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Shtiebel 929 Yechezkel 26
(ב) בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם יַ֠עַן אֲשֶׁר־אָ֨מְרָה צֹּ֤ר עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ הֶאָ֔ח נִשְׁבְּרָ֛ה דַּלְת֥וֹת הָעַמִּ֖ים נָסֵ֣בָּה אֵלָ֑י אִמָּלְאָ֖ה הָחֳרָֽבָה׃
(2) O mortal, because Tyre gloated over Jerusalem, “Aha! The gatewaybgateway Targum reads “trafficker”; cf. 27.3. of the peoples is broken, it has become mine; I shall be filled, now that it is laid in ruins”—
(א) יען אשר אמרה צר, צור היתה תמיד בברית עם ירושלים בימי דוד ושלמה, ולא שמחו על מפלתם משנאה רק מפני שחשבו שעי"כ יגיע להם תועלת, וז"ש שאמרו האח נשברה דלתות העמים, שירושלים היתה עיר מרכולת וכל העמים הביאו שם סחורתם, וקראה דלתות העמים שכולם נכנסו אל הדלת הזה, ועי"כ נסבה אלי ויהיה כל המסחר בצור, וגם י"ל שקראה דלתות העמים מפני שהיתה חוצצת בפני העמים שישבו בדרום ומזרח וצפון שהיה דרכם לצור דרך א"י וסביבה, כדלת סגורה שאין יכולים ליכנס עד שיפתח הדלת, ועתה שנפתח הדלת ע"י חורבנה נסבה אלי, זאת שנית אמלאאה החרבה שמלאו בתיהם מחורבן ירושלים כמ"ש וגם מה אתם לי צור וצדון וכל גלילות פלשת אשר כספי וזהבי לקחתם ומחמדי הטובים הבאתם להיכליכם ובני יהודה מכרתם וכו' ששללו ובזזו ואספו כסף ועבדים ונתמלאו מן החורבן והשלל:

(1) because Tyre said – Tyre had a covenant with Jerusalem all the days of David and Shlomo and was not rejoicing over its fall out of hatred, rather they rejoiced because they thought that they would derive benefit from it. This is why the verse says ‘Aha! The doors of the peoples have been broken,’ because Jerusalem was the market city and all the peoples brought their wares there. It was called ‘the doors of the peoples’ because they all entered this door. Through this breaking ‘it has turned to me,’ and all the commerce will be in Tyre. One can also say that Jerusalem was called ‘the doors of the peoples’ because it stood before the peoples who lived in the south, east and north, whose path to Tyre was via the land of Israel and its surroundings. It was like a closed door, through which one cannot enter until it is opened. Now that the door has been opened through its destruction ‘it has turned to me.’ This second explanation fits the end of the verse ‘I shall become full from the destroyed city,’ that their houses were filled from the destruction of Jerusalem. This is as it is written “And also, what are you to Me, Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia… For My silver and My gold you took, and My goodly treasures you have brought into your temples. And the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem you have sold…” (Joel 4:4-6) They despoiled, plundered and gathered silver and slaves and filled themselves from the destruction and the spoils.

(יט) כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה בְּתִתִּ֤י אֹתָךְ֙ עִ֣יר נֶחֱרֶ֔בֶת כֶּעָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־נוֹשָׁ֑בוּ בְּהַעֲל֤וֹת עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ אֶת־תְּה֔וֹם וְכִסּ֖וּךְ הַמַּ֥יִם הָרַבִּֽים׃ (כ) וְהוֹרַדְתִּיךְ֩ אֶת־י֨וֹרְדֵי ב֜וֹר אֶל־עַ֣ם עוֹלָ֗ם וְ֠הוֹשַׁבְתִּ֠יךְ בְּאֶ֨רֶץ תַּחְתִּיּ֜וֹת כׇּחֳרָב֤וֹת מֵעוֹלָם֙ אֶת־י֣וֹרְדֵי ב֔וֹר לְמַ֖עַן לֹ֣א תֵשֵׁ֑בִי וְנָתַתִּ֥י צְבִ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ חַיִּֽים׃
(19) For thus said the Sovereign GOD: When I make you a ruined city, like cities empty of inhabitants; when I bring the deep over you, and its mighty waters cover you, (20) then I will bring you down, with those who go down to the Pit, to the people of old. I will install you in the netherworld, with those that go down to the Pit, like the ruins of old, so that you shall not be inhabited and shall not radiateiradiate Understanding nathatti as second-person singular feminine; cf. 16.50 and note. But meaning of Heb. uncertain. splendor in the land of the living.

Questions:

  • Consider the Malbim's commentary: "Tyre...was not rejoicing over its fall out of hatred, rather they rejoiced because they thought that they would derive benefit from it." How else could Tyre have reacted to Jerusalem's fall? What kind of response (if any) would have been blameless?
  • Consider Robert Alter's commentary on v. 19-20: "There is a pointed antithesis between bringing up the deep in the previous clause and bringing down the inhabitants of the city to the netherworld." Are these two distinctly different stages of punishment, or are they two aspects of the same event?
  • Do you find any connection(s) between Tyre's behavior and its punishment?