Introduction
In this section of Chapter 9, Yirmiyahu continues with rebuke and prophecies of impending doom, transitioning from them into a description of the great lamentation that is to come. Throughout these pesukim, the prophet teaches us a fundamental principle: troubles do not happen by chance; they do not "arise on their own." Rather, everything is guided by the complete Divine Providence of the Holy One, Blessed is He. From this foundation, he arrives at the exalted verses, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom," which teach the true purpose of the gifts and abilities granted to man.
Wormwood and Gall: Measure for Measure in the Spiritual Realm
לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי מַאֲכִילָם אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה לַעֲנָה וְהִשְׁקִיתִים מֵי רֹאשׁ׃ - Therefore, so said the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them - this people - wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Rashi explains that wormwood (la'anah) is a bitter herb. Regarding "water of gall" (mei rosh), some explain that it refers to snake venom, the fluid that issues from its head (rosh); while others explain that it is the juice pressed from an extremely bitter herb called rosh, and the liquid extracted from it is called by that name. Either way, the metaphor points to a lethal poison: the afflictions will be as bitter as wormwood and gall.
The Malbim explains these matters on a spiritual plane: just as they nourished their souls with bitter foods - meaning venomous beliefs that corrupt the soul - corresponding to that, they will receive wormwood and water of gall. Whatever foolish vanities you allowed into your head (rosh), corresponding to that will come the rosh and the wormwood, which is the ruin.
וַהֲפִצוֹתִים בַּגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדְעוּ הֵמָּה וַאֲבוֹתָם וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי אַחֲרֵיהֶם אֶת הַחֶרֶב עַד כַּלּוֹתִי אוֹתָם׃ - And I will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them.
Here too, the punishment is measure for measure: just as they served other gods whom they did not know and whom their fathers did not imagine, so will they be scattered among nations whom neither they nor their fathers knew. And regarding what is said, "until I have consumed them," Radak explains: until the majority of them are consumed. For there is an enduring divine promise that the Jewish people will never be annihilated; perforce, the intention is not total destruction, but the destruction of the majority.
Call for the Mourning Women and Send for the Skilled
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת הִתְבּוֹנְנוּ וְקִרְאוּ לַמְקוֹנְנוֹת וּתְבוֹאֶינָה וְאֶל הַחֲכָמוֹת שִׁלְחוּ וְתָבוֹאנָה׃ - Thus said the Lord of Hosts: Consider and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the skilled women, that they may come.
"Consider" the catastrophe that is drawing near. Note the precise language: it does not say simply "to mourning women" (lemekonenot), but la-mekonenot, with the letter lamed functioning as the definite article: the renowned mourning women, well known, experienced, the experts among them. Since there is cause here for a profound lamentation, call those who specialize in it. Similarly, "the skilled women" (hachachamot) are those who are expert in words of eulogy and dirge.
And what precisely is there to consider? The Malbim explains: the slaughter and devastation awaiting them are unlike other times of distress and tragedy. The normal practice of a mourning woman is to lament the deceased, those who are no longer among the living; the survivor laments the one who has departed. Here, however, the lamentation will be fundamentally different, focusing primarily on the survivors rather than on the dead. Indeed, it may well be that the condition of those who have died is relatively better compared to the tribulations awaiting those who remain. Therefore, "Consider": reflect upon your actions; do not seek to weep over the dead who have already perished, for you still have the ability to mend your ways. The mourning women who are accustomed to weeping over the dead will now come to weep over you.
As for the wise women, there is no need to bring them to wail; on the contrary, the wise women will offer counsel and wisdom on how to preserve the living so that they do not perish, and how to rescue the people. They are the ones who might find a remedy for the impending situation.
And why does the text say "call" (kir'u) for the mourning women, yet for the wise women it says "send" (shilchu)? Furthermore, why is the verb for their arrival repeated twice - "that they may come" (u-tevo'ena) and then "that they may come" (ve-tavo'nah) - rather than grouping them together in a single arrival? The Malbim explains: Mourning women were readily available in every city and town. In a sense, mourning women were like the Chevra Kadisha of our day, lehavdil. Just as an orchestra is hired for a wedding, so too for a funeral an ensemble of mourning women was summoned; and in the Mishnah we find that flutes were brought, playing special melodies of lamentation. Just as a cemetery is found in every area, so mourning women were found in every region, and therefore a simple "call" suffices for them to arrive immediately. But wise women are not found everywhere; they are scarce across the land and scattered, which is why it says "send", requiring special messengers. This also explains the repetition of the arrival: the mourning women arrive right away since they are nearby, whereas with the wise women, it takes time for the messengers to reach them and for them to arrive from afar, which constitutes an arrival in its own right.
The Eye and the Eyelid: For Whom Do We Weep?
וּתְמַהֵרְנָה וְתִשֶּׂנָה עָלֵינוּ נֶהִי וְתֵרַדְנָה עֵינֵינוּ דִּמְעָה וְעַפְעַפֵּינוּ יִזְּלוּ מָיִם׃ - "Let them make haste and raise a wailing over us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush with water."
When the mourning women confer with the wise women, they will not weep for the dead, for those have already departed from here and are in a place of rest. "And raise a wailing over us": nehi denotes lamentation and weeping, and they will understand that it is for the one who remains behind, with all the suffering still ahead of him, that tears must be shed. Do not delay, but rather "let them make haste" - like a critically ill patient on the brink of death, where one rushes to summon a physician in the hope that he might save him. For the mourning women and the wise women come to alter the lives of the living, to make known to the people what is destined to befall them, so that perhaps, upon hearing these words, the people will repent.
The Malbim notes the precise distinction between the eye and the eyelid: eyelids represent closed eyes. When we open our eyes and see the fallen lying before us, our relatives who are no more, then "our eyes may run down with tears." But "our eyelids gush with water" occurs when we close our eyes and do not look at the dead before us, but rather reflect and look ahead at ourselves. When we grasp the message of what the future holds for us, it will no longer be a mere single tear, but water flowing unceasingly like an open faucet. And why? The Malbim explains: because in our mind's eye we will see that death is preferable to this life of disgrace and humiliation. Heaven forbid, death is chosen over the harsh future that the prophet foresaw, when Jerusalem becomes heaps of ruins and a dwelling place for jackals. When we understand what lies ahead, we will weep for ourselves far more than we weep for those who are already gone.
"For a Voice of Wailing Is Heard from Zion"
כִּי קוֹל נְהִי נִשְׁמַע מִצִּיּוֹן אֵיךְ שֻׁדָּדְנוּ בֹּשְׁנוּ מְאֹד כִּי עָזַבְנוּ אָרֶץ כִּי הִשְׁלִיכוּ מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֵינוּ׃ - "For a voice of wailing is heard from Zion: 'How we are ruined! We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.'"
And why specifically "from Zion"? The Radak explains: It is true that a voice of wailing was heard from the other conquered places as well; however, as long as Zion - which is Jerusalem - still stood, they thought the story was not over: we will flee, escape, and find refuge in Zion, and later the other cities will be rebuilt. This is what happened in the days of Sennacherib, who conquered everything except Jerusalem, and Jerusalem served as a stronghold for them, and once he withdrew, they returned and resettled the other places. But here, once Zion too was conquered, a voice of wailing and weeping was heard: "How we are ruined!" - the devastation is absolute, and we no longer have any existence. "We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land" - as long as Jerusalem existed, we believed we would remain in the land, but now we have abandoned the land entirely.
The phrase "because our dwellings have cast us out" (ki hishlichu mishkenoteinu) is difficult, for it should seemingly have said, "because we were cast out from our dwellings." Several explanations are offered. One explanation: The dwellings themselves cast us out, similar to the concept of "that the land spew you not out" - as if the land vomits and casts out; so too, our houses expelled us. The Radak observes that there is no greater disgrace than a person being coerced and forced to abandon his own home. A second explanation, which aligns more closely with the plain meaning of the text: The enemies cast us out from our dwellings. And Rashi explains: They cast down our dwellings to the ground, meaning they destroyed our homes.
The Malbim connects this verse to the preceding ones: When we were told to send for the wise women and mourning women, it was not over the devastation that had already occurred, over which a cry of wailing is raised, "How we are ruined!" That is neither the primary tragedy nor the main cause for weeping. The essence of the wailing is not for the dead, but for those still living, for whom a grim future is in store. You feel secure because you are alive, and regarding this it is said, "We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land" - you are destined to go into exile. And not to a nearby place, but rather "our dwellings have cast us out", for the language of casting out (hashlachah) always implies being cast far away, as in "and cast them into another land." This is not a mere exile to a nearby place from which one quickly returns, but being cast out to dwell far away. Thus, it is over the shame and the tribulations befalling the living that one must weep and mourn, not over the dead, whose ordeal is already behind them.
"And Teach Your Daughters Wailing"
כִּי שְׁמַעְנָה נָשִׁים דְּבַר יְהֹוָה וְתִקַּח אׇזְנְכֶם דְּבַר פִּיו וְלַמֵּדְנָה בְנוֹתֵיכֶם נֶהִי וְאִשָּׁה רְעוּתָהּ קִינָה׃ - "For hear the word of the Lord, O women, and let your ear receive the word of His mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and each woman her neighbor lamentation."
Why does the prophet turn to the women? Radak explains: because eulogy and wailing are mostly performed by women, as they are softer-hearted than men. Always - may we know of no trouble - at a funeral or in a time of tragedy, women are soft-hearted and are the first to weep.
Malbim adds: Listen, mourning women, for it is the word of Hashem that will teach you how to raise wailing and lamentation. Until now you have attributed everything that happens to mere chance, and consequently your weeping is neither proper nor fitting, since according to your perception everything is accidental. But when you understand that everything happening here is divinely ordained, then you will know how to lament properly. In accordance with what you hear from the word of Hashem, so shall you teach your daughters wailing.
And why wailing for the daughters and lamentation for the women? Malbim explains that this was the structure of the dirge: the adult women would recite the lamentation, that is, the expressions of grief, and the younger girls would respond with wailing, like a verse and a refrain. The women would say a stanza of lamentation, and the girls would respond after them with cries of weeping. Therefore, "teach your daughters wailing" - to teach them to respond with wailing, and "each woman her neighbor lamentation" - that she should teach her peer to recite the lamentation properly. Therefore the verse opened, "Hear the word of the Lord, O women": listen to what Hashem is about to tell you, for He will teach you what to lament over and in what manner, and this will reflect the magnitude of the impending calamity.
"For Death Has Come Up into Our Windows": The Flaw in the Dirge
כִּי עָלָה מָוֶת בְּחַלּוֹנֵינוּ בָּא בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֵינוּ לְהַכְרִית עוֹלָל מִחוּץ בַּחוּרִים מֵרְחֹבוֹת׃ - "For death has come up into our windows, it has entered our palaces, to cut off the infant from outside, the young men from the open squares."
Malbim presents here the wording of the dirge recited by the people, and points out its flaw. You say "death has come up," as though death arose on its own as a random occurrence, and you do not attribute it to the Holy One, blessed be He. Moreover, "into our windows," as if it came surreptitiously. One who enters openly comes through the door, whereas one who enters through the window comes like a thief; and so you lament that death climbed into the windows and from there entered the palaces to cut off infant and youth.
And Malbim notes with precision: "The infant from outside, the young men from the open squares." The open squares are the marketplace, where the young men are found; and "outside" refers to the area behind the houses, called in rabbinic terminology muktzeh, where infants - nursing toddlers - were usually found. Each is identified according to his place.
Radak explains that a palace is a tall building, and when its doors are closed, no one can enter. And if you might say, but does not a palace have windows? Because of the height of the palace, it is also difficult to enter through the windows, as they are high up. For this reason, people would even leave the palace windows open, considering them secure, for who could reach such high windows? The verse comes to teach: see that death found its way precisely through the place left open - the window - and from there penetrated into the palaces. This expresses the element of surprise, that calamity struck from an unexpected quarter. And even though the prophets warned them, adds Radak, they did not listen to them and did not believe that the calamity would be so great and severe.
"Speak: Thus Says Hashem": Everything Is from Him, Blessed Be He
דַּבֵּר כֹּה נְאֻם יְהֹוָה וְנָפְלָה נִבְלַת הָאָדָם כְּדֹמֶן עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה וּכְעָמִיר מֵאַחֲרֵי הַקֹּצֵר וְאֵין מְאַסֵּף׃ - "Speak: Thus says the Lord, and human corpses shall fall like dung upon the open field, and like swaths behind the reaper, with none to gather them."
According to Malbim's approach, the prophet tells them: You do not know how to lament, so wait for the word of Hashem, and He will teach you. And what was the error in your lament? That you said, "Death has come up into our windows," as if it were an independent entity coming like a thief. To this the verse responds: "Speak: Thus says the Lord" - say in your lament that this is what Hashem has said. It is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who sent the destroyer, and the destroyer did not come on its own; this is not "death has come up into our windows" as some random misfortune that befell us, but rather everything is from Hashem. Nor did it come secretly through the windows, but openly for all to see: "and human corpses shall fall like dung upon the open field."
Anyone reading this verse cannot help but see before his eyes the horrors of the Holocaust in Europe. "And as sheaves behind the reaper, with none to gather them" - indeed, there was no one to gather the human corpses.
The Malbim explains why the prophet employs two metaphors: both sheaves (amir) and refuse (domen). Refuse is waste, while sheaves are the stalks of wheat harvested by the reaper. The sheaf is indeed cut down and severed from its source of life, but it is subsequently gathered home and put to use. Refuse, on the other hand, falls upon the face of the field; no reaper works it, no one gathers it, and it remains in its place. The verse comes to teach: on the one hand, their carcasses will fall like sheaves - a reaper comes and cuts them down with deliberate intent, not by chance. And if you might say that a harvest is at least gathered afterward and brought to burial, the verse answers: regarding their burial, they will be like refuse upon the open field, where no one gathers them for burial.
"Let Not the Wise Man Glory in His Wisdom"
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה אַל יִתְהַלֵּל חָכָם בְּחׇכְמָתוֹ וְאַל יִתְהַלֵּל הַגִּבּוֹר בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ אַל יִתְהַלֵּל עָשִׁיר בְּעׇשְׁרוֹ׃ - Thus says Hashem: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches.
כִּי אִם בְּזֹאת יִתְהַלֵּל הַמִּתְהַלֵּל הַשְׂכֵּל וְיָדֹעַ אוֹתִי כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ כִּי בְאֵלֶּה חָפַצְתִּי נְאֻם יְהֹוָה׃ - But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am Hashem Who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says Hashem.
Targum Yonatan explains this verse outside the context of the calamity: "Let not Shlomo son of David, the wise one, praise himself in his wisdom; let not Shimshon son of Manoach, the mighty one, praise himself in his might; and let not Achav son of Omri, the rich one, praise himself in his wealth." Three great figures, each preeminent in his own domain - Shlomo in wisdom, Shimshon in might, and Achav son of Omri in wealth - and even they should not glory in such things.
In the context of our verses: The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them: If there are wise men among you, let them not boast, saying, "Do not worry, whatever trouble comes we will know how to escape it, everything is under control and we will overcome every challenge," and similar boastful words. Let them not glory in their wisdom, for it will not avail them; since they did not know Hashem and did not walk in His ways, of what use will their wisdom be? And if there are warriors among you, let them not glory in their might, for it will not save them from death or captivity. And if there are wealthy men among you, confident that their money can buy anything, even freedom and life itself - let not the rich man glory in his riches, for his wealth will not redeem him from the sword, and ultimately both he and his wealth will perish.
Why did Scripture mention specifically these three? Radak explains: because these are the resources that conventionally offer help and salvation. A wise man is often saved through cunning tactics and his wisdom, as it is written that a poor wise man delivered the city by his wisdom. A warrior can certainly be saved through his might. And a rich man frequently ransoms his life from the enemy with his money. Therefore, the prophet informs them that although it is natural human experience to be saved through these three means, once Hashem decrees impending doom, no man can save himself through them.
Rav Shach's Story: Wealth Guarantees Nothing
Rav Shach once related that when he became engaged, his future father-in-law was far from wealthy, quite poor in fact, and they lacked the means even to rent an apartment. What did they do? They placed a plywood partition down the middle of a room in his father-in-law's home: on one side lived his father-in-law and his wife, and on the other side lived Rav Shach and his wife. In those days, outstanding yeshiva students received board (kest) and a dowry, and a wealthy patron would typically commit to supporting the son-in-law at his table for years. Rav Shach recounted that in the first days after closing the match (vort), he was hesitant to go to the yeshiva, fearing they would ask him who he was engaged to and how much support he had received, and what could he answer them? So for the first few days, he did not go to the yeshiva, but sat and learned in a local beit midrash. And that was how he began his married life, baruch Hashem.
He went on to relate: When the rumblings of war began to echo across Europe, his peers who had received estates, homes, and full financial security found it exceedingly difficult to uproot themselves, as they stood to lose all their possessions. "On the other hand, my wife and I," Rav Shach said, "when we heard that the situation was becoming dangerous and the ground was burning under our feet, we took a single suitcase, because that was all we had. We put all our clothes into one suitcase, packed up, left, and escaped." And all his peers, may Hashem spare us, remained behind in the valley of slaughter.
He said this to a young man who was delaying shidduchim because he was waiting for a prospective in-law who would provide full financial security and guarantee his future. Rav Shach told him: Do you think that this is what a person needs? Look at me: precisely because I did not seek that, my life was saved. I am not saying that wealth caused their demise, but at the very least understand and realize that wealth guarantees a person nothing. When a decree is destined to happen, one's money will not save him, and it may well be that the reverse is true: the very lack of money may become the means of his salvation. Therefore, to delay marriage for the sake of money is certainly a misguided calculation.
The Malbim's Explanation: The Purpose of Wisdom, Might, and Wealth
The Malbim connects this verse to what was stated above: The prophet told them, know that death, troubles, and disasters do not occur as "death has come up into our windows" by chance, but rather "thus says Hashem," "says Hashem" - everything is guided by complete Divine providence from Him, blessed be He. Hence the reason for "let not the wise man glory in his wisdom": so that they will know that there is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel, and no might against Hashem. Whatever a person thinks to save himself by through wisdom and scheme, or through wealth, money, and might - if Hashem has decreed evil against him, nothing will avail. And since "Speak: Thus says Hashem: And human corpses will fall" has issued from Hashem's mouth, certainly all the schemes that a person cunningly devises against Hashem's decree will not succeed.
"But let him who glories glory in this": If there is any situation in which a person can glory in wisdom, might, and wealth, it is only when he uses them for a positive purpose, as a vessel for the service of Hashem. If you used your wisdom, "understanding and knowing Me" - wonderful, you took the wisdom that Hashem gave you and used it for the purpose for which it was intended.
And what was wisdom intended for? To invent an atomic bomb? To invent an innovative method for filling out lottery tickets? Consider a machine invented to solve a Rubik's cube in two seconds. Is this why one was given an intellect, for someone to work months building such a machine? And what is there to marvel at? A calculator also solves mathematical problems in zero point zero seconds; a machine does it. Yet man goes and wastes his time and wisdom on vanity and nonsense. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Do you know what wisdom was intended for? "But let him who glories glory in this, understanding and knowing Me," so that whoever received wisdom should use it to gain insight in the service of Hashem and the comprehension of Godliness, and through the laws of wisdom come to know Hashem.
And likewise with might and wealth: "doing lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in the land." With might, on the one hand, he will execute justice for the oppressed, rescuing the oppressed from the oppressor; through his might and power of authority, he will save those trampled under the hand of those stronger than them, so that might becomes an instrument for the service of Hashem. And with wealth, he will perform acts of lovingkindness and charity. Thus, the very tools the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him bring him closer to His service. Therefore the verse concludes: "For in these things I delight, says Hashem" - this is the desired goal before Him, that you use all the tools He gave you to attain spirituality.
A Homiletical Approach: What Are You Glorying In?
The Malbim adds an explanation by way of homiletic exposition (derush). A person who glories in wisdom, might, or wealth - what is he glorying in? In something that is not his own doing at all. For as for wisdom, what did you do to earn it? You were born smart. The Holy One, blessed be He, brought you into the world with an intellect, with immense analytical capacity, with comprehension, with memory, and with depth of thought. You could have been born with an IQ of sixty, yet you were born with one hundred and sixty, and you did nothing to produce that. And likewise with might: there are people who are naturally strong, exceptionally tall and purely muscular. Perhaps one developed it a little, but fundamentally he was born that way, more as an innate object (cheftza) than as personal achievement (gavra). And what did he do to earn it? That is how he was born. And as for wealth, we all know that it is decreed from Him, blessed be He, for a person can invest his entire life in acquiring wealth and achieve nothing, whereas others invest nothing and wealth is decreed upon them, as Chazal state that concerning that drop it is decreed what will become of it even before the newborn emerges into the world, and whether one will be rich or poor is determined beforehand.
If so, why should a person glory in this? Even if he added something of his own, ultimately the nature itself was given to him by Hashem: a nature inclined toward wisdom, might, or wealth. None of these belong to him; rather, they are a deposit in his hands, and the One worthy of glory for them is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who bestowed them. Glory is not fitting for you.
However, when a person uses these three elements to know Hashem, and to do lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, that depends entirely on his own choice. A person receives wealth, but what he does with it is purely his own choice without Divine intervention - for if there were intervention, what would merit reward? If he decides to use his wealth for charity, that is his choice. If he decides to use his wisdom to study Torah and comprehend Godliness, that is his choice. If he decides with his might to rescue the oppressed from the oppressor, that is his choice. Therefore, "let him who glories glory in this" - here you are truly worthy of glory, because you have done something that is genuinely your own: making the right choice with wealth, with wisdom, and with might.
"For in These Things I Delight": A Wonderful Insight into Free Will
The Malbim makes a precise observation: With the Holy One, blessed be He, it is not applicable to say that He desires something in the ordinary sense, for the moment Hashem wills something, "He spoke, and it came to be," and it immediately exists. With a human being, one can say, "I desire a certain object," and so one saves money, goes, and purchases it - where the desire is one thing and the result is another. But with the Holy One, blessed be He, His will and His thought are all one, and the moment He wills it, the matter is instantly accomplished.
In what area is this not the case? Only regarding man's free will. There, as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, placed a barrier and a partition: on the one hand, He intensely desires that you be righteous, yet on the other hand, His desire is not actualized immediately by His will, for if it were, where would your free will be? Here the Holy One, blessed be He, placed a partition between the will and its actual implementation, saying: I greatly desire that you fulfill the commandments and be righteous, but that depends entirely on you.
Thus, explains the Malbim, it is specifically here that it is appropriate to say, "For in these I delight, says Hashem." In all other matters, it is not fitting to speak of Hashem having a mere "delight" or desire, for as soon as He desires something, it is immediately accomplished; but in these matters, it remains merely a desire, for its fulfillment is entrusted entirely to you, so that through it you may merit eternal life in the World to Come. Only regarding these matters - how to use one's faculties for good or for bad - does the Holy One, blessed be He, say, "In this I delight." And if you do so, "in this may the one who glories glory." For this is free will that belongs exclusively to you, and therefore it is worthy for you to glory in it, and for this you deserve reward without nehama dechisufa (the "bread of shame"), since you truly exerted effort for it. Hashem says, "In these I delight," but it is in your hands whether the will of Hashem is fulfilled or not.
"Understanding and Knowing": Two Modes of Knowledge
The Malbim explains here, as he does in several places, the distinction between haskel (intellectual comprehension) and yado'a (knowing). Comprehension (haskalah) moves from cause to effect, from earlier to later: I comprehend things from their inception and infer from them what will unfold later. Knowledge (da'at), by contrast, comes through the senses or empirical observation, moving from effect to cause, from later to earlier: I observe a result and deduce from it what existed originally. However, in this latter method, there is no guarantee that I will be correct, for I might observe something now and, lacking full knowledge, assume it appeared differently in the beginning, thereby drawing incorrect conclusions.
An example of this: Researchers examined a stalactite cave and concluded that the cave has existed for a million years, based on the rate of stalactite growth. People then came and testified that fifty years earlier they were familiar with the cave and there was nothing in it. And what turned out to be the case? In the past, a stream flowed above it with immense force, and at that time the stalactite grew by a centimeter every day; whereas today, once the water has dried up, it grows by a centimeter once every ten years. They calculated according to today's rate, multiplied it, and arrived at hundreds, thousands, or millions of years. Thus, they reached a conclusion from effect to cause, from later to earlier, but not according to the correct measures or tools, making their conclusion erroneous. A person can always deduce from effect to cause, but often it remains merely an estimate rather than absolute knowledge of the reality itself.
"And I Will Punish All Who Are Circumcised Together with the Uncircumcised"
הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם יְהֹוָה וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל כׇּל מוּל בְּעׇרְלָה׃ - "Behold, days are coming, says Hashem, when I will punish all who are circumcised together with the uncircumcised."
עַל מִצְרַיִם וְעַל יְהוּדָה וְעַל אֱדוֹם וְעַל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וְעַל מוֹאָב וְעַל כׇּל קְצוּצֵי פֵאָה הַיֹּשְׁבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר כִּי כׇל הַגּוֹיִם עֲרֵלִים וְכׇל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל עַרְלֵי לֵב׃ - "Upon Egypt, upon Judah, upon Edom, upon the children of Ammon, upon Moab, and upon all who dwell in the remote corners who inhabit the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart."
"Behold, days are coming" - meaning they are already drawing near, as the Radak explains. The prophet mentions here all the nations that Nebuchadnezzar would destroy; and he and his descendants were also punished in the end, the Radak adds, because they truly caused Israel the greatest distress and harm.
And what is the meaning of "I will punish all who are circumcised together with the uncircumcised" (mul be'orlah)? "Mul" means circumcised. The words "I will punish all" apply twice: I will punish all who are circumcised, and I will punish all who are uncircumcised. This is similar to the prayer, "Who has not set our portion like theirs, nor set our portion and destiny like all their multitude," where the word "set" is understood to repeat. Both the Radak and the Malbim explain this way, that the phrasing refers to both: Days will come when I will punish the circumcised and the uncircumcised alike.
The verse then specifies: "Upon Egypt, upon Judah, upon Edom, upon the children of Ammon, upon Moab, and upon all who dwell in the remote corners who inhabit the wilderness." The Radak explains that Israel, the kingdom of Ephraim, had already been destroyed by the king of Assyria, which is why Ephraim is not mentioned here, but rather "upon Egypt and upon Judah," for Judah had not yet been destroyed and Nebuchadnezzar would be the one to destroy it. And who are "those who dwell in the remote corners who inhabit the wilderness"? In the view of the Radak, these are Kedar and the kingdom of Chazor, whom Nebuchadnezzar struck, as Jeremiah prophesies toward the end of the book. "Ketzutzei fe'ah" means those who dwell at the edge of the border; pe'ah means a corner or edge, as in "to the north side (pe'at tzafon)" and "to the south side (pe'at negev)," referring to those dwelling at the far extremities, in remote places. For this same reason, the sidelocks of the head are called pe'ot, as they are at the edges of the head. And Kedar refers to the Ishmaelites.
"For all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart": Here the verse clarifies what was said previously regarding the circumcised and the uncircumcised. I will punish the nations who are uncircumcised in flesh, and I will punish Israel, for although they are circumcised, they are considered uncircumcised of heart; their circumcision is merely external - a person circumcises his flesh while his heart remains uncircumcised as before.
The Radak emphasizes that one should not understand that the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes the nations simply because they are uncircumcised, for they were never commanded regarding circumcision, so why punish them for that? Rather, the intention is that the uncircumcised nations and circumcised Israel are, as it were, one and the same: the nations have foreskins of the flesh, and Israel has foreskins of the heart, and therefore I will punish both of them. He will punish the nations for their sins, as mentioned earlier that they caused Israel great distress, but Israel too will be included in the punishment, for they are, so to speak, no different from them. And if you should say, "Behold, we are circumcised!" - you are still uncircumcised of heart.
The Radak explains: the physical circumcision of the flesh will not avail them, and it is as though they were never circumcised at all. For circumcision of the flesh was given as a covenant and a sign, to be a treasured nation from among all peoples to serve Hashem - "for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto you and to your seed after you" - and the sign was sealed in their flesh so that they would always remember that they are distinct from the nations. And what do they do? Despite their circumcision, they mingle with the nations and learn from their deeds. If so, they are just like them, and the judgment of Israel, Heaven forbid, will be just like the judgment of the nations.
The Malbim explains "those who have the corners cut" (ketzutzei fe'ah) differently: these are the descendants of Keturah and the descendants of Yishmael, for the children of Kedar and Yishmael cut the corner of their body, meaning they too practice circumcision. Here, "corner" (pe'ah) does not mean the corner of the wilderness, as Radak and Rashi explain - that they are isolated on the edge of the wilderness, dwelling at the ends of the desert - but rather the corner of the body, the edge of the body, which refers to circumcision. Thus, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will hold all of them to account: the circumcised among the nations, and even Israel, for although their circumcision is more complete, as they perform both milah and periah, the uncircumcision of the heart remains within them, and for this they must be called to account.
Countering the False Assurance of the Astrologers
The Malbim explains that the juxtaposition of this verse to the beginning of the next chapter - "Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be dismayed at the signs of the heavens, for the nations are dismayed by them" - comes to teach us what these words were responding to. The astrologers were claiming that Nevuchadnezzar would rule only over the uncircumcised, not over the circumcised, and this was the illusion that comforted them: do not fear.
We have already noted several times that the false prophets always lulled the people into a false sense of security: the enemy will not come, the Beit HaMikdash will protect us, the Holy One, Blessed be He, loves His people and will guard and rescue them. This was their way of blunting and neutralizing the words of the true prophets. When the prophets called for teshuvah, the false prophets put the people to sleep, reassuring them that there was no need to fear, no need to repent, and no reason to panic over dire forecasts - that the rabbis just like to scare people with talk of Gog and Magog, that everything will be fine, that we have a wonderful nation and our youth are marvelous, and all is well. Even back then, they had mass media.
To this the prophet responds: Know, the word of Hashem, that He will punish the circumcised and the uncircumcised alike. And if you argue, "Behold, we are circumcised," what good is circumcision if you are uncircumcised of heart? How will your circumcision save you when the foreskin of the heart is still within you? Therefore, do not believe the words of the astrologers, for ultimately Nevuchadnezzar will come and carry out this decree.
In Summary:
In this section of the chapter, Yirmiyahu teaches us that retribution is measure for measure: because they defiled their souls with venomous beliefs, Hashem will feed them wormwood and gall, and because they served gods they did not know, they will be scattered among nations they do not know. Above all, the prophet teaches us how to lament properly: not to weep solely for the dead, but for the living whose future is grim; and not to say "death has come up into our windows" as if by chance, but rather "Speak: Thus says Hashem," knowing that everything occurs through absolute divine providence. It follows, then, that one must not boast in wisdom, in might, or in wealth, for they cannot save a person from Hashem's decree, nor are they man's true possession, but merely a deposit entrusted to him. True glory lies in choice: to comprehend and know Hashem with wisdom, to execute justice with might, and to perform lovingkindness and righteousness with wealth, "for in these I delight, says Hashem" - a desire whose fulfillment is entrusted solely to our hands. And finally, the prophet warns against becoming complacent under false assurances: Hashem will visit punishment upon the circumcised and the uncircumcised alike, for physical circumcision is of no avail to one whose heart remains uncircumcised.