Daily Tanach – Yirmiyah Chapter 40: Yirmiyahu’s Freedom, Gedaliah’s Leadership, and a Deadly Plot (Wednesday 20th Kisleiv)

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Yirmiyahu 40:  Yirmiyahu’s Freedom, Gedaliah’s Leadership, and a Deadly Plot

  1. Yirmiyahu’s Release and Freedom of Choice (Yirmiyahu 40:1–6)

After the fall of Jerusalem, Yirmiyahu was among the captives taken to Ramah in chains. Nebuzaradan, the chief executioner, released him and acknowledged that the disaster had come because the people sinned against the Lord and did not obey His voice. Nebuzaradan offered Yirmiyahu the choice to go to Babylon, where he would be cared for, or remain in Judah. Yirmiyahu chose to stay in the land and was given provisions and a gift before being sent to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. Yirmiyahu lived among the remnant of the people who remained in Judah.

  1. Gedaliah’s Appointment and Assurance (Yirmiyahu 40:7–10)

Gedaliah was appointed governor over the cities of Judah by the king of Babylon. When the remaining army officers and their men heard of this, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Gedaliah reassured them, urging them not to fear serving the Babylonians. He promised that if they settled in the land and served the king of Babylon, it would go well with them. Gedaliah explained that he would remain in Mizpah to represent the people before the Babylonians, while they should gather wine, figs, and oil and live in the towns they had occupied.

  1. Return of the Exiles and Prosperity (Yirmiyahu 40:11–12)

News spread to Jews living in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other lands that a remnant had been left in Judah under Gedaliah’s leadership. Many returned from exile and came to Mizpah. They settled in Judah and gathered large quantities of wine and dried figs, signaling a brief period of stability and abundance for the survivors.

  1. Warning Against Ishmael’s Plot (Yirmiyahu 40:13–16)

Johanan son of Kareah and other army officers came to Gedaliah and warned him that Baalis, the king of Ammon, had sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate him. Gedaliah refused to believe the report. Johanan even offered to secretly kill Ishmael to prevent the murder and the scattering of the remnant of Judah, but Gedaliah forbade him, insisting that Johanan’s claim was false.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.