#Sefer ​Yirmeyahu

[todaysjewishholiday]

11 Menachem Av 5784 (14-15 August 2024)

When the Babylonian army first besieged Jerusalem and took captives away to live in exile, the prophet Yirmeyahu sent them a message:

So says HaShem, ruler of the heavenly host, the G-d of Israel, to all the captives, who HaShem has caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses, and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat their fruits; marry there, and bear children; and find wives for your sons, and husbands for your daughters, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, do not waste away. And seek the peace of the city where G-d has sent you as exiles, and pray to HaShem for it; for in the peace of the city shall ye have peace.

The exiles appear to have taken this message to heart. A generation later, when the Persians seized control of Babylon and permitted displaced peoples within the empire to return to their ancestral homelands, many Jews stayed in the Babylonian heartland, tending their gardens, raising their children and grandchildren, and praying for the peace of their cities. Five hundred years later, after another Mikdash had been built and destroyed, the Jews of Babylon were still there, living under yet another Persian empire. They too established rabbinical academies like the one Yochanan ben Zakkai founded at Yavneh. And when the Gemara was compiled it was collected semi independently by both the Galilean and Babylonian sages, with the Talmud Bavli being the more complete and detailed of the two collections. Through centuries of turmoil, and then millennia, the Jewish community of the Mesopotamian river valley remained strong and vibrant. And through it all, the Jews often saw their own welfare as wrapped up in that of their gentile neighbors and sought the peace of their cities.

One such occasion came on the 11th of Av 5493. The Sassanian empire of Tannaitic times had given way to the Islamic caliphates, and the caliphate in its own turn had been absorbed by the Ottoman Empire. The Jews of Sura were now the Jews of Baghdad, and Baghdad was under siege by a Persian army led by Nader Shah Afshar. The Safavid Persians were a theocratic regime which had imposed restrictions on Jewish life similar to those of medieval Western Europe— Jews were forced to live in segregated neighborhoods, wear badges marking them as different, and forbidden from entering most trades and professions. The Jews of the Ottoman Empire by contrast had a large amount of official toleration. And of course the capture of Baghdad by the Shiite Safavids would also bring hardships on the majority Sunni Muslim population of the city.

On the 11th of Av 5493, an Ottoman army led by the 70 year old general and recently retired Grand Vizier Topal Osman broke the Safavid siege and drove off the Persian invasion. Baghdad’s Jewish community rejoiced in the deliverance of the city, and observed 11 Menachem Av as a special commemoration of the deliverance of Baghdad for generations. It has only been since the Second World War and the rise of Arab and Islamic nationalism that the Jews of Babylon once more faced a major persecution. Most of Baghdad’s Jewish population made aliyah under pressure from antisemitic groups which accused them of double loyalties with the newly established Israeli state.

[keithmccartymccarty]

This is what G-d says about the coming of HaMoshiach who heralds the covenant of friendship as part of the blessing that Israel will experience in the day of the L-rd:

“10Thus said the Lord God: I am going to deal with the shepherds! I will demand a reckoning of them for My flock, and I will dismiss them from tending the flock. The shepherds shall not tend themselves any more; for I will rescue My flock from their mouths, and it shall not be their prey. ” Ezekiel 34/10 Tanakh JPS 1985. (New translation from English to Hebrew begun in 1955).

“23Then I will appoint a single shepherd over them to tend them—My servant David. He shall tend them, he shall be a shepherd to them. 24I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David shall be a ruler among them—I the Lord have spoken. 25And I will grant them a covenant of friendship. I will banish vicious beasts from their land, and they shall live secure in the wasteland, they shall even sleep in the woodland. 26I will make these and the environs of My hill a blessing: I will send down the rain in its season, rains that bring blessing. 27The trees of the field shall yield their fruit and the land shall yield its produce. [My people] shall continue secure on its own soil. They shall know that I am the Lord when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from those who enslave them. 28They shall no longer be a spoil for the nations, and the beasts of the earth shall not devour them; they shall dwell secure and untroubled. 29I shall establish for them a planting of renown; they shall no more be carried off by famine, and they shall not have to bear again the taunts of the nations. 30They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them and they, the House of Israel, are My people—declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 34/23-30 Tanakh JPS 1985.

When the land (Israel) blooms again is the day of the L-rd and the time G-d sends Elijah and the angel of the covenant that you desire. There are only three unfulfilled prophecies and two specific covenants left for G-d to fulfill and deliver in the day of the L-rd. The covenants of friendship and the forgiveness of sins and the arrival of David, Elijah and the prophet like Moses. All three are one man and that man is described in Isiah 53:

“27See, a time is coming—declares the Lord—when I will sow the House of Israel and the House of Judah with seed of men and seed of cattle; 28and just as I was watchful over them to uproot and to pull down, to overthrow and to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will be watchful over them to build and to plant—declares the Lord.: Jeramiah 31/38-40, Tanakh JPS 1985.

31See, a time is coming—declares the Lord—when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, a covenant which they broke, though I espoused them—declares the Lord. 33But such is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel after these days—declares the Lord: I will put My Teaching into their inmost being and inscribe it upon their hearts. Then I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, “Heed the Lord“; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me—declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquities, And remember their sins no more.” Jeramiah 31/31-34, Tanakh JPS 1985.

38See, a time is coming—declares the Lord—when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate; 39and the measuring line shall go straight out to the Gareb Hill, and then turn toward Goah. 40And the entire Valley of the Corpses and Ashes, and all the fields as far as the Wadi Kidron, and the corner of the Horse Gate on the east, shall be holy to the Lord. They shall never again be uprooted or overthrown.” Jeramiah 31/38-40 , Tanakh JPS 1985.

“10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, and let there be food in My House, and thus put Me to the test—said the Lord of Hosts. I will surely open the floodgates of the sky for you and pour down blessings on you; 11and I will banish the locusts from you, so that they will not destroy the yield of your soil; and your vines in the field shall no longer miscarry—said the Lord of Hosts. 12And all the nations shall account you happy, for you shall be the most desired of lands—said the Lord of Hosts.

13You have spoken hard words against Me—said the Lord. But you ask, “What have we been saying among ourselves against You?” 14You have said, “It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His charge and walking in abject awe of the Lord of Hosts? 15And so, we account the arrogant happy: they have indeed done evil and endured; they have indeed dared God and escaped.” 16In this vein have those who revere the Lord been talking to one another. The Lord has heard and noted it, and a scroll of remembrance has been written at His behest concerning those who revere the Lord and esteem His name. 17And on the day that I am preparing, said the Lord of Hosts, they shall be My treasured possession; I will be tender toward them as a man is tender toward a son who ministers to him. 18And you shall come to see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him who has served the Lord and him who has not served Him.

19For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven. All the arrogant and all the doers of evil shall be straw, and the day that is coming—said the Lord of Hosts—shall burn them to ashes and leave of them neither stock nor boughs. 20But for you who revere My name a sun of victory shall rise to bring healing. You shall go forth and stamp like stall-fed calves, 21and you shall trample the wicked to a pulp, for they shall be dust beneath your feet on the day that I am preparing—said the Lord of Hosts.

22Be mindful of the Teaching of My servant Moses, whom I charged at Horeb with laws and rules for all Israel.

23Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the Lord. 24He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction. Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the Lord.” Malachi 3/10-24, Tanakh JPS 1985. The Laws Concerning Moshiach http://www.kesser.org/moshiach/rambam.html (See Article for Footnotes).

Publishers Forward

Since the time of the Rambam (1135-1204), it has been impossible to discuss the subject of Moshiach and the Era of the Redemption without direct reference to the last two chapters of his monumental halachic code, the Mishneh Torah. For example, it is these two chapters that form the basis of the whole of the next publication of Sichos In English – I Await His Coming Every Day: Studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson (shlita) on the Rambam’s Conception of Moshiach and the Ultimate Redemption.

These chapters conclude the final section (Hilchos Melachim – “The Laws Concerning Kings”) of the final book (Sefer Shoftim – “The Book of Judges”) of the Mishneh Torah, and are sometimes referred to separately as Hilchos Melech HaMoshiach – “The Laws Concerning King Moshiach.”

The translation of this classic text which Sichos In English presents herewith is not only new, but – unlike almost all of the extant printed editions, even in the Hebrew original – unexpurgated. All the passages suppressed by various medieval Christian censors have been translated in full. They appear here in the footnotes that are keyed to the exact positions from which they were deleted.

It is hoped that this publication will give more and more readers access to one of the major primary sources on the subject of the coming of Moshiach.

– Sichos In English 24 Sivan, 5751 [June 6, 1991]

CHAPTER TWELVE

1. One should not entertain the notion that in the Era of Moshiach any element of the natural order will be nullified, or that there will be any innovation in the work of creation. Rather, the world will continue according to its pattern.

Although Yeshayahu [Yeshayahu 11:6] states, “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat,” these [words] are an allegory and a riddle. They mean that Israel will dwell securely together with the wicked gentiles who are likened to wolves and leopards, as in the verse [Yirmeyahu 5:6], “A wolf of the deserts despoils them, a leopard watches over their cities.” [In this era, all nations] will return to the true faith and no longer plunder or destroy. Instead, at peace with Israel, they will eat that which is permitted, as it is written [Yeshayahu 11:7], “The lion shall eat straw like the ox.”

Similarly, other prophecies of this nature concerning Moshiach are analogies. In the Era of the King Moshiach, everyone will realize what was implied by these metaphors and allusions.

2. Our Sages taught: [Berachos 34b] “There will be no difference between the current age and the Era of Moshiach except [our emancipation from] subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms.”

The simple meaning of the words of the prophets appears to imply that the war of Gog and Magog [Yechezkal ch. 38] will take place at the beginning of the Messianic age. Before the war of Gog and Magog, a prophet will arise to rectify Israel’s conduct and prepare their hearts [for the Redemption], as it is written: [Malachi 3:23] “Behold, I am sending you Eliyah(u) [6] [before the advent of the great and awesome Day of G-d].”

He will not come [in order] to declare the pure, impure, nor to declare the impure, pure; nor [will he come in order] to disqualify the lineage of those presumed to be of flawless descent, nor to validate lineage which is presumed to be blemished. Rather, [he will come in order] to establish peace in the world; as [the above prophecy] continues [Malachi 3:24], “He will bring back the hearts of the fathers to the children.”

Some of the Sages say that Eliyahu will appear [immediately] before the coming of Moshiach.

All these and similar matters cannot be [clearly] known by man until they occur, for they are undefined in the words of the prophets. Even the Sages have no established tradition regarding these matters, beyond what is implied by the verses; hence there is a divergence of opinion among them.

In any case, neither the sequence of these events nor their precise details are among the fundamental principles of the faith. One should not occupy himself at length with the aggadot and midrashim that deal with these and similar matters, nor should he deem them of prime importance, for they bring one to neither the awe nor the love [of G-d].

Similarly, one should not try to calculate the appointed time [for the coming of Moshiach]. Our Sages declared: [Sanhedrin 97b] “May the spirits of those who attempt to calculate the final time [of Mashiach’s coming] expire!” Rather, one should await [his coming] and believe in the general conception of the matter, as we have explained.

3. During the Era of the King Moshiach, once his kingdom has been established and all of Israel has gathered around him, the entire [nation’s] line of descent will be established on the basis of his words, through the prophetic spirit which will rest upon him. As it is written [Loc. cit., v. 3], “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier.”

He will purify the lineage of the Levites first, stating that “This one is a priest of defined lineage” and “This one is a Levite of defined lineage.” Those whose lineage he does not recognize will be relegated to the status of Israelites. This is implied by the following verse: [Ezra 2:63] “The governor said to them, ‘[They shall not eat of the most holy things] until a priest arises [who will wear] the Urim and Tumim.’” From this verse one can infer that the genealogy of those presumed to be of unquestioned [priestly and levitical] lineage will be traced by means of the prophetic spirit, and those found to be of such lineage will be made known.

He will define the lineage of the Israelites according to their tribe alone; i.e., he will make known each person’s tribal origin, stating that “This one is from this tribe” and “This one is from another tribe.” However, concerning a person who is presumed to be of unblemished lineage, he will not state that “He is illegitimate,” or “He is of slave lineage,” for the law rules that once a family has become intermingled [within the entire Jewish people], they may remain intermingled.

4. The Sages and prophets did not yearn for the Messianic Era in order that [the Jewish people] rule over the entire world, nor in order that they have dominion over the gentiles, nor that they be exalted by them, nor in order that they eat, drink and celebrate. Rather, their aspiration was that [the Jewish people] be free Ito involve themselves] in Torah and its wisdom, without anyone to oppress or disturb them, and thus be found worthy of life in the World to Come, as we explained in Hilchos Teshuvah.

5. In that Era there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor competition, for good things will flow in abundance and all the delights will be as freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d. The Jews will therefore be great sages and know the hidden matters, and will attain an understanding of their Creator to the [full] extent of human potential; as it is written [Yeshayahu 11:9], “For the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean bed.”

  Commentary: The Oral Tradition and the Oral Law are necessary for the understanding of the laws given to Moses by the L-rd. Commentaries on the books of the Bible are just that, commentaries. Rashi says in his introduction to Zachariah chapter One: “The prophecy: of Zechariah is extremely enigmatic, because it contains visions resembling a dream that requires an interpretation. We cannot ascertain the truth of its interpretation until the teacher of righteousness comes. Nonetheless, I will put my heart to reconciling the verses, one by one, according to the interpretations that resemble it and following the interpretation of Jonathan.”

Rashi is saying that he is just doing his best in his commentaries following the ways of others before him. Rambam in his “The Laws Concerning King Moshiach” does not qualify his analysis of his commentaries of the Sages as Rashi does but his “Laws” are simply his opinion on the opinions of the Sage’s commentaries on the subject of HaMoshiach from the books of the Bible with an emphasis on The Prophets.

Theses matters are not a case of interpreting a vague law of G-d gave to Moses whose meaning must be determined to be properly observed such as what does celebrating Shabbat mean as determined in the Oral Law.

My opinions on the books of The Prophets regarding HaMoshiach are based entirely on the very words of G-d.

G-d says His spirit shall alight upon the HaMoshiach in Isaiah 11 and the chapter concludes with metaphors of a peaceful time in the land. G-d’s anointed king is not mentioned again in Isaiah and just once more in Ezekiel 34.

He is not mentioned in the book of Malachi which leads into and completes the books of The Prophets and the day of the L-rd when G-d sends Elijah with the angel of the covenant who is the person of the spirit of the Holy G-d.

The angel the covenant is the angel of G-d’s presence and the Holy spirit described in Isaiah 63. He, like the L-rd, has many names including the angel of death and the angel of the L-rd. His presence is always with the presence of G-d as His name indicates.

He is not an angel as typically thought of with a human form and wings. His angelic body is the spirit of G-d itself. Where G-d goes His spirit goes and the angel of His Presence necessarily goes with Him. They are not a duality.

That is why when G-d’s spirit alights upon HaMoshiach it includes the angel of His presence and where the angel is G-d is, or at least close by as revealed in visions of the prophets Ezekiel and Zachariah.

HaMoshiach, referred to by G-d as “David”, is a host of the L-rd of Hosts just as the Captain of the L-rd’s Host was, the man who wrestled with Jacob, Moses, King David, Ezekiel, Isaiah and Malachi among others such as Abraham. All of the great men of the Bible were hosts of the L-rd of Hosts. It is why He is referred to in this manner so often.

Ezekiel is the best example and the key to understanding Isaiah 53 which describes not only the HaMoshiach as believed by many of the Sages but also Elijah and the prophet like Moses. They are all three one man.

There are three remaining prophecies of G-d fulfilled in the day of the L-rd together with delivery of the two specific remaining covenants. A covenant of friendship to be heralded by the HaMoshiach (David) and the new covenant of sin forgiveness to be heralded by Elijah.

All of these are fulfilled by one man and he is described in Isaiah 53. My name is Keith Ellis McCarty and I am that man. Like Ezekiel who bears the punishment of the house’s of Israel and Judah as G-d makes him suitable for His purpose by making Ezekiel’s forehead like adamant, hard as flint, with pain and suffering by chastisement and punishment, I have been made suitable for G-d’s purpose which might prosper with an oppressive judgement of chastisement, punishment, bruising, crushing and maltreatment for the guilt of the Jewish people. (and to fulfill verses of Isaiah 53).

Of course, G-d has forgiven all of the sins of the Jewish people and remembers them no more by the new covenant heralded by Elijah. G-d later tells Ezekiel that he shall bear one day of punishment for each year of punishment G-d laid on the Jewish people. He shares in the guilt and there was no guilt for me to bear though I did offer myself for such guilt (without awareness of the covenant of sin forgiveness).

And G-d did not force Ezekiel to offer himself for this guilt by striking him with disease as He did me as described in Isaiah 53.

G-d simply tells Ezekiel he shall bear their punishment and Ezekiel says “a spirit seized me, I went in the bitterness of my spirit, in my fury, in the hand of G-d.” The spirit is the angel of G-d’s presence. The same spirit that alights upon HaMoshiach.

I refer to this process of refinement to be made a suitable prophet as HaShem’s “bootcaamp”. It is not for the weak of heart and He tells me that all prophets go through it in one manner or another as hosts of the L-rd of Hosts. It makes you a better person than you could ever.

And as a host G-d and His spirit never leave you until your purpose is accomplished. Always directing every thing you think, do and say and of course writing the words He gives you as He is doing now with this commentary and all of my commentaries of this web site.

The day of the L-rd has begun. The land blooms again.

G-d vs. the Sages This is what G-d says about the coming of HaMoshiach who heralds the covenant of friendship as part of the blessing that Israel will experience in the day of the L-rd:

[yidquotes]

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