toward the enemy camp; they would see the dispatch arrive, and that is how they communicated with one another.
"A Man's Hurling"
הִנֵּה יְהֹוָה מְטַלְטֶלְךָ טַלְטֵלָה גָּבֶר וְעֹטְךָ עָטֹה׃ - "Behold, Hashem will cast you out with a mighty hurling, and will violently wrap you."
The Holy One, blessed be He, is about to cast you away with "a man's hurling" (taltelah gever), an expression that carries several interpretations. Rashi cites Targum Yonatan: "Like this rooster that is tossed about from place to place." A rooster is an agile creature that flits in an instant from place to place, and in biblical and rabbinic language it is called a "gever," as in the phrase "when the rooster crows" (karei hagever). The meaning is: I will toss you about like a rooster fluttering restlessly from place to place.
Our Sages expound: Why does the verse say "the hurling of a man" (*taltelah gever*) rather than of a woman? Because "displacement is harder for a man than for a woman." When people have to uproot from one place to another, a woman adapts easily: in a single moment she packs the suitcases, and moments later she is settled in, already has three friends among the neighbors, and within two days knows the names of all the neighborhood residents one by one. A man, by contrast - it takes so long for him to leave home, to acclimate, to find a shul (for months he wanders to a different shul each time, barely exchanging a word with anyone). So too with picking up languages: a woman quickly understands a neighbor speaking French, knowing what she wants and what she is saying, whereas a man can live twenty years in the United States and claim he does not know English, let alone how to write it!
From here also stems the warning that people should not take elderly parents and move them from place to place, because displacement is exceedingly difficult for an older man. There are many known cases where children wanted their parents to be close to them and relocated them, and not long afterward the father passed away. It is very difficult for a person to undergo displacement, especially after years of being accustomed to and familiar with a particular place.
Radak explains differently: "The hurling of a man (*gever*)" - a harsh, forceful hurling, for *gever* signifies strength and might, an overpowering and intensifying hurling. And to where will He hurl you? Into the open air of heaven, as it says, "and He will wrap you up (*ve'otekh ateh*)" - like a bird of prey (*ayit*) soaring through the air. The meaning is: Shevna went out from Jerusalem to Sancheriv's army to join them and be accepted by them. *Ve'otekh ateh* derives from *ayit*, like "and the people swooped down (*vaya'at*) upon the spoil" - they swooped like a raptor gliding toward the plunder. There is another explanation in Chazal: Shevna already began receiving his retribution in advance and became a *metzora*, and this is the meaning of *ve'otekh ateh*, as in "and he shall cover (*ya'teh*) his mustache," which is said concerning a *metzora*.
"Like a Ball into a Wide Land"
צָנוֹף יִצְנׇפְךָ צְנֵפָה כַּדּוּר אֶל־אֶרֶץ רַחֲבַת יָדָיִם שָׁמָּה תָמוּת וְשָׁמָּה מַרְכְּבוֹת כְּבוֹדֶךָ קְלוֹן בֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ׃ - He will wind you tightly like a winding, like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there shall be your chariots of glory, the disgrace of your master's house.
"He will wind you tightly like a winding" - He will wrap you round and round like a turban until your body resembles a ball. And just as a ball is tossed and rolled in a broad, open land, kicked around from place to place, so will be done to you. At first you will soar willingly toward Sancheriv's army like a bird of prey, like a bird flying joyfully, and afterward, against your will, they will roll you like a ball.
"There you shall die" - you sought to hew yourself a tomb in order to die here, but the prophet says to him: No, sir, you will not die here, but there. "And there shall be your chariots of glory, the disgrace of your master's house" - you sought the disgrace of your master's house; you wanted to build yourself up through Chizkiyahu's disgrace, telling Sancheriv: "Chizkiyahu is rebelling against you, but I am with you." The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: Your glory will turn into disgrace.
And how so? It is written that when Shevna organized his whole faction for a mass defection to Sancheriv, all his registered party members arrived. But when the time came to march out, he suddenly realized no one was behind him: this one slipped away, that one said "I have to run," another said "I can't right now," another said "I'm in a hurry." The moment of truth arrived, and at the ballot box nobody was with him. He arrived before Sancheriv completely alone. Sancheriv asked him: "What did you say? You have supporters? Where is the party committee? Where is everyone?" Shevna replied: "What can I do, they abandoned me." Sancheriv said: "In that case, you are making a mockery of me! You came to make peace with me and promised to deliver followers, yet you show up alone? And on top of that you expect gifts and rewards?" The Gemara recounts: They pierced his heels, tied him to the tails of their horses, and dragged him over thorns and briers, rolling him like a ball - and thus shall be done to all who betray Hashem. This is the meaning of "and there shall be your chariots of glory": you thought they would grant you a chariot and honor, but these are the "chariots" you will receive instead of glory. "The disgrace of your master's house" - you sought disgrace for your master's house, and that very disgrace you will receive; they will hitch you behind the horses and drag you, and this will be your retribution for what you did.
The Malbim offers an additional explanation here. The difficulty with the first explanation is that the word *kaddur* ("like a ball") appears to lack the prepositional *kaf* of comparison; if the verse meant that He will wrap you like a turban so that you resemble a ball (*kadur*), it should have said *kekhadur*. While there are several places in Tanach where the *kaf* of comparison is omitted, and this is not an insurmountable difficulty, the Malbim nonetheless adds another explanation: The *kaf* of *kaddur* is indeed the *kaf* of comparison, and the root word itself is *dur* - from the concept of a bonfire (*medurah*), as in "pile (*dur*) the bones beneath it," referring to a fire burning the bones under it, from which the word *medurah* is derived. According to this: He will burn you like a bonfire in a wide land.
"And I Will Thrust You from Your Station" - Two Stages of Downfall
וַהֲדַפְתִּיךָ מִמַּצָּבֶךָ וּמִמַּעֲמָדְךָ יֶהֶרְסֶךָ׃ - And I will thrust you from your station, and from your position he shall pull you down.
First, "And I will thrust you from your station (*matzav*)": currently you occupy a powerful position, at the height of stature, a prominent minister - and according to one opinion, even the Kohen Gadol or the chief administrator (*amarkal*) of the Beit HaMikdash. From that stronghold I will bring you down. And afterward, "and from your position (*ma'amad*) he shall pull you down": lest you say, "They will depose me from high rank and I will simply live as an ordinary citizen" - even from an ordinary standing he will destroy you; you will have no foothold and no standing whatsoever, but utter ruin.
This is the difference between matzav (station) and ma'amad (standing), along the lines of the Malbim's earlier explanation of the difference between omed (standing) and nitzav (positioned firmly): omed merely indicates that one is not sitting, whereas nitzav refers to someone who reinforces his stand at that very spot, standing with strength, or someone placed in charge over others, as in "one who stands (nitzav) among the great," who is stable and permanently set in his place.
We should also notice that initially the verse says, "I will thrust you" (vehadafticha) in the first person, whereas afterward it does not say "and I will pull you down," but rather "he will pull you down" (yehersecha), as though someone else will do the tearing down. Why? The Malbim explains that this reflects how it actually happened: the initial push came from the Creator of the world, but he was then physically destroyed by that cruel king, who tied him by his heels to horses, torturing and ruining him. The first downfall was "I will thrust you" - I will give you the initial shove, but the conclusion of the story will be carried out by another: "he will pull you down," through Sennacherib.
Elyakim the Son of Chilkijahu in His Place
וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְקָרָאתִי לְעַבְדִּי לְאֶלְיָקִים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּהוּ׃ - And it shall come to pass on that day, that I will call My servant, Elyakim the son of Chilkijahu.
Who is "My servant Elyakim"? Rashi explains that he was the officer over the palace when Sennacherib fell. In other words, initially Shevna was in charge of the royal household, and after he was punished and removed, Elyakim the son of Chilkijahu was appointed in his stead.
וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּיו כֻּתׇּנְתֶּךָ וְאַבְנֵטְךָ אֲחַזְּקֶנּוּ וּמֶמְשַׁלְתְּךָ אֶתֵּן בְּיָדוֹ וְהָיָה לְאָב לְיוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וּלְבֵית יְהוּדָה׃ - And I will clothe him with your tunic, and strengthen him with your sash, and I will place your authority into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
It was their custom that whenever an official was appointed on behalf of the king, he was dressed in a sash and an exquisite tunic for splendor and majesty. We saw this similarly with Yosef, where Pharaoh placed a gold chain around his neck and dressed him in garments of fine linen. These were evidently garments that symbolized his office, like a special uniform designated for the king's high ministers.
"And strengthen him with your sash" - the avnet is the belt or sash, and strengthening it is a metaphor indicating that he will not slip from his greatness. When a person wishes to fortify himself, he ties the sash around his waist and fastens it tightly, just as Eliyahu did when running before Achav, of whom it is said, "he girded his loins," binding the belt firmly around his waist. This comes to say: unlike you, whose belt was loose and who slipped from greatness, his belt will be tight and secure, and he will retain his position of stature.
"And I will place your authority into his hand" - and in this too he will not be like you: "and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah." He will show them mercy like a father who has compassion on his children, unlike you, who went to inform against Chizkiyahu and his faction and showed no compassion for them, looking out only for your own interests. He, by contrast, will be like a father caring for the welfare of the people. There is an opinion in Chazal, cited by the Radak as a possibility, that this Elyakim the son of Chilkijahu was the Kohen Gadol, though this is not universally agreed upon; others hold that he was simply a minister appointed by the king.
"I Will Place the Key of the House of David upon His Shoulder"
וְנָתַתִּי מַפְתֵּחַ בֵּית־דָּוִד עַל־שִׁכְמוֹ וּפָתַח וְאֵין סֹגֵר וְסָגַר וְאֵין פֹּתֵחַ׃ - And I will place the key of the house of David upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut, and none shall open.
According to Targum Yonatan, this refers to the key to the Beit HaMikdash and the administration of the house of David. According to the Radak, this is an allegory: he will serve as the chief advisor to the king of Judah, and everything the king of Judah does will be according to his word. He is the one who opens and he is the one who closes - an idiom signifying that the keys are in his hands and all affairs are conducted at his instruction.
However, the Radak raises a difficulty: the key should have been in his hand, so why does it say "upon his shoulder"? A burden is placed upon the shoulder, but a key is held in the hand or on a keyring. The Radak explains that there are two allegories here: first, the key is in his hand, meaning that all matters of the kingdom are decided by him, and he is the one who opens and locks; and second, that he will carry, endure, and sustain all the affairs of the kingdom, carrying it on his shoulder, as in "and authority was placed upon his shoulder." In other words, it does not mean that the literal key was on his shoulder, but rather: a key in his hand, and bearing the burden of the nation upon his shoulder.
Yet the Malbim explains more simply: it was customary for ministers appointed over the royal palace to carry the key upon their shoulder as an emblem of office. Their keys were large, and one can sometimes see in ancient illustrations how the chain rested around the neck with the key draping down over the shoulder. This was an emblem of prestige. It was not a small key like ours, but one that could be a foot long (thirty centimeters), and he would wear it draping over himself, much like generals who wear their medals across their chest. This demonstrated to all: the keys are in my hands, I hold the office.
"And I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place"
וּתְקַעְתִּיו יָתֵד בְּמָקוֹם נֶאֱמָן וְהָיָה לְכִסֵּא כָבוֹד לְבֵית אָבִיו׃ - And I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he shall be for a seat of honor to his father's house.
Incidentally, it was after this verse that Rav Shach named the newspaper he founded in his time, "Yated Ne'eman."
The verse uses a metaphor for the greatness and authority he will possess, to the point that it will bring honor to his entire family, and all will depend on him, like a small person leaning upon a great person. This is the meaning of "and he shall be for a seat of honor to his father's house": his authority will be a throne of honor for his entire ancestral house, unlike Shevna, whose position was a disgrace to his father's house, that such a traitor emerged from them.
And what is the meaning of "in a secure place" (b'makom ne'eman)? A peg driven into a wall can support weight up to a certain point; in a mound of dirt it will hold far less, whereas in concrete or rock it will support an immense weight. Therefore, where the peg is driven is crucial. "In a secure place" means a firm, sturdy place where the peg is driven deeply and securely, capable of bearing a heavy load without coming loose easily. Try pulling out a nail driven by a nail gun into a concrete wall - it is virtually impossible. Such a peg is fit to hang anything upon and will not budge from its place, and so too will he be firmly anchored and secured in his position in the strongest possible manner.
וְתָלוּ עָלָיו כֹּל כְּבוֹד בֵּית־אָבִיו הַצֶּאֱצָאִים וְהַצְּפִעוֹת כֹּל כְּלֵי הַקָּטָן מִכְּלֵי הָאַגָּנוֹת וְעַד כׇּל־כְּלֵי הַנְּבָלִים׃ - And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the descendants, all the small vessels, from the basin vessels to all the musical vessels.
This is the continuation of the metaphor: since he is like a peg driven into a secure place upon which many things can be hung due to its strength, everyone will hang upon him - and in the application, everyone will rely on him; he will be someone sturdy upon whom one can depend. Even the small children, and they will hang all their vessels upon him, meaning that all their needs will be in his hands, from the smallest to the greatest.
What are "the offspring and the descendants" (hatzetza'im ve-hatzfi'ot)? The Malbim explains: Tzetza'im is etymologically related to tzo'ah (excrement), which is named so because it emerges (yotzei) from the human body, and likewise offspring emerge from the human body, which is why they are called tzetza'im. There is no derogatory comparison here, Heaven forbid, but rather a linguistic expression of emergence - both emerge from the human body. Similarly, tzfi'ot is related to tzfi'ei ha-bakar (cattle dung), something that emerges from the body; here the intention is to the offspring, the young children.
"All the small vessels, from the basin vessels" - the basins were the vessels used to sprinkle the blood upon the altar, as stated regarding Moshe Rabbeinu, "And Moshe took half of the blood and put it in basins." "To all the vessels of harps (nevalim)" - these are musical instruments. In other words, both the Kohanim and the Levi'im will hang their honor upon him. In short: he will be a pillar of support for small and great alike, all will rely on him - the young and the old, the Kohanim and the Levi'im; some will hang the basin vessels upon him and others the musical instruments, and to all of them he will be faithful and true, the figure who can be depended upon like a peg driven into a secure place.
"The peg shall be removed" - The end of Shevna
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת תָּמוּשׁ הַיָּתֵד הַתְּקוּעָה בְּמָקוֹם נֶאֱמָן וְנִגְדְּעָה וְנָפְלָה וְנִכְרַת הַמַּשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר־עָלֶיהָ כִּי יְהֹוָה דִּבֵּר׃ - On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, the peg fastened in a secure place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the burden that was upon it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.
"Will give way" (tamush) - it will be removed. Shevna's greatness, who had been like a peg fastened in a secure place, will first be shifted from its place, and afterwards "it will be cut down" (venigde'ah); and whatever is cut down falls - "and fall" (venafelah). And then "the burden that was upon it will be cut off," meaning his entire office will be brought to an end and transferred to Elyakim son of Chilkiyahu. Elyakim will become the peg fastened in a secure place, managing the affairs of Israel in the finest possible manner. And why? "For the Lord has spoken" - since Shevna committed such grievous misdeeds, this will be his punishment, and Elyakim will be appointed in his stead.
In summary:
The prophecy beginning in verse 15 forms a distinct section: a rebuke to Shevna, the royal steward over the household, who served as the first fifth column in Israel and sought to surrender Chizkiyahu and Jerusalem into the hands of Sancheiriv. The prophet asks him, "What do you have here, and whom do you have here?" - you are not a native here and have neither an ancestral estate nor relatives, yet you carved out an opulent tomb for yourself in the mountain rock. The Holy One, blessed be He, responds that this glory will turn into disgrace: Hashem will cast him out with the tossing of a mighty man, hurling him like a bird of prey toward the Assyrian camp, where they will roll him up and whirl him like a ball - for they pierced his heels, bound him to the tails of their horses, and dragged him over thorns - and there he will die. The beginning of his downfall is "And I will thrust you" at the hand of Hashem, and its end is "he will pull you down" at the hands of Sancheiriv. In his place will stand Elyakim son of Chilkiyahu, who will be clothed with a tunic and a firmly secured sash so that he will not slip from his greatness; he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the House of Judah, bearing the key of the House of David upon his shoulder, and he will be fastened like a peg in a secure place upon which all - small and great, Kohanim and Levi'im - will hang all their glory.