Rav Medan asks 3 questions:
Why does Daniel give up his life for prayer, seemingly going against the halakha?
And why does Daniel pray facing Jerusalem in its destruction and not to one of the other specific directions for prayer, as was customary in Babylon at the time of the Amoraim?
Finally, what is the significance of the discrepancy between the Talmud Bavli and the Yerushalmi concerning the requirement to face the Temple while praying even when the Temple is destroyed?
Why does Daniel give up his life for prayer, seemingly going against the halakha?
And why does Daniel pray facing Jerusalem in its destruction and not to one of the other specific directions for prayer, as was customary in Babylon at the time of the Amoraim?
Finally, what is the significance of the discrepancy between the Talmud Bavli and the Yerushalmi concerning the requirement to face the Temple while praying even when the Temple is destroyed?
1. Was Daniel wrong in his calculation?
(א) בִּשְׁנַ֣ת אַחַ֗ת לְדָרְיָ֛וֶשׁ בֶּן־אֲחַשְׁוֵר֖וֹשׁ מִזֶּ֣רַע מָדָ֑י אֲשֶׁ֣ר הׇמְלַ֔ךְ עַ֖ל מַלְכ֥וּת כַּשְׂדִּֽים׃
(1) In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—
(א) בשנת אחת לדריוש בן אחשורוש. לא זהו אחשורוש שבימי המן כי הוא מלך פרס היה וזה דריוש המדי אשר הומלך על מלכות כשדים כשנהרג בלשצר כמו שכתוב למעלה ודריוש מדאה קבל מלכותא:
(1) In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus This is not the Ahasuerus of the days of Haman, for he was the king of Persia, whereas this one was Darius the Mede who was crowned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans when Belshazzar was slain, as is written above (6:1): “And Darius the Mede took (sic) the kingdom.”
King Darius who appears here is the same Darius the Mede who appeared previously in chapter 6 of Sefer Daniel. He is not the same king as the Persian Darius, in whose time the Second Temple was built. Rather, he is the Darius mentioned in the books of Chaggai, Zekharia, Ezra, and Nechemia. The reign of the Persian Darius, according to Chazal's calculation, was about 18 years after Darius the Mede. In between them were Cyrus (Koresh) and Achashverosh, who appears in Megillat Esther. The father of Darius the Mede was also named Achashverosh, but he was not the king from Megillat Esther. There is a tradition that maintains that the Persian Darius was the son of Achashverosh from Megillat Esther, but there is no support for this view in other sources. In any event, even if this tradition is correct, there were two different men named Achashverosh and two different men named Darius. [Historians believe that this Darius and, indeed Daniel, were not historical figures.]
(ב) בִּשְׁנַ֤ת אַחַת֙ לְמׇלְכ֔וֹ אֲנִי֙ דָּֽנִיֵּ֔אל בִּינֹ֖תִי בַּסְּפָרִ֑ים מִסְפַּ֣ר הַשָּׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־יִרְמְיָ֣ה הַנָּבִ֔יא לְמַלֹּ֛אות לְחׇרְב֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם שִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃
(2) in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, consulted the books concerning the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD that had come to Jeremiah the prophet, were to be the term of Jerusalem’s desolation—seventy years.
תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: וְעוֹד שָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת לְבָבֶל וְעָמַד דָּרְיָוֶשׁ וְהִשְׁלִימָהּ. אָמַר רָבָא: אַף דָּנִיאֵל טְעָה בְּהַאי חוּשְׁבָּנָא, דִּכְתִיב: ״בִּשְׁנַת אַחַת לְמׇלְכוֹ אֲנִי דָּנִיֵּאל בִּינוֹתִי בַּסְּפָרִים״. מִדְּקָאָמַר ״בִּינוֹתִי״ — מִכְּלָל דִּטְעָה.
This is also taught in a baraita, as an indication that the years counted were only partial years: And when Belshazzar was killed, there was still another year left for Babylonia before the reckoning of the seventy years was completed. And then Darius arose and completed it. Although seventy years were previously counted according to Belshazzar’s count, from the exile of Jehoiakim, because the years were only partial, there was still one year left in order to complete those seventy years. Rava said: Daniel also erred in this calculation, as it is written: “In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, meditated in the books over the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish for the desolations of Jerusalem seventy years” (Daniel 9:2). From the fact that he said “I meditated,” a term indicating recounting and calculating, it can be inferred that he had previously erred.
Why does Rabba believe that Daniel was mistaken in his calculation? Jerusalem was destroyed in the 11th year of the reign of Tzidkiyahu, which corresponded to the 19th year of the reign of Nevukhadnetzar. Babylon was destroyed in what would have been the 70th year of Nevukhadnetzar (some 25 years after his death), and Darius the Mede rose to power in the same year. Darius occupied the throne for less than a year, and was succeeded by Cyrus, who issued the proclamation that permitted the Jews to return to Eretz Yisrael. In other words, only 52 years had passed since the destruction of Jerusalem when Daniel made his calculation, and he was therefore mistaken.
This represents the view of all the Geonim and Rishonim, as noted by Ibn Ezra:
All of the Geonim agreed unanimously with the view of the Sages, who said that Daniel was mistaken in his calculation, for Jerusalem was destroyed only when Tzidkiyahu was captured, and this was in the 19th year of the reign of Nevukhadnetzar. For Yirmiyahu the prophet said, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon I shall remember you” – and so it was, when Belshatzar was killed, and Cyrus took the throne, he issued a proclamation and the Jews went up from Babylon to Jerusalem, and this was God's remembrance. And behold – nineteen years still remained for Jerusalem to stand in ruins, and this period represented the reign of Cyrus, the Persian. When one adds to this the reign of the elder Darius, the Mede, as well as the reign of Achashverosh, and two years of the reign of Darius the Persian, who was the son of Esther, then the period of the ruin of Jerusalem would have lasted a total of seventy years. (Ibn Ezra on 9:2)
This represents the view of all the Geonim and Rishonim, as noted by Ibn Ezra:
All of the Geonim agreed unanimously with the view of the Sages, who said that Daniel was mistaken in his calculation, for Jerusalem was destroyed only when Tzidkiyahu was captured, and this was in the 19th year of the reign of Nevukhadnetzar. For Yirmiyahu the prophet said, “When seventy years are completed for Babylon I shall remember you” – and so it was, when Belshatzar was killed, and Cyrus took the throne, he issued a proclamation and the Jews went up from Babylon to Jerusalem, and this was God's remembrance. And behold – nineteen years still remained for Jerusalem to stand in ruins, and this period represented the reign of Cyrus, the Persian. When one adds to this the reign of the elder Darius, the Mede, as well as the reign of Achashverosh, and two years of the reign of Darius the Persian, who was the son of Esther, then the period of the ruin of Jerusalem would have lasted a total of seventy years. (Ibn Ezra on 9:2)
But how could Daniel be guilty of such a gross miscalculation – a mistake of 18 years in the context of such a short period, all of which took place during his own lifetime? Could Daniel, with all his wisdom and the ruach ha-kodesh that he possessed, not have known how old he was? Did he not understand the meaning of “the desolation of Jerusalem” and when that period began?
R. Yehuda ha-Levi appreciated the difficulty inherent in this idea and added eighteen years to the accepted chronology so as to make the history conform with Daniel's calculation. He maintains that seventy years are marked from the destruction of the Temple until the return in the days of Cyrus. Ibn Ezra notes his position:
And Yehuda ha-Levi said: One must question how Daniel, who was a prophet and a sage, could have miscalculated 19 years out of 70 years. And he proposed that the seventy year total was for the kingdom of Babylon, representing the period that Jerusalem lay in ruins, and then came God's remembrance – and not as calculated by the Geonim.
Ibn Ezra goes on to propose that Daniel's mistake was not in his calculation of the years, but rather in his interpretation of the concept of “desolation”:
And they said that Daniel began calculating the years of destruction from the time that Nevukhadnetzar led Yehoyakim to Babylon; thereafter, he reigned for eight years, and Tzidkiyahu reigned for a further 11 years. Thus, a total of seventy years of the destruction of Jerusalem were complete.
R. Yehuda ha-Levi appreciated the difficulty inherent in this idea and added eighteen years to the accepted chronology so as to make the history conform with Daniel's calculation. He maintains that seventy years are marked from the destruction of the Temple until the return in the days of Cyrus. Ibn Ezra notes his position:
And Yehuda ha-Levi said: One must question how Daniel, who was a prophet and a sage, could have miscalculated 19 years out of 70 years. And he proposed that the seventy year total was for the kingdom of Babylon, representing the period that Jerusalem lay in ruins, and then came God's remembrance – and not as calculated by the Geonim.
Ibn Ezra goes on to propose that Daniel's mistake was not in his calculation of the years, but rather in his interpretation of the concept of “desolation”:
And they said that Daniel began calculating the years of destruction from the time that Nevukhadnetzar led Yehoyakim to Babylon; thereafter, he reigned for eight years, and Tzidkiyahu reigned for a further 11 years. Thus, a total of seventy years of the destruction of Jerusalem were complete.
As we understand it, the “seventy years” refers not to the desolation of Jerusalem, but rather to the period starting with God's word to Yirmiyahu the prophet concerning that destruction. Yirmiyahu uttered his prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem at the hand of Nevukhadnetzar in the fourth year of Yehoyakim, which is the first year of the reign of Nevukhadnetzar, eighteen years prior to the destruction. From this point until the first year of Darius the Mede, there are indeed seventy years:
The word that came to Yirmiyahu concerning all the people of Yehuda, in the fourth year of Yehoyakim, son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehuda – which was the first year of Nevuchadretzar, king of Babylon… So says the Lord of Hosts: Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says the Lord, to Nevuchadretzar, king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them upon this land… And this whole land shall be a desolation, a waste; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are complete, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the Lord… (Yirmiyahu 25:1-12).
Indeed, then, seventy years had passed. If so, what was it that disturbed Daniel so deeply and caused him to pray with such broken-hearted supplication? After all, the time for redemption had arrived!
The seventy years in the prophecy of Yirmiyahu are mentioned again:
For so says the Lord: After seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will remember you, and fulfill My good word towards you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think about you, says the Lord – thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. And you shall call upon Me, and go, and pray to Me, and I will hear you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.[4] And I will be found of you, says the Lord, and I will bring back your captivity, and gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord; and I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you. (ibid. 29:10-14)
From this prophecy of consolation, it appears that seventy years is not a sufficient condition for redemption. Seventy years must pass from Nevukhadnetzar's ascent to power, but there is also a need for heartfelt prayer with a true, profound seeking of God:
And you shall call upon Me, and go, and pray to Me, and I will hear you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when when you search for Me with all your heart.
The redemption, in this sense, follows the same law as the fate of Belshatzar. As discussed in a previous shiur, his demise also came about at the conclusion of the seventy-year count, but was at the same time the result of God's evaluation of his own actions, actions subject to his own free choice. In the same way, in the case of Am Yisrael, a counting of the years is not sufficient. Redemption is also dependent on a great act of free choice – heartfelt, contrite prayer, with a genuine seeking of reconciliation with God.
We conclude, then, that Daniel's count of seventy years was perfectly accurate. When the seventieth year arrived, he knew that the redemption was dependent upon prayer and a seeking of God. His prayer, with the commencement of the year of the awaited redemption, was of critical importance. Yirmiyahu had anticipated this prayer; all the seventy years of destruction, from the fourth year of Yehoyakim, had awaited it. Everything depended on this moment.
The word that came to Yirmiyahu concerning all the people of Yehuda, in the fourth year of Yehoyakim, son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehuda – which was the first year of Nevuchadretzar, king of Babylon… So says the Lord of Hosts: Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, says the Lord, to Nevuchadretzar, king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them upon this land… And this whole land shall be a desolation, a waste; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are complete, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, says the Lord… (Yirmiyahu 25:1-12).
Indeed, then, seventy years had passed. If so, what was it that disturbed Daniel so deeply and caused him to pray with such broken-hearted supplication? After all, the time for redemption had arrived!
The seventy years in the prophecy of Yirmiyahu are mentioned again:
For so says the Lord: After seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will remember you, and fulfill My good word towards you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think about you, says the Lord – thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. And you shall call upon Me, and go, and pray to Me, and I will hear you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.[4] And I will be found of you, says the Lord, and I will bring back your captivity, and gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord; and I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you. (ibid. 29:10-14)
From this prophecy of consolation, it appears that seventy years is not a sufficient condition for redemption. Seventy years must pass from Nevukhadnetzar's ascent to power, but there is also a need for heartfelt prayer with a true, profound seeking of God:
And you shall call upon Me, and go, and pray to Me, and I will hear you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when when you search for Me with all your heart.
The redemption, in this sense, follows the same law as the fate of Belshatzar. As discussed in a previous shiur, his demise also came about at the conclusion of the seventy-year count, but was at the same time the result of God's evaluation of his own actions, actions subject to his own free choice. In the same way, in the case of Am Yisrael, a counting of the years is not sufficient. Redemption is also dependent on a great act of free choice – heartfelt, contrite prayer, with a genuine seeking of reconciliation with God.
We conclude, then, that Daniel's count of seventy years was perfectly accurate. When the seventieth year arrived, he knew that the redemption was dependent upon prayer and a seeking of God. His prayer, with the commencement of the year of the awaited redemption, was of critical importance. Yirmiyahu had anticipated this prayer; all the seventy years of destruction, from the fourth year of Yehoyakim, had awaited it. Everything depended on this moment.
2. Revisiting the Lions' Den
Here we make an assumption that has no explicit basis in the text. This assumption is the connection between our chapter and the narrative in chapter 6, which we discussed previously. [MIO: But, what about this from R. Medan: "King Darius who appears here is the same Darius the Mede who appeared previously in chapter 6 of Sefer Daniel."]
Let us return to Daniel's high hopes for the seventieth year, inspiring his great prayer for the redemption, a prayer which had been anticipated and awaited by Yirmiyahu. In a development that is clearly the work of Satan, it is specifically in this year, the seventieth year, that the ministers of Darius the Mede invent the decree prohibiting prayer to any god or power except for Darius himself. Daniel is well aware that this decree may cause the time for redemption to be missed. He does not view it as an incidental development. He views it in the context of Yirmiyahu's words on prayer, and understands that the decree is a test that God is imposing on His people, on the eve of the redemption, to see whether they love God with all their heart and all their soul and whether they will fulfill Yirmiyahu's prophecy simply and wholeheartedly:
And you shall call upon Me, and go, and pray to Me, and I will hear you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Yirmiyahu 29:12-13)
Daniel views the situation as a test – but not in the sense that he is certain that God will save him. He intends to give up his life if he is caught in prayer, but is not prepared to miss the hour of favor that is criticial for the redemption.
We previously cited the Ritva on Pesachim 25, who provides support for giving up one's life when a foreign ruler issues decrees against Judaism, even to maintain prayer (and not only in avoidance of the three cardinal prohibitions), in a case in which this area of observance is being neglected – that is, for the purpose of serving as an example to the generation and thereby spurring them to repentance. Daniel extends the license to give up one's life in defiance of a decree against Judaism to another area affecting the generation as a whole – the hour of the imminent redemption, an hour requiring self-sacrifice and devotion to God that goes beyond everyday conduct and even beyond everyday Halakha.
Let us return to our other question, regarding the reason that Daniel faces towards Jerusalem. We previously showed that the Babylonian Talmud maintains (with the exception of two opinions) that the concept of facing Jerusalem applies only while the Temple is standing and the Divine Presence rests within it. The teaching based on the world “talpiot” – “the tel to which mouths (piot) turn” – understands the word “tel” as meaning “foundation;” the reference is to the Temple, the foundation of the entire world. Indeed, it is natural that while the Divine Presence rests in the Temple, prayer should be directed there. But the Jerusalem Talmud maintains that prayer is directed to the same place even when the Temple is in ruins. There, the interpretation of “talpiot” is "the mound to which all mouths pray." The direction expresses the subject of the prayer. In the Babylonian Talmud, "One who wishes to become wise should pray towards the south" – since wisdom is associated with the south. "One who wishes to become wealthy should face towards the north" – for there is the source of wealth, since the Table with the showbread was on the northern side of the Temple. In the same way, one who wishes to pray for the rebuilding of Jerusalem should pray in its direction.
Daniel's prayer is, in its entirety, a supplication for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. Therefore, he faces through the windows towards Jerusalem. This image was eternalized and accepted as halakha throughout the Diaspora since, following Daniel's example, we too pray mainly for the rebuidling of Jerusalem and the Temple and the restoration of the Divine Presence there, may it come speedily in our days.
We suggest that this should inform our reading of chapter 6 and of chapter 9. In chapter 6, the ministers of Darius the Mede forbid prayer. Daniel, aware of the prohibition, nevertheless goes to his home, with its windows open towards Jerusalem, and pours forth the supplication recorded in chapter 9 concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He is caught in the midst of his prayer, thrown to the lions, and miraculously delivered.
Here we make an assumption that has no explicit basis in the text. This assumption is the connection between our chapter and the narrative in chapter 6, which we discussed previously. [MIO: But, what about this from R. Medan: "King Darius who appears here is the same Darius the Mede who appeared previously in chapter 6 of Sefer Daniel."]
Let us return to Daniel's high hopes for the seventieth year, inspiring his great prayer for the redemption, a prayer which had been anticipated and awaited by Yirmiyahu. In a development that is clearly the work of Satan, it is specifically in this year, the seventieth year, that the ministers of Darius the Mede invent the decree prohibiting prayer to any god or power except for Darius himself. Daniel is well aware that this decree may cause the time for redemption to be missed. He does not view it as an incidental development. He views it in the context of Yirmiyahu's words on prayer, and understands that the decree is a test that God is imposing on His people, on the eve of the redemption, to see whether they love God with all their heart and all their soul and whether they will fulfill Yirmiyahu's prophecy simply and wholeheartedly:
And you shall call upon Me, and go, and pray to Me, and I will hear you. And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Yirmiyahu 29:12-13)
Daniel views the situation as a test – but not in the sense that he is certain that God will save him. He intends to give up his life if he is caught in prayer, but is not prepared to miss the hour of favor that is criticial for the redemption.
We previously cited the Ritva on Pesachim 25, who provides support for giving up one's life when a foreign ruler issues decrees against Judaism, even to maintain prayer (and not only in avoidance of the three cardinal prohibitions), in a case in which this area of observance is being neglected – that is, for the purpose of serving as an example to the generation and thereby spurring them to repentance. Daniel extends the license to give up one's life in defiance of a decree against Judaism to another area affecting the generation as a whole – the hour of the imminent redemption, an hour requiring self-sacrifice and devotion to God that goes beyond everyday conduct and even beyond everyday Halakha.
Let us return to our other question, regarding the reason that Daniel faces towards Jerusalem. We previously showed that the Babylonian Talmud maintains (with the exception of two opinions) that the concept of facing Jerusalem applies only while the Temple is standing and the Divine Presence rests within it. The teaching based on the world “talpiot” – “the tel to which mouths (piot) turn” – understands the word “tel” as meaning “foundation;” the reference is to the Temple, the foundation of the entire world. Indeed, it is natural that while the Divine Presence rests in the Temple, prayer should be directed there. But the Jerusalem Talmud maintains that prayer is directed to the same place even when the Temple is in ruins. There, the interpretation of “talpiot” is "the mound to which all mouths pray." The direction expresses the subject of the prayer. In the Babylonian Talmud, "One who wishes to become wise should pray towards the south" – since wisdom is associated with the south. "One who wishes to become wealthy should face towards the north" – for there is the source of wealth, since the Table with the showbread was on the northern side of the Temple. In the same way, one who wishes to pray for the rebuilding of Jerusalem should pray in its direction.
Daniel's prayer is, in its entirety, a supplication for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. Therefore, he faces through the windows towards Jerusalem. This image was eternalized and accepted as halakha throughout the Diaspora since, following Daniel's example, we too pray mainly for the rebuidling of Jerusalem and the Temple and the restoration of the Divine Presence there, may it come speedily in our days.
We suggest that this should inform our reading of chapter 6 and of chapter 9. In chapter 6, the ministers of Darius the Mede forbid prayer. Daniel, aware of the prohibition, nevertheless goes to his home, with its windows open towards Jerusalem, and pours forth the supplication recorded in chapter 9 concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He is caught in the midst of his prayer, thrown to the lions, and miraculously delivered.
(ד) וָֽאֶתְפַּֽלְלָ֛ה לַיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהַ֖י וָאֶתְוַדֶּ֑ה וָאֹֽמְרָ֗ה אָנָּ֤א אֲדֹנָי֙ הָאֵ֤ל הַגָּדוֹל֙ וְהַנּוֹרָ֔א שֹׁמֵ֤ר הַבְּרִית֙ וְֽהַחֶ֔סֶד לְאֹהֲבָ֖יו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽיו׃ (ה) חָטָ֥אנוּ וְעָוִ֖ינוּ (והרשענו) [הִרְשַׁ֣עְנוּ] וּמָרָ֑דְנוּ וְס֥וֹר מִמִּצְוֺתֶ֖ךָ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ׃
(4) I prayed to the LORD my God, making confession thus: “O Lord, great and awesome God, who stays faithful to His covenant with those who love Him and keep His commandments! (5) We have sinned; we have gone astray; we have acted wickedly; we have been rebellious and have deviated from Your commandments and Your rules,
האל הגדול והנורא. ולא אמר גבור אמר עובדי כוכבים משתעבדים בבניו ואיה גבורותיו:
O great and awesome God but he did not say, “mighty.” He said [to himself], “Heathens are enslaving His children, so where are His mighty deeds?”
3. Aspects of Daniel's Prayer
Daniel starts his prayer with "the great and awesome God," omitting from his description the third traditional title, "mighty." The gemara in Yoma explains this by means of a question: "His children have been handed over into servitude; where is His might?"
The first part of his prayer is a confession. This confession is not in the style of that of Yom Kippur, which essentially asks for forgiveness, but rather in the style of the public confession that we recite in the lamentations on Tish'a be-Av – essentially an acceptance of God's justice and the recognition of His righteousness. Many of the sentences in Daniel's prayer have entered the confession that is part of our regular prayers, especially the long Tachanun recited on Mondays and Thursdays, which discusses the return from exile, Jerusalem, and the Temple. The connection between the confession that we recite and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is our supplication for forgiveness. The connection between the confession and Daniel's prayer – the longer Tachanun – is the acknowledgement of God's judgment and the punishment that has befallen us, before we ask for Divine mercy.
After the confession and acceptance of Divine judgment comes Daniel's supplication. It does not proceed from the promise of redemption after seventy years, but rather recalls God's many mercies and His great Name, which is desecrated and scorned by the nations so long as Am Yisrael is in exile. In the prayer just before Tachanun, "Avinu Malkenu," we express these two concepts in two successive requests:
Our Father, our King – act for the sake of Your many mercies;
Our Father, our King – act for the sake of Your great, mighty, and terrible Name, by which we are known.
In his prayer, Daniel also mentions that the evil that has befallen Jerusalem is unparalleled anywhere under the heavens. Nevukhadnetzar destroyed many cities, as did the kings of Assyria. But the degree of cruelty demonstrated in Jerusalem was unheard of.
Daniel starts his prayer with "the great and awesome God," omitting from his description the third traditional title, "mighty." The gemara in Yoma explains this by means of a question: "His children have been handed over into servitude; where is His might?"
The first part of his prayer is a confession. This confession is not in the style of that of Yom Kippur, which essentially asks for forgiveness, but rather in the style of the public confession that we recite in the lamentations on Tish'a be-Av – essentially an acceptance of God's justice and the recognition of His righteousness. Many of the sentences in Daniel's prayer have entered the confession that is part of our regular prayers, especially the long Tachanun recited on Mondays and Thursdays, which discusses the return from exile, Jerusalem, and the Temple. The connection between the confession that we recite and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is our supplication for forgiveness. The connection between the confession and Daniel's prayer – the longer Tachanun – is the acknowledgement of God's judgment and the punishment that has befallen us, before we ask for Divine mercy.
After the confession and acceptance of Divine judgment comes Daniel's supplication. It does not proceed from the promise of redemption after seventy years, but rather recalls God's many mercies and His great Name, which is desecrated and scorned by the nations so long as Am Yisrael is in exile. In the prayer just before Tachanun, "Avinu Malkenu," we express these two concepts in two successive requests:
Our Father, our King – act for the sake of Your many mercies;
Our Father, our King – act for the sake of Your great, mighty, and terrible Name, by which we are known.
In his prayer, Daniel also mentions that the evil that has befallen Jerusalem is unparalleled anywhere under the heavens. Nevukhadnetzar destroyed many cities, as did the kings of Assyria. But the degree of cruelty demonstrated in Jerusalem was unheard of.
(כא) וְע֛וֹד אֲנִ֥י מְדַבֵּ֖ר בַּתְּפִלָּ֑ה וְהָאִ֣ישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ רָאִ֨יתִי בֶחָז֤וֹן בַּתְּחִלָּה֙ מֻעָ֣ף בִּיעָ֔ף נֹגֵ֣עַ אֵלַ֔י כְּעֵ֖ת מִנְחַת־עָֽרֶב׃ (כב) וַיָּ֖בֶן וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר עִמִּ֑י וַיֹּאמַ֕ר דָּנִיֵּ֕אל עַתָּ֥ה יָצָ֖אתִי לְהַשְׂכִּילְךָ֥ בִינָֽה׃ (כג) בִּתְחִלַּ֨ת תַּחֲנוּנֶ֜יךָ יָצָ֣א דָבָ֗ר וַאֲנִי֙ בָּ֣אתִי לְהַגִּ֔יד כִּ֥י חֲמוּד֖וֹת אָ֑תָּה וּבִין֙ בַּדָּבָ֔ר וְהָבֵ֖ן בַּמַּרְאֶֽה׃ (כד) שָׁבֻעִ֨ים שִׁבְעִ֜ים נֶחְתַּ֥ךְ עַֽל־עַמְּךָ֣ ׀ וְעַל־עִ֣יר קׇדְשֶׁ֗ךָ לְכַלֵּ֨א הַפֶּ֜שַׁע (ולחתם) [וּלְהָתֵ֤ם] (חטאות) [חַטָּאת֙] וּלְכַפֵּ֣ר עָוֺ֔ן וּלְהָבִ֖יא צֶ֣דֶק עֹֽלָמִ֑ים וְלַחְתֹּם֙ חָז֣וֹן וְנָבִ֔יא וְלִמְשֹׁ֖חַ קֹ֥דֶשׁ קׇֽדָשִֽׁים׃ (כה) וְתֵדַ֨ע וְתַשְׂכֵּ֜ל מִן־מֹצָ֣א דָבָ֗ר לְהָשִׁיב֙ וְלִבְנ֤וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ עַד־מָשִׁ֣יחַ נָגִ֔יד שָׁבֻעִ֖ים שִׁבְעָ֑ה וְשָׁבֻעִ֞ים שִׁשִּׁ֣ים וּשְׁנַ֗יִם תָּשׁוּב֙ וְנִבְנְתָה֙ רְח֣וֹב וְחָר֔וּץ וּבְצ֖וֹק הָעִתִּֽים׃ (כו) וְאַחֲרֵ֤י הַשָּׁבֻעִים֙ שִׁשִּׁ֣ים וּשְׁנַ֔יִם יִכָּרֵ֥ת מָשִׁ֖יחַ וְאֵ֣ין ל֑וֹ וְהָעִ֨יר וְהַקֹּ֜דֶשׁ יַ֠שְׁחִ֠ית עַ֣ם נָגִ֤יד הַבָּא֙ וְקִצּ֣וֹ בַשֶּׁ֔טֶף וְעַד֙ קֵ֣ץ מִלְחָמָ֔ה נֶחֱרֶ֖צֶת שֹׁמֵמֽוֹת׃ (כז) וְהִגְבִּ֥יר בְּרִ֛ית לָרַבִּ֖ים שָׁב֣וּעַ אֶחָ֑ד וַחֲצִ֨י הַשָּׁב֜וּעַ יַשְׁבִּ֣ית ׀ זֶ֣בַח וּמִנְחָ֗ה וְעַ֨ל כְּנַ֤ף שִׁקּוּצִים֙ מְשֹׁמֵ֔ם וְעַד־כָּלָה֙ וְנֶ֣חֱרָצָ֔ה תִּתַּ֖ךְ עַל־שֹׁמֵֽם׃ {ס}
(21) while I was uttering my prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had previously seen in the vision, was sent forth in flight and reached me about the time of the evening offering. (22) He made me understand by speaking to me and saying, “Daniel, I have just come forth to give you understanding. (23) A word went forth as you began your plea, and I have come to tell it, for you are precious; so mark the word and understand the vision. (24) “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city until the measure of transgression is filled and that of sin complete, until iniquity is expiated, and eternal righteousness ushered in; and prophetic vision ratified, and the Holy of Holies anointed. (25) You must know and understand: From the issuance of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the [time of the] anointed leader is seven weeks; and for sixty-two weeks it will be rebuilt, square and moat, but in a time of distress. (26) And after those sixty-two weeks, the anointed one will disappear and vanish. The army of a leader who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, but its end will come through a flood. Desolation is decreed until the end of war. (27) During one week he will make a firm covenant with many. For half a week he will put a stop to the sacrifice and the meal offering. At the corner [of the altar]-c will be an appalling abomination until the decreed destruction will be poured down upon the appalling thing.”
4. Calculations of the Time for Redemption
In response to Daniel's prayer, the angel Gavriel appears and reveals to him that redemption will come (see above).
Despair of redemption may lead Am Yisrael to become completely assimilated in its place of exile. Only hope can keep a nation alive without its land and its kingdom. Yirmiyahu deviated from the boundaries maintained by the other prophets and set a time limit for the Babylonian exile – seventy years from the ascent of Nevukhadnetzar. When the seventieth year arrives, the angel conveys to Daniel the hope for the end to this exile, the hope that is meant to strengthen the nation so that they will not despair. But the time of the redemption is conveyed in the form of a riddle, and the angel instructs Daniel, "Know, therefore, and understand." It is clear that both the angel and Daniel are deliberately formulating the message in such a way that not everyone will be able to decode its meaning. Nevertheless, we may attempt to understand what the text means.
The accepted interpretation in the Talmud (Nazir 32b) and all the commentators is that the "seventy weeks" allude to the 490 years between the destruction of the First Temple and the destruction of the Second Temple. This period includes within it the seventy years of desolation from the destruction of the First Temple until the second year of the reign of Darius (the Persian), when the building of the Second Temple commenced, and the 420 years that the Second Temple stood.
According to this interpretation, Daniel foresaw the year of the destruction of the Second Temple. But this presents a problem – it suggests that the Second Temple was destroyed not (or not only) because of the sins of Am Yisrael, but because God had already decreed the destruction in advance. In addition, it would seem to imply that after those 490 years, there is an end to all the transgressions of Am Yisrael through their suffering ("to finish the transgression…. and to atone for iniquity"). But it was specifically then that the nation's worst troubles began in their long exile! Moreover, according to our understanding of the text thus far, Daniel did not discuss any period so distant in the future.
In any event, this is how the message was interpreted by R. Sa'adia Gaon, Rashi, and the other commentators who followed their lead. According to Rashi, the "shavu'im shiv'a" are the years of exile. From the destruction of the First Temple until the return to Tzion, there were 52 years, which are "seven sevens" plus another three years. The "sixty-two sevens" (or "sixty-two weeks") are the years from the return to Tzion until the destruction of the Second Temple: 420 years that the Temple stood, and the preceding 18 years, from the time of the Return until the construction of the Second Temple began.
Abravanel adopts a similar approach in his commentary, arguing against the Christian scholars who used this interpretation to support the vision of the birth of their messiah:
Behold, the Christian scholars have made these words – “until the anointed prince” and “seal up vision and prophet,” etc. – the jewel and foundation of those who believe in their faith. Because they found the Sages’ explanation and the logical interpretation of these verses to be difficult, they made an effort to negate and question their interepretation of the “seventy weeks.” And so that the truth will be apparent to all, I chose to gather from their works, one here and one there, and I will respond to them as I see fit. (Ma’ayan 10, Tamar 7).
Perhaps the Christian calculation is based on adding the "seventy weeks" (or "seventy sevens") and the "seven weeks" (or "seven sevens"), arriving at a total of 539 years. After all, according to the accepted historical scholarship, this vision was uttered in the first year of Darius the Mede, which was the year 539 B.C.E. If indeed the Christian messiah was born in the year 0, as was generally accepted until quite recently, then their calculation works out very nicely. Thus, this chapter could be seen as providing support for the Christian faith (as Abravanel points out), and it is therefore not surprising that the Christians “promoted” Daniel to the status of a prophet.
Elsewhere, we raised an opposing claim. The accepted historical chronology of events proceeds from the outset from the need to arrive at the number 539. In order to arrive at this calculation, the duration of the Persian Kingdom was revised by Christian scholars during the Middle Ages, such that the exact coincidence of the dates is not all that surprising.
Perhaps the "seventy sevens" allude to the years of Am Yisrael from the time of its creation – the Exodus from Egypt – until "the anointing of the holy of holies" – the conclusion of the construction of the First Temple. The period from the Exodus until the beginning of the construction lasted 480 years, and the construction lasted another 7 years. This brings us to a total of 487 years – which is almost exactly "seventy sevens" (490 years). After "seven sevens" – 49 years from the completion of the construction of the Temple – Assa, king of Yehuda, was born. From the words of the early prophets it seems possible that he was meant to be the Mashiach, and perhaps he is the "anointed prince" (mashiach nagid) mentioned here in Daniel's vision. In his time, a great salvation took place, but owing to his sins, he did not merit the full redemption (see Divrei Ha-yamim II 15). In the "sixty-second week" – the 429th year after the start of Assa's reign – the dedication of the Second Temple took place, in the sixth year of Darius. Following this came the subjugations hinted to at the final verses of the vision.
We might suggest another way of calculating the redemption in accordance with the "shavu'im shiv'im" in our chapter. If we count the "shavu'im" as days rather than years, the angel is confirming for Daniel that the return to Tzion and the beginning of the rebuilding of the Temple will take place during the coming year (490 days are approximately one year and 4 months). The total count arrived at if we add "shavu'im shiv'im," "shavu'im shiv'a," and "shavu'im shishim u-shenayim" is almost three years, and this may allude to the three-year reign of Cyrus, who is referred to by Yishayahu (end of chapter 44 and beginning of 45) as "mashiach." The death of Cyrus, the "mashiach," heralded a difficult period for Am Yisrael, as alluded to by Daniel in the final verses of his vision.
Still, the vision remains opaque and its riddle awaits a solution.
In response to Daniel's prayer, the angel Gavriel appears and reveals to him that redemption will come (see above).
Despair of redemption may lead Am Yisrael to become completely assimilated in its place of exile. Only hope can keep a nation alive without its land and its kingdom. Yirmiyahu deviated from the boundaries maintained by the other prophets and set a time limit for the Babylonian exile – seventy years from the ascent of Nevukhadnetzar. When the seventieth year arrives, the angel conveys to Daniel the hope for the end to this exile, the hope that is meant to strengthen the nation so that they will not despair. But the time of the redemption is conveyed in the form of a riddle, and the angel instructs Daniel, "Know, therefore, and understand." It is clear that both the angel and Daniel are deliberately formulating the message in such a way that not everyone will be able to decode its meaning. Nevertheless, we may attempt to understand what the text means.
The accepted interpretation in the Talmud (Nazir 32b) and all the commentators is that the "seventy weeks" allude to the 490 years between the destruction of the First Temple and the destruction of the Second Temple. This period includes within it the seventy years of desolation from the destruction of the First Temple until the second year of the reign of Darius (the Persian), when the building of the Second Temple commenced, and the 420 years that the Second Temple stood.
According to this interpretation, Daniel foresaw the year of the destruction of the Second Temple. But this presents a problem – it suggests that the Second Temple was destroyed not (or not only) because of the sins of Am Yisrael, but because God had already decreed the destruction in advance. In addition, it would seem to imply that after those 490 years, there is an end to all the transgressions of Am Yisrael through their suffering ("to finish the transgression…. and to atone for iniquity"). But it was specifically then that the nation's worst troubles began in their long exile! Moreover, according to our understanding of the text thus far, Daniel did not discuss any period so distant in the future.
In any event, this is how the message was interpreted by R. Sa'adia Gaon, Rashi, and the other commentators who followed their lead. According to Rashi, the "shavu'im shiv'a" are the years of exile. From the destruction of the First Temple until the return to Tzion, there were 52 years, which are "seven sevens" plus another three years. The "sixty-two sevens" (or "sixty-two weeks") are the years from the return to Tzion until the destruction of the Second Temple: 420 years that the Temple stood, and the preceding 18 years, from the time of the Return until the construction of the Second Temple began.
Abravanel adopts a similar approach in his commentary, arguing against the Christian scholars who used this interpretation to support the vision of the birth of their messiah:
Behold, the Christian scholars have made these words – “until the anointed prince” and “seal up vision and prophet,” etc. – the jewel and foundation of those who believe in their faith. Because they found the Sages’ explanation and the logical interpretation of these verses to be difficult, they made an effort to negate and question their interepretation of the “seventy weeks.” And so that the truth will be apparent to all, I chose to gather from their works, one here and one there, and I will respond to them as I see fit. (Ma’ayan 10, Tamar 7).
Perhaps the Christian calculation is based on adding the "seventy weeks" (or "seventy sevens") and the "seven weeks" (or "seven sevens"), arriving at a total of 539 years. After all, according to the accepted historical scholarship, this vision was uttered in the first year of Darius the Mede, which was the year 539 B.C.E. If indeed the Christian messiah was born in the year 0, as was generally accepted until quite recently, then their calculation works out very nicely. Thus, this chapter could be seen as providing support for the Christian faith (as Abravanel points out), and it is therefore not surprising that the Christians “promoted” Daniel to the status of a prophet.
Elsewhere, we raised an opposing claim. The accepted historical chronology of events proceeds from the outset from the need to arrive at the number 539. In order to arrive at this calculation, the duration of the Persian Kingdom was revised by Christian scholars during the Middle Ages, such that the exact coincidence of the dates is not all that surprising.
Perhaps the "seventy sevens" allude to the years of Am Yisrael from the time of its creation – the Exodus from Egypt – until "the anointing of the holy of holies" – the conclusion of the construction of the First Temple. The period from the Exodus until the beginning of the construction lasted 480 years, and the construction lasted another 7 years. This brings us to a total of 487 years – which is almost exactly "seventy sevens" (490 years). After "seven sevens" – 49 years from the completion of the construction of the Temple – Assa, king of Yehuda, was born. From the words of the early prophets it seems possible that he was meant to be the Mashiach, and perhaps he is the "anointed prince" (mashiach nagid) mentioned here in Daniel's vision. In his time, a great salvation took place, but owing to his sins, he did not merit the full redemption (see Divrei Ha-yamim II 15). In the "sixty-second week" – the 429th year after the start of Assa's reign – the dedication of the Second Temple took place, in the sixth year of Darius. Following this came the subjugations hinted to at the final verses of the vision.
We might suggest another way of calculating the redemption in accordance with the "shavu'im shiv'im" in our chapter. If we count the "shavu'im" as days rather than years, the angel is confirming for Daniel that the return to Tzion and the beginning of the rebuilding of the Temple will take place during the coming year (490 days are approximately one year and 4 months). The total count arrived at if we add "shavu'im shiv'im," "shavu'im shiv'a," and "shavu'im shishim u-shenayim" is almost three years, and this may allude to the three-year reign of Cyrus, who is referred to by Yishayahu (end of chapter 44 and beginning of 45) as "mashiach." The death of Cyrus, the "mashiach," heralded a difficult period for Am Yisrael, as alluded to by Daniel in the final verses of his vision.
Still, the vision remains opaque and its riddle awaits a solution.