Our Passage: Jeremiah 8:14-9:4; 9:10-15; 9:22-23
(יד) עַל־מָה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ יֹֽשְׁבִ֔ים הֵאָסְפ֗וּ וְנָב֛וֹא אֶל־עָרֵ֥י הַמִּבְצָ֖ר וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁ֑ם כִּי֩ ה' אֱלֹקֵ֤ינוּ הֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙ וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּ מֵי־רֹ֔אשׁ כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לַה'׃ (טו) קַוֵּ֥ה לְשָׁל֖וֹם וְאֵ֣ין ט֑וֹב לְעֵ֥ת מַרְפֵּ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה בְעָתָֽה׃ (טז) מִדָּ֤ן נִשְׁמַע֙ נַחְרַ֣ת סוּסָ֔יו מִקּוֹל֙ מִצְהֲל֣וֹת אַבִּירָ֔יו רָעֲשָׁ֖ה כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ עִ֖יר וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ {פ}
(יז) כִּי֩ הִנְנִ֨י מְשַׁלֵּ֜חַ בָּכֶ֗ם נְחָשִׁים֙ צִפְעֹנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵין־לָהֶ֖ם לָ֑חַשׁ וְנִשְּׁכ֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־ה'׃ {ס}
(יח) מַבְלִ֥יגִיתִ֖י עֲלֵ֣י יָג֑וֹן עָלַ֖י לִבִּ֥י דַוָּֽי׃ (יט) הִנֵּה־ק֞וֹל שַֽׁוְעַ֣ת בַּת־עַמִּ֗י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ מַרְחַקִּ֔ים הַֽה' אֵ֣ין בְּצִיּ֔וֹן אִם־מַלְכָּ֖הּ אֵ֣ין בָּ֑הּ מַדּ֗וּעַ הִכְעִס֛וּנִי בִּפְסִלֵיהֶ֖ם בְּהַבְלֵ֥י נֵכָֽר׃ (כ) עָבַ֥ר קָצִ֖יר כָּ֣לָה קָ֑יִץ וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ ל֥וֹא נוֹשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ (כא) עַל־שֶׁ֥בֶר בַּת־עַמִּ֖י הׇשְׁבָּ֑רְתִּי קָדַ֕רְתִּי שַׁמָּ֖ה הֶחֱזִקָֽתְנִי׃ (כב) הַצֳּרִי֙ אֵ֣ין בְּגִלְעָ֔ד אִם־רֹפֵ֖א אֵ֣ין שָׁ֑ם כִּ֗י מַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א עָֽלְתָ֔ה אֲרֻכַ֖ת בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ {ס}
(כג) מִֽי־יִתֵּ֤ן רֹאשִׁי֙ מַ֔יִם וְעֵינִ֖י מְק֣וֹר דִּמְעָ֑ה וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אֵ֖ת חַֽלְלֵ֥י בַת־עַמִּֽי׃ {ס}
(א) מִֽי־יִתְּנֵ֣נִי בַמִּדְבָּ֗ר מְלוֹן֙ אֹֽרְחִ֔ים וְאֶֽעֶזְבָה֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וְאֵלְכָ֖ה מֵֽאִתָּ֑ם כִּ֤י כֻלָּם֙ מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים עֲצֶ֖רֶת בֹּגְדִֽים׃ (ב) וַֽיַּדְרְכ֤וּ אֶת־לְשׁוֹנָם֙ קַשְׁתָּ֣ם שֶׁ֔קֶר וְלֹ֥א לֶאֱמוּנָ֖ה גָּבְר֣וּ בָאָ֑רֶץ כִּי֩ מֵרָעָ֨ה אֶל־רָעָ֧ה ׀ יָצָ֛אוּ וְאֹתִ֥י לֹא־יָדָ֖עוּ נְאֻם־ה'׃ (ג) אִ֤ישׁ מֵרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ הִשָּׁמֵ֔רוּ וְעַל־כׇּל־אָ֖ח אַל־תִּבְטָ֑חוּ כִּ֤י כׇל־אָח֙ עָק֣וֹב יַעְקֹ֔ב וְכׇל־רֵ֖עַ רָכִ֥יל יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃ (ד) וְאִ֤ישׁ בְּרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ יְהָתֵ֔לּוּ וֶאֱמֶ֖ת לֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ לִמְּד֧וּ לְשׁוֹנָ֛ם דַּבֶּר־שֶׁ֖קֶר הַעֲוֵ֥ה נִלְאֽוּ׃
(14) Why are we sitting by?
Let us gather into the fortified cities
And meet our doom there.
For the LORD our God has doomed us,
He has made us drink a bitter draft,
Because we sinned against the LORD.
(15) We hoped for good fortune, but no happiness came;
For a time of relief—instead there is terror!
(16) The snorting of their horses was heard from Dan;
At the loud neighing of their steeds
The whole land quaked.
They came and devoured the land and what was in it,
The towns and those who dwelt in them.
(17) Lo, I will send serpents against you,
Adders that cannot be charmed,
And they shall bite you
—declares the LORD.
(18) When in grief I would seek comfort,
My heart is sick within me.
(19) “Is not the LORD in Zion?
Is not her King within her?
Why then did they anger Me with their images,
With alien futilities?”
Hark! The outcry of my poor people
From the land far and wide: (20) “Harvest is past,
Summer is gone,
But we have not been saved.” (21) Because my people is shattered I am shattered;
I am dejected, seized by desolation. (22) Is there no balm in Gilead?
Can no physician be found?
Why has healing not yet
Come to my poor people?
(23) Oh, that my head were water,
My eyes a fount of tears!
Then would I weep day and night
For the slain of my poor people.
(1) Oh, to be in the desert,
At an encampment for wayfarers!
Oh, to leave my people,
To go away from them—
For they are all adulterers,
A band of rogues.
(2) They bend their tongues like bows;
They are valorous in the land
For treachery, not for honesty;
They advance from evil to evil.
And they do not heed Me
—declares the LORD. (3) Beware, every man of his friend!
Trust not even a brother!
For every brother takes advantage,
Every friend is base in his dealings. (4) One man cheats the other,
They will not speak truth;
They have trained their tongues to speak falsely;
They wear themselves out working iniquity.
(י) וְנָתַתִּ֧י אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם לְגַלִּ֖ים מְע֣וֹן תַּנִּ֑ים וְאֶת־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה אֶתֵּ֥ן שְׁמָמָ֖ה מִבְּלִ֖י יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ {ס} (יא) מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הֶחָכָם֙ וְיָבֵ֣ן אֶת־זֹ֔את וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר פִּֽי־ה' אֵלָ֖יו וְיַגִּדָ֑הּ עַל־מָה֙ אָבְדָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ נִצְּתָ֥ה כַמִּדְבָּ֖ר מִבְּלִ֖י עֹבֵֽר׃ {ס} (יב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' עַל־עׇזְבָם֙ אֶת־תּ֣וֹרָתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹא־שָׁמְע֥וּ בְקוֹלִ֖י וְלֹא־הָ֥לְכוּ בָֽהּ׃ (יג) וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ אַחֲרֵ֖י שְׁרִר֣וּת לִבָּ֑ם וְאַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַבְּעָלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִמְּד֖וּם אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
(יד) לָכֵ֗ן כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר ה' צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹקֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֧י מַאֲכִילָ֛ם אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה לַעֲנָ֑ה וְהִשְׁקִיתִ֖ים מֵי־רֹֽאשׁ׃ (טו) וַהֲפִֽצוֹתִים֙ בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדְע֔וּ הֵ֖מָּה וַאֲבוֹתָ֑ם וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֙ אֶת־הַחֶ֔רֶב עַ֥ד כַּלּוֹתִ֖י אוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
(10) I will turn Jerusalem into rubble,
Into dens for jackals;
And I will make the towns of Judah
A desolation without inhabitants. (11) What man is so wise
That he understands this?
To whom has the LORD’s mouth spoken,
So that he can explain it:
Why is the land in ruins,
Laid waste like a wilderness,
With none passing through?
(12) The LORD replied: Because they forsook the Teaching I had set before them. They did not obey Me and they did not follow it, (13) but followed their own willful heart and followed the Baalim, as their fathers had taught them.
(14) Assuredly, thus said the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to feed that people wormwood and make them drink a bitter draft. (15) I will scatter them among nations which they and their fathers never knew; and I will dispatch the sword after them until I have consumed them.
(כב) כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר ה' אַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֤ל חָכָם֙ בְּחׇכְמָת֔וֹ וְאַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֥ל הַגִּבּ֖וֹר בִּגְבֽוּרָת֑וֹ אַל־יִתְהַלֵּ֥ל עָשִׁ֖יר בְּעׇשְׁרֽוֹ׃ (כג) כִּ֣י אִם־בְּזֹ֞את יִתְהַלֵּ֣ל הַמִּתְהַלֵּ֗ל הַשְׂכֵּל֮ וְיָדֹ֣עַ אוֹתִי֒ כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י ה' עֹ֥שֶׂה חֶ֛סֶד מִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה בָּאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־בְאֵ֥לֶּה חָפַ֖צְתִּי נְאֻם־ה'׃ {ס}
(22) Thus said the LORD:
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom;
Let not the strong man glory in his strength;
Let not the rich man glory in his riches. (23) But only in this should one glory:
In his earnest devotion to Me.
For I the LORD act with kindness,
Justice, and equity in the world;
For in these I delight
—declares the LORD.
JPS Translation 1917:
v. 22 Thus saith the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, Let not the rich man glory in his riches;
v. 23 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth Me, That I am the LORD who exercise mercy, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, Saith the LORD.
Weeping of Jeremiah
Marc Chagall, Weeping of Jeremiah (detail), 1956. Lithograph, Musée national Marc Chagall, Nice, France.
"Marc Chagall (1887–1985), the acclaimed Jewish artist, was born in Russia but moved to France in 1910. ... In this illustration, the prophet Jeremiah holds fast the Torah scroll, mourning the loss of Jews during the Holocaust and oblivious to the people around him."
Source: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/tools/image-gallery/j/jeremiah-arts-chagall (visited 10/10/2021)
See also: Ismar David, "Reflections: Lamentations" (artwork for the JPS "Five Megilloth and Jonah") https://www.ismardavidarchive.org/work/reflections-lamentations/
"There is a Balm in Gilead" (with reference to Jeremiah 8:22), start approx 1.20
The prophet's lament (8:18-23)
John Bright (Union Theological Seminary of Virginia; d. 1995), Jeremiah (Anchor Bible Series, v. 21, 1965)
"One cannot be certain whether the prophet has here, with vivid imagination, projected himself into the midst of a disaster lying yet in the future, or whether these words were wrung from him as disaster actually struck. But the latter is more likely. The catastrophe described here seems clearly to be invasion, and scarcely (as some think) some lesser misfortune such as a drought. Perhaps the disturbed days prior to the Babylonian attack in 598/7, when (cf. Jer. 35:11, II Kings 24:2) the country was being ravaged by guerrilla bands, supply the setting." pp 65-66
Dalit Rom-Shiloni (Tel Aviv Univ.), Commentary to Jeremiah, The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford 2014)
Comment to 8:21-23. This second lament (DR: following vv. 18-20), unlike the first, does not accuse the people of any crime, and does not see God as involved in causing distress, but is a desperate call for salvation.
Michael Fishbane (U. of Chicago), Haftarot, JPS Bible Commentary, 2002
Equally puzzling is whether Jeremiah spoke the lament in Jer. 8:23, "Oh, that [mi yitten] my head were water," as well as the one in 9:1, "Oh, to be [mi yitteneni] in the desert," or whether the second lament is actually proclaimed by God Himself. The implications are momentous, but the passage remains ambiguous--due no doubt to the complex state of the prophet's consciousness and his identification with God's will and pathos."
"The intense symbiosis between Jeremiah and God is also a theme in rabbinic midrash. In one late formulation dealing with the exile and destruction, Rabbi Aha has God usurp Jeremiah's own words (from Jer. 8:23) when He says: "Israel cries during the night and Jeremiah cries during the day, but I shall cry day and night, as it is said: 'I would weep day and night for the slain of mhy people'" (Yalkut Shimoni, Jeremiah, 279)." -- p. 452
(1) In his days, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. (2) The LORD let loose against him the raiding bands of the Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites; He let them loose against Judah to destroy it, in accordance with the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets.
For every brother takes advantage (9.3)
(לו) וַיֹּ֡אמֶר הֲכִי֩ קָרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַֽיַּעְקְבֵ֙נִי֙ זֶ֣ה פַעֲמַ֔יִם אֶת־בְּכֹרָתִ֣י לָקָ֔ח וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַתָּ֖ה לָקַ֣ח בִּרְכָתִ֑י וַיֹּאמַ֕ר הֲלֹא־אָצַ֥לְתָּ לִּ֖י בְּרָכָֽה׃
For Jer. 9:3
(36) [Esau] said, “Was he, then, named Jacob/ya`akov that he might supplant/vaya`keveini me these two times? First he took away my birthright and now he has taken away my blessing!” And he added, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
Knowing God (earnest devotion) (9:23)
(א) השכל וידוע אותי. פירוש בהשכל אותי וידוע אותי
והשכל הא-ל הוא שישכיל כי הוא אחד קדמון ואינו גוף והוא בורא הכל ומשגיח על הכל ומנהיג כל העולם בחכמתו עליונים ותחתונים
וידיעת הא-ל היא ללכת בדרכיו לעשות חסד משפט וצדקה כי כן עושה אותם הוא:
v. 23 ...that he understandeth, and knoweth Me, ...
Radak: Understanding God means that one understand that He is eternal and is not a body, that He created all and supervises all and directs the world--the upper and lower (beings) in His wisdom. Knowing God means walking in His ways--acting with kindness, justice, and equity (chesed, mishpat, and tzedakah)--for thus He acts.
(כא) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים׃
(21) And I will espouse you forever:
I will espouse you with righteousness and justice,
And with goodness and mercy,
Michael Fishbane on Jer. 9:23 (p. 160, commentary to the Haftarah for Tzav)
Jeremiah 9:23 shows the link between these divine attributes (chesed, mishpat, tzedakah) and the covenant ideal.