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.
It sets him apart from the rest of the Kohanim because he's pretty much procalming that you're all false, I'm the real deal. But it's also smart because everyone would come here
(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: Change your ways and your doings, and I will make you to dwell in this place. (4) Don't trust these false words, saying: ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, are these.’
Yes, Pasuk 3
2. If you had to guess, what דרכיהם & מעלליכם do you think בני ישראל have to fix?
Avoda Zara,
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."
They are in the majority, they support the status quo, they are the establishment. IT's also a lot easier to not have to change your ways or exert effort to suddenly really repent and come back to G-d.
2. What is one reason that היכל ה is repeated three times?
For emphasis-this is the temple of G-d that has stood for so long- it's the unsunkable ship- it's not going down
3. In what way is the בית המקדש during this time period comparable to the Titanic or the idea that certain institutions are #TooBigToFail?
(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.
It's actually found within the people- in their behaviors and actions (not the physical temple)
2. How is this an important shift (think rituals vs. behaviors)?
Up until now the entire focus was on the Temple/mishkan and sacrifices. Yirmiyahu is saying that those practices aren't true if there's no meaning behind it. You have to have kavana
(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.
Oppressing the ger (a convert, stranger, or someone following 7 noah mitzvot), orphans, widows, & killing people, and doing avoda zara
2 ideas about what changed between Yoshiyahu and Yehoyakim:
Yoshiyahu:
1. his focus was on eradicting avoda zara but still cared a lot about the nation and their morals to each other
2. at least here the value was G-d worship even though people were secret about it
Yehoyakim:
1. Doesn't even care about the nation. He's uninvolved so the nation is turning bad even toward each other (bein adam lchavero)
2. He lets avoda zara go unchecked, worship of power (the most powerful god) and the actual culture became so much about power
(2 is Jonathon Sacks)
2. What are the two ways to read פסוק ו in terms of the order of importance of the various sins?
Either it's organized from worst--> least worst OR least worst--> worst. the worst sings end up being either oppressing or being cruel to others OR avoda zara (possibly because of how avoda zara gives rise to this amoral or immoral society)
3. What do the גר, יתום and אלמנה all have in common and why are we charged to take special care with them?
These are individuals who don't have the typical family structure that assists in Jewish life and are therefore more marginalized. We're supposed to take special care of them.
4. Connect the message of פסוק ו to our modern world (consider social justice & Tikkun Olam initiatives).
We should focus on the people that aren't as fortunate as we are.
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?
(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).
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.