Sefer Yirmiyahu, chapter 22. "So says Hashem: Go down to the house of the king of Yehudah and speak there this word." The Radak says that we have already seen earlier that this prophecy was given to the house of David: "Render justice in the morning." The house of David was already charged to render judgment in the morning and to do it with righteousness and integrity. Now He tells them: I want you to convey this prophecy to them while they are still in their homes, and to promise them good, for perhaps if the stick did not work, perhaps the carrot will. "And you shall say: Hear the word of Hashem, O king of Yehudah who sits upon the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates." Turn to them, to the kings, and say to them, meaning to the royal house: Hear the word of Hashem, O king of Yehudah who sits upon the throne of David. "You who enter these gates," meaning the gates of the courtyard, or, as the Radak explains, it may refer to the gates of the king's palace, as he explained earlier. And then you shall say to them the following words.
The Malbim explains that the matter is comparable to a father who decreed death upon his son and afterward searches for all sorts of reasons and merits, perhaps to save him after all, perhaps to change the verdict after all. Earlier we saw that He tried to find them a remedy. The remedy was that He told them to keep Shabbat. Perhaps through keeping Shabbat they would have protection, and we saw that they used to go out and make purchases outside the city, and He would tell them to keep Shabbat. Now He adds another remedy for them, perhaps this will help them, that they should do justice and righteousness.
The Malbim explains, based on the Rambam in the Moreh Nevuchim, that the Torah comes to give a person perfection both in beliefs and in conduct. That he should not have corrupt beliefs, and that his path of conduct should be an upright conduct. Shabbat, the Malbim says, the Rambam says, gives a person perfection in beliefs. What are corrupt beliefs? Those who believed, for example, that the world is eternal. Those who believed, for example, that there is more than one deity. Those who believed that the world has no deity. There are all sorts of heretical, apikoros approaches. Corruption in beliefs is corruption in faith. Shabbat gives a person perfection in beliefs, for one who keeps Shabbat is in effect declaring that the Holy One created His world in six days and rested on the seventh day. One who keeps Shabbat has perfection in beliefs. One who does not keep Shabbat, we have concern that he is, to such an extent according to halachah, like a gentile. And why? Because many times this stems from heresy: he does not believe in the One who spoke and the world came into being, so his halachic status is like that of a gentile, his wine is wine of libation. Or if he slaughters an animal, a beast, or a fowl, he renders it neveilah, and they are forbidden to be eaten. From where does this stem? From corrupt beliefs. So Shabbat gives a person perfection in beliefs, to believe that the Holy One created the world, that He brought it into being, and that He governs it.
Justice completes conduct. Justice is what brings perfection to conduct, since when a person conducts his deeds with integrity and justice, his conduct is proper. Therefore the counsel now is: perhaps the trouble can still be removed from you, if not through Shabbat which I advised you earlier, then at least through law and justice.
"So says Hashem: Do justice and righteousness, and rescue the robbed from the hand of the oppressor. And do not wrong or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place." "So says Hashem: Do justice and righteousness." Therefore Hashem tells them: the way to be saved from troubles is that you do justice and righteousness, and we already saw "Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her returnees with righteousness," so consequently through this you will have redemption. And consequently, when you do justice and righteousness, then you certainly will not wrong the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. And all the more so you will not do violence. And all the more so you will not shed innocent blood. And from the negative you infer the positive, that if they really do not do justice and righteousness, then all of it is present in them. Then they shed innocent blood and they do violence and they rob and they do all the troubles. Therefore He tells them: do justice and righteousness, and then through this you will rescue the robbed from the hand of the oppressor. "Oppressor" (ashoq), the Radak explains, is like "close" (qarov), like "great" (gadol), meaning oshek (oppression), that is the intent. So if you rescue the robbed from the hand of the oppressor, and do not wrong or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
"For if you truly do this thing, then there shall enter through the gates of this house kings sitting for David upon his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, he and his servants and his people." If you truly do this thing, if you conduct yourselves so, then I promise you that there shall enter through the gates of this house kings. Through the gates of this house shall enter, from the seed of David, kings worthy to reign, kings sitting for David upon his throne. Kings worthy to reign, not a king like Herod, but a king who is truly of the seed of David. Sitting for David upon a throne, riding in chariots. "Chariot" refers to a carriage fitting for a king, and "on horses" that pull the chariot. For these things display and hint at greatness and might.
By the way, I saw something more, it seems to me about Rav Sh. Rozovsky, that he did not always prefer to walk on foot. And they asked him why? So he said that one of the desires that Rabbeinu Tam enumerates in Sefer HaYashar, it is not clear that Rabbeinu Tam authored Sefer HaYashar but so it is accepted, one of the desires he enumerates there, he enumerates ten kinds of desire, and one of them is the desire for the vehicle. Do you hear? A person loves to ride a horse, a donkey, to travel by car, to hold a steering wheel, a wagon, whatever it is, the desire for the vehicle. What do people do during the summer vacation? Come on, take the kids, cars, right? Jeeps, ATVs, what not. A child, a youth, a young fellow, what is the first thing he has in his head? A license, right? "My father, my father, chariot." That is the first thing. "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen." He asks his father for a vehicle, a car, give the keys. So there is a desire, and it is interesting to see this in Rabbeinu Tam already 800 years ago, to see that already then he speaks of this matter of the desire for the vehicle, how much a person enjoys sitting in a car, and today everyone looks for an air-conditioned and polished tin box, something state of the art, without it it is not for him, it does not fill his desire properly. In any case, we should just understand that this teaches about rank and greatness. That is why a person aspires to this matter. So He says there shall be kings sitting for David upon his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, as befits the practice of kings. And then he and his servants and his people, all of them will come with him, so that all of them will be within the framework of government and rule, you will merit to enter this house. How? If you do justice, as we said, for through this you will have a remedy so that you do not come to ruin.
"But if you do not heed these words, I swear by Myself, says Hashem, that this house shall become a ruin." If you do not heed these words, I swear in the name of Hashem that this house shall become a ruin. Which house is being discussed? If we spoke earlier of the gates of the courtyard, then He also speaks here of the Beit HaMikdash, but if we spoke earlier of the gate of the king's palace, then "this house shall become a ruin" refers to the house of the king.
"For so says Hashem concerning the house of the king of Yehudah: You are Gilad to Me, the top of the Levanon; yet I will surely make you a wilderness, cities uninhabited." "Gilad," of whom is He speaking here? Rashi brings the Targum Yonatan: "Gilad, you are to Me the top of the Levanon" - you are as beloved before Me as the Beit HaMikdash which is lofty on the top of the mountains. "Yet I will surely make you a wilderness." "You are Gilad," Rashi explains that this refers to the Mikdash. And why is the Mikdash called Gilad? Because from it comes balm and healing to the whole world. What does that mean? The Beit HaMikdash is healing to the whole world. How is this connected to Gilad? "Is there no balm in Gilad?" That is, the balm, the healing, they used to bring from Gilad. So when they wanted to say of a certain place that it is a place of healing, they would call it Gilad. So from it there is healing to the whole world, this is the Beit HaMikdash.
The Radak explains "Gilad you are, the Levanon" - this refers back to the house of the king of Yehudah, which is the head of the kingdom of Israel. You were to Me like Gilad. What is "like Gilad"? For we know that the mountains beyond the eastern Jordan were called the mountains of Gilad. And why were they called the mountains of Gilad? Because there was a central city there and the central city was called Gilad, and after its name all the eastern Transjordan was called Gilad, they were called the mountains of Gilad. A city that was in Transjordan. So too, you are to Me the head of the kingdom of Israel. Just as Gilad is the head of the kingdom of the eastern Transjordan mountains, so too you, the house of Yehudah, is the head of the kingdom of all Israel. Zion and Yerushalayim is the head of all Eretz Yisrael. And so too you were the top of the Levanon. Eretz Yisrael is also called by the name Levanon: "Let me cross over and see this good land and the Levanon." And He says to him: you who were the top of the Levanon and like Gilad, a central city, you I will make a wilderness. I will make the mountains around you as if they were never inhabited. And this is what is written "yet I will surely make you a wilderness" (im lo) - "im lo" is always an expression of an oath. Like "if I have not (im lo) set and stilled" and other places where "im lo" is written, which mean an oath.
The Malbim explains that what is written here concerning the house of the king of Yehudah, "Gilad you are to Me, the top of the Levanon," means: even if you are to Me like Gilad - for Gilad is considered a settled land, a desirable land, a praiseworthy land, for we know that Gilad was a place of pasture, that is, it is a land praiseworthy for its soil - and even if you are to Me like the top of the Levanon, for the Levanon is full of the cedars of God, tall cedars, and so you will be full of people, nevertheless He says to him: I will make you a wilderness. He turns to the king of Yehudah and says to him: I will make you into a wilderness, which is the opposite of Gilad, for Gilad is a settled and fertile place. And there shall also be cities uninhabited. "Cities uninhabited" is the opposite of the Levanon, for the Levanon is settled. So in effect there is here a prophecy toward the house of the king of Yehudah that if they do not change their way, then evil shall stir and come upon them.
"And I will sanctify against you destroyers, each man with his weapons; and they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire." "And I will sanctify against you destroyers, each man with his weapons." What is "I will sanctify"? We have explained several times that "kadosh" or to sanctify something, from the language of holiness, means to designate. When a man says to a woman "behold you are sanctified to me," it means "behold you are designated for me," for me and not for another. When there is a woman who engages in promiscuity, she is called a kedeishah, since she is designated for the act of promiscuity. So to sanctify means to designate. "And I will sanctify against you destroyers" - I will designate destroyers to come to destroy you. "And they shall cut down your choicest cedars." What is the connection of "and they shall cut down your choicest cedars," which cedars is He speaking of? Cedars are in the Levanon. True, but since I compared you to the Levanon, then I say that they will cut down your cedars just as they cut from the Levanon. "And they shall cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire." "And I will sanctify against you destroyers, each man with his weapons." What is "each man with his weapons"? "Each man with his weapons" means each man with his instrument of destruction, his tool of demolition. It refers to the heavy tools with which they came to shatter the house. "And I will sanctify against you." And then they will destroy your choicest cedars. The Radak explains why He spoke here of cedars, because they used to build the houses of the kings, like the Beit HaMikdash, covered with cedar. And since it is covered with cedar, meaning a covering, a paneling of the wall from within, was not of mahogany but of cedar wood, they used to panel the walls, this is called "covered with cedar." And if so, it comes out that "I will sanctify against you destroyers" who come in order to destroy the house of Yehudah, the house of the king, then they cut down your choicest cedars. The choice cedars with which the walls of the house are paneled, those they will cut down. "And cast them into the fire" - those choicest cedars of yours, what they will take out and dismantle from your house, they will cast into the fire, as it is written "and he burned the house of Hashem and the house of the king." So in effect we saw that this prophecy, sadly, was fulfilled in full.
"And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say each man to his fellow: For what did Hashem do thus to this great city?" "And many nations shall pass by this city" - "by the city" means near the city. And then they will pass by and wonder and be astonished for what Hashem did thus to this city. That is, surely there must have been very great sins among them if Hashem did thus to them. And this is what they will say. "And they shall say: Because they abandoned the covenant of Hashem their God and bowed to other gods and served them." The punishment is for the fact that they abandoned the covenant of Hashem their God, bowed to idolatry, and this is the reason they are stricken so severely.
"Do not weep for the dead, do not weep for the dead nor lament for him. Weep bitterly for the one who goes away, for he shall no longer return and see the land of his birth." Of whom does He say here not to weep for the dead? The commentators explain that not weeping for the dead refers to Yehoyakim. Of Yehoyakim it is written that he died before the gate. When they dragged him in order to exile him, he died before the gate. So do not weep for the dead, whoever of the house of David dies, which is Yehoyakim who died there on the way, do not weep for him. And why? Because his situation is much better than those who remain alive. So do not weep for him, that is, whoever died, what is called, received a bonus. He was spared the trouble easily. So do not weep for the dead. For one who has already died there is nothing to weep, and do not lament for him. "Lament" (nud) for him means that when people used to grieve over the dead or come to console, they would shake their heads, as a person sways from right to left. We saw this expression also above, that they would shake the head as a sign of mourning and grief. So whoever died, do not weep for him and do not lament for him. For whom should one weep? "Weep bitterly for the one who goes away, for he shall no longer return." For whom should one weep? For the one who goes away. Who is "the one who goes away"? Yehoyachin and Tzidkiyahu. For Yehoyachin and Tzidkiyahu go into exile and they will no longer return. "And see the land of his birth" - this speaks of Yehoyachin, that he will not merit to return and see the land of his birth, for they exiled him to Bavel and there, Scripture writes, there he died. He was in prison for 37 years. It comes out, then, that for this man who goes and will no longer return and see the land of his birth, for this man it is fitting to weep. And not for one who died, for one who died was spared the trouble easily.
Rashi says: say from now on, the death of Yehoyakim is precious, as it is said of him "and his carcass shall be cast out to the heat by day and to the frost by night." The death of Yehoyakim is precious, despite all the trouble and the death, that his carcass is cast out to the heat by day and to the frost by night, more than the life of Yehoyachin, of whom it is said "and his allowance was a continual allowance from the king." So you have a continual allowance, you are set. Yes, but I am in exile and I suffer, I am with Nevuchadnetzar. So if so, it was preferable and better to die a death like that of Yehoyakim than the life of Yehoyachin. The Malbim explains: "do not weep for the dead," the Malbim says that the pasuk here speaks of Shalum ben Yoshiyahu, the fourth, who appears in Divrei HaYamim I, chapter 3. There it is not brought what was done with him, what his fate was. When they led Yehoyakim, they led Yehoyakim to Bavel, and there it is brought that Yehoyakim died at the gate. So they say that he exiled Shalum to Bavel so that he would not dispute the kingship of Tzidkiyahu. So that Shalum ben Yoshiyahu, who is in fact of the royal dynasty, there was concern that since he aspires to reign, for naturally he is of the royal dynasty, he would dispute the kingship of Tzidkiyahu. So if so, about this He says: do not weep for Yehoyakim who died, but only for Shalum who now goes into exile, for he will no longer return. It comes out, then, that according to the Malbim's approach, "the one who goes away" here does not refer to Yehoyachin or Tzidkiyahu, but refers to Shalum ben Yoshiyahu the fourth.
And in the next pasuk we will see that the Radak explains that Shalum ben Yoshiyahu, according to the view of Chazal, was Yehoyachin and he had two names. And even though it is written "his grandson," the intent is his son. We will see this in the next pasuk.
But before we continue I would like to see another explanation which the Radak brings here in the name of Chazal. Chazal say "do not weep for the dead nor lament for him." Chazal say the intent is not to weep for the dead too much and not to lament for him beyond the measure. That is, there is here a general instruction. And the instruction is that a person is forbidden to grieve excessively over his dead. So Chazal define it. The intent is a person to whom a trouble happened and who is unable to be comforted. He is not willing to accept consolation, and all the time he only weeps and only grieves. One must know that a person who does so is in great danger. The Gemara says that anyone who grieves excessively over his dead, another dead one he will bury, may the Merciful One spare us. That is, if you grieve excessively over the dead, as if you are saying "Hashem is not merciful, look what He did to me," and so on, then, God forbid, he brings upon himself, he draws upon himself judgments from Heaven, and God forbid, He brings him further trouble. I knew such a person who grieved very much over his dead. A God-fearing man commented to them and told them that this is forbidden and one must stop with this, and this can only cause damage. And no, a year later they were not comforted and continued, and all the time only that person, and how much they spoke of him and wept over him. This was, may Hashem save us, a woman whose son was killed. And what happened is that a year and a half later a bacterial infection attacked her daughter, a mature woman, 40 years old, a bacterial infection attacked her, and within a short period, Hashem preserve us, she too passed away. Afterward she did not speak anything at all. That is, she did not speak either of the son or of the daughter. That is, see, may the Merciful One spare us, that sometimes a person needs to receive break upon break in order for the person to come to his senses. One must know how much a person must be careful with this, and this is what Chazal warn. "Do not weep for the dead nor lament for him." One must know that there is a limit to how much one should weep and a limit to how much one should lament. How so? Three days for weeping, seven for eulogy, thirty for pressing clothes and haircutting. For whom is it indeed fitting to weep? "Weep bitterly for the one who goes away." What is "the one who goes away"? Chazal say for one who goes away without children. It is not truly fitting to weep, since he did not leave seed here. But one who left children here, do not weep for him, and it is forbidden, as I said, to grieve excessively over his dead. And one who grieves excessively over his dead makes himself as if he is, as it were, more merciful than the Holy One. And therefore his weeping is a weeping that has in it a kind of defiance toward the Holy One, blessed be He.
"For so says Hashem concerning Shalum ben Yoshiyahu, king of Yehudah, who reigns in place of Yoshiyahu his father, who has gone out from this place: he shall no longer return there." Who is this Shalum ben Yoshiyahu? As I mentioned before, according to the Radak, Shalum is Yehoyachin. According to Rashi, Shalum is Tzidkiyahu. And so he is called in Divrei HaYamim "and the fourth, Shalum." And he was called "fourth" for the kingship among the sons of Yoshiyahu. For at first Yehoachaz reigned, after that Yehoyakim, after that Yehoyachin, after that Tzidkiyahu. It comes out, then, that the fourth, the fourth son, is Tzidkiyahu, and he is called Shalum. And even though he did not go out, "who has gone out from this place" means: when he goes out from this place he shall no longer return there. So according to Rashi, Shalum is Tzidkiyahu. In contrast, the Radak holds that Shalum is Yehoyachin. And even though he was his grandson, grandchildren are indeed like children. Therefore he mentions him by this name. And with all this, the Radak brings the derashah of Chazal that Shalum is Tzidkiyahu, as Rashi brings. A further view is the view of the Ibn Ezra, who explains that Shalum is Yehoachaz. And he is the one who died in Egypt, as this matter is explained in Sefer Melachim and in Sefer Divrei HaYamim in the words of the Radak there.
"For in the place where they exiled him, there he shall die, and this land he shall see no more." "In the place where they exiled him" means in the place to which he went into exile, there he shall die. "And this land he shall see no more" means: not only will he not return to Yerushalayim, but the entire land in general he will not merit to see. The intent is that he will not return to the land at all, in any way and in any circumstance.
"Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper chambers without justice, who makes his fellow work for nothing and does not give him his wages. Who says: I will build myself a spacious house and airy upper chambers, and cuts out for himself windows, and it is covered with cedar and painted with vermilion." "Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper chambers without justice." Against whom is this pasuk said? Both Rashi and the Radak explain that it is said about Yehoyakim. For Yehoyakim was wicked, and He defines him as a man who built his house without righteousness. What does it mean that he built his house without righteousness? The Malbim says: this Yehoyakim built himself a royal palace, but a cheap construction. What is a cheap construction? It is workers whose wages you do not pay. That is very cheap. So this Yehoyakim built himself a royal palace and did not pay the wages of his workers. So he built his house without righteousness. Wages, note, the halachah is that they are paid only at the end. It comes out, then, that when he hired the workers, as long as they are still working he is not obligated to pay them their wages. Since the work here is by contract, then the contractor receives his wages only at the end. I hired you by contract, you will receive the payment at the end of the work. But note, this is true from the standpoint of halachah. But with all this, from the standpoint of righteousness, which is beyond the letter of the law, it would have been fitting that you pay the wages already during the work. Therefore, note how He defines him: he builds his house without righteousness. Righteousness is beyond the letter of the law, it is doing charity. So you built the house and did not act beyond the letter of the law, you did not do charity. "And his upper chambers without justice." When is the house completed? When the upper chamber is built. The upper chamber, now that you have finished, you already must pay. If now you do not pay, then it is not "without righteousness," it is "without justice." Because the payment now comes by law, by law it is due that you pay, that you settle the debt. So the house you built without righteousness, for from righteousness it would have been fitting to pay them even during the construction. And the upper chamber you finished building without justice, for justice determines - justice is the law and the halachah determine - that upon completion of construction one must pay the workers their due.
And then, "who makes his fellow work for nothing and does not give him his wages." The Malbim says: there is a difference between wages (sachar) and work-payment (pe'ulah). Wages are according to what we agreed between us. The wages of a hired worker. "I hired you for wages." According to what? According to the agreement between us. How much work, how much I pay, this is the wages of a hired worker. Usually, in most places, it is according to the agreement. Here in our country, as is known, it works entirely differently: the tradesman will always tell you that it cost at least double, because he had expenses and he only lost money on you. He was here for two weeks and came out with 50 thousand shekels, but he only lost money on you. No matter. But normally, let us know that normally when wages are agreed, it is an agreement. In contrast, there is work-payment. Work-payment is according to what a person did and performed, even if he did not agree in advance: pay me according to my work. Even though we did not agree in advance, according to what I performed it is due to me to receive. He says, come see here, "he makes his fellow work for nothing." Not only does he not give him his wages because he did not agree in advance on wages, but also "he does not give him his work-payment." According to the work-payment: fine, leave it, you did not agree with me, let us check what I did, how much it is worth, pay me according to that. Even his work-payment he does not give him, for his work-payment, as we said, is according to the work, not according to an agreement made in advance. So come see how wicked that Yehoyakim was. The Radak brings in the name of his father who explains "his work-payment," "and his work-payment he does not give him," what is the meaning? As it were, he does not give him the wages of his work, this is the intent of "and his work-payment he does not give him." Yes? Wages are due to the workers, so "and his work-payment," the wages of his work he does not give him. He did not give the worker who performed the construction work, he did not give him his wages.
"Who says: I will build myself a spacious house and airy upper chambers, and cuts out for himself windows, and it is covered with cedar and painted with vermilion." "Who says: I will build myself a spacious house." "A spacious house" (beit midot) means a large house. Like "men of stature (midot)" there. And why is it called a beit midot? Because this place has something to measure. When the place is small there is no need, you say how much is it? Two meters by two meters, that is nothing. But when the place is large, you say bring a tape measure, let us see the size. And this, by the way, is the reason that men of stature are called anshei midot. Why? For there Chazal explain that a person who sees them begins to measure. He says, tell me, how tall is this? It seems to me this man is four meters. No, it seems to me three or three and a half. This is anshei midot. Anyone who sees him begins to measure him. So therefore a large house or large people are called anshei midot. So one who built his house, "who says: I will build myself a spacious house and airy upper chambers." What is "airy upper chambers" (aliyot meruvachim)? "Airy upper chambers," some explain that the intent is from the language of "spacious" (rechavim), yes, like "and there was relief (revach) for Shaul," from the language of widening. This is one explanation that the Radak brings, and there is a further explanation that "meruvachim" means from the language of a place into which the wind (ruach) enters. So explains the Malbim. "Meruvachim" from the language that the wind rules in it. So they used to open large windows so that the wind would rule and enter and cool the house. "And cuts out for himself," yes, what is "and cuts out for himself"? Airy windows, airy upper chambers, "and cuts out for himself windows." "Cuts out for himself windows" means he widened the windows for himself. Like "and you enlarge (tikre'i) your eyes with paint," "You tore open (karata) the heavens and came down," yes, all these are the language of opening. And this house is covered with cedar, it is roofed with cedars. "And painted with vermilion" - they used to make all sorts of decorations on the walls, and they would smear, therefore this is called painted, because it was done by way of smearing, with a kind of color that is of the types of drawings and colors called vermilion (shashar). Yes, so they would smear it and beautify the house. What did He wish to say with this idea? The Malbim says that He wished to tell you: come and see the wickedness of Yehoyakim. That you should not think that Yehoyakim had no house, no place to dwell. Rather he says: I will build myself a spacious house. The house and the upper chambers and the windows, all of them were made at great expense. So you go and build yourself a spacious house when you have where to live, and all this at great expense, at whose expense? At the expense of the workers who worked for nothing and did not receive their wages.
"Do you reign because you compete with cedar? Your father, did he not eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him." He says to him: do you reign? Rashi explains: will you prolong your days in your kingdom? Do you think that your kingdom is forever? And so through this you permit yourself to make your rule heavy. Why? In order to inform everyone "I am king." You want to show everyone "I am Putin, I have rule without bounds." So only one who thinks to reign for a long period wants to establish his rule and show everyone how much he is the master here. But if it is clear in advance that the kingship is about to be taken from you, that soon the whole city goes into exile and is destroyed and burned, why do you need to show your kingship and your rule? There is no need for this at all, since the kingship and the rule will not prolong days here anyway. So do you reign, will you prolong days over your kingdom? Come see how your father conducted himself. Yoshiyahu ate and drank and did justice and righteousness, then it was well with him. He conducted himself with humility, ate and drank and saw good all the days of his life. The Radak explains what is "because you compete with cedar"? The Radak says the intent is: you involve yourself and grasp cedars. The intent is: he builds himself a building of cedars. "Your father, did he not eat and drink and do justice and righteousness?" It is not understood what this "ate and drank" is here. What does He wish to say to him? Ate and drank, so what, is that good, is that not good? What does He wish to say by this? So the Radak explains that He comes, as it were, to say to him: I do not begrudge your pleasures, what you eat and drink. If you would do justice and righteousness, then eat, drink to your health, but at least do justice and righteousness.
For behold, come see that indeed your father Yoshiyahu ate and drank in the manner of kings and enjoyed what was fitting for him to enjoy, enjoyed his good, did justice and righteousness, then it was well with him, it was good for him all his days. That is, there is no impediment to your eating and drinking and enjoying, but let everything be with righteousness and integrity. In contrast, you enjoy, eat and drink from what is not yours, from what is not his. At whose expense do you eat? At the expense of the workers, at the expense of those who built you the house, at their expense you eat and drink. So your eating and drinking are through oppression and violence. So if so, He says to him: this thing is a most evil thing. Why do you not do like your father, who ate and drank and did charity and justice.
There is a further explanation that says that Yehoyakim would always fast. And then what? He would do evil deeds and fast. And then through this all the evil deeds would be atoned for him. You know those people who arrive once a year on Yom Kippur, buy the opening of the ark and that is it, Master of the Universe, all right, we are set, all right, take your share, leave me alone until next year, yes? And every year he comes and buys himself another year, buys the opening of the ark for 10,000 dollars, that is it, Master of the Universe, so that You have no complaints, I was here, there is even a receipt and documentation and perhaps he even took a selfie on Yom Kippur, yes? Here you see I am photographed, everyone sees, I am here, that is it, done. So this was Yehoyakim. Yehoyakim would always fast and thought that the fasts were payment for his evil deeds. Therefore He says to him: your father, did he not eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Be well, eat, drink, do justice and righteousness. Do not fast and then go rob.
You know that once a certain wealthy man came to one of the great Admorim. And the rabbi asked him: tell me, what do you eat? They told him that he was a stingy wealthy man. What do you eat? He says to him: I will tell the rabbi, I do not chase after desires, I eat black bread and a bit of olives and that is it. The rabbi says to him: what are you talking about? What kind of way is this? What are you talking about? He says to him: you should eat fattened fowl, you should eat steaks, you should eat according to what Hashem graced and gave you. Wow, so this is what the rabbi says? This is what the rabbi says. Fine, all right. Amazing to hear this from the Admor. Fine, he left, the shamash asks the rabbi, who is known as a great ascetic, how is it that the rabbi here set him a table? The Admor said to him: understand, this man, if he eats fattened fowl, there is a chance that he will give the poor black bread. But he eats black bread, so he is sure that for the poor gravel is enough. He said to him: eat properly, at least understand that the poor person needs something less, but when you barely give to yourself, you do not give, so what will you afterward give to the poor?
So there are times when it is better that a person eat properly. He said to him: eat properly, and the main thing is that you do justice and righteousness. The Rav Chida relates in Ma'agal Tov that on his travels he came also to Tunis. He says: I arrived there, I was hosted by a certain Tunisian sage, they served him to eat, I looked at the plate, I was alarmed. I said: where does all this fit? He speaks of a huge amount, they served the host. The host, he says, ate and left nothing over. But afterward, he says, he took a Gemara, sat and learned the whole night. With tremendous diligence, he says, without pause. And then, he says, I said: as his eating, so his learning. Fine, a vehicle needs to travel, it needs to be fueled. So he fueled it properly, but afterward learned properly. Not a person, ah, my eyes are heavy, after such a meal, of course a nice bed is clear to him. You understand? He must have a bed. No, the person ate, now sit and learn. A person after eating... So He says to him: it would already be better that you had eaten. Your father Yoshiyahu ate, but did justice. But what about you? You do afflictions and do not do justice?
About this He essentially says to him: do you reign, the Malbim says, do you think that by this you compete with cedar, that is, you made yourself such a large house, come see that your father ate and drank and did not conduct himself like you. The Malbim explains what in fact is the claim about his father here. He says to him: come see that your father, even at the time he ate and drank, at that very time he did justice. This means, according to the Malbim, that "ate and drank" enters here as a virtue of Yoshiyahu. In what was the virtue in fact? That Yoshiyahu, even in the midst of his eating, at the time of eating, now a person comes for judgment, he would do justice. He does not say to him: sir, do not disturb, now I am eating. No. Rather he ate and drank and did justice and righteousness. At that very time that he eats and drinks, that is, his eating and drinking were not the main thing for him. To such an extent that he was willing that they come and be judged before him even at the time of his eating, for then it was well with him. For truly it is not good for a king to seek the good of his own collecting, only the good of the community, the Malbim says. And your father truly conducted himself properly, not like you.
"He judged the cause of the poor and the needy, then it was well. Is this not the knowledge of Me? says Hashem." He says to him: behold, see that your father judged the cause of the poor and the needy. That is, do not think that he interrupted his meal in order to judge all sorts of important matters and all sorts of complex and intricate cases that came to him. He says to him: no, at the time your father ate and drank, they would interrupt him in the middle of the meal and he would judge the cause of the poor and the needy. That is, the cause of the poor and needy - tell them to wait until afterward. Tell them to speak down there at the district court, the magistrate's court, there... No, your father would stop his meal and judge the cause of the poor and the needy. He says: then it was well with him. That is, the "well with him" was not in the meal, but the "well with him" - when did he feel good? When he did justice. When he governed the kingdom with righteousness and integrity. And this is what He says: "Is this not the knowledge of Me? says Hashem." This is the testimony that he knew Me. As it is written "for you do not judge for man but for Hashem, and He is with you in the matter of judgment." This means: when a person feels that the judgment he judges is a judgment for God, then he feels a partner in the governance of the Master of the Universe, and this is the true good, far better than finishing his meal.
"For your eyes and your heart are on nothing but your unjust gain, and on shedding innocent blood, and on doing oppression and crushing." He says to him: come and see, you, in contrast to him, your eyes and your heart are on nothing but your unjust gain. That is, your entire concern is only the pursuit of money. "On nothing but your unjust gain," that is, you seek only to cut off unjust gain (betza), to rob money. "And on shedding innocent blood, and on doing oppression and crushing." What is "crushing" (merutzah)? "Merutzah" is from the language of crushing the poor, as Rashi says. And it is from the language of breaking, like the language "to crush" (l'rotzetz), the language of breaking, like "whom have I oppressed, and whom have I crushed (ratzoti)?" yes? The difference between them: oppression (oshek) is in money, whereas crushing (merutzah) is in the body, to crush, he crushes his body. How? He would make him work and not pay him his wages, as we saw above, robbing him of the wages of a hired worker. He would beat him so that he would do the work properly, forcing him to his work, this is crushing, he crushes his body. And not only this, but He also says to you "and on shedding innocent blood." He says: behold, see, you also shed innocent blood, meaning murdering without law and without justice. And about this it is said in Divrei HaYamim "and his abominations that he did and what was found upon him, behold they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Yehudah." What is the book of the kings of Israel and Yehudah? The Radak explains that this is the book. The intent here is that He speaks here of the kings of Yehudah and of the kings of Israel, meaning Sefer Yirmiyahu. Here we see detailed the iniquities of Elyakim, of Yehoyakim.
The Malbim explains what is "your eyes and your heart are on nothing but your unjust gain." The Malbim says that this comes to express both the sight of the eyes, which is sensory sight, and the sight of the heart. Since Chazal say that the eyes and the heart are the two agents of sin. What is an agent (sarsur)? A sarsur is an intermediary in the language of Chazal. The two agents of sin, meaning were it not for the eyes and heart, a person would have no connection at all with the outside world, he would not desire all that is outside. Why does he desire? Because the eyes see and the heart covets. And since this is so, here He mentions "your eyes and your heart," meaning both agents in you work fully. Behold, see, your eyes and your heart are all the time on what? On your unjust gain. The Malbim explains: you have nothing in which you do something for the good of the community. If already you do something, it is always with the thought "what do I get out of this." A politician, in short. He says everything is for your own good, neither in thought nor in deed will you do anything if you do not see in it a profit for yourself. "And on shedding innocent blood," that is, the task of the king is to seek out innocent blood, to pursue those who shed innocent blood. That is, to do righteousness and justice, not to allow a situation in which people murder or do iniquities and it passes without justice, for "a king establishes a land through justice." And you, not only do you not punish the one who sheds innocent blood, but "on shedding innocent blood," you yourself shed innocent blood. And you, instead of watching over the oppression and the crushing, meaning as we said to crush, that such things not be done in your kingdom, you yourself do such things. So all this is an introduction in order to tell you what the punishment is.