Introduction: A Chapter of Consolation in the Heart of Calamity
Chapter 30 of Yirmiyahu opens with a unique command: the Holy One, blessed be He, instructs Yirmiyahu to write His words in a book. These are not further words of rebuke, but prophecies of goodness destined to be fulfilled in the End of Days. The prophet conveys them specifically in close proximity to the prophecies of calamity mentioned earlier. As Radak explains: after speaking harsh words of impending disaster, he wanted to present a passage containing consolation, so that that generation would find comfort - knowing that just as the calamity would soon materialize, so too the consolation would certainly come to pass in the End of Days, for He who prophesied the one also prophesied the other.
הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר כְּתׇב־לְךָ֗ אֵ֧ת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי אֵלֶ֖יךָ אֶל־סֵֽפֶר׃ - The word that came to Yirmiyahu from Hashem, saying: Thus said Hashem, God of Israel, saying: Write for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you into a book.
Although the verse states "that I have spoken" in the past tense, Radak clarifies that the intended meaning is "that I am speaking now" - this does not refer to prophecies previously delivered, but rather to the prophecies He is about to impart to him at this moment.
Malbim analyzes the precise wording of "Write for yourself": it does not say "write for the people." These prophecies were not given to Yirmiyahu as a mission to proclaim publicly before the nation; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, communicated them to him as a notification and commanded him to record them in a book to serve as a memorial for the final generation. These are words of comfort: just as Yirmiyahu's harsh predictions were realized before everyone's eyes, so will the final generation know that the promises of goodness were likewise uttered by God and are destined to be fulfilled. Therefore, there is no directive here to "inform the people," but rather a mandate that these words endure in writing for generations to come, so that when the nation reads them, they will know that the consolations will surely arrive.
"For Behold, Days Are Coming" - For Whom Do We Write If All Is Lost?
כִּ֠י הִנֵּ֨ה יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְ֠שַׁבְתִּ֠י אֶת־שְׁב֨וּת עַמִּ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וִֽיהוּדָ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֗ים אֶל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לַאֲבוֹתָ֖ם וִֽירֵשֽׁוּהָ׃ - For behold, days are coming, says Hashem, when I will return the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, said Hashem, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall possess it.
Rashi explains the flow of the text: Lest one wonder why there is a need to write this down, since everyone will perish anyway and there will be no one left to read the book or remember it. All the prophecies we have encountered so far speak of devastation and doom, so what purpose is served by writing for an audience that will not exist? To this, the Holy One, blessed be He, replies: Know that days are coming when I will return the captivity of My people Israel.
Radak notes that "days are coming" points to the distant future, to the Messianic era, since the verse specifies "My people Israel and Judah," whereas from the Babylonian exile only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned. This indicates that Scripture is not speaking of the redemption from the Babylonian exile at the end of the seventy years, but rather of the ultimate redemption, when all of Israel will return together.
Malbim adds: It is for this very reason that you must write these things down - so that the final generation will know them and read them. Furthermore, the two expressions in the verse encompass two distinct promises: "I will return their captivity" refers to their spiritual stature, while "and I will bring them back to the land" refers to their physical return. I will restore them to the exalted stature they once held, and I will also bring them back to the land that once belonged to them.
"A Voice of Trembling We Have Heard" - Who Is Trembling?
וְאֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְאֶל־יְהוּדָֽה׃ - And these are the words that Hashem spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
Metzudat David explains "concerning Israel and concerning Judah" as meaning about them - that is, the words that the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke regarding what will befall them in the future. And as we explained, this is not a message actually delivered to them right now, but words written down for the future.
כִּי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה ק֥וֹל חֲרָדָ֖ה שָׁמָ֑עְנוּ פַּ֖חַד וְאֵ֥ין שָׁלֽוֹם׃ - For thus said Hashem: A sound of trembling have we heard, fear, and no peace.
Rashi cites those who explain that these words refer to the rumors concerning Babylon: those who were in Babylon heard that distress was about to come upon Babylon, and were terrified lest they too be harmed. He immediately follows with the approach explained by Radak, that this refers to the ultimate future, and the Midrash Aggadah interprets it as referring to the war of Gog and Magog.
Who says "A sound of trembling have we heard"? In Radak's view, it is the nations in the Messianic era. When the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to redeem His people, the nations will say, "A sound of trembling have we heard," as panic seizes them when they realize that the Day of Judgment has arrived. Malbim, on the other hand, explains that these words are spoken at the time of Babylon's fall, and they are the words of Israel: they trembled lest the downfall of Babylon harm them as well, and they were further terrified by fear of the enemy, as there was no peace in the land at that time.
"Whether a Male Bears Child" - The Parable of Birth Pangs
שַׁאֲלוּ־נָ֣א וּרְא֔וּ אִם־יֹלֵ֖ד זָכָ֑ר מַדּ֩וּעַ֩ רָאִ֨יתִי כׇל־גֶּ֜בֶר יָדָ֤יו עַל־חֲלָצָיו֙ כַּיּ֣וֹלֵדָ֔ה וְנֶהֶפְכ֥וּ כׇל־פָּנִ֖ים לְיֵרָקֽוֹן׃ - Ask now and see whether a male bears child! Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman giving birth, and every face turned pale?
The simple meaning: Inquire and see, does a male give birth? It is woman who gives birth, and she is the one who bears children with pangs - with great pain. If so, why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, as though seized by birth pangs? Radak explains that birth pangs are specifically invoked because they are the most agonizing of pains, far harsher than any other suffering, and therefore the people's agony from the depth of the distress was likened to the pains of childbirth. "And every face turned pale" - from the sheer intensity of pain, the blood drains from their faces, leaving them sallow and pale.
Malbim explains differently. In his approach, the prophecy portrays Israel fearing the catastrophe coming upon Babylon, anxious that they too will suffer, and the prophet asks: Why are you afraid? The parable of a woman in labor is not chosen at random. When an army seeks to conquer a city, they look for where to breach the wall, and through that breach they break inside. So too, the mother is like the city, and the newborn emerges from her by breaching her womb. And who is the cause of the pregnancy and the labor pains? The male. Yet he himself, who brought about this condition, suffers no labor or pain; he experiences neither trembling nor birth pangs during delivery.
There is a story of a man waiting in the hospital waiting room while his wife was giving birth, utterly overwhelmed by stress. Every time the nurse came out, he asked, "Well? What was born?" Finally, she stepped out and told him, "Mr. Cohen, Baruch Hashem, Mazal Tov, you have a baby daughter." He burst into immense joy: "Baruch Hashem, Baruch Hashem!" She asked him, "Why the enormous joy?" He replied, "Baruch Hashem, at least I know that when she grows up, she won't have to go through what I went through today..." The male, Baruch Hashem, does not go through birth pangs; it is the woman who endures them.
And this is the prophet's question: "Ask now and see whether a male bears child" - for the male, through whom the pregnancy came about, certainly does not give birth; why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman giving birth? The lesson is clear: Israel is like the male; they are the cause of the birth pangs coming upon Babylon. Just as the male causes the birth pangs for the female, so Israel brings the catastrophe upon Babylon, as it says, "O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you did to us; happy is he who seizes and dashes your infants against the rock." If so, why should you cry out? Just as in childbirth it is not the male who brought about the pangs who cries out, so too here: it is through you that Babylon's birth pangs have come, out of which you will emerge to redemption while Babylon suffers - why then should you suffer and dread? Why should "every man have his hands on his loins like a woman giving birth"?
"It Is a Time of Trouble for Jacob, but He Shall Be Saved From It"
ה֗וֹי כִּ֥י גָד֛וֹל הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא מֵאַ֣יִן כָּמֹ֑הוּ וְעֵֽת־צָרָ֥ה הִיא֙ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִמֶּ֖נָּה יִוָּשֵֽׁעַ׃ - Alas! For that day is great, there is none like it; it is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he shall be saved from it.
According to the interpretation that this refers to the downfall of Babylon, Rashi explains that this is the day Belshazzar was killed. And according to the interpretation that it speaks of the future to come, this is the day of the downfall of Gog, in the War of Gog and Magog. Radak explains "and it is a time of trouble for Yaakov" as referring to the War of Gog, for at that time there will be distress for Yaakov, just as it says in Yeshayahu, "Hide for a little moment until the indignation passes," and as it says in Daniel's prophecy, "And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was" etc. From this we see that the war itself will not be simple.
We have already noted elsewhere: concerning the War of Gog there are two prophecies - from one it seems there will be great hardship for the Jewish people, while from the other it seems that the Jewish people will not suffer at all. In truth, these are two potential paths, and everything depends on our merit. If we are worthy, the War of Gog and Magog will unfold as the kings fight amongst themselves while we do not suffer; but if we are not worthy, Heaven forbid - "half of the city will go into exile" etc., and prophecy describes harsh tribulations that will affect the Jewish people as well. Therefore it says, "For that day is great, with none like it; and it is a time of trouble for Yaakov" - it will not be simple for the Jewish people either. Incidentally, the Gemara homiletically applies this verse to the days of Esther: "It is a time of trouble for Yaakov, and from it he shall be saved" - the Hebrew letters of "mimena" ("from it") spell "me-Haman" ("from Haman"), indicating that from Haman himself the salvation would come.
The Malbim explains: this is why every man has his hands on his loins and cries "Alas!", as the verse opens, and the coming period will be in the category of trouble for Yaakov. But the prophet tells them: even though you are afraid, and even though it is a time of trouble for Yaakov, know this prophecy from Hashem - "and from it he shall be saved." From that very trouble they are destined to be saved. The nations will be struck down, whereas Israel, even if a cup of suffering passes over them and even if they endure pain, will ultimately be saved, while the nations will have no salvation.
Breaking the Yoke and Severing the Bonds
וְהָיָה֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא נְאֻ֣ם ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אֶשְׁבֹּ֤ר עֻלּוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל צַוָּארֶ֔ךָ וּמוֹסְרוֹתֶ֖יךָ אֲנַתֵּ֑ק וְלֹא־יַעַבְדוּ־ב֥וֹ ע֖וֹד זָרִֽים׃ - "And it shall come to pass on that day, declares the Lord of Hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds; and strangers shall no longer enslave him."
"I will break his yoke" - the yoke of Gog and Magog, or the yoke of every single nation that imposed a yoke on Israel during the exile. Targum Yonatan translates similarly: "I will break the yoke of the nations from off your necks."
One should note that the verse shifts between second-person and third-person forms: "I will break his yoke [third person] from off your neck [second person]" and then "I will burst your bonds [second person]" rather than "his bonds." Radak comments on this, noting that this is common in Scripture - shifting between direct address and indirect address - and we find this in numerous other verses, so it poses no difficulty.
The Malbim explains the distinction between a "yoke" and "bonds": a yoke represents the heavy burden of taxation and labor forced upon them. At times the yoke is broken, but they remain bound in the bonds of servitude - still under the ruler's dominion, even though the oppressive taxes and labor have been lifted. This was like the people of Israel during the final year before the Exodus from Egypt: they were still subject to Pharaoh, but they had already been relieved from the burden of taxes and hard labor, while remaining bound under his rule. Therefore, Scripture says: not only will I break the yoke from off your neck, but "I will burst your bonds" entirely, so that you can leave and no longer remain under his authority at all. Another example is found under Cyrus: they were without an oppressive yoke, and subsequently he also granted them permission to ascend and rebuild the Beit HaMikdash - which was the second stage, the severing of the bonds.
The Malbim also addresses the grammatical shift at the end of the verse: it says "from off your neck" in the second person, but then states "and strangers shall no longer enslave him" rather than "you." The Malbim explains that since the verse is speaking here about the yoke, the meaning is: strangers will no longer exact servitude through that neck and the yoke placed upon it. Israel will no longer have to labor under the yoke imposed on them by foreigners, and no yoke will rest upon their necks any longer.
"And David Their King" - and the Testing Period of the Second Temple
וְעָ֣בְד֔וּ אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֵת֙ דָּוִ֣ד מַלְכָּ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָקִ֖ים לָהֶֽם׃ - "And they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them."
Who is "David their king"? Radak suggests two possibilities: King David himself, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise up from his dust at the resurrection of the dead; or that it refers to Mashiach, who is his descendant, and who is called David after his forefather David, the head of the dynasty.
The Malbim explains that these matters are interdependent: if they serve Hashem their God, they will also serve David their king, and they will have a king from the House of David. One is contingent upon the other. Do they wish to merit King Mashiach? "And they shall serve Hashem their God." And if not - they will have to serve the nations.
In several places, the Malbim explains that had Israel served Hashem properly during the Second Temple era, they would have merited the ultimate redemption. After all, the Second Temple was ultimately destroyed, and there were those who feared this from the very beginning - some say this is why the Jews of Yemen did not make the ascent, knowing that it was destined to be destroyed. If so, what was the purpose of building the Second Temple? The Malbim asks: If a redemption was meant to take place, why did He not build the Third Temple for us immediately and bring an end to the matter? Instead, we see from the outset that this was a Temple destined to be destroyed. Would He build us something merely temporary? The answer is that this was a probationary period. The Holy One, blessed be He, returned them to their land and gave them another opportunity. Had we served Hashem at the conclusion of that period and not corrupted our ways through baseless hatred and everything that occurred prior to the destruction of the Second Temple, we would have merited that the Third Temple descend already built of fire, bringing the complete redemption. However, since we did not pass the test successfully, we "merited" to experience another exile, only after which will we merit the building of the Third Temple.
What is the Malbim coming to resolve with this? His entire commentary throughout this chapter follows the approach that the prophecy speaks of Babylon, whereas Rashi and Radak offer two possibilities - Babylon or Gog and Magog. If it refers to Gog and Magog, "and David their king, whom I will raise up for them" is readily understood; but if it refers to Babylon, which "David their king" could this be? Therefore, the Malbim explains that it means they would have a king from the House of David. Even though this was not the reality in practice - we had leaders in Israel, such as Rebbe (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi) and others, but not a king from the House of David - the Malbim explains that had they merited and passed the probationary period successfully upon their return from Babylon, they would also have merited that "I will raise up for them" a king from the House of David. However, since they did not serve Hashem their God properly, the testing period of the Second Temple ended in utter failure and another exile.
"Fear Not" and "Be Not Dismayed" - Two Types of Fear
וְאַתָּ֡ה אַל־תִּירָא֩ עַבְדִּ֨י יַעֲקֹ֤ב נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה֙ וְאַל־תֵּחַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֠י הִנְנִ֤י מוֹשִֽׁיעֲךָ֙ מֵֽרָח֔וֹק וְאֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁבְיָ֑ם וְשָׁ֧ב יַעֲקֹ֛ב וְשָׁקַ֥ט וְשַׁאֲנַ֖ן וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃ - "And you, fear not, My servant Jacob, says Hashem, and be not dismayed, Israel, for behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid."
Radak explains: "For behold, I will save you from afar" - from the distant land where you are in exile, from there I will save you. "And your offspring" - these are the young children, so that a person will not say: perhaps the adults will succeed in escaping from exile, but the little ones will remain in the land of their captivity. Therefore it says, "and your offspring from the land of their captivity." And not only that, but the departure will be peaceful - "for you shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight" - rather, "and Jacob shall return, and be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid."
The Malbim explains that here the prophet concludes what he opened with: "We have heard a voice of trembling." We saw that the people trembled and feared lest what was about to unfold in Babylon would harm them as well. He tells them: Know that it is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he shall be saved from it; therefore, "fear not, My servant Jacob." You do not need to fear the turmoil that will erupt in Babylon when Belshazzar is slain, nor everything that is destined to occur.
And what is the meaning of the double expression "fear not" (al tira) and "be not dismayed" (ve-al techat), and why does it say "My servant Jacob" first and afterwards "Israel"? The Malbim explains: Fear (yirah) pertains to the physical - someone threatens me with a stick, and I feel fear. Dismay (chitat), on the other hand, is psychological - an internal dread, not stemming from something physical, the experience of a person who is broken in spirit. And indeed, "he who increases knowledge increases sorrow": the more discerning a person is, the more deeply he grasps the gravity of the situation, and this weighs upon him emotionally. By contrast, the Sages said that a fool feels nothing - everything passes right by him; artillery shells whistle all around him, and he remains oblivious to what is happening.
Incidentally, it has been shown that people with profound intellectual limitations do not suffer from modern stress-related illnesses: they do not suffer from heart conditions, ulcers, or strokes - none of the ailments brought on by modern stress afflict them. A fool feels nothing and takes nothing to heart, and therefore has no heart problems. None of us would wish to trade places with him, but from this we can understand that simpler individuals do not perceive the deeper troubles, those that touch the soul; whereas the discerning and the profound, when an event occurs, grasp its inner significance, and this produces an internal crisis. The simple person, by contrast, understands only when someone raises a stick against him - which even a dog understands, lehavdil.
This is what is stated here: "Fear not" - fear pertains to the physical and is the opposite of bravery, and therefore it is addressed to "My servant Jacob," as Jacob represents a lower level, the aspect of the heel (akev). Fear not the external threats and terrors. On the other hand, "be not dismayed, Israel" - Israel denotes nobility and high spiritual stature, while chitat is the crushing of the spirit, a breakdown, falling, and descent, related to the word nichat, meaning descent. That is to say: do not experience an emotional collapse on account of the dreadful ordeal that will overtake you. Even today, when people wish to describe someone in a low emotional state, they say he is "down" - this is al techat, the debasement of the spirit and the soul, a soul sunken in dejection and depression. Therefore, to those of elevated stature, who perceive matters far more keenly, it is said: "and be not dismayed, Israel."
Two Stages of Salvation: Cyrus and Darius
"For behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity" - the Malbim explains: when Babylon is destroyed, Hashem will remember them through Cyrus. When Babylon fell, Cyrus and Darius assumed the monarchy, and already at that point Hashem granted salvation - that was the first stage. And afterwards, "and your offspring from the land of their captivity" - this refers to the next generation, in the days of Darius, in whose time they finally returned from the exile.
In this way, the Malbim circumvents the need for Radak's explanation, which is somewhat strained - that you should not think only you will leave the exile while your children remain there; for why would we have thought such a thing? According to the Malbim, however, the matter is wonderful: "Behold, I will save you from afar" - this refers to the initial salvation through Cyrus; the very release from the yoke of Nevuchadnezzar, his dynasty, and Belshazzar is already a salvation, though at this stage there is not yet complete redemption. "And your seed from the land of their captivity" - the children will already be in the days of the reign of Darius, and Darius will grant permission by royal decree for the people to ascend, and they will merit to go out from the land of their captivity.
"And Yaakov shall return" - to his land; "and be at rest" - from internal emotion and inner fear; "and be secure" - from external fear; "with none to make him afraid" - meaning that in reality, there will be nothing causing dread. And on what basis does the Malbim establish that sha'anan ("secure") refers to external noise while shakat ("at rest") refers to inner tranquility? As we saw in Yeshayahu, sha'anan is the opposite of sha'on: sha'on denotes the sound of turmoil and clamor, whereas sha'anan indicates that one sits alone without clamor, without external turmoil - that is, without foreign nations coming from the outside to harass him. Sheket, on the other hand, relates to the human soul, as we say even today, "peace of mind" (sheket nafshi), inner tranquility. Therefore, he employed these two terms corresponding to the two things mentioned above: corresponding to "Fear not, My servant Yaakov" and corresponding to "and be not dismayed, Yisrael" - so that you will be both tranquil from within and secure from without.
In summary:
The Holy One, blessed be He, commands Yirmiyahu to write the prophecies of consolation in a book, not as a mission to his own generation, but as a memorial for the final generation: just as the words of calamity were fulfilled, so too will the words of consolation be fulfilled. The prophet consoles those who dread the fall of Babylon, showing them through the parable of birth pangs that they themselves are the cause of Babylon's pangs, and they need not cry out. Although "it is a time of trouble for Yaakov," nonetheless "he shall be saved from it" - out of the trouble itself, salvation will blossom. The Holy One, blessed be He, will break the yoke and snap the bonds, and if they serve Hashem, they will also merit a king from the House of David; and as the Malbim explained, the Second Temple era was a trial period that we did not pass. In conclusion, the prophet reassures them on two levels: "Fear not" from the external threat, "and be not dismayed" by internal brokenness, and ultimately - "and Yaakov shall return and be at rest and secure, with none to make him afraid," tranquil from within and secure from without.