Chapter 52 deals with the Destruction, paralleling the conclusion of Sefer Melachim II. The very same events we encountered there regarding the Destruction, we encounter here once again, and in certain respects in even greater detail. The chapter opens with the reign of Tzidkiyahu, describes the siege, the breach of the walls, the burning of the city, the exile, and the tally of the exiles, and concludes with the release of Yehoyachin from prison.
בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה צִדְקִיָּהוּ בְמׇלְכוֹ, וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָיִם, וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ חֲמוּטַל בַּת־יִרְמְיָהוּ מִלִּבְנָה׃ - Tzidkiyahu was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; his mother's name was Chamutal daughter of Yirmeyahu of Livnah.
וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה יְהוֹיָקִים׃ כִּי עַל־אַף יְהֹוָה הָיְתָה בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם וִיהוּדָה עַד־הִשְׁלִיכוֹ אוֹתָם מֵעַל פָּנָיו, וַיִּמְרֹד צִדְקִיָּהוּ בְּמֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל׃ - And he did what was evil in the eyes of Hashem, according to all that Yehoyakim had done. For on account of the anger of Hashem it was in Jerusalem and Judah, until He cast them away from His presence; and Tzidkiyahu rebelled against the king of Babylon.
What caused Tzidkiyahu to rebel against the king of Babylon? As it were, there was a catalyst from Heaven pushing him toward this, because this city had already aroused "the anger of Hashem" - it provoked the wrath of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and therefore the Holy One, Blessed be He, brought Tzidkiyahu to rebel against the king of Babylon. Yet we must not misunderstand: this does not mean Tzidkiyahu was stripped of his free will, for if so, he would not have been punished for it. And indeed we see that he transgressed the prophet's command, as the prophet had warned Tzidkiyahu not to rebel against the king of Babylon, since Hashem had established his reign, yet Tzidkiyahu did not listen to the voice of Hashem.
Here a question arises: Tzidkiyahu was a righteous king, while his nation and generation were the wicked ones; why, then, does Scripture say of him, "And he did what was evil in the eyes of Hashem, according to all that Yehoyakim had done"? The answer is that this does not refer to his personal conduct, but to two specific matters. First, he did not heed the prophet's instruction not to rebel against the king of Babylon, yet he rebelled. Second, he did not keep the oath that Nevuchadnetzar had administered to him - for Nevuchadnetzar had eaten a live hare and made Tzidkiyahu swear not to reveal it, yet Tzidkiyahu went and revealed it. These two matters are what define him as having "done what was evil in the eyes of Hashem," and they brought about the state of "until He cast them away from His presence."
וַיְהִי בַשָּׁנָה הַתְּשִׁעִית לְמׇלְכוֹ, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ, בָּא נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל הוּא וְכׇל־חֵילוֹ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וַיַּחֲנוּ עָלֶיהָ, וַיִּבְנוּ עָלֶיהָ דָּיֵק סָבִיב׃ - And it was in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, that Nevuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and his entire army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it, and built a siege wall around it.
The tenth month is the month of Tevet, and "on the tenth of the month" is the Tenth of Tevet (Asarah B'Tevet). And what occurred on Asarah B'Tevet? The onset of the siege. Here is the original verse from which we learn this. And what is "and built a siege wall around it" (*dayek*)? A sort of wall and rampart constructed around the city, from which they could look into the city. This was the standard practice before conquering a city.
וַתָּבֹא הָעִיר בַּמָּצוֹר עַד עַשְׁתֵּי עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ׃ - And the city entered into siege until the eleventh year of King Tzidkiyahu.
"And the city entered into siege" - no one could enter and no one could leave, three years of famine, siege, and distress.
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרְבִיעִי בְּתִשְׁעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ וַיֶּחֱזַק הָרָעָב בָּעִיר, וְלֹא־הָיָה לֶחֶם לְעַם הָאָרֶץ׃ - In the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the famine grew severe in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
The fourth month is Tammuz. In the month of Tammuz, the situation reached actual dire starvation; the siege and the famine were so severe that the people had nothing left to eat.
וַתִּבָּקַע הָעִיר, וְכׇל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה יִבְרְחוּ, וַיֵּצְאוּ מֵהָעִיר לַיְלָה דֶּרֶךְ שַׁעַר בֵּין־הַחֹמֹתַיִם אֲשֶׁר עַל־גַּן הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְכַשְׂדִּים עַל־הָעִיר סָבִיב, וַיֵּלְכוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָעֲרָבָה׃ - Then the city was breached, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was near the king's garden, while the Chaldeans were all around the city; and they went by way of the plain.
The city is breached, and the warriors flee from it. And through where did they escape? Chazal say that Tzidkiyahu had a special tunnel, an escape tunnel, through which he exited the city without having to pass among the Chaldeans besieging it, and this tunnel led him all the way to Yericho.
וַיִּרְדְּפוּ חֵיל־כַּשְׂדִּים אַחֲרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וַיַּשִּׂיגוּ אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ בְּעַרְבֹת יְרֵחוֹ, וְכׇל־חֵילוֹ נָפֹצוּ מֵעָלָיו׃ - And the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Tzidkiyahu in the plains of Yericho, and his entire army was scattered from him.
How did the Chaldean army know where the king was, and how did they know to pursue him? Chazal tell us: The Holy One, Blessed be He, trapped him. Hashem arranged a deer for the Chaldeans; the deer fled, and they pursued it to catch it for their lunch. They ran and ran until they reached a certain spot, and suddenly they saw men emerging from the ground - and there before them stood Tzidkiyahu, falling into their hands like ripe fruit. The Holy One, Blessed be He, spread a net at his feet.
וַיִּתְפְּשׂוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ, וַיַּעֲלוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל רִבְלָתָה בְּאֶרֶץ חֲמָת, וַיְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ מִשְׁפָּטִים׃ - And they seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Rivlah in the land of Chamat, and he pronounced judgments upon him.
What is meant by "and he spoke mishpatim with him"? Surely anyone who speaks words speaks sentences (mishpatim)! Rather, it means that he brought him to trial: for rebelling against me after I made you take an oath not to rebel, and for revealing what I adjured you not to disclose - that I had eaten a live hare, which was a source of great humiliation for him, yet Tzidkiyahu went and revealed it.
וַיִּשְׁחַט מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֶת־בְּנֵי צִדְקִיָּהוּ לְעֵינָיו, וְגַם אֶת־כׇּל־שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה שָׁחַט בְּרִבְלָתָה׃ - "And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Tzidkiyahu before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Yehudah in Rivlah."
Slaughtering his sons before his eyes - a horrific and terrible punishment. And who are the "princes of Yehudah"? Chazal explain: this refers to the Sanhedrin. And why were they punished? Because they were the ones who annulled Tzidkiyahu's oath. Nevuchadnetzar summoned them to court and asked them: "If a person makes an oath, can it be annulled?" They told him, "Yes." He asked them: "And if he swore an oath to another person, can it be annulled without that person present?" They told him, "No." He said to them: "If so, how did you annul Tzidkiyahu's oath?" Their faces turned as black as the bottom of a pot. And the Gemara says that he then took them and executed them; these are "all the princes of Yehudah."
וְאֶת־עֵינֵי צִדְקִיָּהוּ עִוֵּר, וַיַּאַסְרֵהוּ בַנְחֻשְׁתַּיִם, וַיְבִאֵהוּ מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בָּבֶלָה, וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ בֵית־הַפְּקֻדֹּת עַד־יוֹם מוֹתוֹ׃ - "And he blinded the eyes of Tzidkiyahu and bound him in copper fetters; and the king of Babylon brought him to Babylon and placed him in the prison house until the day of his death."
He blinded his eyes, bound him in copper fetters, and brought him to Babylon. This was in exact fulfillment of the words of the prophet: on the one hand he was told, "To Babylon you shall come," and on the other hand he was told that he would not see Babylon. Tzidkiyahu had wondered: How could this be? If he brings me to Babylon, how will I not see it? Surely that is a contradiction. And here the matter became clear to him - I arrived in Babylon, but I cannot see it. And what is the "prison house" (beit ha-pekudot)? A place where a person is deposited, meaning what is called today a prison.
וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ, הִיא שְׁנַת תְּשַׁע־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לַמֶּלֶךְ נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל, בָּא נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב־טַבָּחִים עָמַד לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בִּירוּשָׁלָיִם׃ - "And in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month - which was the nineteenth year of King Nevuchadretzar, king of Babylon - Nevuzaradan, captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem."
The fifth month is Av; "on the tenth of the month" - the tenth of Av, in the nineteenth year of King Nevuchadnetzar. And "captain of the guard" (rav tabachim) does not mean a master cook, but rather someone who slaughtered people - a butcher, but of human beings.
In Sefer Melachim it is written that he came on the seventh of the month. There is an opinion in Chazal that there was a confusion of accounts, that they did not know precisely because no one could keep track amidst the turmoil and confusion of that time, which is why it is written once as the seventh and once as the tenth. But the Malbim explains that on the seventh he arrived in Jerusalem, and on the tenth he commanded that everything be burned.
If so, Chazal ask, why do we fast on Tishah B'Av? Because the start of the burning of the House of our God took place on the ninth of Av: he arrived on the seventh, they entered the Beit HaMikdash and wreaked havoc on the seventh, eighth, and ninth, and toward evening on the ninth he set fire to the Heichal, and the Beit HaMikdash burned through the ninth and the tenth. For this reason, it is written not to observe practices of joy on the tenth of Av - some say until midday, and some say for the entire day. Rabbi Yochanan says: Had I been there, I would have established the day of mourning on the tenth of Av, not on the ninth. Why, then, did they establish it on the ninth? Because they viewed the onset of the calamity as the most severe aspect; the very first moment the Beit HaMikdash began to burn, the onset of the tragedy, was deemed more severe, and based on that they fixed Tishah B'Av. Especially since the day of Tishah B'Av, as is known, has been a fraught day from time immemorial, when death was decreed upon the spies and Israel did not enter the Land, so they linked everything to Tishah B'Av.
וַיִּשְׂרֹף אֶת־בֵּית־יְהֹוָה וְאֶת־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְאֵת כׇּל־בָּתֵּי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְאֶת־כׇּל־בֵּית הַגָּדוֹל שָׂרַף בָּאֵשׁ׃ - "And he burned the House of the Lord and the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; and every great house he burned with fire."
"The House of the Lord" - the Beit HaMikdash. "The king's palace" - the palace of Tzidkiyahu. "All the houses of Jerusalem" - the ordinary homes. And what is "every great house"? There is a dispute in Chazal: some say these are synagogues, where prayer is magnified, and some say these are study halls, where Torah is magnified - and both are the words of the living God.
וְאֶת־כׇּל־חֹמוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם סָבִיב נָתְצוּ כׇּל־חֵיל כַּשְׂדִּים אֲשֶׁר אֶת־רַב־טַבָּחִים׃ - And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.
"Who were with (et) the captain of the guard" - here, the word "et" has the meaning of "with," referring to those who were accompanied by him.
וּמִדַּלּוֹת הָעָם וְאֶת־יֶתֶר הָעָם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּעִיר, וְאֶת־הַנֹּפְלִים אֲשֶׁר נָפְלוּ אֶל־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל, וְאֵת יֶתֶר הָאָמוֹן הֶגְלָה נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב־טַבָּחִים׃ - And of the poorest of the people, and the rest of the people who remained in the city, and the defectors who had surrendered to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard exiled.
"Of the poorest of the people" - these were the ones who remained. After all, the craftsmen and the smiths had already been exiled during the exile of Yechonyah, so who was left behind here? The poorest of the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had originally spared to serve as vinedressers and plowmen. Now he exiles even from these poorest of the people, along with the rest of the people remaining in the city. And take note: those whom he had designated as vinedressers and plowmen he still does not exile, but rather the poor of the people besides them.
And who were "the defectors who had surrendered to the king of Babylon"? These were people who, terrified that the king of Babylon would storm the city and slaughter everyone inside, went out and surrendered to him, declaring: "We are ready to accept your sovereignty." Indeed, this was precisely what the prophet Yirmiyahu had urged: surrender to the king of Babylon and submit to his rule, for his dominion has been ordained by Hashem.
Incidentally, it was of these very defectors that Tzidkiyahu was afraid. When the prophet told him to surrender to the king of Babylon, make peace with him, and accept his authority, Tzidkiyahu replied: "I am afraid that he will deliver me into the hands of the Judeans who have already defected to him, and they will taunt me, saying: 'You refused to surrender until now!' The king will hand me over to those who came first, and they will abuse me" - for they had fiercely opposed Tzidkiyahu. It was for this reason that Tzidkiyahu was unwilling to accept Nebuchadnezzar's authority.
"And the rest of the multitude (he'amon)" - the word is written as "he'amon" with an aleph, but its meaning is "hehamon" (the multitude). Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard exiled the remainder of the populace.
וּמִדַּלּוֹת הָאָרֶץ הִשְׁאִיר נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב־טַבָּחִים לְכֹרְמִים וּלְיֹגְבִים׃ - But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.
From the poorest of the poor, those who would never even contemplate rebelling against him, he left behind to be vinedressers and plowmen. "Kormim" (vinedressers) are those who work with grapevines; they are called this because they gather and heap up the clusters of grapes - lichrom means to gather, like la'arom (to heap up). And "yogvim" are those who dig trenches in the ground, similar to a yekev (winepress), which is likewise excavated in the earth. Our Sages also explained that these were snail-gatherers, people skilled in hunting the chilazon and harvesting it to produce the biblical dye of techelet.
וְאֶת־עַמּוּדֵי הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר לְבֵית־יְהֹוָה וְאֶת־הַמְּכֹנוֹת וְאֶת־יָם הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית־יְהֹוָה שִׁבְּרוּ כַשְׂדִּים, וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־כׇּל־נְחֻשְׁתָּם בָּבֶלָה׃ - And the bronze pillars that belonged to the House of Hashem, and the bases, and the bronze Sea that was in the House of Hashem, the Chaldeans broke into pieces, and they carried all their bronze to Babylon.
"The pillars of bronze" - large bronze pillars, as will be described immediately. "The bases" (mechonot) - these were the lavers, for we learned that Shlomo built ten lavers, and they were called "mechonot" because the lavers stood upon a base fitted with wheels, meaning the lavers were portable.
"The sea of bronze" - the sea crafted by Shlomo, whose diameter was ten cubits and whose circumference was thirty cubits. A diameter of ten cubits is approximately five meters; imagine a reservoir of such a diameter, made of cast bronze. And what was it used for? For the sanctification of hands and feet. There were twelve oxen upon which the sea stood, and from it they drew water to sanctify their hands and feet, as the kohanim were required to sanctify their hands and feet prior to their avodah. And how did they sanctify them? A kohen would place his right hand upon his right foot and wash them together, and then his left hand upon his left foot and wash them together - such was their practice.
Let us also note the phrase "the Chaldeans broke": owing to its immense size, it was impossible to carry the sea out or transport such a colossal object, nor did they have any need for it as a vessel. Therefore, they smashed it to pieces, as their only need was for its bronze. As raw material it was valuable, but the sea itself, this vast reservoir, was of no use to them.
וְאֶת־הַסִּרוֹת וְאֶת־הַיָּעִים וְאֶת־הַמְזַמְּרוֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָקֹת וְאֶת־הַכַּפּוֹת וְאֵת כׇּל־כְּלֵי הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־יְשָׁרְתוּ בָהֶם לָקָחוּ׃ - And the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels with which they served, they took away.
The pots, the shovels, and all these items were utensils used in the Beit HaMikdash for the sacrificial service: to turn the pieces of meat upon the fire, to toss the blood upon the Altar. "The mezammerot" - musical instruments. "The basins" (mizrakot) - vessels into which the blood was received and from which it was sprinkled upon the Altar, hence the name mizrak. "The spoons" (kapot) and bronze vessels - in which they placed the frankincense. And everything that was taken and used in the service, they took for themselves.
וְאֶת־הַסִּפִּים וְאֶת־הַמַּחְתּוֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְרָקוֹת וְאֶת־הַסִּירוֹת וְאֶת־הַמְּנֹרוֹת וְאֶת־הַכַּפּוֹת וְאֶת־הַמְּנַקִּיּוֹת, אֲשֶׁר זָהָב זָהָב וַאֲשֶׁר־כֶּסֶף כָּסֶף, לָקַח רַב־טַבָּחִים׃ - And the basins, the firepans, the sprinkling basins, the pots, the menorot, the spoons, and the cleansing bowls - that which was of gold as gold, and that which was of silver as silver - the chief of the executioners took away.
Here it describes what the chief of the executioners took personally, in contrast to what the Chaldean army took, as mentioned earlier. "The basins" (sippim) - Rashi says: I do not know whether it is a type of musical instrument, and suggests explaining them as basins to receive the blood, as it is written "in the blood that is in the basin (saf)"; others explain that it derives from beams and doorposts, and Rashi notes that this seems more probable. "The firepans" - with which they scooped the coals. And "the cleansing bowls" (menakiyot) - these were the golden rods placed upon the Shulchan, rod-like supports upon which they laid the Showbread; for the Showbread was not placed directly flat on the surface, since its heat was continuous, and so that it would not become moldy, they placed it on reed-like supports allowing air to circulate beneath it. All of these, whether of gold or of silver, the chief of the executioners took - meaning, for the royal treasury.
הָעַמּוּדִים שְׁנַיִם, הַיָּם אֶחָד, וְהַבָּקָר שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר נְחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־תַּחַת הַמְּכֹנוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה לְבֵית יְהֹוָה, לֹא־הָיָה מִשְׁקָל לִנְחֻשְׁתָּם כׇּל־הַכֵּלִים הָאֵלֶּה׃ - The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze oxen that were under the bases, which King Shlomo had made for the House of Hashem - the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.
"The two pillars" - these are the two pillars mentioned, whose names were Yachin and Boaz. Here a difficulty arises in the verse: the oxen were beneath the sea, beneath the large reservoir containing the water, so how could it say here "that were under the bases"? Rashi states: I do not know how this can be, for they were under the sea; it seems to me this must mean "next to the bases" - that is, not literally beneath them, but beside them, since the bases (which were the lavers, as explained) stood adjacent to the sea that Shlomo made.
וְהָעַמּוּדִים שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה קוֹמַת הָעַמּוּד הָאֶחָד, וְחוּט שְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה יְסֻבֶּנּוּ, וְעׇבְיוֹ אַרְבַּע אֶצְבָּעוֹת נָבוּב׃ - And as for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a cord of twelve cubits would encircle it; its thickness was four fingers, hollow.
Eighteen cubits was the height of the pillar - roughly nine meters, and according to the calculation of the Chazon Ish, even more. A tremendous height, equivalent to three stories. "And a cord of twelve cubits would encircle it" - its circumference was twelve cubits, and since the diameter is roughly a third of the circumference, the diameter was approximately four cubits, which is about two meters. A pillar whose diameter alone was two meters and whose height was nine meters! Nevertheless, "its thickness was four fingers, hollow" - so one should not assume those two meters were solid cast bronze, which would be an unfathomable quantity; rather, the wall thickness was four fingerbreadths, and it was hollow in the center. Four fingerbreadths are slightly less than a tefach, since a fingerbreadth is measured by the thumb and is about two centimeters, with five fingerbreadths equaling a tefach.
וְכֹתֶרֶת עָלָיו נְחֹשֶׁת, וְקוֹמַת הַכֹּתֶרֶת הָאַחַת חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת, וּשְׂבָכָה וְרִמּוֹנִים עַל־הַכּוֹתֶרֶת סָבִיב הַכֹּל נְחֹשֶׁת, וְכָאֵלֶּה לַעַמּוּד הַשֵּׁנִי וְרִמּוֹנִים׃ - And a capital of bronze was upon it, and the height of the one capital was five cubits, with netting and pomegranates upon the capital all around, all of bronze; and the second pillar had the same, and pomegranates.
These are descriptions we have already seen when Shlomo built the Temple. Anyone who walks along the Cardo in the Old City of Jerusalem, in the Jewish Quarter, sees standing pillars topped with ornate capitals. This was the Herodian architectural style as well as the earlier style: a pillar topped by a capital. The capital was part of the pillar's splendor, and in order to support the ceiling, they would cast a sturdier structure at the top. "And the height of the one capital was five cubits" - two and a half meters, a capital nearly the height of a house, in addition to the nine meters of the pillar itself. And how was it crafted? "With netting" - a mesh-like latticework, "and pomegranates" - prominent decorative motifs shaped like pomegranates; and so it was for the second pillar as well.
וַיִּהְיוּ הָרִמֹּנִים תִּשְׁעִים וְשִׁשָּׁה רוּחָה, כׇּל־הָרִמּוֹנִים מֵאָה עַל־הַשְּׂבָכָה סָבִיב׃ - And there were ninety-six pomegranates toward the open air; all the pomegranates on the netting all around were a hundred.
"Ninety-six toward the open air" - referring to the directions of the wind, exposed to each side, while all the pomegranates together around the netting totaled one hundred.
וַיִּקַּח רַב־טַבָּחִים אֶת־שְׂרָיָה כֹּהֵן הָרֹאשׁ וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָה כֹּהֵן הַמִּשְׁנֶה וְאֶת־שְׁלֹשֶׁת שֹׁמְרֵי הַסַּף׃ - And the captain of the guard took Serayah the chief priest, and Tzefanyah the secondary priest, and the three keepers of the threshold.
Nevuzaradan seeks out all the prominent figures: the Kohen Gadol, who is the "chief priest," named Serayah; Tzefanyah, who is the deputy Kohen Gadol, the "secondary priest"; and the three keepers of the threshold - these are the amarkalin (chief trustees), as Chazal explain, the ones to whom the keys of the Temple Courtyard (Azarah) were entrusted. And what is an amarkal? The word implies that everything is based on his word (amirat hakol) - he directs everything and decides everything, much like a modern-day CEO.
וּמִן־הָעִיר לָקַח סָרִיס אֶחָד אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה פָקִיד עַל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה, וְשִׁבְעָה אֲנָשִׁים מֵרֹאֵי פְנֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצְאוּ בָעִיר, וְאֵת סֹפֵר שַׂר הַצָּבָא הַמַּצְבִּא אֶת־עַם הָאָרֶץ, וְשִׁשִּׁים אִישׁ מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר׃ - And from the city he took one officer who was appointed over the men of war, and seven men from among the king's advisors who were found in the city, and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.
All these, who were men of higher stature, he took with him.
וַיִּקַּח אוֹתָם נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב־טַבָּחִים וַיֹּלֶךְ אוֹתָם אֶל־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל רִבְלָתָה׃ וַיַּכֶּה אוֹתָם מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וַיְמִיתֵם בְּרִבְלָה בְּאֶרֶץ חֲמָת, וַיִּגֶל יְהוּדָה מֵעַל אַדְמָתוֹ׃ - And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Rivlah. And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death in Rivlah in the land of Chamat; and Judah was exiled from its land.
He brings them before Nevuchadnetzar, and the king of Babylon puts them to death. Nevuchadnetzar was exceedingly wicked, and Chazal say that in his day he cast terrible and terrifying dread upon everyone. He executes and slaughters them, and Judah is exiled from its land.
זֶה הָעָם אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר: בִּשְׁנַת־שֶׁבַע יְהוּדִים שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וְעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה׃ בִּשְׁנַת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מִירוּשָׁלַיִם נֶפֶשׁ שְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁנָיִם׃ בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלֹשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר הֶגְלָה נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב־טַבָּחִים יְהוּדִים נֶפֶשׁ שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה, כׇּל־נֶפֶשׁ אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת׃ - This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar exiled: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Judeans; in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar, eight hundred and thirty-two persons from Jerusalem; in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, exiled seven hundred and forty-five Judean persons; all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
Let us examine the chronology. Chazal state: When Nebuchadnezzar was crowned, in his first year he went and conquered Nineveh, and in his second year he came up and subjugated Yehoyakim - meaning he established his dominion here and took control of the land. In the eighth year of his reign, which was the seventh year since his subjugation of Yehoyakim (as he conquered him one year after taking the throne), he exiled Yechanyah - that is, Yehoyachin, which was the exile of Yechanyah. In the nineteenth year of his reign, which was the eighteenth year from the conquest of Yehoyakim, he exiled Tzidkiyahu. And in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, which corresponds to the twenty-fourth year from the initial conquest of Yehoyakim, the captain of the guard exiled seven hundred and forty-five souls - all those who remained here after Tzidkiyahu's exile, conducting a thorough sweep. In Seder Olam it is noted that Tyre was given into his hand at that time, and he swept through the Judeans residing in the areas of Ammon and Moab, taking seven hundred and forty-five people, leaving nothing behind.
These figures appear small because the earlier exiles had already carried off the majority of the population: the exile of Yehoyachin was the principal exile, and those exiled afterward were a minority. To be sure, there are other reckonings, and the Book of Kings cites different numbers, which the commentaries reconcile; however, our purpose is not to delve into all the chronological harmonies between the books, which is a more mathematical pursuit. Rather, we are presenting the broad historical outline of what transpired.
וַיְהִי בִשְׁלֹשִׁים וָשֶׁבַע שָׁנָה לְגָלוּת יְהוֹיָכִן מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה, בִּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בְּעֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה לַחֹדֶשׁ, נָשָׂא אֱוִיל מְרֹדַךְ מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בִּשְׁנַת מַלְכֻתוֹ אֶת־רֹאשׁ יְהוֹיָכִין מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה, וַיֹּצֵא אֹתוֹ מִבֵּית הַכְּלוּא׃ - And it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Yehoyachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year of his reign, lifted the head of Yehoyachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.
Thirty-seven years into Yehoyachin's exile was approximately forty-six years after Nebuchadnezzar began his reign. And who was Evil-merodach? The son of Nebuchadnezzar. As will be recalled - and as recorded in the Book of Daniel - Nebuchadnezzar was driven away for seven years and lived like a beast of the field, and during those seven years Evil-merodach reigned in his place. That Evil-merodach acted foolishly: he assumed the throne without taking into account the risk that his father might return. Indeed, his father returned after seven years, reclaimed his position and his kingdom, and cast his son Evil-merodach into prison.
After Nebuchadnezzar died, Evil-merodach his son rose once again to reign, but he was seized with fear, thinking: Who can confirm that my father is truly dead? Perhaps he will return once more? Therefore, after they buried Nebuchadnezzar, he ordered that his father's bones be exhumed from the grave, fulfilling the verse: "And you were cast out... like an abhorred sprout." Such were among the "favorable promises" foretold regarding Nebuchadnezzar, that he would be cast out of his grave in disgrace - and this was carried out by his own son. Why? Evil-merodach said: I must be certain that my father is never returning; once was enough for me, and until I see his bones crushed and scattered, I will not believe it. Only then did he release Yehoyachin from prison.
Chazal made statements regarding Nebuchadnezzar's stature: some say he was an cubit tall, and some say a handbreadth. On the surface, this suggests immense cruelty concentrated in an exceedingly small frame. In truth, however, there is no need to understand this according to its plain, physical meaning. Frequently, when Chazal speak of dimensions, they are not referring to physical size, for that is not their concern. "And Avraham made a great feast" - what does it matter whether there were three thousand guests or ten thousand? Rather, what made it a "great" feast? Chazal explain that the greatest luminaries of the world were in attendance. The "greatness" that Chazal evaluate is not material quantity, but significance.
The same applies to the Gemara's statement about Shimshon, that the width between his shoulders was thirty cubits. A person might wonder: Was he Gulliver, with shoulders spanning fifteen meters? But where did Chazal derive this? From the gates of Gaza, which were no less than thirty cubits wide; and how was he able to carry them upon his shoulders? Perforce, his shoulders were thirty cubits. Could it enter anyone's mind that this was literally so? Rather, they are conveying: Do you wish to understand the magnitude of strength concentrated in Shimshon's shoulders? Picture a man whose shoulders span thirty cubits - that was the power concentrated within Shimshon as a single individual. They spoke not of quantity, but of quality. (Regarding Og, by contrast, Scripture explicitly states that he was a giant, and there one should not depart from the literal meaning.)
If so, it is very possible that when Chazal described Nebuchadnezzar as miniature, they were referring not to his physical stature, but to his character: in his personality, he was a small, petty man. There is a person who rises to reign, and one sees immediately from his conduct and character that he is a king, well-suited to the mantle of leadership; and there is a person who rises to reign and one says: he is no king, but a slave; from his conduct and character he is revealed as the lowliest of the low, a petty individual. This teaches a profound reality about how dire circumstances become when a small man rises to power. As the observation goes: when small people cast long shadows, it is a sign that the sun is setting. This is a profound concept - such a phenomenon can occur only at sunset. When one sees various officials appointed, one becoming prime minister and another president, yet being small and petty individuals as is all too well known, it is a sign that we are truly in a time of sunset.
וַיְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ טֹבוֹת, וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־כִּסְאוֹ מִמַּעַל לְכִסֵּא הַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בְּבָבֶל׃ - And he spoke kindly with him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
Evil-merodach released him from prison and completely transformed his situation: "And he spoke kindly with him" - he did not treat him harshly, but with gentleness and pleasantness. "And set his throne above the throne of the kings" - the kings had designated seats where they sat according to their rank of importance, and he elevated his seat and gave him a place more distinguished than all of them. We see that Evil-merodach genuinely esteemed him.
וְשִׁנָּה אֵת בִּגְדֵי כִלְאוֹ, וְאָכַל לֶחֶם לְפָנָיו תָּמִיד כׇּל־יְמֵי חַיָּו׃ - And he changed his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before him all the days of his life.
The Malbim notes: Regarding Yosef it is written, "and he changed (vayachalef) his garments," whereas here it is written, "and he altered (veshinah) his prison garments." What is the difference? "Vayachalef" means that he had different clothes - prison garb - and they replaced them with royal robes, giving other garments in their place. But "leshannot" does not mean they brought him different garments; rather, they kept the exact same garments and merely altered them. This is like a person who says, "I made changes to the house" - meaning he renovated it; whereas "I exchanged my house" means he moved to a different house.
Accordingly, even in prison he did not wear filthy, soiled, or degraded clothing, but dignified garments, except that they bore a mark or insignia - a kind of patch indicating that he was a prisoner. This is the meaning of "and he altered his prison garments" - he removed that badge of disgrace from him, thereby altering his clothing to make it more distinguished; yet they remained the very same garments, rather than being replaced.
וַאֲרֻחָתוֹ אֲרֻחַת תָּמִיד נִתְּנָה־לּוֹ מֵאֵת מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל, דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ, עַד־יוֹם מוֹתוֹ, כֹּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו׃ - And as for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him from the king of Babylon, each day's portion on its day, until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
A regular meal allowance was provided to him by the king of Babylon, who sent him a meal every single day, providing for him like a steady catering service, and he ate from the royal table all the days of his life. This concludes Sefer Yirmiyahu.
The concluding chapter of Sefer Yirmiyahu is the chapter of the Churban: Tzidkiyahu's rebellion that came about through the anger of Hashem; Asarah b'Tevet and the construction of the siege wall; the breach of the city walls in Tammuz and the king's flight through the tunnel towards Yericho; the deer through which the Holy One, blessed be He, ensnared Tzidkiyahu; the trial at Rivlah for the violated oath; the slaughter of his sons and the princes of Yehudah who had unlawfully absolved him of the oath; the blinding of his eyes and the simultaneous fulfillment of both parts of the prophet's words; the burning of the Beis HaMikdash on the ninth and tenth of Av; the destruction of the vessels and the pillars fashioned by Shlomo; the exile of the people and the tally of the exiles - and finally, a ray of light: Yehoyachin is released from prison, his seat is elevated above all the kings, the badge of disgrace is removed from his garments, and a regular daily allowance is provided to him all the days of his life. Thus, after all the calamity, the book concludes with a doorway of hope.