Pensamiento judío sobre Jeremías 31:17

[Jer. 31:9] “Efraim is my firstborn”; [Jer: 31:5] “Mount Efraim, ” [Jer.31:17] “Efraim wanders”; (Jer. 31:20) “Efraim is my favorite son” -- all these are basic aspects of Mashiach ben Yosef that appear in the same chapter. Efraim is called God’s firstborn, because he is the first Mashiach through whom the ingathering of the exiles will occur, which means the exodus from exile. Mount Efraim is so called because it leads Israel up to Zion, as we learn from the verse: “call out from Mount Efraim, ’Rise and let us ascend to Zion.’” The aspect ‘Efraim wanders, ’ signifies that Mashiach ben Yosef has no rest, he wanders from north to south, and from south to north, as written: “wake up North, and come to the South.” The initial letters of the 4 Hebrew words, , are equal in gematria to the value of Mashiach ben Yosef (566). “Efraim is my favorite son” is the aspect ‘Lovingkindness, ’ because Efraim himself is from the left side, that means, from the side of Din, and always accepts influence from the right side, that is, from the quality of Lovingkindness. This is the import of: “and he placed his right hand on the head of Efraim.” We are commanded to speak of him constantly: “for whenever I speak of him, I remember him better” (Jer: 31:20) etc. Efraim is the one who wages war against Armilus. In gematria, and are equal [331]. All the above-mentioned aspects are in the line of Yosef ben Rachel, from the land; thus this chapter speaks about Rachel--Rachel who weeps for her children. “Refrain your voice from weeping ... they will return from the land of the enemy” refers to the exodus from exile; “your children will return to their border” refers to the immigration (ascent) to Zion.

“expansiveness” -- (Ps. 118:5) “in distress I called out to the Lord, he answered me with expansiveness” [i.e., he brought me relief] -- Likewise, (Ps. 31:9) “You set my feet in a wide space.” Also there, (Ps 31:20) “how great is your abundance that you have placed in the north for those who fear you [see 19]. Similarly, (Ps. 81:8) “in distress you called out, and I rescued you, I answered you, ” etc. Also there, (Ps. 81:6) “as testimony in Yosef.” (Ps. 126) [118:5] from “distress” to “expansiveness.” Likewise, (Isa. 54:2) “expand the site of your tent, ” which is the task of Mashiach ben Yosef to restore the border of Israel which is the mission of the prophet Jonah who was Mashiach ben Yosef as explained above (#36), from the aspect of “expand the site of your tent.” Merchavia is one of the appellations of Eretz Israel, and this is revealed in the letters of the line of Mashiach ben Yosef as revealed by the word: the expanses of the river, because now God has expanded us, and we have multiplied in the land (Likutei Hagra revealed in the letters and the explanation there), and it reveals the secret concealed in (I Kings 17:21) “please return this child’s soul.” This is also the intent of the verse (Jer. 31:16) “your children will return to their border, ” that is, after returning from the enemy’s land, they will return to their own border.