(ט) וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע לָהֶ֜ם גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֤ם בֶּן־שָׁפָן֙ וּלְאַנְשֵׁיהֶ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר אַל־תִּֽירְא֖וּ מֵעֲב֣וֹד הַכַּשְׂדִּ֑ים שְׁב֣וּ בָאָ֗רֶץ וְעִבְד֛וּ אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל וְיִיטַ֥ב לָכֶֽם׃ (י) וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִ֤י יֹשֵׁב֙ בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה לַֽעֲמֹד֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָבֹ֖אוּ אֵלֵ֑ינוּ וְאַתֶּ֡ם אִסְפוּ֩ יַ֨יִן וְקַ֜יִץ וְשֶׁ֗מֶן וְשִׂ֙מוּ֙ בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם וּשְׁב֖וּ בְּעָרֵיכֶ֥ם אֲשֶׁר־תְּפַשְׂתֶּֽם׃ (יא) וְגַ֣ם כָּֽל־הַיְּהוּדִ֡ים אֲשֶׁר־בְּמוֹאָ֣ב ׀ וּבִבְנֵֽי־עַמּ֨וֹן וּבֶאֱד֜וֹם וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּכָל־הָֽאֲרָצוֹת֙ שָֽׁמְע֔וּ כִּֽי־נָתַ֧ן מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל שְׁאֵרִ֖ית לִֽיהוּדָ֑ה וְכִי֙ הִפְקִ֣יד עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָ֥ם בֶּן־שָׁפָֽן׃ (יב) וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ כָל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִדְּחוּ־שָׁ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ אֶֽרֶץ־יְהוּדָ֛ה אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה וַיַּאַסְפ֛וּ יַ֥יִן וָקַ֖יִץ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃ (פ) (יג) וְיֽוֹחָנָן֙ בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֥י הַחֲיָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה בָּ֥אוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ הַמִּצְפָּֽתָה׃ (יד) וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הֲיָדֹ֤עַ תֵּדַע֙ כִּ֞י בַּעֲלִ֣יס ׀ מֶ֣לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֗וֹן שָׁלַח֙ אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֔ה לְהַכֹּתְךָ֖ נָ֑פֶשׁ וְלֹא־הֶאֱמִ֣ין לָהֶ֔ם גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָֽם׃ (טו) וְיוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֡חַ אָמַ֣ר אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ֩ בַסֵּ֨תֶר בַּמִּצְפָּ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר אֵ֤לְכָה נָּא֙ וְאַכֶּה֙ אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֔ה וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יֵדָ֑ע לָ֧מָּה יַכֶּ֣כָּה נֶּ֗פֶשׁ וְנָפֹ֙צוּ֙ כָּל־יְהוּדָ֔ה הַנִּקְבָּצִ֣ים אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאָבְדָ֖ה שְׁאֵרִ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃ (טז) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר גְּדַלְיָ֤הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָם֙ אֶל־יוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ אַֽל־תעש [תַּעֲשֵׂ֖ה] אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה כִּֽי־שֶׁ֛קֶר אַתָּ֥ה דֹבֵ֖ר אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃ (ס)
(9) Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan reassured them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. (10) I am going to stay in Mizpah to attend upon the Chaldeans who will come to us. But you may gather wine and figs and oil and put them in your own vessels, and settle in the towns you have occupied.” (11) Likewise, all the Judeans who were in Moab, Ammon, and Edom, or who were in other lands, heard that the king of Babylon had let a remnant stay in Judah, and that he had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan in charge of them. (12) All these Judeans returned from all the places to which they had scattered. They came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and they gathered large quantities of wine and figs. (13) Johanan son of Kareah, and all the officers of the troops in the open country, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah (14) and said to him, “Do you know that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them. (15) Johanan son of Kareah also said secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Let me go and strike down Ishmael son of Nethaniah before anyone knows about it; otherwise he will kill you, and all the Judeans who have gathered about you will be dispersed, and the remnant of Judah will perish!” (16) But Gedaliah son of Ahikam answered Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing: what you are saying about Ishmael is not true!”
(א) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בָּ֣א יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־אֱלִישָׁמָ֣ע מִזֶּ֣רַע הַ֠מְּלוּכָה וְרַבֵּ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אִתּ֛וֹ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֖ם הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּ שָׁ֥ם לֶ֛חֶם יַחְדָּ֖ו בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃ (ב) וַיָּקָם֩ יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֜ה וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים ׀ אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ אִתּ֗וֹ וַ֠יַּכּוּ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֧ם בֶּן־שָׁפָ֛ן בַּחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּ֣מֶת אֹת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
(1) In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, who was of royal descent and one of the king’s commanders, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah; and they ate together there at Mizpah. (2) Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, because the king of Babylon had put him in charge of the land.
צום החמישי זה תשעה באב שבו נשרף בית אלקינו ואמאי קרי ליה חמישי חמישי לחדשים צום השביעי זה ג' בתשרי שבו נהרג גדליה בן אחיקם ומי הרגו ישמעאל בן נתניה הרגו ללמדך ששקולה מיתתן של צדיקים כשריפת בית אלקינו ואמאי קרי ליה שביעי שביעי לחדשים
“The fast of the fifth,” this is the Ninth of Av, on which the Temple of our Lord was burnt. And why does he call it the fast of the fifth? Because it falls in the fifth of the months. “The fast of the seventh,” this is the third of Tishrei, on which Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, was killed. And who killed him? Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, killed him (see II Kings 25:25; Jeremiah, chapter 41). The Sages established a fast to commemorate Gedaliah’s death to teach you that the death of the righteous is equivalent to the burning of the Temple of our Lord. And why did the prophet call it the fast of the seventh? Because Tishrei is the seventh of the months.
Robert F. Kennedy's Speech Following the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Indianapolis, Indiana
April 4, 1968
"I have bad news for you, for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and killed tonight.
Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings, and he died because of that effort.
[...]
My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: 'In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.'
What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or they be black.
[...]
But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land.
Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.
Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people."
President William J. Clinton's Eulogy at the Funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Jerusalem, Israel
November 6, 1995
"[Yitzhak] Rabin lived the history of Israel. Throughout every trial and triumph, the struggle for independence, the wars for survival, the pursuit of peace and all he served on the front lines, this son of David and of Solomon, took up arms to defend Israel's freedom and lay down his life to secure Israel's future.
[...]
Your prime minister was a martyr for peace, but he was a victim of hate. Surely, we must learn from his martyrdom that if people cannot let go of the hatred of their enemies, they risk sowing the seeds of hatred among themselves. I ask you, the people of Israel, on behalf of my nation that knows its own long litany of loss, from Abraham Lincoln to President Kennedy to Martin Luther King, do not let that happen to you. In the Knesset, in your homes, in your places of worship, stay the righteous course. As Moses said to the children of Israel when he knew he would not cross over into the promised land, 'Be strong and of good courage. Fear not, for God will go with you. He will not fail you, He will not forsake you.'
[...]
But Israel's covenant with God for freedom, for tolerance, for security, for peace - that covenant must hold. That covenant was Prime Minister Rabin's life's work. Now we must make it his lasting legacy. His spirit must live on in us.
The Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for mourning, never speaks of death, but often speaks of peace. In its closing words, may our hearts find a measure of comfort and our souls, the eternal touch of hope.
עושה שלום במרומיו הוא יעשה שלום עלינו ועל כל ישראל ואמרו אמן
Shalom, haver."
(א) וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים (רות א, א), אוֹי לַדּוֹר שֶׁשָּׁפְטוּ אֶת שׁוֹפְטֵיהֶם, וְאוֹי לַדּוֹר שֶׁשּׁוֹפְטָיו צְרִיכִין לְהִשָּׁפֵט, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים ב, יז): וְגַם אֶל שֹׁפְטֵיהֶם לֹא שָׁמֵעוּ, וּמִי הָיוּ, רַב אָמַר בָּרָק וּדְבוֹרָה הָיוּ. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר, שַׁמְגַּר וְאֵהוּד הָיוּ. רַב הוּנָא אָמַר דְּבוֹרָה וּבָרָק וְיָעֵל הָיוּ, שְׁפֹט חַד, שֹׁפְטִים תְּרֵין, הַשֹּׁפְטִים תְּלָתָא.
(1) "In the days the judges judged (Ruth 1:1)" [which could also be "the judges were judged"]. Woe to a generation that judges its judges and woe to a generation whose judges need to be judged. As it says: "And they didn't listen to their judges (Judges 2:17)". Who were those judges? Rav said: "They were Barak and Deborah". Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said: "They were Shamgar and Ehud". Rav Huna said: "They were Deborah, Barak, and Yael". 'Judge' means one, 'judges' two, and 'the judges' three".
(כב) תָּבֹ֨א כָל־רָעָתָ֤ם לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ וְעוֹלֵ֣ל לָ֔מוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עוֹלַ֛לְתָּ לִ֖י עַ֣ל כָּל־פְּשָׁעָ֑י כִּֽי־רַבּ֥וֹת אַנְחֹתַ֖י וְלִבִּ֥י דַוָּֽי׃ (פ)
(22) Let all their wrongdoing come before You, And deal with them As You have dealt with me For all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, And my heart is sick.
(כב) תָּבֹ֨א כָל־רָעָתָ֤ם לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ וְעוֹלֵ֣ל לָ֔מוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עוֹלַ֛לְתָּ לִ֖י עַ֣ל כָּל־פְּשָׁעָ֑י כִּֽי־רַבּ֥וֹת אַנְחֹתַ֖י וְלִבִּ֥י דַוָּֽי׃ (פ)
(22) Let all their wrongdoing come before You, And deal with them As You have dealt with me For all my transgressions. For my sighs are many, And my heart is sick.