Commentaire sur Jérémie 34:26

You shall die in peace Our Sages stated that Nebuchadnezzar died during his lifetime (Moed Katan 28b), for all the days of Nebuchadnezzar his prisoners were not freed from their imprisonment, and when Nebuchadnezzar died, Zedekiah emerged from the prison. He died the next day and was buried with pomp.

and with the burnings of your forefathers So was their custom, to burn for the kings their bier and the utensils they used.

after King Zedekiah had made a covenant In the seventh year of his reign. So we learned it in Seder Olam (ch. 26): “And it came to pass in the seventh year...men came of the elders of Judah (sic) to inquire of the Lord” (Ezekiel 20:1). They said to Ezekiel, ‘The slave of a priest whom his owner soldwhat is the ruling regarding whether he may eat of the priest’s due?’ That is to say, because they wanted to say that they should not be punished for infracting the commandment by returning the slaves.

behold I proclaim freedom to you from Me, that I am not your master to save you, and you shall be free to the sword and to the famine.

when they cut the calf in two Whey they returned and forced them to be slaves, they all made a covenant to rebel against the Omnipresent and cut a calf in two and passed between its parts to rebel against Him, and that was a strong covenant and a final one, saying, So shall the one who transgresses be cut and divided.

who have gone up away from you because of the army of Pharaoh that came out of Egypt, as is explained in this Book (37:5).

Behold I command that Pharaoh’s army return to his land, and the Chaldeans return upon you.