"The heart is more deceitful than all, and it is sickly, who can know it." The heart is more deceitful than all. The Malbim explains that here the navi is actually coming to answer a question that a person might ask: after all, we have seen people who trusted in Hashem and did not succeed. So how can you say, "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and he shall be like a tree planted by water"? For we knew people who trusted in Hashem, and they were perhaps like the lonely tree in the wilderness, but not like a tree planted by water. So seemingly there is a difficulty with what the navi says. To this the navi comes to give two answers. The first answer he gives: know that you do not know what is in the hearts of people. This is something we saw at length in the arguments between Iyov and his companions, this very point, that we are unable to determine who is a tzaddik. Determining who is a rasha is generally something we can see. A person I see smoking on Shabbat on his balcony, I will not say, no, it only seems so to you, know that in his heart he is really a tzaddik. Know that he is a tzaddik. That we will never say. But the opposite, yes. That is, it can be that a person outwardly appears to us like a great tzaddik, but we will say, know that within him he sets his ambush. Know that this is all a disguise, he is not really a tzaddik. So it emerges that a tzaddik is not necessarily truly a tzaddik, but a rasha is generally truly a rasha, as he appears. In any case, this is what the navi is coming to say here. You ask, are there not people who trust in Hashem and yet are not like a tree planted by water? The heart is more deceitful than all. Know that the heart is more deceitful than all, and you cannot know what is within their hearts. And beyond that, the heart is sickly (anush). The heart is human, so it can change in a single moment as a result of experiences. That is, it can be that a person yesterday was a person of trust and today has descended from his trust. This is the meaning of anush. Rashi explains that anush is from the expression "a mortally ill person" (choleh anush). Rashi says it is a term of sickness, and this is its illness. When I told you the heart is more deceitful than all, do not think this is the standard, rather it is a sickness of the heart. The heart is more deceitful than all, the heart is crooked, the heart is more deceitful than all. I remember that we were once at a vaad with Rav Shalom Shvadron, and he told that he once traveled on the way to Yerushalayim, and he said he saw the tangle of vegetation along the side of the road. He said the vegetation was so entangled and so complex, and then he was reminded of this pasuk: the heart is more deceitful than all. That is how he told it. See what people of stature are: everything he sees, he does not now observe from a molecular standpoint or examine things in terms of the beauty of creation, which is also wonderful. Rather he examines what mussar he can take from it. And what is the mussar? This is how the heart of a person looks. The heart holds whole tangles within it, and if a person does not open this up and unravel it, then a person can remain with it and be certain that he is a tzaddik and that he serves Hashem and that he is a yerei shamayim and that everything with him is perfect. To this the Malbim says here, the heart is more deceitful than all. Let us return to the matter. The Malbim says trust is when the trust in the heart is complete, without deceit. But the heart is more deceitful than all, the evil images, meaning the fantasies and the evil traits, lie in wait over the heart. The heart is the seat of governance, and when there are those evil images, meaning evil fantasies, for a person who wishes to commit a sin first imagines it, so those evil fantasies and evil images are themselves the voice of sin. And the heart, as we said, is tangled and deceitful. And it is sickly. What is "and it is sickly" (anush)? Here there are two explanations. The Malbim explains that anush is from the term "human" (enoshi). The meaning of this: only a coarse physical object like a table, a stone, wood, anything material, has no vibration in it, no changeability. In contrast, the heart is human. The human heart is stirred by experiences, the human heart is acted upon by external influences. So since the heart is anush, it follows that every external action creates an influence upon it, causes it to be stirred, causes it to change its mind. So you ask, look, there are people who are yirei shamayim, why are they not like a tree planted by water? He answers: know that the heart is more deceitful than all and you cannot know what is within their hearts. And beyond that, the heart is anush. The heart is human, so it can change in a single moment as a result of experiences. That is, it can be that a person yesterday was a person of trust and today has descended from his trust. This is the meaning of anush. Rashi explains that anush is from the expression "a mortally ill person." Rashi says it is a term of sickness, and this is its illness. When I told you the heart is more deceitful than all, do not think this is the standard, rather it is a sickness of the heart.
This is a sickness, this is a kind of illness. That is, the heart, a person should have a simple and straight heart for the service of Hashem. "Who can know it" (u'mi yedaeno) means that if you think, based on what you see outwardly, that he is a yerei Hashem, know that you do not know his thoughts. "But I, Hashem, search the heart, examine the kidneys, to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." He tells you, you think this person trusts in Hashem, the Holy One says: you do not know the inner reality, but I, Hashem, search the heart and examine the kidneys. I, Hashem, search his heart, this is what we explained earlier, the heart is more deceitful than all. "Examine the kidneys," since it is written that the kidneys are the advisors. "To give to each man according to his ways" (kidrachav), what is "according to his ways"? Both according to the ways of the inner soul, says the Malbim, and according to the fruit of the deeds that come out externally. You look only at the fruit of the deeds; the Holy One says, I see and examine according to his ways. "According to his ways" also means what happens within him in the heart, according to the ways of the inner soul. And even though to your eyes it appears to you that according to the fruit of his deeds his deeds are good, the Holy One says, I also examine his ways, meaning the depth of the soul, how far there is a whole heart here, how far there is a willing soul here.
"Like a partridge that gathers what it did not bear, so is one who makes wealth but not by justice; in the midst of his days it will leave him, and in his end he will be a scoundrel." The Malbim says: the second condition of trust. So we said the first thing: what is the reason you see that there are people who trust in Hashem and do not succeed? The first reason we said is the heart is more deceitful than all, who says that he truly trusts in Hashem in his inner self? He is not complete in his trust in Hashem. The second thing now he says: like a partridge that gathers what it did not bear, the second thing is that his deeds should not contradict his trust. That is, a person who tells you "I trust in Hashem," and yet you see him day and night toiling to amass money. Why do you constantly amass money? You trust in Hashem? If you trust in Hashem, then rely on Him, He will already give you what is coming to you. I remember reading about Rav Shteinman, that in his youth in the yeshiva the financial situation was very, very difficult, and for half a year they did not pay salaries. After half a year they managed, they reached some donor who covered their debts and paid everyone, they paid all the rabbeim the money for the entire past half year. They paid this to Rav Shteinman as well, since he taught in the yeshiva, and he returned the money. Returned the money? Have you ever seen someone return money? They asked him, what happened? He said to them, look, I need money in order to live. Now, during this half year, the kindnesses of Hashem, you see, I lived. I lived. We will soon explain how he lived, but I lived. So he says to them: why do I need the money now? What, if I had taken on debts, I would need to pay them off, that is, if you take on debts you pay them off. But I did not take on debts, the kindnesses of Hashem, the Holy One provided for me during this half year, I had what to eat, I subsisted. He says to them, so why now do I need the money? Return it back to the yeshiva. How did he live? That is another story. A Jew once told that he had known Rav Shteinman abroad, and he came to visit him in Eretz Yisrael, because at the time he was living in Ramat HaSharon and he taught in a yeshiva there if I am not mistaken. He tells that he arrived and it was a very hot day, and he sees Rav Shteinman sitting outside on a chair with a sefer in his hand, learning. It was impossible to learn inside, it was very hot, outside there was a bit of a breeze, so he sat outside on the balcony and learned. And when I arrived, he rose from the chair and offered me the chair so that I would sit. No, absolutely not, to sit on the Rav's chair? Absolutely not, I did not want to. And he said to me, no no, and he tried to press me again and again, and no, I did not agree. Meanwhile the Rav's wife arrived, and then she said we should come inside, and she offered us something to drink. Fine, we went in, and only then did I understand why he had offered me his chair, because it was the only chair in the house. In the house, the rest sat on crates. There were crates of oranges, Ramat HaSharon, crates of oranges, they turned them over and sat on them. So all the members of the household sat on crates, and the only chair, so he wanted to bring me a chair from the house to offer me, because there was no other chair, this was the only chair. So you understand how he managed when he said, for half a year I managed, I did not need it, baruch Hashem, Hashem sustained me. You understand how he managed. Whoever will see his home will understand that not much has changed since then, yes? His home still looks like the 1950s, no paint has been applied, nothing, a person who lived at the peak of asceticism, taking nothing from this world.
So then, the second condition of trust, says the Malbim, is that his deeds should not contradict his trust. A person who says he trusts in Hashem, but you see him striving to amass money through bloodshed and injustice, moreover through crooked ways. Through crooked ways, what do you have from amassing money in this manner? This person shows that he does not have complete trust in Hashem, and therefore for this person the wealth will not endure in his hand. Now the example of this: like a partridge that gathers what it did not bear. Let us see that Hashem implanted a nature in a bird called the korei (partridge). There is a bird whose name is this. This bird has a very unique nature: it broods what it did not bear. It sits upon eggs that it did not bear. That is, it sees eggs, it goes and broods over them. Chicks that are not its own, and afterward it also cares for them, provides for them. Afterward, when they grow, they leave it. Like a partridge that gathers what it did not bear, in the midst of its days it will leave it. They leave it because suddenly they recognize, wait, this is not, this is not our father. They recognize it and leave. So from what does it want to sustain itself? From the toil of others. What someone else bore, that is what it goes to brood over. No need to exert oneself, others exerted themselves for me. So too whoever acts in this way, amasses his wealth not by justice, in the midst of his days it will leave him. This wealth in the midst of his days will leave him, meaning it will leave that person, and at the end of his days it will be even worse: and in his end he will be a scoundrel. The meaning of this: this person at the end of his days will remain a scoundrel. What is a scoundrel (naval)? A naval is a person who has the nature to oppress and to rob, to commit an outrage (nevalah). So out of his habit of committing outrage, he will still remain with this evil nature, even when he has already lost his money, this nature will remain in him.
So according to the Malbim's explanation, this partridge goes and sits upon eggs and chicks of others that it did not bear. And what is written "dagar" (broods) means that it gathers the chicks. This is how he explains the expression dagar: the bird's gathering of its chicks is called dagar, not what we call brooding, sitting on the eggs. In contrast, Rashi explains that dagar is also from the term "to gather after itself," but he explains that from the start this partridge goes and gathers chicks of others. He does not explain that it sits upon the eggs and hatches them, but rather that it sees chicks of others, goes and gathers them to itself. Only that according to Rashi, dagar, Rashi says, is a chirping that the bird chirps with its voice to draw chicks. So dagar according to the Malbim is from the term "gathering," and according to Rashi it is the manner of the gathering. How does it gather? By brooding, and what is brooding? It is chirping, according to Rashi's explanation. So it emerges that both explanations here fit the pasuk.
It is told that a Jew once came to the Chafetz Chaim, a wealthy Jew. He says to him, Rebbi, how do Chazal say that a person who makes money and possessions not honestly and not justly, that the person will lose them? He says to him, how, how can one say such a thing? For I have possessions, he says to him, all over the world. I have investments in China, I have diamond mines in Africa, I have silver deposits in Russia, I have oil investments in America, in short, even if this falls then that remains, and if not then the real estate, and if not the real estate then... so what, how can it be "in the midst of his days it will leave him"? The Chafetz Chaim says to him, it is written "it will leave him" (ya'azvenu), it is not written who will leave whom. It is not written that the wealth will necessarily leave you, the Holy One can take you and make you leave the wealth. No, Rebbi, may the Rav not, chas veshalom, may it not be like an error that goes out from the mouth of the ruler, for there is no binding covenant upon the lips, chas veshalom may the Rav not say things that are not good. Yes? Suddenly he became frightened. In any case one must know, "it will leave him": if Hashem has mercy on him then the wealth leaves him. And if not, then he leaves the wealth, and that is sevenfold worse.
"A throne of glory, exalted from the first, is the place of our Sanctuary." A throne of glory, exalted from the first. The Malbim explains, after he explained that cursed is the man who removes trust from Hashem, now he says: know that the place of our Sanctuary is the throne of glory of the One who is exalted from the first. What is the meaning of "exalted from the first" (marom merishon)? We cannot call the Holy One "first." Because "first" is always relative to something that comes after it. And the Holy One has no relationship at all with His creations. There is no relative comparison between the Holy One and the creations. I cannot say first there was Hashem and after that... what is before and after that? That is not something that at all pertains to being connected one to another, that I should speak of before and after. So in fact it is not fitting to call the Holy One "first." And therefore the Malbim says, see how wonderful, how does he refer to the Master of the world? Hashem is exalted from the first. He is exalted above the first. Because it is impossible to call Him first, He is elevated above this. He is raised above this. He is raised above the first thing that was created in the world, the first of creation, He is exalted above it. This is "exalted from the first," for I cannot say Hashem is "first." Because "first" means He is relative to what comes after, and there is no relationship whatsoever between Him and Hashem yisbarach. So a throne of glory, know that the place of the Sanctuary is the throne of glory of the Holy One, of the One exalted from the first. And "marom," says the Malbim, is from the term "elevated," from the term of loftiness and importance. And the place of the Sanctuary is His throne of glory, where the Holy One rests the Shechinah, from there the Holy One leads the entire world. Who is the One exalted from the first? This is "the hope of Yisrael, Hashem," and so forth. Before we continue, let us say what the Malbim explains. The Malbim says "exalted from the first," we see that the Holy One is described as exalted above the exalted. And this is again the same idea. I do not say that the Holy One is exalted, because if I say He is exalted, then again this is relative to someone else. I say the Holy One is exalted above the exalted. That is, there are exalted beings and the Holy One is exalted above them, like "exalted from the first," Hashem is elevated above the first ones. The holy sefarim, says the Malbim, call the first force created in the world Adam Kadmon, not to be confused with the "prehistoric man" seen in illustrations. A"K is a kabbalistic concept. A"K appears in the sefarim as an acronym, whose meaning is Adam Kadmon, referring to the primal creation that the Holy One created. Some say that in the sefarim it is brought that there were more worlds before this, hidden worlds that even in Kabbalah are not spoken of. The Arizal did not speak of them, there are those who do bring them. In any case this is called the first emanated being, this is A"K, and from it emerged the lights of ears, nose, mouth, and so forth, as brought in the sefarim of the mekubalim, from which the sefirot were formed. All the sefirot were essentially formed from A"K, or some define it as Keter Elyon, or call it by the name Sechel Elyon. So in fact, when I say the Holy One is exalted from the first, then above the thing that was created first, the Holy One is elevated, He is above all of them. He is Hashem who is the aspect of "the hope of Yisrael, Hashem."
For indeed we saw that they abandoned the source of living waters. He tells you, who is the source? "The hope of Yisrael, Hashem." "All who forsake You shall be shamed, and those who turn from Me shall be inscribed in the earth, for they have forsaken the source of living waters, Hashem." The hope of Yisrael, Hashem, Hashem who is the hope of Yisrael, His throne of glory dwells in the Sanctuary. Some explain that "mikveh" is like a mikveh of water, that You, Hashem, are as it were a mikveh of purity for Yisrael. But the Ibn Ezra and the Radak say that the first explanation is the correct one, that "mikveh" is from the term "hope" (tikvah). You, Hashem, are the hope of Yisrael, this is "the hope of Yisrael," from the term "hoping." To whom do we hope? It is to the Holy One. The hope of Yisrael, Hashem. "All who forsake You shall be shamed," those who forsook Hashem, as we said that Hashem is exalted from the first and watches over the Beit HaMikdash, those who went to seek the help of flesh and blood, who did not rely on the Master of the world to turn to Him. "And those who turn from Me" (v'surai), meaning those who turn away from Hashem, "shall be inscribed in the earth." What is "shall be inscribed in the earth"? The Malbim says, as if it were written in a book throughout the whole earth, to publicize their disgrace that they forsook the Holy One. And those who turn from Me shall be inscribed in the earth. It will be written throughout the whole earth about their disgrace, that they forsook Hashem, who is the source of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns. Rashi explains that what is written "those who turn from Me shall be inscribed in the earth" means those who do not heed My mission, they shall be inscribed in the graves of the lowest depths of the earth. Meaning the place where they descend down to the netherworld, and thus "they shall be inscribed" means it shall be written of them that they descended into the earth, this is the meaning. For the soul of the rasha descends down to the earth, and the soul of the tzaddik ascends to its place in the upper worlds.
"Heal me, Hashem, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved, for You are my praise." The Malbim says, this returns to what he said earlier, "why was my pain eternal." There we saw that he calls the prophecy of wrath, with which the Holy One fills him, that prophecy, he calls it pain and sickness. He requests here that the Holy One heal him from that mortal blow, that is, from that type of prophecies which are prophecies of wrath that are called pain, that Hashem heal him from that mortal blow and no longer prophesy prophecies of calamity. "For You are my praise," says Rashi, in You I take pride and glory, saying that You are my Savior.
"Behold, they say to me: where is the word of Hashem, let it come now." You, Hashem, say that the land will be destroyed, and we testify about, I testify about this thing, I spread this thing, the navi of Hashem Yirmiyahu makes this known to the people. But the people say to me, we do not believe. They say to me, where is the word of Hashem, let it come now. Where is that which the Holy One commanded, that the land be destroyed? Well, we want to see it already happening. The Metzudat David says, they actually think that I am inventing these things from my heart, out of my hatred for them. And because of this, the Malbim explains, they want to consider me a false navi, and a false navi is liable to death. And as we saw that more than once the people of Anatot tried to make an attempt on Yirmiyahu's life.
"But I did not hasten from being a shepherd after You, and I did not desire the day of sickness; You know that whatever came out of my lips was before Your face." "But I," says the Malbim, it is not enough that I do not invent calamities from my heart, but rather even when You chose me to be a shepherd and a leader, I did not hasten after You. The meaning of this: there is a person whose heart is evil, and therefore when he has an opportunity to say evil things, then, as they say, he pounces on the find like one finding great spoils. And as is known, a good person brings good tidings, and an evil person brings evil tidings. That is, a person who is by nature good, then he is happy to bring good tidings. When there is a negative tiding, he says send someone else. In contrast, when a person's heart is evil, then he has joy in his heart to bring evil tidings, he enjoys it, he has satisfaction from it. The navi says, but I did not hasten. Master of the world, when You commanded me to be a navi, and I knew that here it is a matter of harsh prophecies, I knew that here it is a matter of destruction, You chose me to be a shepherd and a leader, I did not hasten after You. I did not want to be a navi, as we saw regarding "behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth." Yirmiyahu tried to evade the mission. I did not hasten after You from being a shepherd, when You wanted me to be a shepherd. And even after You sent me to prophesy prophecies of calamity, I did not desire that a day of sickness should come. "And I did not desire the day of sickness." Even though I prophesied prophecies of sickness, of harshness, I did not desire that the prophecy be fulfilled in order to uphold my words, saying, behold you see, I am a navi of truth. And regarding all this he says, "You know," that is, You Yourself, Master of the world, know that I did not desire it in my heart, and also whatever came out of my lips was before Your face. The meaning of this: I prayed, Master of the world, before You in order to remove Your face, in order to remove Your anger. Even though You commanded me not to pray, in any case I did pray before You regarding their matter.
According to what we now explained, what is written "but I did not hasten from being a shepherd after You," "atz" means from the term "to press the matter," to hurry, like "one who hastens with his feet sins." Atz is from the term to hurry. In contrast, there is here an interesting matter that Rashi brings based on the Targum. "And I did not delay from Your word from prophesying against them." According to this it emerges that "atzti" is not only that it is not hurrying, not hastening, but rather it is also "not delaying." From the term "delay." "I did not hasten" means I did not delay from being a shepherd after You. But I return again to the usual understanding always, that "atz" means to hurry with alacrity, like "one who hastens with his feet sins," this is the simple understanding.
"Do not be a terror to me, You are my refuge on the day of evil." Do not be a terror to me. The meaning of this: do not cause my prophecy to be a breach. "Mechittah" means a breach, that there should not be a situation where You, through the prophecy, bring me to harm. You are my refuge on the day of evil. On the day that they think evil of me, You are my refuge, You protect me, You guard me that I not fall before them, as You promised me. The Malbim explains that the request here is: Master of the world, I requested that the calamity be delayed. And now I see that the calamity is being delayed, this is harmful to me. Because then what do they say? Where is the word of Hashem, let it come now. So it emerges that the request I made, that the calamity be delayed, works against me like a boomerang. I do not want the calamity to come immediately, and then they say, you see that you are a false navi? Behold, nothing happened. And therefore, do not be a terror to me, You are my refuge on the day of evil. What I prayed to delay the calamity, this thing should not be to me a breach, a shattering, whereby they will say that I am a false navi, for You are my refuge on the day of evil.
And therefore, "let my pursuers be shamed and let me not be shamed; let them be broken and let me not be broken; bring upon them a day of evil, and shatter them with a double shattering." The navi says, let my pursuers be shamed and let me not be shamed. My pursuers, as Rashi explains, means the people of Anatot alone, not chas veshalom evil upon all of Yisrael. And so it is better that my pursuers be shamed so that I not be shamed. Rather than that I be shamed, because then they would say to me, behold you prophesied prophecies and they did not come. Where is the word of Hashem, let it come now. So it is better that my pursuers be shamed, better that they die, that my prophecy be fulfilled in them, and let me not be shamed. And therefore he also requests, let them be broken and let me not be broken. "Let them be broken" means they should be shattered, and let me not be broken, that I not be shattered, that they say I am a false navi. And therefore I request, bring upon them a day of evil. Bring upon them that day of evil about which I prophesied, that that prophecy for evil be fulfilled in them. And shatter them with a double shattering. The meaning is that they should have a double breaking. A double shattering. What is the meaning of this? That when the community will have a breaking, they will be part of the community. And an additional matter, that they should have a private, personal breaking earlier. Before everyone. This is "shatter them with a double shattering." And then through this they will see that the prophecy I prophesied is a prophecy of truth, behold you see what happens to you. And this is similar to what we saw that he requested, "draw them out like sheep for slaughter," this he requested regarding the people of Anatot. That is, here it is a matter of evil people who set their whole aim to nullify his prophecy, and then through this it emerges that they harm the community. They cause death to the community. Because if they cause his prophecy to be nullified, meaning that they will not accept and will not be impressed by his words, then they are drilling a hole in the ship of Klal Yisrael and causing everyone to die. Because if the people of Anatot, who were also kohanim, who were important on account of being kohanim, and who were also the people of Yirmiyahu's city, if they nullify his words, then why should the people accept his words? And therefore he requests, Master of the world, for them make a special plan, that they should have a breaking, that they should have harm, that they should die even before everyone, and through this there is a chance that the rest will accept the prophecies and truly distance themselves from the way of evil.
"So said Hashem to me: Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, through which the kings of Yehudah enter and through which they go out, and in all the gates of Yerushalayim." So said Hashem to me: Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people. The gate of the children of the people was a gate through which the children of the people would pass, and also through which the kings of Yehudah enter, for the kings of Yehudah too would pass through there. I will bring forward a few pesukim so that we know what is being discussed. "And you shall say to them, hear the word of Hashem, kings of Yehudah and all of Yehudah and all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim who come through these gates." You go and stand there in the gate and say to them these things. So said Hashem: guard your souls, and do not carry a burden on the day of Shabbat and bring it through the gates of Yerushalayim. Guard your souls, and do not bring a burden on the day of Shabbat, meaning do not carry on the day of Shabbat. The meaning is, do not bring in from outside to inside. So first of all, why does He tell him to stand there in the gate? For two reasons. A gate is a central place, and since he stands there, his words are heard by all who come and go. Second, since the sin was committed at the gate. The meaning of this: the Gemara says that Yerushalayim itself, its doors were closed at night, locked at night. Since this is so, it does not have the status of a public domain (reshut harabim), it has the status of a private domain (reshut hayachid). Therefore it is permitted to carry within Yerushalayim. This is like what today they do with an eruv, the place is enclosed. Since this is so, to carry out within Yerushalayim is permitted. What is the prohibition? The prohibition is to bring in from outside to inside, into Yerushalayim, and to take out from Yerushalayim to outside the walls. Here we are speaking already of the prohibition of bringing in and taking out. But to move four amot within the city, or to take out from one's house to the public domain within the city, this is permitted since its gates are locked at night, so the place is considered like a private domain. Let us note, he warns them and says, you shall not bring into Yerushalayim, do not carry a burden on the day of Shabbat and bring it through the gates of Yerushalayim. What is he speaking about? Specifically about bringing in. Why does he not speak about taking out? Because Yerushalayim was a large city, and in a great metropolis, says the Radak, those who bring in are more numerous than those who take out. A large city needs much from the outside, especially since Yerushalayim itself was not a place of fields and vineyards. We are speaking now of the city inside, we are speaking now of the place surrounded by a wall. So it emerges that one needs to sustain all those people of the city. From where? Through merchandise that they would bring from outside and bring in into the city. So in fact he could have warned them also not to take out, but he spoke of what was common. And what was common was that mainly they would bring into Yerushalayim. We saw an example of this also in Sefer Ezra. There too we saw that they had a very difficult problem with this matter. It is written there that Nechemyah rebuked them and said, "and they bring into Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbat." That same problem existed. People would go out for a sort of market day, and would bring into Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbat, bringing the merchandise into Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbat. There too they would go to do shopping. On Shabbat itself they would go to buy things there. And then he said that they should close the doors and not open them until after Shabbat. "And I placed my servants over the gates, that no burden should come in on the day of Shabbat." Behold, what do you see, says the Radak, that the entire warning is "shall not come in." The warning is not to take out, not about taking out, since that is uncommon, but rather about the common thing, and that is the bringing into the city.
And what does he say? Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people through which the kings of Yehudah enter. What is "the kings of Yehudah"? How many kings does Yehudah have? He should have said "the king of Yehudah enters through it." So you could speak historically, "the kings of Yehudah enter through it." The kings of Yehudah throughout the generations enter through this gate. But the Radak explains differently. The Radak says "the kings of Yehudah" means the king and his sons, who are destined to reign after him, so he calls even the crown prince a king as well. So they are called "the kings of Yehudah," the king and his sons are "the kings of Yehudah."
The Malbim says, after the Holy One established and decided His decree, the attribute of mercy returned and was aroused over them. And that attribute of mercy says, we have a backup plan. A backup plan to save all of Klal Yisrael from the terrible and dreadful trouble that is about to descend upon them, from the harsh destruction, from the terrible death, from the sword. We now have a plan for how to save the people. What is the plan? By what was the attribute of mercy aroused? The Malbim says, it is written in Chazal: anyone who keeps Shabbat according to its law, even if he serves avodah zarah like the generation of Enosh, he is forgiven. "Fortunate is the man who does this." Even if he serves avodah zarah like the generation of Enosh, he is forgiven. It emerges then, that if now they keep Shabbat, then even though there is in them the sin of avodah zarah, they will have a chance to merit salvation, despite their terrible situation. And especially since avodah zarah in its essence is the abandonment of the Holy One and the acceptance of an idol as a god. That is, a person who serves avodah zarah, in what mainly does this find expression? That he does not believe that the Creator of the world created His world in six days. This is avodah zarah. Why do we say that one who desecrates Shabbat is like one who serves avodah zarah? Because desecrating Shabbat is exactly what he does. He does not believe that the Holy One created His world in six days, and therefore he desecrated Shabbat. And in fact today we take a somewhat more lenient view of this, since today many of them believe and are only following the desires of their hearts or out of lack of knowledge, but not out of not believing. But truly, for a person who desecrates Shabbat publicly, there are special halachot that we do not find anywhere else. This person, if he slaughters an animal, his slaughter is nevelah, even if he slaughters it according to all the precision of halachah. If he touches wine, he renders it yayin nesech. That is, we see that he has the status of a complete heretic, of one who serves avodah zarah. So then, this is what is said here. If you will be keepers of Shabbat, this is the opposite of avodah zarah. Because in avodah zarah you are essentially opposing the fact that Hashem renewed His world in six days, opposing His Godhood yisbarach. And when you keep Shabbat you testify to His Godhood yisbarach. And Chazal indeed said that if Yisrael keep two Shabbatot they would immediately be redeemed. So all the more so this merit would help so that Yerushalayim not be destroyed. And why does he emphasize here, says the Malbim, "through which the kings of Yehudah enter"? Because one must first give warning to the great ones. The well-known popular saying, the fish stinks from the head. When there is a problem, one must check what is happening with the heads. And therefore he says here one must warn the great ones, who are the kings of Yehudah. "And through which they go out, and in all the gates of Yerushalayim." What is "and through which they go out"? "They go out through it," says the Malbim, this is to warn several times, both when they come and when they go out. To repeat this matter, and not only in one gate, but in all the gates of Yerushalayim.
"And you shall say to them, hear the word of Hashem, kings of Yehudah and all of Yehudah and all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim who come through these gates. So said Hashem: guard your souls, and do not carry a burden on the day of Shabbat and bring it through the gates of the city." What is "guard your souls"? The Malbim explains, that one who does so incurs death and karet. And therefore this is "guard your souls," you are transgressing a prohibition upon which your souls depend. You will die through this prohibition, you have become liable to karet. "And do not take out a burden from your houses on the day of Shabbat, and do not do any work, and sanctify the day of Shabbat as I commanded your fathers." And do not take out a burden from your houses, what is "to take out a burden from your houses"? We explained that within Yerushalayim it is permitted to take out from the house. The Radak explains that the meaning is outside the gates of the city. This is the meaning of "and do not take out a burden from your houses." We said the main thing was what they would bring in, because that was the norm, but there was also a situation where they would go out from Yerushalayim with a burden. And since this is so, do not take out a burden from your houses. The Malbim explains, one can also explain it according to its plain meaning, that you shall not take out a burden from your houses, meaning within Yerushalayim. And if you ask, how, did we not say that its doors are locked at night? Indeed so, says the Malbim, but we know that there is the law of karmelit and Shlomo decreed regarding eruvin, so it emerges that there was also in their time the warning not to take out even in a place that is a karmelit, not only a place that is a complete public domain. And therefore he says to them, "and do not do any work." What is "and do not do any work"? Any work, even a rabbinic work, even carrying out in a karmelit. "To not do any work in it." The Radak says that it is written "bam" (in them), and we read "bo" (in it). In fact, in ours it is written "bo" with a hei, and we read "bo" with a vav. And the Radak says do not be surprised by this, even if I say "bah" in the feminine or "bo" in the masculine, in fact there is no cause for surprise about this. It seems the truth is that there is an error in the language of the Radak here, meaning a printers' error, and the meaning is "bo." Because the Radak immediately speaks of masculine and feminine. "Bah" is feminine, "bo" is masculine. And in fact we see that also in the tefillah we sometimes say "may they rest on it" (bah), sometimes say "may they rest on it" (bo). And once we delivered a whole shiur on this matter, that Shabbat is both bah and bo. The meaning of this: when we say "bah," "bah" is the aspect of a receiver. "Bah" is nukva, nukva is a receiver. And "bo" is masculine, masculine is a bestower. The masculine is always a bestower. What is Shabbat, a receiver or a bestower? Shabbat is always receiving. I delight in Shabbat, I purchase for Shabbat, I bring for Shabbat, I do everything for Shabbat. Shabbat does nothing, on Shabbat I only rest, it is always receiving. But from where are all six days of the week blessed? From the day of Shabbat. So it emerges that Shabbat is masculine, it is the aspect of a bestower. So both things truly, it receives and by virtue of this it bestows. So it is both the aspect of nukva and the aspect of masculine. We elaborated once on this matter, we will not elaborate on it now. In any case, says the Radak, therefore you can understand that it is possible to mention the day of Shabbat as both the aspect of masculine and the aspect of feminine. And therefore we say "Shabbat," we refer to it as feminine, and on the other hand it is written "one who keeps Shabbat mechalelo." There are, by the way, those who do not understand, keeps Shabbat or desecrates it (mechalelo)? What is this, how do you say it in the same sentence? Keeps Shabbat, desecrates it? Rather the meaning is "mi-lechalelo" (from desecrating it). This is the meaning, keeps Shabbat mechalelo. The meaning is from desecrating it, keeps the Shabbat from desecrating it. So behold you see, it is not written "milchalelah." It is written "milchalelo." What did you learn? That Shabbat is also an aspect of masculine. As we said, so in fact both expressions are correct, both masculine and nukva. And regarding this he says, "and they come and they go out," as we said that "the kings of Yehudah enter through it and through which they go out." Therefore he writes here the expression, "and they come through the gates of this city." What is "and they come through the gates of this city"? As we mentioned earlier, that they would come and go out, and therefore he warned them that they should be there at the time when they come and go out in order to rebuke them.
The Radak says, and what you see, that he warns them about keeping Shabbat, come at a time when they have severe transgressions. This is like cupping applied to a corpse. This person has severe transgressions, for we are speaking of the First Temple, avodah zarah, illicit relations, and bloodshed. What do you come and say to them, eat cholent? What, keep Shabbat? As if what, keeping Shabbat, says the Radak, in what will it help? So the Radak essentially brings things similar to what we saw earlier in the words of the Malbim, that keeping Shabbat is a great fundamental in the faith in Hashem regarding the renewal of the world, and in the faith in the signs and wonders, and in the observance of the entire Torah. And anyone who keeps Shabbat with upright faith, not quickly does he sin in the rest of the mitzvot. That is, if you had kept Shabbat properly, this prevents you also from the rest of the transgressions. And anyone who keeps Shabbat, as the Malbim brought, like the generation of Enosh, is forgiven, yes? One who keeps Shabbat is forgiven. The first mitzvah with which they were commanded before matan Torah was keeping Shabbat. So you see how great keeping Shabbat is. As Chazal say, Yerushalayim was destroyed only because they desecrated Shabbat in it. As it is written, "and I will kindle a fire in its gates and it shall consume the palaces of Yerushalayim." Chazal say, a fire is found only in a house in which there is desecration of Shabbat. And there is a pasuk, "behold, I saw them treading winepresses in Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbat." We see then that there was a very, very severe claim against them regarding the keeping of Shabbat there in Yerushalayim. So in fact, if you had been keepers, then through this and by virtue of this their entire reality would have changed, a positive influence would have been created upon them by virtue of Shabbat, and through this they would have strengthened themselves more also in the rest of the mitzvot.
"And there shall come through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David." Here he tells them what the package of benefits is. If you will be willing to keep Shabbat, this is a continuation of the previous pasuk. "If you will listen to Me, says Hashem, to not bring in a burden," and so forth, "to not do any work in it," then "there shall come through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariot and on horses, they and their princes, the man of Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and this city shall be inhabited forever." If you do so, I have four promises for you. The first promise, that the kingdom of the House of David will not be nullified. Rulership will not depart from the House of Yehudah. The kingdom of the House of David will not be nullified. And there shall come through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David. Kings sitting on the throne of David. And princes riding in chariot and on horses. Always the expression of riding on horses was for princes, for authority. The people of authority would ride on horses. Note that never does it appear in Chazal regarding the chachamim of Yisrael that they rode on horses. Always there appears regarding them only donkeys. He was riding on a donkey, look at Rashbi, look, in the Gemarot it frequently appears the donkey of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, the donkey of Mashiach, and more. You will see they always rode on donkeys. The holy Avot, riding on a donkey. Moshe, a donkey. All of them rode on donkeys. First of all because this comes to express dominion over the material (chomer). They ruled over the material, this is the expression of riding on a donkey (chamor), also regarding Mashiach. And second, riding on a horse expresses arrogance and honor. And princes and important people would ride on horses. Since this is so, the chachamim of Yisrael despised that way, as it were. This is like saying that the gadol hador should not drive a Ferrari, for example. Even if a donor were found, and there is no shortage of such, but it is a disgrace, he says as if, he is looking for some sports car, something as if to show himself off. So in that same aspect it was, if Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai were to ride on a horse, you understand, so that we understand the concepts, yes? And therefore the princes rode on horses, this came to them from the government, the account of the Israeli taxpayer, they were entitled to official horses, yes? So the princes ride on horses, and the kings of the House of David sit on the throne of the House of David. The second thing He promises them, that strangers will not rule over them. He says, "they and their princes, the man of Yehudah." Who will be the princes? Everyone will be from the man of Yehudah. There will not be an appointee from the high commissioner of Nevuchadnetzar or of other nations, but rather those who will rule over us are they and their princes, everyone will be a man of Yehudah. The third thing He promises them, the city will not be destroyed. And this city shall be inhabited forever. "And they shall come from the cities of Yehudah and from around Yerushalayim and from the land of Binyamin and from the lowland and from the mountain and from the Negev, bringing burnt offering and sacrifice and meal offering and frankincense, and bringing thanksgiving to the House of Hashem." The fourth thing He promises them, that the service of the Beit HaMikdash will not be halted. And this is what he says here, and they shall come from the cities of Yehudah and from around Yerushalayim and from the land of Binyamin, all of them will bring korbanot, burnt offering and sacrifice. And they will also bring thanksgiving, for what? Thanksgiving to Hashem, for the miracles. Since today they are in a situation in which they are threatened, and then when they keep Shabbat they will be saved from all the enemies, and they will also bring thanksgiving for the miracles. When a person had a trouble and came out of it, he offers a korban todah (thanksgiving offering). And therefore they will be bringers of thanksgiving to the House of Hashem.
"And if you will not listen to Me to sanctify the day of Shabbat, and to not carry a burden and come through the gates of Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbat, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it shall consume the palaces of Yerushalayim and shall not be extinguished." If you will not listen to what I commanded, to sanctify the Shabbat, meaning to not carry a burden and come through the gates of Yerushalayim, which is what was requested of them mainly, then chas veshalom there will be a fire burning in the gates of Yerushalayim, and none will extinguish it. "And it shall not be extinguished" means, there will not be people available to extinguish it. So say Chazal. When is this said? That a fire is found only in a house in which there is desecration of Shabbat. And then as a result of the fire being on the day of Shabbat, there are no people available to come and extinguish the fire. So this is measure for measure. This is how Chazal expound it. But in any case according to the plain meaning of the verse, the meaning is that the fire will spread and destroy everything and they will not manage to extinguish it, and the fire will already consume all the gates of Yerushalayim.