יהויקים has become king, and as we know from מלכים ב, he isn't the type of person to follow in his father's footsteps. ירמיהו's life is going to get a whole lot harder...in fact, it's going to be turned upside down.
We will read the relevant part of פרק ז in order to understand what exactly ירמיהו said and then flip on over to פרק כו to see the reaction to ירמיהו's words. Fair warning: it's not going to be pretty.
(א) הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֣ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) עֲמֹ֗ד בְּשַׁ֙עַר֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וְקָרָ֣אתָ שָּׁ֔ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ שִׁמְע֣וּ דְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה כָּל־יְהוּדָה֙ הַבָּאִים֙ בַּשְּׁעָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֖ת לַיהוָֽה׃ (ס)
(1) The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: (2) Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say: Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.
1. In what way is it provocative for ירמיהו to stand literally in the שער of the בית המקדש? (Consider how Hashem said in פרק ב that all the priests and leaders don't ask איה ה anymore.)
It contrasts him, who follows רצון ה, versus everyone else, who doesn't
(ג) כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֵיטִ֥יבוּ דַרְכֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַֽעַלְלֵיכֶ֑ם וַאֲשַׁכְּנָ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (ד) אַל־תִּבְטְח֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם אֶל־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַשֶּׁ֖קֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵיכַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ הֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה הֵיכַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה הֵֽמָּה׃
(3) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. (4) Trust ye not in lying words, saying: ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, are these.’
1. Is God still willing to give בני ישראל a chance to stop the חורבן? Prove it from the פסוק by quoting the relevant words below.
Yes: ואשכנה אתכם במקום ה
2. If you had to guess, what דרכיהם & מעלליכם do you think בני ישראל have to fix?
ע"ז
רד"ק על היכל ה, היכל ה, היכל ה המה
אלו דברי השקר שאומרים להם נביאי השקר המתעים אותם או הם היו אומרים לנביא והוא ירמיהו והיו אומרים לו לא יחריב היכלו בעבור העון ולא תחרב העיר הזאת
Radak on Heichal Hashem, Heichal Hashem, Heichal Hashem Heimah
These are the false words that the false prophets would say to them, who were misleading them. They would say to the prophet (Jeremiah) and they would say to him, "God's Temple won't be destroyed because of the sin and this city won't be destroyed."
1. If you had been a member of בני ישראל during this time, why might it be easier to believe the נביאי שקר as opposed to ירמיהו?
Greater numbers, sticking to the status quo and social norms, it wouldn't have seemed likely that the היכל would be destroyed, less effort to not change ways or repent, its been working or centuries.
2. What is one reason that היכל ה is repeated three times?
Emphasis
3. In what way is the בית המקדש during this time period comparable to the Titanic or the idea that certain institutions are #TooBigToFail?
No one believes that it could be destroyed
(ד) היכל ה' ר''ל אל תחשבו שמצד שהוא היכל ה' ונבנה לשם ה' עי''כ הוא היכלו, ר''ל שעי''כ ישכן בו, לא כן כי
(ה) היכל ה' המה, ר''ל דרכיכם ומעלליכם הטובים (הנז' בכתוב הקודם) הם היכל ה', ועל ידם ישכן שם בקדש, ומפרש (ה-ו-ז)
He wants to say 'Don't think that just because it's the Temple of God and it was built for God's sake, therefore it is His Temple.' It wants to say that if you think because of this He dwells there, you are mistaken because 'The Temple of Hashem is in these.' By these, he means your ways and good behaviors (as is mentioned earlier)- those are the Temple of God, and it is through your efforts that He dwells there in the Holy.
1. According to מלבים, what constitutes the true Temple of Hashem?
היכל ה = good behaviors, not the physical
2. How is this an important shift (think rituals vs. behaviors)?
Because soon enough they won't have the בית המקדש, it shifts responsibility to the individual, behaviors either are driven by similar attitudes or lead to similar attitudes (cognitive dissonance theory)
(ו) גֵּ֣ר יָת֤וֹם וְאַלְמָנָה֙ לֹ֣א תַֽעֲשֹׁ֔קוּ וְדָ֣ם נָקִ֔י אַֽל־תִּשְׁפְּכ֖וּ בַּמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וְאַחֲרֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֧ים אֲחֵרִ֛ים לֹ֥א תֵלְכ֖וּ לְרַ֥ע לָכֶֽם׃ (ז) וְשִׁכַּנְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לַאֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם לְמִן־עוֹלָ֖ם וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
(6) if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt; (7) then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
1. Whoa! What sins appear to have become commonplace during יהויקים's reign?
2. What are the two ways to read פסוק ו in terms of the order of importance of the various sins?
3. What do the גר, יתום and אלמנה all have in common and why are we charged to take special care with them?
4. Connect the message of פסוק ו to our modern world (consider social justice & Tikkun Olam initiatives).
5. What will God do for Bnei Yisrael if they fix their ways?
(ח) על דברי השקר . הוא בטחון ההיכל שאין תועלת בבטחון הזה :
In lying words. This is the belief in the Heichal (Temple) where there is no purpose/ substance in this belief.
(ט) הֲגָנֹ֤ב ׀ רָצֹ֙חַ֙ וְֽנָאֹ֔ף וְהִשָּׁבֵ֥עַ לַשֶּׁ֖קֶר וְקַטֵּ֣ר לַבָּ֑עַל וְהָלֹ֗ךְ אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ (י) וּבָאתֶ֞ם וַעֲמַדְתֶּ֣ם לְפָנַ֗י בַּבַּ֤יִת הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִקְרָא־שְׁמִ֣י עָלָ֔יו וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם נִצַּ֑לְנוּ לְמַ֣עַן עֲשׂ֔וֹת אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַתּוֹעֵב֖וֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
(9) Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and offer unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye have not known, (10) and come and stand before Me in this house, whereupon My name is called, and say: ‘We are delivered’, that ye may do all these abominations?
1. What are the transgressions Bnei Yisrael is committing according to these פסוקים?
(ט) אשר שמי נקרא עליו תאמרו נצלנו ולא ישיגנו עונש, שתחשבו, א. שאחפה על הבא אל ביתי, ב. שלא אחריב הבית יען ששמי עליו, ויותר מזה כי לא תבואו שם ע''מ לשוב רק ע''מ לחזור לעשות הרע ותסמכו על זכות הבית לעשות כל התועבות, עד שתאמרו שלא לבד שע''י הבית תשיגו סליחה על העבר כי גם על העתיד
That my name is called on it you say 'We are saved' and that no punishment will befall you, you think 1) that it will get wiped out because you will come to My House 2) you assume I will not destroy My House because My Name rests upon it, and you don't come there to repent but only to return to performing the evil you do and you rely upon the merit of the House (to save you) when you do all your abominations. You don't even only use the merit of the House to provide you with forgiveness for your past sins, but you even focus on the future (and think that you can sin and it won't be a problem because the merit of the House will atone for you).
Bnei Yisrael are treating the Beit Hamikdash like some kind of magical object that has the power to wipe out their past sins and atone for their future ones. They think that as long as they go through the motions, offer קרבנות and pay lip service to God, everything will be fine. It's a pretty sweet life, if you think about it- offer a cow here and a ram there and in exchange you can do whatever you want since the rituals and the House itself will (according to Bnei Yisrael's logic) atone for their actions.
Please click here to learn a bit about indulgences in the Middle Ages- an idea which was abused similarly to the way in which Bnei Yisrael are here abusing the idea of the Beit Hamikdash.