Yehuda and Israel

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The First Split of the Kingdom
Chapter 2 (I)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
Chapter 2 discusses the first period of David’s monarchy over Judah in Hebron. Why was David’s first order of business to turn to the people of Yavesh Gilad? Who is to blame for the division of Israel into two monarchies – with Ish Boshet ruling over Israel and David ruling over Judah?
The Beginning of the Rebellion of Sheva Ben Bikhri
Chapter 19 (III) Chapter 20 (I)
Rabbi Amnon Bazak
On his return to Jerusalem David meets Jonathan’s son Mefiboshet, who offers his own explanation to the events. Was David’s decision regarding Mefiboshet’s field correct?
The Unity of Israel
Haftarot: Vayigash
Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein
The prophet promises that Israel will remain one united and undivided nation. What will be the nature of this unity?
A Blessing on Both Your Houses: Rachel and Leah
Dr. Yael Ziegler
Elimelekh's abandonment of his personal and national house and Ruth and Naomi's homelessness come full circle with Ruth entering Boaz's house. In the book of Judges the national house is threatened with collapse. Ruth is likened to Rachel and Leah who together symbolize unity. Her union with Boaz will establish David's kingdom, which will unify the Nation.
An Interim "Introduction" to Sefer Melakhim
Rabbi Alex Israel
From chapter 14 and onwards, we read brief accounts of kings that are formal and contain standardized language. The focus of the book of Melakhim is to be on the Mikdash. The book begins with the rise of Shlomo and the building of the Mikdash, and it ends with its destruction. The blame is also clear. This is a book that targets the leaders, and hence it assesses the leadership – king by king - to discern which national figures accelerated the path to that great calamity of destruction and which tried to reverse or stem that process, steering the nation on a path of repentance. Every king is listed and surveyed in order to understand their part. Hence, no link in the chain from building to destruction may be omitted. It knows precisely where to place the blame, which area of deviance constitutes the core of the problem. Our book is focused and locked-in upon idolatry and its associated practices.
Rehavam: Three Sources - Three Perspectives
Rabbi Alex Israel
The description of Rehavam in Melakhim focuses on the sin of idolatry and on the Mikdash in Jerusalem. In Divrei Hayamim the focus is on the sin of pride and has a broader regional focus. Archaeological evidence testifies that Shishak attacked Yerovam in the North. This is not mentioned in either of the bibical accounts. What is the relationship between the various accounts and what is the relationship between the biblkical account and history?
Aviya, Assa, and Ba'sha – Civil War
Rabbi Alex Israel
Sharp discrepancies between the account of Aviyam in Melakhim and in Divrei Hayamim lead to the conclusion that Aviya served God while concurrently tolerating other religious phenomena - an anathema to the worldview of Melakhim: zero tolerance for idolatry and hence absolute condemnation of Aviya. Assa, the next king, removes idolatry from Yehuda and reestablishes the covenant with God. However, when he perceives a military threat from the Northern Kingdom he turns to Aram for help and not to God.
Ahav's Final Battle
Rabbi Alex Israel
While the 400 prophets in the narrative are not prophets of Ba'al, but speak in the name of God, they are nonetheless false prophets. The method in which God reveals himself to prophets, other than Moshe, does not allow two prophets to prophecy in the same words. At the request of Yehoshafat, the king of Yehuda who enthusiastically embraces unity with the Northern kingdom, a solitary true prophet is brought. He brings a message of Ahav's demise and for this he is punished. Despite his disguise, Ahav is mortally wounded in battle, but remains in the battleground, sacrificing his life, in order to give moral support to his soldiers.

Ahav is a wavering personality who lacks a solid backbone and is easily influenced. He can be swayed towards Ba'al and can be shocked to veer closer to God worship. It is this lack of personal resilience and consistency that leaves him so susceptible to wide alterations in his religious orientation. The damage that he inflicted upon both the nation and the unfortunate individuals who met their death as a result of his actions means that he is one of the worst kings in the history of the Northern kingdom.
Yehoshafat, King of Yehuda
Rabbi Alex Israel
The brief description of Yehoshafat in Kings I indicates that his perios was one of enormous prosperity and extensive political hegemony over the region. In Divrei Hayamim, his reign is described in luxurious detail, spanning four extensive chapters. Yehoshafat is determined to actively pursue national unity with the Northern kingdom and the House of Ahav despite prophetic criticism. The results of this questionable policy included one failed military campaign and a broken fleet of ships. Yehoshafat began his monarchy with a passion for spreading Torah, and later , upon receiving the criticism of the prophet he decides to rehabilitate the legal system.

As a king, Yehoshafat is superior even to Shlomo in his positive and responsive interactions with the prophet and in the fact that, despite his association with Ahav, he is insusceptible to idolatry. In the landscape of Sefer Melakhim, Yehoshafat stands as one of the greatest and most impressive kings of Yehuda.
Amatzya and the War with Yoash
Rabbi Alex Israel
Sefer Melakhim presents Amatzya as a King who is religiously devoted and successful in expanding his empire. His aggression towards Yisrael, possibly generated by overinflated hubris, lead to his demise. Divrei Ha-yamim detail the sources of political tension between the North and South, but it also presents two distinct stages of Amatzya's reign. Prior to the campaign against Edom, Amatzya obeys the prophet and acts faithfully to God; he demonstrates compassion (against his father's assassins) and seeks national unity. After the successful campaign in Edom, he worships idols, intimidates the prophet and resists his message, exhibits extreme cruelty to Edom, and engages in a bombastic war campaign. Divrei Ha-yamim offers a coherent rationale for Amatzya's downfall; his turn to idolatry and his direct challenge to God arouse God's punishment.

In some ways Amatzya recalls his father, Yoash of Yehuda, whose early life was marked by ardent devotion to God, but who altered radically in later life, rejecting the priesthood, turning to idolatry. Both kings disastrously mismanaged a war which resulted in Yerushalayim being penetrated by the enemy, and both kings were assassinated by political opponents.
King Ahaz – Abandoning God
Rabbi Alex Israel
After two generations of kings who upheld God's worship unequivocally, we encounter Ahaz - a king who is attracted to everything Assyrian. He looks to Assyria to offer his country military backing against Israel and Aram's alliance, disregarding an explicit prophetic directive from Yishayahu. In the religious sphere, he transforms the Beit HaMikdash into an Assyrian shrine.
The Rise of King Hizkiyahu
Rabbi Alex Israel
King Hizkiyahu heralds an exciting period in the kingdom of Yehuda. He is devoted to God and responsive to His prophet. During his reign, Hizkiyahu leads Israel in a religious renaissance and seeks to heal the rift between the kingdom of Israel in the north and the kingdom of Yehuda in the south in the observation of a national Pessah. He repudiates idolatry and dishonors his father Ahaz at his burial to send a strong message to the nation. He dedicates and purifies the Beit Hamikdash and makes learning Torah a national priority.
Rachel Weeping for Her Children
Rabbi David Sabato
This unique prophecy exalts the figure of Rachel and has been a source of inspiration for future generations. It has engraved the image of a loving and compassionate mother on the consciousness of the exiled and tormented people for thousands of years.

Yaakov's lack of reconciliation with the loss of Yosef expresses his inner recognition that Yosef is alive. This is the principle alluded to by Rachel's continuous bitter weeping. Her non-stop weeping and refusal to be comforted testify to a similar cognition: Deep inside, Rachel knows and feels that her children will one day return to their land. This weeping is not a weeping of despair but a weeping meant to stir up the mercies of Heaven for her children and return them to their land. Just as Yaakov merited to be comforted and to see his lost son, so too Rachel is promised that her weeping will have an effect, and in the end her children will return to their land.

In contrast, the second part of the prophecy describes a return of a different kind. Here, the son is active in the process; Ephraim's desire to return is what drives the wheels of salvation. Indeed, here too there is parental love for a lost son, but this is a father's love for his son, which symbolizes God's love for Israel.

The difference between the two parts stands out in the root "shov." In the first part, it appears twice and denotes the children's return to the land as a result of Rachel's weeping. In contrast, in the second part, it appears three times and describes Ephraim's repentance, which will bring about his salvation.
Three Prophecies Regarding the Future
Rabbi David Sabato
In three prophecies in the unit of prophecies of consolation, Yirmiyahu foresees the changes that will take place at the time of the redemption.

The first prophecy deals with Israel being replanted in their land and the new relationship between the actions of the fathers vs. the consequences to the sons.

The second prophecy deals with a new covenant and its consequences. The difference between the old covenant and the new one relates not to the contents or the addressee as Christianity believes, but to the manner in which it will be made and its consequences. The prophet contrasts the old covenant that was broken by the people and the new covenant that apparently will not be broken because it will be engraved on the hearts of the people. One of the general motifs in the book of Yirmiyahu is the internalization of holiness and opposition to the formal, mechanical conception of holiness. Standing out against this in many places in the book of Yirmiyahu is prayer and moral deeds as a condition for holiness. The underlying problem with the tablets of the covenant and ark is their remoteness from the people, which allows people to escape from them. The removal of the ark and the transfer of its contents inwards into the hearts of the people will create the desired change and turn the covenant into an eternal covenant.

The third prophecy addresses the rebuilding of Jerusalem which will be holy to the Lord and will not be plucked up again forever.
Introduction to the Book of Yirmiyahu
Rabbi David Sabato
The introduction to the study of Sefer Yirmiyahu discusses the introductory verses of the book, including the biographical information provided about the prophet and the background of the time period in which he lived. Also discussed is the place of this book among the other books of the Prophets, and as its structure.
"Shall He Return to her Again?" - A Collection of Prophecies of Repentance
Rabbi David Sabato
In chapter 3, Yirmiyahu presents a prophecy that portrays the difficulty inherent in the repentance of the Jewish People through a parable. Israel is compared to a woman who has left her husband – God - for other men - idols. Such a woman is halakhically forbidden to return to her first husband and that sin pollutes and defiles the Land of Israel. Can Israel possibly return to God?
The Future of the Kingdom of Israel
Dr. Tova Ganzel
The future unification of the exiles of Israel with the exiles of Yehuda is a rather surprising prophecy. Up until now, Yechezkel has not mentioned the exiles of Israel. This arose from the fact that as, as far as we know, the exiles of Israel, unlike the exiles of Yehuda, did not live in exile as a community with a separate, independent identity. The prevailing philosophy among them was the pagan world-view which assumed that as well as obeying the local administration, exiled groups would also show loyalty to the local deity. Therefore, this prophecy concerning the reunification of the kingdom of Israel with the kingdom of Yehuda is both a notable and significant development.

Thus, it appears that the prophecy of the Dry Bones earlier in the chapter refers to the Kingdom of Israel. The 150 years that have passed since the exile of the Kingdom of Israel are not proof of their annihilation, and the nation receives a Divine promise of Divine revival.

Our prophetic unit concludes with Yehezkel conveying the promise that the revival of the people, in all its various manifestations – Land of Israel, leadership, covenant, and the Beit HaMikdash - will be eternal.
The Weeping of Yosef and Yirmiyahu
Rabbi David Silverberg