Yirmiyahu chapter 39. In the ninth year of Tzidkiyahu king of Yehudah, in the tenth month, Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. "In the ninth year of Tzidkiyahu king of Yehudah, in the tenth month" - what is this tenth month? Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei; Tishrei is always the seventh month, correct? Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, correct? So how many? The ninth year in the tenth month, meaning the month of Tevet. The Abarbanel says that even though the city was actually breached in Tammuz, they did not enter until the seventh of Av. Because the Jews there fought. Yes? And therefore the city ultimately was not breached until the seventh of Av. Let us note, says the Malbim, that later on in chapter 52 the main account of the conquest of the city is brought, but here he only wants to show us what he spoke about earlier, how Yirmiyahu's prophecy is being fulfilled. In the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu, in the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the city was breached. "The eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu" means in the eleventh year. Ninth year, tenth year, eleventh year. How many years was the siege? Three years. In the fourth month, what is the fourth month? Correct, Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz. The month of Tammuz. On the ninth of the month the city was breached. We know it was on the seventeenth, so there are some who say that because of the exile there was confusion. Correct, and on the other hand we do have the knowledge that it was on the seventeenth; the Gemara says they had a confusion in the dates, because of the troubles they had a confusion in the dates.
And all the officers of the king of Bavel came and sat in the middle gate, Nergal Sar Etzer, Samgar Nevo, Sar Sechim, Rav Saris, Nergal Sar Etzer, Rav Mag, and all the rest of the officers of the king of Bavel. In short, all these, all the rest of the vegetables mentioned here, these are the officers of the king of Bavel and they sat in the middle gate. This is the gate of the Azarah, the gate of Nikanor, or the eastern gate. It is between the gate of the women's courtyard and the gate of the Heichal, therefore it is called the middle gate. So about this they say "the middle gate," a gate where they cut halachot, like sha'ar hatoch, from the language of cutting. A gate where halachot are cut, yes? And it, a gate where halachot are cut upon them, excuse me, halachot upon them he says, a place of judgment, that is where the wicked one was. In the place of judgment, that is, the place where halachot are cut, the Lishkat HaGazit, the place of the Sanhedrin, that is where the wicked one was, and there the wicked officers of the king of Bavel arrived.
And it came to pass that when Tzidkiyahu king of Yehudah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and left the city by night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and he went out by way of the Aravah. Chazal say, he had a cave from his house to the plains of Yericho. He went through the tunnel. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do to fulfill "and I will spread My net over him"? Hashem spread over him a kind of net in order to trap him. So it is brought in Yechezkel chapter 12. What did He do? He arranged a deer before the Chaldeans that was walking on the roof of the cave outside the city. Note this, it is astonishing, it was night, and even so they saw a deer; apparently they were hungry, they decided to run after it. And they ran after it to catch it. And it ran until the entrance of the cave, and they saw Tzidkiyahu coming out of the cave. Just as they feel, here, here we are about to catch it, suddenly they see someone coming out of the cave to them. And suddenly they see that it is Tzidkiyahu, the very one we are looking for. Hashem spread a net over him, so to speak, to catch him, to trap him. "And it came to pass that when Tzidkiyahu saw them," the Malbim says the intent is the breaching of the city, that this was the time when Tzidkiyahu saw them, and then they fled and left the city by night. But they really did not see him until they ultimately caught him. This was only by means of the deer, as we will see in the next verse. And the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Tzidkiyahu in the plains of Yericho, and they took him and brought him up to Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel at Rivlah in the land of Chamat, and he spoke judgments with him.
What is "and he spoke judgments with him"? Ah, if he spoke words with him, he spoke judgments with him too. What is "and he spoke judgments with him"? Like a lawyer, you say. Yes. In judgment, they judge, he spoke with him about people, judgments. Fine. Because there was once some minister whom people liked to make fun of, so they said about him at a certain stage that he went to study law (mishpatim), so they said, because until now he studied words, now he began to study judgments (mishpatim). In any case, here "and he spoke judgments with him" means he judged him, he sentenced him, for having violated the oath. As you recall, he had made him swear that he would not rebel against him, and he also made him swear, he saw him eating a live rabbit, and made him swear that he would not publicize it or tell about it. And he went and revealed it, and publicized it and disgraced him. And the king of Bavel slaughtered the sons of Tzidkiyahu at Rivlah before his eyes, and the king of Bavel slaughtered all the nobles of Yehudah. He slaughtered the sons of Tzidkiyahu at Rivlah before his eyes, this was Tzidkiyahu's punishment for having defied his word. And all the nobles of Yehudah, who are they? These are the Sanhedrin, say Chazal. They are the ones who released him from the oath. Because he asked him, what did you see to come and do this, after all you violated your oath? He said to him, they released it. Who released you from the oath? Ah, the Sanhedrin released you from the oath, so if so they must be punished. And therefore he took and slaughtered them, all the nobles of Yehudah. And he blinded Tzidkiyahu's eyes and bound him in chains to bring him to Bavel. He also blinded his eyes. And in this the words of the prophecy that Yirmiyahu told him were fulfilled, that you will be brought to Bavel and you will not see it. And this was puzzling in his eyes, how is it possible that he tells me such a thing? I will come to Bavel and not see it? If I come to Bavel then I will see it. Rather, you will be blinded even before then, and through this you will not be able to see Bavel.
And the house of the king and the houses of the people the Chaldeans burned with fire, and the walls of Jerusalem they tore down. "The house of the king" is the king's house. "The houses of the people," some say the intent is the house of assembly of the people. And there are those who say synagogues, so Chazal expound. "The houses of the people" these are synagogues. They burned them with fire and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. Yes? This was in the fifth month already by Nevuzaradan. And the rest of the people who remained in the city, and those who fell away, who fell to him, and the rest of the people who remained, Nevuzaradan the chief of the executioners exiled to Bavel. "And the rest of the people who remained," yes, in the city, "and those who fell away who fell to him," "and the rest of the people who remained." What is this repetition? "The rest of the people who remained in the city," the intent is those who actually remained with Tzidkiyahu in the city. "Those who fell away who fell to him," the intent is those who joined the Chaldeans from among Israel, who heeded Yirmiyahu's prophecy and went to tell the Chaldeans, we surrender to you. "And the rest of the people who remained," the intent is the people who remained outside the wall. These are those who were afraid to be inside the wall out of fear of the Chaldeans, and therefore went and hid in all sorts of places outside the walls. All of them Nevuzaradan the chief of the executioners exiled to Bavel. "Chief of the executioners" (rav tabachim) is not one who makes cakes. "Rav tabachim" is one who slaughters, who slaughters people. That is the meaning of rav tabachim. Minister of executions, that is called rav tabachim. And from the poor people who had nothing, Nevuzaradan the chief of the executioners left in the land of Yehudah, and gave them vineyards and fields on that day. "From the poor people who had nothing," the intent is the poorest of the poor, those whom he did not fear would try to rebel against him. Of them Nevuzaradan the chief of the executioners left in the land of Yehudah, why? In order to work the land, so that the land would not be desolate. And he left them to be vineyard workers and field workers. What are "vineyard workers and field workers" (kormim v'yogvim)? Kormim v'yogvim, the intent is those who dig the ground, these are called yogvim. Kormim are usually those who work vineyards, or from the language of gathering. "Lichrom" means to gather, like "oremim." Is a yogev a digger? A yogev is one who digs the ground, yes. When one wants to say a farmer they say yogev. That is the meaning, a worker of the land. There are those who call their son Yogev. What, are you going to call your son Ikar (farmer)? That is not a fitting name. Give him a more worthy name, but the name Yogev is not, it is not a name that expresses any importance.
And Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel commanded concerning Yirmiyahu by the hand of Nevuzaradan the chief of the executioners, saying. Nevuchadretzar king of Bavel has clear instructions on how to deal with Yirmiyahu. Take him and set your eyes upon him, and do him no harm, but as he says to you, so do with him. He says to him, whatever is bad in his eyes, even if it is intended for good, but it is unpleasant to him, it is not good for him, do not do it. Only as he says to you, so do with him. Why indeed did he care so much about Yirmiyahu? Because he knew that Yirmiyahu was a tzaddik. And he knew that Yirmiyahu delivered to them true prophecies in the name of Hashem. And he knew that Yirmiyahu told them to submit to the king of Bavel because Hashem had made him king. Since this was so, then on the contrary, he had no interest in harming Yirmiyahu, because Yirmiyahu, in fact, Nevuchadretzar's interest was Yirmiyahu's words, that his words would be fulfilled. So therefore he only wanted to do good with him. And they sent and took Yirmiyahu from the court of the guard and gave him to Gedalyahu son of Achikam son of Shafan to bring him out to the house, and he dwelt among the people. He sent Nevuzaradan and all the officers of the king of Bavel, and they sent their messengers to take, to bring out Yirmiyahu to the house. The intent is they gave him a house to dwell in, so that he would not continue to be in the court of the guard in the prison, but would be free and could dwell among the people as he wished, in whatever place he desired.
And the word of Hashem came to Yirmiyahu while he was confined in the court of the guard, saying. Go and say to Eved Melech the Kushite, saying, thus says Hashem of hosts, the God of Israel, behold I am bringing My words upon this city for evil and not for good, and they shall be before you on that day. Hashem says to Yirmiyahu, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, go tell Eved Melech the Kushite. Who was this? If you remember, this is the one who saved him from the mud. He said to him, until now the evil that came upon you, its purpose was for good, so that you would repent and I would not need to bring severe punishments upon you, I would not need to bring exile and suffering and sword and destruction upon you. Until now the evil was for good. But now I am bringing My words upon this city for evil and not for good. Now the decree has already been decreed, now consequently it turns out that this is only for evil. Why? Because after the final warning that Yirmiyahu warned Tzidkiyahu and he did not listen, from here on the decree has already been decreed, the city will be destroyed and it will be desolate. And therefore he comes and says to him, now there is no choice, the decree has been decreed and consequently this will be only for evil and not for good. That is to say, there is no longer any chance to improve the situation. "And they shall be before you on that day," the intent is you will see the evil and you will not leave the city. But I will save you on that day, says Hashem, and you will not be given into the hand of the men before whom you are afraid. He says to him, know that in the end you will be saved. On the one hand he says to him, you will see all this, you will be inside the city, but on the other hand he promises him salvation. You will not be given into the hand of the men before whom you are afraid. The men whom you fear, you will not be given into their hand. He actually had two fears, the Malbim explains. He had a fear also of the officers, for the officers, as we saw, were against Yirmiyahu and against the rebukes he would say, and consequently there was a fear for Eved Melech the Kushite, and also the sword of the Chaldeans. From both, Hashem tells him, I will save you. For I will surely rescue you and you will not fall by the sword, and your life will be as spoil for you, because you trusted in Me, says Hashem. "I will surely rescue you," that is, through Divine providence, since you trusted in Me, I will save you, and your life will be as spoil for you since you trusted in Hashem.