Hashem said, "Have I not set you free for good, have I not confronted the enemy on your behalf in a time of evil and in a time of trouble." Hashem said, the Holy One answers him. "Have I not set you free for good" - the phrase "have I not" is an expression of an oath. Rashi brings several examples. "Have I not set you free for good" means: I swear that I have set you free for good. Even though I said, "Their remnant I will give to the sword," that does not include you. You, the prophet, I have set free. "Set you free" (sheritikha), Rashi explains, is from the root meaning "your remnant" (she'eritekha). You, the prophet, your remnant will be for good. The decree does not include you, you will be saved. So even though you now lament that they curse me, that my mission is a mission of ingratitude, for I want to give to them and bestow good upon them, yet in the end I only take stones and catapults, the Holy One tells him: Do not worry, they will indeed perish, but you will be saved. Therefore, in a time of evil and in a time of trouble he confronted the enemy on your behalf. This is what is written, "Have I not confronted the enemy on your behalf in a time of evil and in a time of trouble." What does it mean, "I confronted the enemy on your behalf"? Nebuzaradan came to Yirmiyahu and said to him: Yirmiyahu, you are freed. I have no claims against you, since you, Yirmiyahu, rebuked them properly. You, Yirmiyahu, told them to accept the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, you told them not to rebel. So on the contrary, from the king's perspective he did a good service, since he did not encourage the people to fight to their last drop of blood, for he knew this was a decree from Hashem, and by the word of Hashem we became liable for this, and what is required is exile. What is required is exile, and what is required is that we accept the judgment of Heaven, and then we will truly merit mercy. It emerges, then, that from the king's perspective he had no claim against Yirmiyahu.
Therefore he told him: You are freed, you may go your way. This is what he means by "I confronted you"; "I confronted you" refers to the words of the enemy, Nebuzaradan, who as it were will urge you, from the language of "insistently" (bemafgia), yes, he will speak and urge you: "I confronted the enemy on your behalf in a time of evil and in a time of trouble," that the enemy will tell you to go your way, he will try to persuade you to be freed and to leave. And after this, after the killing of Gedalyah ben Achikam, "I confronted you" refers to when his enemies from within Israel confronted him. For after Gedalyah ben Achikam was killed, those who until now, here among Israel, had been against the prophet, they too came to make peace with him. They too came to him to receive counsel from him, for they saw that everything he said had ultimately come to pass. And then everyone understood his power, everyone understood that his entire concern had been only to do good for us. Therefore He tells him, "Have I not confronted the enemy on your behalf in a time of evil and in a time of trouble." The Malbim asks: why the doubling? "In a time of evil" is at the time of the destruction. "In a time of trouble" is when Gedalyah ben Achikam was killed. So since we are speaking here of two who will both make peace with you, this will be Nebuzaradan, about this He says "in a time of evil," this is at the time of the destruction. And "I confronted you" also refers to the people who until now had come out against you, that they too will come to you to ask for counsel, this is "in a time of trouble," this is when they are in distress at the time of the killing of Gedalyah ben Achikam. He tells him: at both of these times, you will see that I confronted these opponents of yours on your behalf. In simple words, those who until now were against you will yet recognize your greatness.
"Set you free" (sheritikha), as we explained now, is from the language of "your remnant" (she'eritekha), yes. Thus Rashi brings this explanation in the name of Menachem, one of the grammarians. And Rashi brings an additional explanation in the name of Dunash, and this explanation is also the one the Radak follows, that sheritikha is like "who unties knots" (mesharei kitrin). The meaning is one who unties bonds. Sheritikha is like, like "everyone is permitted to you" (shruyim lakhem). What does shruyim lakhem mean? It is not shruya, not matzah shruya (soaked matzah). Yes, I told you that among the Ashkenazim they do not eat shruya, while among the Sephardim they say "everyone is shruyim (permitted) to you." No problem, everything is permitted. Yes, so shaui is from the language of "to permit," mutar. "Permitted" not only in the sense of permitted and not forbidden, for really also, for "permitted and not forbidden" has two meanings. A man wanted to board a train with his dog. So the attendant told him: forbidden permitted, permitted forbidden. Forbidden permitted, permitted forbidden. If it is tied (kashur), then it is permitted. You may. But if it is loose (mutar), untied, then it is forbidden, then I do not allow you. That is, it is a play on words meant to express that "forbidden" (asur) is also "forbidden to you," and it is also in the sense of "tied" (asur). So too mutar - it is untied, and it is also from the language of permitting. So too Dunash explains here, that what is written "have I not set you free for good" means as Nebuchadnezzar said to him, "I have released you from the shackles." Sheritikha is from the language of untying the bound. I have opened your shackles and you may now go out, and you are freed. So this is "set you free for good" according to Dunash's view.
"Shall iron break iron, iron from the north, and bronze?" The expression "shall iron break iron" means: does iron shatter iron? Does iron break iron? That is, in order to break one iron, you must have something stronger than it. I can say that iron breaks wood, for when there is a struggle between iron and wood, the iron prevails. But iron does not break iron, just as I would not say that glass breaks glass. Which of them breaks which? Both are glass. But by contrast I can say that tempered glass breaks ordinary glass. And likewise I can say that hardened iron breaks ordinary iron. A drill bores through iron only because it is hardened, for without this it would not succeed in boring through it. So too here, only the question is which iron is capable of breaking another iron? Rashi explains that iron coming from the north is harder than other iron. So "shall iron break," do you know how? "From the north, and bronze." How shall iron break? How can iron be shattered? By iron from the north and bronze. By the iron coming from the north, for from the north, as Rashi says, is where the strong iron is found, so it can truly break iron.
Rashi explains, they were compared to iron, the talebearers, bronze and iron. The reference is to the enemy who comes from the north. And in Yirmiyahu it is written, "I have made you a pillar of iron and a wall of bronze." And his is stronger than theirs, for Nebuchadnezzar will come from the north. The meaning is that Nebuchadnezzar's iron is stronger than theirs, for Nebuchadnezzar's iron will come from the north. And Rashi says iron coming from the north is harder than other iron. And since this is so, then even though you are iron, he will be able to subdue your iron. This is what he says: "shall iron break, iron from the north, and bronze?" Shall their iron shatter yours? There is another explanation: shall Pharaoh, who comes to your aid, who is hard as iron, shatter Nebuchadnezzar, who is iron coming from the north and bronze? The expression bronze always comes to express strength, power: "a forehead of bronze," "shields of bronze," "bronze and iron" - it is always an expression of strength. So he says here, we went to seek Pharaoh's help. And Pharaoh was like a broken reed staff, as we have discussed several times. And we thought that Pharaoh would shatter Nebuchadnezzar. So he tells them, "shall iron break," can it shatter iron, iron from the north and bronze? Someone who is strong iron coming from the north, which is Nebuchadnezzar, who is also with bronze, for bronze, as we explained, has immense and far greater power.
The Radak also explains, "shall break" (yaroa) is from the language of "You will shatter them with a rod of iron" (teroem). It is from the language of shattering (leroea). And we have already explained once that the expression roea and ra (evil) in the Holy Tongue is not by chance the same letters. Even though we are accustomed to write rei'a (friend) with a yud, but rei'a appears in the source without a yud. What is the connection between rei'a (friend) and ra (evil)? Someone once told me: sometimes the friend (rei'a) is the evil one (ra). Well, then that is not a friend. Then that is not a friend. We are looking for the connection between rei'a and ra. "Gladden, O gladden the beloved companions (rei'im)." We call the groom and bride companions (rei'im). And in order for the groom and bride to be companions, what do we say? "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother." In simple words, in order to create true friendship, you must shatter all your other friendships. You cannot be a companion at the same time that you are a companion with your buddies, and with those from the neighborhood, and with this one, and also with your wife. No, sir, one of them will be shattered here. Either the friendship with your wife will be shattered, or the friendship with the buddies will be shattered. But together it is impossible. The same in reverse. The woman cannot be in friendship with all her friends and also in complete friendship with her husband. Because at some point there will be some collision. Who comes first? Whose friendship is more important? My friendship or the friendship of your friends? In order for there to be true friendship, a person must shatter his other bonds, "a man shall leave," and then through this "he shall cleave to his wife." So this is, by the way, the connection between rei'a and ra. Here I mentioned it only in passing.
"Shall iron break, iron from the north, and bronze," the Radak explains, is from the language of "You will shatter them with a rod of iron," as if to say: does iron break iron? Does one iron cut another iron? The Radak says about this: the answer is "iron from the north and bronze." If it is mixed with bronze, it is strong iron. In simple words, they thought they would be able to stand before Nebuchadnezzar, for even though we are iron, he tells them: No, you are mistaken, he is iron with bronze. And iron in a mixture of bronze is the strong iron. And "from the north," since from the north the evil will be opened. The Malbim explains that the preceding verses, these two verses, were like a parenthetical remark. And really they did not have much connection to the matter, for these verses came to express Yirmiyahu's distress. I am supposed to prophesy to my people, this is my people, this is Jerusalem, how can I tell them harsh things? This was the problem Yirmiyahu had, and in the midst of it Yirmiyahu inserts this story of his very difficult struggle, that people hate him, and as a result he has a "man of strife and contention." This is the parenthetical remark. And now he returns to the matter, to what he said earlier, "Their remnant I will give to the sword."
That is, they trusted in Egypt, says the Malbim, they thought Pharaoh would help them, and in the end Pharaoh did not help them. And also after the destruction, for they went to Egypt, and the prophet told them not to go to Egypt, and there too the sword of Nebuchadnezzar overtook them. About this he told them: Do you think that plain iron, which is Pharaoh, will shatter Nebuchadnezzar, who is iron that comes from the north? Come hear how the Malbim explains what "iron coming from the north" is. He too, like Rashi, says that iron coming from the north is stronger. But he explains that the iron coming from the north is the magnet. Are you listening? And why is it called "coming from the north"? Because when you orient the needle of the magnet, where will it always point? North. See what a wonderful thing. So this is iron coming from the north, always inclining toward the northern axis. And it has power and dominion over iron and draws it by its force. This is iron that rules over iron, it draws the iron toward itself, it has control over it. And with this iron there is also bronze, which comes to express the help from the mighty nations that were all around, who were as strong as bronze. And the Malbim says about this: Do not wonder that the people of spirit knew of its property of inclining toward the north, which was then hidden from all eyes. That is, the Malbim has a difficulty here, he does not mention it but I will mention it. Chazal say that one of the sins of Geichazi was that he hung a magnet stone for the sins of Yerovam. The meaning is: Yerovam made calves, and Geichazi, as it were, publicized them. How did he provide them with publicity? He simply took a strong magnet, placed it above those calves from overhead, and the calves were drawn upward, they were not stuck but drawn, and through this the people saw them as if floating in the air. And this symbolized before them, as it were, that these calves have real power. What, don't they understand that there is a magnet here? They did not know the secret of the magnet. Says the Malbim: So do not wonder that the people of spirit knew of its property. You see that Geichazi did know. The wiser and more learned people did know, and they knew that it inclines toward the north, and then this matter, as we said, was hidden from all eyes, but among them it was known, among the wiser and more learned.
"Your wealth and your treasures I will give to plunder, not for a price, and for all your sins, and throughout all your borders." "Your wealth" refers to your money, and your treasures, O Israel, "I will give to plunder," everyone will be plunderers. "And for all your sins" means: because of all your sins you will receive this punishment. "And throughout all your borders" - why? Since they set up idols throughout all their borders, so Rashi explains. "Your wealth and your treasures I will give to plunder, not for a price." What is "not for a price"? Says the Radak: there will be so many plunderers, to such an extent that they will not pay a price for the plunder. That is, when is there a price? When there is some demand and the supply is smaller than the demand, then the price rises. But if there is something found everywhere, then indeed it has no price. Air is found everywhere, the supply is great, so that in effect it has no price. So too he says, the plunder that will be here will be so great, everyone will come and plunder without accounting, until it will be without a price. As it were, anyone who wants to sell, they will tell him: we have enough of this, what do you want to sell? We don't need it. There will be so many plunderers that no price will be given for the spoil. And "without a price" also always comes to express a concept of disgrace. As it is written there, "you shall be sold and there is no buyer." What does this mean? From the great quantity of slaves that will come from the people of Israel, no one will want to buy anymore, do you understand? There is already no buyer. So here too it comes to express the disgrace that there is no price. We once explained in this that thus the commentators explain the matter of "the needy for a pair of shoes." Why did they sell Yosef, what shoes were they lacking? Rather, they sold Yosef because they thought that to give Yosef for free is the greatest disgrace. Since then you are actually selling him without a price, and without a price means that he is worth nothing, we don't even want to receive money for him, he is worth nothing. So in order to spare him this disgrace, they at least took money. So if so, why were they held liable for this? Because if you have already done it this way, then at least do not benefit from the money, for the entire purpose of the money here is only to spare Yosef disgrace. Why did you go and buy shoes with it? That is, the moment there was here some self-interest, some self-benefit from the matter, it disqualified the entire matter. Even though at its beginning he had a good intention, he had a good purpose in the very demand of the money on behalf of their brother. Says the Radak: so there will be so many plunderers that no one will give a price for the spoil. And for what is this? All this is "for all your sins and throughout all your borders." What is the meaning of "throughout all your borders"? Says the Radak that the sins were not in one place, but the sins were throughout all your borders, this is their high places (bamot) that were throughout all your borders.
The Malbim explains, what is written "your wealth and your treasures I will give to plunder, not for a price," says the Malbim: they will come and take not in order to receive a price, but I did this "for all your sins." The meaning is that sometimes there is someone who comes to take in order to plunder plunder, to spoil spoil. Says the Malbim: here it is not for that. Rather they will come because of your sins. It will not be out of a purpose of coming to take money, no, that will not be the matter. Rather the matter is because of your sins, since you sinned and multiplied, so therefore "and not for a price," therefore their entire matter here will be to plunder your wealth and your treasures, not in order to take a price, yes, not in order to collect payment. The plain meaning implied from the Malbim's language is that "not for a price" means not in order to buy. Sometimes an enemy comes and takes and pays. You do not want to sell, but he takes and pays. We saw the Malbim bring some such explanation for this. So here he will come to take but not for a price, as we saw "you did not increase by their prices." That is, he will come to take in order to plunder, he will come to take in order to seize, and "not for a price," not out of a purpose to pay you the price of the things he takes.
"And I will make you pass with your enemies into a land you do not know, for a fire is kindled in My anger, upon you it shall burn." "And I will make you pass with your enemies into a land you do not know" is a verse that at its simple level is puzzling. I will make your enemies pass into a land you do not know. Well, fine, let them pass, what is my problem? A land I do not know, what is my problem that enemies pass there? The Radak explains that "I will make you pass with your enemies into a land you do not know" means: I will make you pass to your enemies in a land you do not know. "With your enemies" means like "to your enemies." Like "and he shall show the kohen," which means "to the kohen." "And I will make you pass with your enemies" - I will make you pass to your enemies in a land you do not know. You will go into exile to a place you do not recognize. One must know, a land you do not know is always worse than a land you do know. A land I know, I recognize the language, I recognize the place, I can, as they say, manage. But if suddenly they stick you in some land that you completely do not recognize, nothing, you do not recognize the climate, do not recognize the language, do not recognize the mentality, do not recognize anything, this is worst of all. Therefore he says, "and I will make you pass to a land you do not know," the land of your enemies, a land you will not recognize.
By contrast, it should be noted that from Targum Yonatan it is implied that he did not read it with a reish, but read it with a dalet. Instead of "and I will make you pass" (veha'avarti), he read "and I will make you serve" (veha'avadti). For the Targum reads "and you shall be enslaved to your adversaries." You shall be enslaved to your enemies. But the Radak says that this is not the reading, this is not the correct reading, rather in the precise texts it is written "and I will make you pass." The Malbim explains that what is written "and I will make you pass with your enemies into a land you do not know" means that also afterward, also when you go to Egypt, do not think that there you will be able to be saved, for as we saw that he pursued them also to Egypt. For "I will make you pass with your enemies into a land you do not know." Are you listening? According to the Radak it is wonderful, according to the Malbim it is wonderful, for according to the Malbim I am not speaking about "I will make you pass"; I will make the enemies pass. "And I will make you pass with your enemies," when you flee, where to? To Egypt, into a land you do not know, there too the sword of Nebuchadnezzar will overtake you. And why? For "a fire is kindled in My anger, upon you it shall burn." Since the fire burns, it will burn forever, also after the destruction, and also after you flee there to Egypt, I will make your enemies pass when you are in a land you do not know, there too the enemy will pursue you.
"You know, O Hashem; remember me and recall me, and avenge me of my pursuers; do not, in Your slowness to anger, take me away; know that for Your sake I bear reproach." "You know, O Hashem," the Malbim explains, after he heard from Hashem that his remnant would be for good, the meaning is that the Holy One would hasten to punish those who rise against Yirmiyahu, those who want to kill him, the Holy One will punish them, for so he had prayed earlier, that the Holy One would beforehand exact retribution from them. And he asked, "remember me and avenge me of my pursuers." Here he asks: Master of the Universe, avenge me of those who pursue me, of those who oppress me. And "do not take me away in Your slowness to anger." The meaning is: even though You are slow to anger regarding what they have sinned against You, do not be slow to anger regarding what they have sinned against me. This is "do not take me away in Your slowness to anger." The meaning is: do not create a situation where I am taken from the world because You are slow to anger toward them. Rather, avenge them in such a way that they will not have length of days, and through this they will meanwhile succeed in harming me. "Know that for Your sake I bear reproach." The meaning is: Master of the Universe, that You should know that when they reproach me, in truth I bear the reproach for You. "For Your sake" means: because of Your prophecies, because of Your rebukes. On my own account, why would they pursue me? What do they have against me? If they pursue me it is only because I represent You. So "for Your sake I bear reproach." The meaning is: I bear reproach, Master of the Universe, as it were for You, for Your sake. And then, first of all, this brings about a situation in which there is, as it were, a greater claim upon the Holy One to save Yirmiyahu, for everything that Yirmiyahu does is only for the honor of Hashem, blessed be He. And on the other hand it also magnifies their sin tenfold. For if you fight against me personally, that is a sin. But if you fight against me because I represent the Holy One, that is a sin ten times as severe. So, Master of the Universe, all this that "for Your sake I bear reproach" is meant to make a claim upon them and to bring it about that You exact retribution from them tenfold.
"Your words were found and I ate them, and Your word was to me a joy and the gladness of my heart, for Your Name is called upon me, Hashem, God of Hosts." "Your words were found and I ate them" - about what is this said? The Malbim explains that the prophet would merit prophecy through preparation. When the prophet would want to prepare himself for prophecy, he would take a musician for himself. "And it was, as the musician played, that the spirit of Hashem came upon him." Through the musician playing, through this it would come; the person hears the music and comes to joy, and prophecy does not rest except out of joy. When a person is in joy, then prophecy rests upon him. But when he is not in joy, then there is no prophecy upon him. The prophets would also take a drum and flute in order to arouse prophecy. By contrast, says the Malbim, Yirmiyahu always prophesied prophecies of wrath, prophecies of calamity, prophecies that bring the prophet to sadness, to grief. Therefore Yirmiyahu could not prepare himself for prophecy on his own. That is, he could not bring himself to joy and what? And prophesy in joy prophecies of sadness, prophecies of calamity. How is that possible? You are prophesying apocalyptic prophecies, how is it possible? It does not go together, that I would rejoice and I would say everyone will die and everyone will be for the sword and women and children and... how can one be in joy when you are saying such harsh things, such terrible things? Therefore, says the Malbim, Yirmiyahu's prophecy would come to him only at the time that Hashem needed to send him. And then, the word of Hashem, says the Malbim, in whose place is strength and gladness, through the speech joy and gladness came upon him. That is, like a person who drinks wine, I do not say he was happy and drank wine. No, drinking the wine brings to joy. So too here, through the Holy One bringing him the prophecy, through this strength and gladness were in its place, and consequently through this joy it created for him a situation in which he was fit and prepared to receive the word of Hashem. But self-preparation beforehand to be in joy in order to receive such harsh and terrible things, this was very difficult for Yirmiyahu to bring himself to such a state. All this at the time of prophecy, when the Holy One would bring the prophecy upon him and this would cause him joy and then he was able to receive the things.
What He wanted to tell him. Says the Malbim: but when the prophecy ends, when this infinite spiritual wellspring finishes, he would return to being astonished and saddened by the speech itself, says the Malbim, by what he had just received, which was full of visions of destruction and calamity, and the prophet as it were sees it before his eyes. So that is, the prophecy ended, that flowing river of joy ended. And then, with what was I left? With harsh and terrible sights of killing, of slaughter, of murder, dreadful and terrible things.
And this is what he says here, "Your words were found and I ate them." The speech comes to me like a person who finds a lost object without expecting it. Not through my preparation, since I cannot prepare myself in joy to receive such harsh things. So how do I receive the prophecy? They were found. "Your words were found." A found object is without expectation. A person does not go to search for lost objects. It is without expectation. So "Your words were found," the speech came to me like a found object without expectation. "And I ate them," so, when I would receive the prophecy, I was like a person who is hungry for bread and, as they say, devours it. "And I ate them," I would eat it as it were out of joy.
"And Your word was to me a joy and the gladness of my heart." The speech aroused in me joy and gladness so that I could receive the prophecy, for as we said, without this it is impossible to receive prophecy. "For Your Name is called upon me, Hashem, God of Hosts." "Your Name is called upon me" through an awakening from Above. "Your Name is called upon me," I did not perform an action, rather You, Hashem, called Your Name upon me. You are the one who made the awakening from Above, and I did not have prior joy and gladness that brought this about.
Therefore he explains, "I did not sit in the company of merrymakers and rejoice; because of Your hand I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation." "I did not sit in the company of merrymakers and rejoice," that is, the Malbim continues and explains, I did not do any actions that bring to joy. So we saw a musician; so perhaps sitting in the company of merrymakers, being with people who are joyful, laughing, and then through this I would come to joy. "I did not sit in the company of merrymakers and rejoice" so that through this the prophecy would come to me through joy. Rather, "because of Your hand I sat alone." Because of Your hand, meaning the prophecy, "and the hand of Hashem was upon him," meaning the prophecy. Because of Your hand and Your prophecy I always sat alone. And the reason for this: "for You have filled me with indignation." The meaning is: the prophecy would fill me, these prophecies of wrath, would fill me with indignation and fury at the calamity and at the harsh things I see. So consequently this caused that even after the prophecy I could not come to joy, but I found myself within a reality of sadness and grief and pain.
The Radak explains, "I did not sit in the company of merrymakers," the meaning is: my joy does not come from merrymaking, from people who laugh and make merry. Rather, Your speech is the gladness of my heart. As we saw above, "and Your word was to me a joy." That is, if we want to make an analogy today, there is a person who, in order to rejoice, needs, I don't know what, to go to some wedding with some loud music in order to rejoice. I am not speaking of the kind who need to go to a nightclub, right? I am speaking of people who are, as they say, from the general community. He needs to go hear some music, something joyful like that, in order to rejoice. And there is one who says: What are you talking about? Just bring me a page of Gemara, you bring me to the greatest joy. This is what Yirmiyahu says here. The Radak explains: "and Your word was to me a joy." I do not need all kinds of external aids in order to reach joy. Rather my joy comes through Your word to me, the word of Hashem. This is joy for me, for my true joy is the joy of the intellect. A person who is enlightened, you tell him a wonderful idea, you tell him a novel approach, you tell him some matter, this gladdens him far more than telling him, come, come, come, let's do some dance, let's hear music, come. Matters of the intellect, matters of knowledge, gladden him far more.
But another joy, says the Radak, is the joy of the body. Such joys I did not engage in. I would not sit in the company of merrymakers and rejoice. I would not rejoice with them, and not only that, even as company they were not for me. Rather "I sat alone," I would seclude myself in my house and did not seek at all the company of the merrymakers. And why? "Because of Your hand." Because of the hand of prophecy, as we said, the hand of Hashem. And the Targum says, "for You have filled me with indignation," indeed the prophecy of curse has filled me. "Prophecy of curse" means a prophecy of curse. Curses means calamities. You have filled me with prophecies of curses, meaning calamities.
Another explanation the Radak brings: what is "because of Your hand I sat alone"? "Your hand" is like "Your blow." "Behold, the hand of Hashem is upon your livestock." What is "the hand of Hashem"? For calamity, for a blow. So he says, if so, what is written here "because of Your hand," the meaning is: because of the blow. What blow? For they would reproach him and disgrace him and strike him. "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pluck out the beard, I did not hide my face from insults and spitting." They would strike him and afflict him. And if so it emerges that "because of Your hand I sat alone" means: because of Your hand, Your hand as it were being the striking hand. And why is this "Your hand"? Because it is by the power of prophecy and by the power of the things I deliver in Your Name, because of this they strike me, as we explained. So according to this "Your hand" is not "Your prophecy," but "Your hand" is in the sense of the flogging hand.
"Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have become to me like a deceptive brook, waters that are not faithful." "Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable?" "Incurable" (anusha), Rashi explains, is from the language of illness. As it is written "and he became sick (vaye'anash) and fell ill," concerning the son of Bat Sheva. And then he says, "You have become to me like a deceptive brook (akhzav)." You, Master of the Universe, are like a deceptive brook. What is "like a deceptive brook"? Like a person whose trust has been cut off from him. I rely on something and what I relied on has ceased to influence me, to bestow good upon me. This is called akhzav. For a deceptive brook (nachal akhzav) is also called akhzav, for it is from the language of falsehood (kazav). The aleph is added. There are many words in which letters were added. So here too, in this word, says the Radak, an extra aleph was added, as it were. Akhzav is a brook of falsehood. A brook that as it were promises to give its waters but ceases. From this is the expression akhzav. And this is also the expression for falsehood (kazav). So, Master of the Universe, as it were, I trusted in You and the trust in which I trusted was, as it were, cut off. The proof is that You leave me to suffer at their hands. You give them the possibility to afflict me. So "why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have become to me like a deceptive brook, waters that are not faithful." As we explained, from the language of a deceptive brook whose waters are not faithful.
The Radak explains that the intent of the words is: since Hashem told him at the beginning of the prophecy, "and I, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze," so Yirmiyahu understood that this essentially says that immediately all the sufferings, all the troubles, all the persecutions would cease. From now on you are a pillar of iron, you are a wall of bronze, no one can prevail against you. And even though it was actually said to him explicitly, "and they will fight against you," well, so what do you want? It is written that they will fight against you. So why do you say a wall of iron? Why do I continue to suffer? It is written "and they will fight against you." Yirmiyahu thought that this would be a local, temporary war and it would cease. Afterward a wall of iron and a pillar of bronze. Thus Yirmiyahu was certain. When he sees that it does not end, the persecutions continue and intensify, then he says, Master of the Universe, why is my pain perpetual? Why is this pain, which I was certain was deceptive (akhzav), that it would end, I see that it is perpetual. I see that there is no end to it. Master of the Universe, this pain is constant. I was certain that You would cause this pain to cease. "And my wound is incurable," meaning my wound is strong and heavy.
The Malbim explains the indignation that fills the soul of the prophet, pay attention, like an internal blow and pain in his soul. According to the Malbim it emerges that we are not speaking here of what the men of Anatot afflict him with, what the people against whom the prophecy was said pursue him with, but here he is speaking of the internal processes that occur within him at the time of prophecy and at the time of hearing the harsh troubles, more about the emotional pain. And the emotional pain is dreadful and terrible, for he hears such troubles and he had the very greatest love for the people. He hears such troubles about the people, this pain breaks him completely. About this he speaks: "why is my pain perpetual." Not "my pain is perpetual" as the Radak's view that the reference is to what they pursue me with, but about the harsh things I hear and I must prophesy to the people.
And then he says, this pain is similar to an illness. And note, the Malbim brings in the name of the Abarbanel, as I will detail shortly, that there are four kinds of illnesses, and unfortunately, says the prophet, I have all of those illnesses, may the Merciful One spare us. The Abarbanel explains that among illnesses there are four kinds. Now we will detail them. There are chronic illnesses, like the quartan fever, it is good that we do not know them, and the numbers too, thank God. In them there is neither illness, that is, neither pain nor danger. This is an illness that a person carries with him; they ask you what is this? Ah, it is something chronic. Do you suffer from it? No. Do people die from it? No. But what can be done, it is some illness that a person carries with him. There are illnesses that have pain in them, but have no danger. A person is not endangered by it. If we want to give an example, then many skin diseases are of this type. Often it causes pain, it causes itching, it causes unpleasantness, but one does not die from it. It causes pain without danger. And they are not chronic and do not persist. He gives the example of toothache and earache. Perhaps pain, perhaps skin is not so good an example because sometimes there can be skin problems that persist and are chronic. But he gives the example of an illness where the illness is not chronic and does not persist. A toothache, you do not say I have been carrying a toothache for twenty years. It is something that comes and goes. But it is a great pain. One does not die from it, also earache, the same thing. So it emerges then that this is a great pain but without fear of danger, without danger to life. There are illnesses, says the Abarbanel, that are new, they are not chronic, they have no pain, but they have great danger, may the Merciful One spare us. That is, this is a type of illness that comes for a short time, like, if we want to give an example, some infection. Some severe infection that a person is exposed to, this is an illness for a short time. They will ask him, does something hurt you? He will say no, maybe a little fever, maybe. And this is the most terrible, for pain is a warning light. And if something does not hurt then it is dreadful and terrible. And we are speaking of an illness that comes for a short time, like an infection, and then if a person does not treat it immediately with either antibiotics or whatever is needed, he can within a day or two, may the Merciful One spare us, be finished. So it emerges then that this is an illness that has no pain and is a new illness, he does not carry it from long ago, but it has great danger. He gives the example of a constant fever, but we do not know these things. Especially since it is difficult to understand the expression "constant" because he is speaking of something that is new. An illness that is new means that it comes and attacks and the person can die from it but he feels no pain.
The prophet comes and says: With me there is a medical chart that contains all the illnesses, Master of the Universe. I have everything. First we said there is an illness that has pain in it. He says, behold, see, the prophet opens and says, "why is my pain?" I have pain. There is an illness, we said, that perhaps has pain in it but is not constant. "Why is my pain perpetual?" With me the pain is constant, it is perpetual. Fine, there is an illness that is both pain and perpetual, but at least has no danger, one does not die from it. He says, with me "my wound is incurable." And there is an illness that you say, but at least it comes and goes. He says, with me "refusing to be healed," it does not go away, it has no cure. This is an illness that came in order to stay. "Refusing to be healed." It emerges then that with me, says the prophet, all the kinds of illnesses, all of them, have touched me. And besides this, I am not like the other prophets whose prophecy persists when they prepare themselves for prophecy, and I prophesy only intermittently. And not only is it intermittent, it also ceased. For the prophecy ceased from him at the stage when there was the destruction. After the destruction Yirmiyahu's prophecy ceased completely. Therefore he says, "You have become to me like a deceptive brook." What is "like a deceptive brook"? The prophecy is like a deceptive brook, which is a spring that ceases. And sometimes it will resemble "waters that are not faithful." That is, even when there is prophecy it is "waters that are not faithful." Sometimes there is, sometimes there is not. Not like all the prophets, he prepares himself for prophecy, he received prophecy. Not I. As we said that Yirmiyahu would receive prophecy like a found object. And even when there is prophecy, it will be for a period of time because it is destined to cease at the completion of the destruction. So that in effect Yirmiyahu here, according to the Malbim, laments his terrible state in the emotional respect, in respect of his prophecy, in respect of what his soul undergoes as pain over the state of Israel.
"Therefore thus said Hashem: If you return, then I will bring you back to stand before Me; and if you bring forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you shall not return to them." "Therefore thus said Hashem." Rashi explains: since I bear all these troubles, therefore Hashem said to me. Thus Rashi explains. "If you return, then I will bring you back to stand before Me." "If you return," you, O Israel, return in repentance, note there are several explanations here. We open with Rashi. If you, Israel, return in repentance, "and I will bring you back before Me." "And I will bring you back" refers to the prophet. "And I will bring you back before Me," and I will bring you, Israel, back before the Holy One. So, the Holy One tells me, it would be more precise to say "and I will bring you back," comma, "before Me you shall stand." "And I will bring you back," I the prophet will bring you Israel back before Hashem, Hashem tells me, "before Me you shall stand." The meaning is: you shall stand before Me constantly. "And if you bring forth the precious from the vile," what is the meaning? You shall bring forth a person who is precious and important from a person who is vile. A person who is vile means not in the sense of a glutton (zolel vesove), but I was "a vile woman" (zolela). Zolela in the sense of lowly (zola), yes, in the sense of the opposite of honored. Like "all who honored her despised her." The opposite of precious, of important, is vile (zol). The opposite of an honored person is a vile person (zolel). So here too, "if you bring forth the precious from the vile," "if you bring forth the precious from the vile" means: you bring people close to His service, blessed be He. To take a vile person, meaning a lowly person, and make of him a precious thing, says Hashem, "you shall be as My mouth." What is "you shall be as My mouth"? You decree a decree and the Holy One decrees a decree and you nullify it. Are you listening? "You shall be as My mouth," says the Holy One, like My mouth. What comes forth from your mouth will be like what comes forth from the mouth of Hashem. Hashem decrees a decree and it is in the prophet's power to nullify it. "Let them return to you, but you shall not return to them." "Let them return to you, but you shall not return to them," Rashi and the Radak explain that the intent of the words is that the prophet is warned here, cautioned by Hashem. The Holy One warns him: there is always danger when you approach the wicked to bring them close, there is a danger of who will draw whom closer. Whether you will draw them along with you or they will draw you along with them.
They once tell of one of the great ones of Israel who had a student who received a position of rabbinate in some place, and they offered him a position of rabbinate in another place. A much larger place, a much better salary, but people truly far from Torah and fear of Heaven, and he was very afraid to go to such a place. He went to consult with his Rabbi. So his Rabbi said, better not, for it is a place that can drag you down and can bring you down. Well, after a period a situation arose that already from the first place he had left, and he already had no source of livelihood, and he turned again to the Rabbi that there is no choice and he must take that place, and what will he do if not, he has nothing to eat. Fine, so the Rabbi told him: then take the place and you must be very, very strong and firm not to be drawn after them. Afterward this Rabbi was in an exchange of letters with the student, and the student, that one who was appointed as rabbi in that place, would write to him about the difficult situation and about the spiritual neglect and about the licentiousness prevailing everywhere and about his difficulty in accomplishing anything, and he would thus recount his troubles before him. Fine, afterward this exchange of letters ceased. And then the great Rabbi met that one who had been appointed as rabbi in that place, met him after several years. And then he said to him: Well, how, how are you? What's happening? So he said to him: Thank God, thank God, matters have calmed down, everything is much more in order, thank God, thank God. The Rabbi said to him: I, I think that "thank God" is not because they changed and became like you, so "thank God" then everything worked out. I am very, very troubled and worried that you have become like them, so it is no longer so terrible what they do not do here, and not so terrible, you have already learned to accept, learned to overlook, learned to accept. He tells him: if so, this is very, very troubling, this is very worrying. "We hoped for peace but there was no good," thus he expounded the verse. "We hoped for peace," you hope for peace, and why peace? Peace because people became good, so the rabbi came to have peace with them. It tells you: "but there was no good." "For a time of healing, and behold terror." You think there was healing here, these people were cured, thank God. "Behold terror," something terrifying happened here, that even the rabbi became like them. And then he has to constantly worry for them, to issue for them halachic rulings that suit them, and for everything they have the rabbi that they know that rabbi is fine on these matters, go to him, ask him, everything is fine, some kind of "Beit Tzohar" rabbis. Whatever you tell him, everything is fine, permitted to you, free to you, everything is permitted. And then excellent, you, you are a user-friendly rabbi. A convenient rabbi, everything is fine with him, a rabbi who, he has an elastic Torah and everything is truly wonderful.
This is what he says here. See what this is, this brings to the idea, for it speaks here of a prophet. And the prophet, the Holy One warns him: "let them return to you, but you shall not return to them." Let us read the Radak's language. But this shall be guarded for you, that you shall not turn to their evil in your efforts with them, lest they lead you astray with the multitude of their arguments. Are you listening? The wicked could lead the prophet astray. They could bring about a situation that the prophet would be dragged after them. Therefore Hashem tells him: make efforts with them, but let them return to you, take care that you do not return to them. You draw them to you, and let there not be a situation that they drag you toward them.
Another explanation the Radak brings, what is "and if you bring forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth"? Says the Radak, "and if you bring forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth" - "the evil ones from among the rebels you shall establish." This is the Targum. That is, according to this there is no promise here that if you bring forth the precious from the vile, you return people in repentance, then you will decree a matter and it will be fulfilled for you. You will have the power to nullify His decrees, blessed be He. No. Rather, "if you bring forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth," you fulfill My mouth and My will. This is "you shall be as My mouth." As My mouth spoke and I commanded you, you do My will. This is "you shall be as My mouth." There is no promise here that every decree of yours will be fulfilled, that you will be in the category of "the righteous decrees and the Holy One fulfills." No, this is not what is said here according to the interpretation of Onkelos. Rather "you shall be as My mouth" means: you did what My mouth requests, what My mouth demands.
And the Radak explains that therefore "thus said Hashem: if you return, then I will bring you back," he explains this differently from Rashi. Rashi explained: if you, Israel, return through me, I the prophet, and I will bring you back before the Holy One, Hashem tells me, before Me you shall stand. By contrast, the Radak explains that here there is a complaint against the prophet. Says the Radak, the prophet as it were spoke here severe things toward the Holy One. "Why is my pain perpetual, my wound incurable, You have become to me like a deceptive brook, waters that are not faithful." You, Master of the Universe, in simple words, disappointed. The Holy One tells him: if you return, you Yirmiyahu must repent for these things you spoke. If you return; you spoke against Me things that are not proper, in your saying that I am to you a deceptive brook. You sinned against Me, the Holy One tells him. And you, if you return before Me, you Yirmiyahu will regret what you said, then I will bring you back before Me to stand. So I will bring you back in repentance, I will forgive you, you shall stand before Me as at the beginning. This is not the prophet inciting toward the people. This is the Holy One raising a claim toward the prophet. You, the prophet, must return in repentance for the things you said. And then "before Me you shall stand." What is "before Me you shall stand"? The Radak explains that "you shall stand" is prayer. This is an expression that we found appearing regarding prayer, regarding thanksgiving, also regarding prophecy. "If Moshe and Shmuel were to stand before Me." "And Avraham was still standing before Hashem." And the expression "standing" is always said regarding a prophet, so says the Radak. Therefore the meaning of the words is to stand in prayer or to receive prophecy. And then the Holy One says: if you return in repentance, then before Me you shall stand, you will be able to continue to stand and receive prophecy from Me. But you must return in repentance for these deeds, for these statements that you made toward the Holy One.
The Malbim explained to us that the prophet had a claim here. Why is his prophecy different from the other prophets? Why is his prophecy not constant, it is like a deceptive brook, he prophesies and it ceases, he cannot bring himself through joy to prophecy? Thus the Malbim explained, this was his claim. According to this, what is the answer of the Holy One? The Holy One tells him: if you return, what is the meaning? Along the line of Rashi. If you return the people in repentance, then I will bring you back. But how does the Malbim explain "and I will bring you back"? Not "and I will bring you back" that the prophet says to the people, "and I will bring you back." For this is a bit puzzling. For understand, according to Rashi, "if you return" the Holy One tells me, the prophet. The Holy One tells the prophet, if you return, the meaning is you will return the people in repentance, and then "and I will bring you back," and I will return you in repentance. First of all, this is a redundancy. Secondly, you pass from Hashem's speech to the prophet to the prophet's speech to the people. Therefore according to the Malbim this is not the meaning. Rather the Holy One tells the prophet: if you return, what is "you return"? "You return" is like "you will bring back." If you bring the people back in repentance, then I will bring you back to constant prophecy. You want constant prophecy? Bring them back in repentance, you will have constant prophecy. And then wonderful, "before Me you shall stand." What is "before Me you shall stand"? Constantly. "Standing before Hashem," to serve Him. Constantly you will have prophecy. You are right, your prophecy keeps ceasing. But if you bring the people back in repentance, your prophecy will be constant. And even if you do not reach such a state, but in any case you bring forth the precious from the vile, which means the souls of the worthy people will be separated from the souls of the wicked. The meaning is: you will at least succeed in creating some separation within the people, between the worthy and the wicked, you bring forth the precious from the vile, "you shall be as My mouth." He explains like Rashi, you will decree a matter and it will be fulfilled for you. You will be like the mouth of Hashem, what you say will be fulfilled.
And this too is an answer, says the Malbim, to what he requested, that his prayer is not heard. For we saw above that there was a state of drought. With the droughts the chapter opened. And now he receives an answer. Why, Master of the Universe, did I pray, why is my prayer not answered? Now he receives an answer. If you succeed in bringing the people back in repentance, then you will decree a matter and it will be fulfilled for you. You will request that rain fall, and rain will fall. This is an answer to what he asked then, why is my prayer not accepted, and to what he asked now, why does my prophecy come and go. Bring the people back in repentance and through this you will have constant prophecy. Corresponding to what he complained about the wicked who pursue him constantly, the Holy One tells him: you do not need to fear them. And do not worry, what do you fear? That perhaps they will prevail over you, and they will cause you to agree with their deeds and in the end you will not prophesy against them, they will coerce you. The Holy One says: you have nothing to worry about. Know, they will return to you, you will not return to them. Not only will they not succeed in corrupting you, according to the Malbim there is a promise here. According to how we explained based on the Targum, there is some warning here. Take care, Yirmiyahu, not to be drawn. According to the Malbim there is a promise here. The Holy One says: you have nothing to worry about. "You shall be as My mouth," "let them return to you," thus I faithfully promise you. You will not return to them. You have nothing to worry about, they will not be able to bring you back to them.
What do you fear, that perhaps they will kill you? This is the next verse. "And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze, and they will fight against you but will not prevail over you." The Holy One tells him: you had a problem because you thought I told you that the war would be short and that's it. The Holy One tells him: know, it will not be so. I did not promise you that this is about to end and the war is short. Rather "and they will fight against you," I inform you, they will continue to fight. They will continue to fight. And this is also logical, since the Holy One does not interfere with free choice. So if they want to fight, they will fight. What then? The Holy One will protect His prophet. But to interfere with free choice, to ensure that everyone does nothing to him, this the Holy One says, I did not promise you. And I did not tell you that it is limited in time. Only you did not understand the promise correctly and therefore you have a difficulty. What then? The Holy One tells him: if they fight against you, "they will not prevail over you." For "I am with you to save you and to deliver you, says Hashem." The Holy One tells him: do not worry, I will make you a fortified wall, a wall of bronze. And they will not prevail over you, for through constant providence I will deliver you from them. And even when they gather against you to do you harm, the Holy One tells him, "and I will save you from the hand of the evil ones and redeem you from the grip of the ruthless." When they gather to do you harm, I will save you from the hand of the evil ones, meaning I will save you from their hand. And even if you will already be in their hand, as we will see later, that they placed him in the house of the dungeon in order to kill you, "and I will redeem you." We will see later that Eved-Melech the Kushite will save Yirmiyahu. So that in effect the Holy One says: even if they are able to prevail over you and harm you, you will already be in their hand, the Holy One says, I will save you from their hand, which is already harder.
And the Malbim here explains, in the precision of the Holy Tongue, he says "and I will save you from the hand of the evil ones and redeem you from the grip of the ruthless." This is a doubling. "I will save you" and "I will redeem you," "from the hand of the evil ones," "from the grip of the ruthless." What is the difference? The Malbim explains that "hand" (yad) is something that can be resting upon my hand. But "grip" (kaf) is something that I hold in my palm. This is kaf. Kaf is to grasp in the palm. And from this the Malbim says, it is not enough to save. I can save you from something that you are in its hand. But someone who grasps you in the palm, it is impossible to save you from his hand, rather it requires redemption. What is called redeeming you, which is already a more complex process, a harder process. Therefore he says regarding kaf, "and I will redeem you." This requires redemption from the grip of the ruthless. For the ruthless are more mighty, they are stronger. There it will not suffice merely to save you. There it requires actual redemption. To redeem you as it were with money. The Holy One says: even if you will be in the hand of the strong enemy, I will redeem you in such a way that I will save you from the hand of those terrible enemies.