Midrash su Daniele 9:27

VIII) Let there be [for her] no escape (Jeremiah 50:29), it is written wwithin lacking, for Babylon is the seat of sovereignty and the house of royalty, and thus it says (Daniel 4:27) Is that not great Babylon, which I built to be a royal residence? And in it the kingdom of Israel sank and her kingdom was annulled, and Jeremiah told the remnant of Israel that the vengeance of Adonai would be avenged upon it in this world and in the future, so it is written Let there be no escape in this world, and continued on the margins Let there be no escape for her in the future.

R. Simeon the son of Gamliel said in the name of R. Joshua: Since the Temple was destroyed, no day has lacked a curse, as it is said: Yea, a God that hath indignation every day (Ps. 7:12). R. Ze’era was of the opinion that the earlier curse(s) still prevail.¹⁷While the new day brings a new curse. R. Judah the son of Ilai said: The land of Israel was so irrepressible that it continued to bear fruit, despite the curse. In this world He made her (Israel) smoulder for seven years because of her sins, as it is said: And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and upon the wing of detestable things shall be that which causeth appalment; and that until the extermination wholly determined be poured out upon that which causeth appalment (Dan. 9:27). However, in the world-to-come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will grant her the blessings she had enjoyed previously, as it is said: But Ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people Israel; for they are at hand to come (Ezek. 36:8).

“For the mountains I will take up weeping and wailing…” (Jeremiah 9:9) – Rabbi Aḥa said: Nebuchadnezzar commanded Nevuzaradan three matters concerning Jeremiah: “Take him and keep your eyes on him” (Jeremiah 39:12) – on him and not on his nation. “Do not do anything harmful to him” (Jeremiah 39:12) – to him do not do, but to his nation do as much harm as you please. “As he will say to you so you shall do to him” (Jeremiah 39:12) – but not to his nation. Jeremiah would see a group of lads placed in collars, and he would place his head with them, and Nevuzaradan would come and remove him from them. He then would see elders chained in chains. He would place his neck with them, and Nevuzaradan would come and remove him from them. Nevuzaradan said to him: ‘Look, you are one of three things; either you are a false prophet, or you are contemptuous of suffering, or you are a shedder of blood. Maybe you are a false prophet, as all these years you are prophesying about this city that it will be destroyed, and now that it is being destroyed, your soul is greatly troubled. Or you are contemptuous of suffering, as I do not wish to do you any harm, but you wish to do yourself harm, as though to say: Suffering is nothing for me. Or you are a shedder of blood, as the king commanded me extensively in your regard that I not do you any harm, and you seek to do harm so that the king will hear and execute this man.’¹³⁶Nevuzaradan was referring to himself.
Ultimately, he said to him: ‘If you agree, come and I will keep my eye on you,’ but he did not accept it, as it is stated at the end of the portion, until it was stated to him from the mouth of the Almighty.¹³⁷Nevuzaradan had suggested that Jeremiah come to Babylon under his protection or remain in the Land of Israel, but Jeremiah had insisted on remaining with the other captives who were being exiled to Babylon, until God spoke to him. See Jeremiah 40:1–5. That is what is written: “This is the matter that was to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying” (see Jeremiah 40:1). What was that matter? He said to him: ‘Jeremiah, if you remain here, I will go with them, and if you go with them, I will remain here.’ He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, if I go with them, in what way can I benefit them? Rather, let their King, their Creator go with them, as He can benefit them greatly.’ That is what is written: “After Nevuzaradan, captain of the guards, sent him …and he had been bound in chains” (Jeremiah 40:1). Rabbi Aḥa said: As it were, both he and Him were bound in chains. Similarly, it is written: “And I am in the midst of the exile” (Ezekiel 1:1).¹³⁸“And I” is expounded to mean: I – Ezekiel; and – God.
Until where was Jeremiah’s prophecy?¹³⁹What was the last prophecy Jeremiah conveyed to those who were being led into exile. Alternatively, the midrash assumes that the book of Jeremiah is not written in chronological order, and asks which was his last prophecy (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Yaakov and Rabbi Aba, and some say Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yoḥanan: one said: Until, “He who scattered Israel will gather them” (Jeremiah 31:9). The other says: Until, “there is hope for your future, the utterance of the Lord, and your children will return to their border” (Jeremiah 31:16).
Upon his return,¹⁴⁰From Rama (see Jeremiah 40:1). he would find severed toes cast on the mountains. He would gather them, caress them, hug them, kiss them, and place them in his garment. He would say to them: ‘My children, did I not warn you of this and say to you: “Give honor to the Lord your God before it grows dark and before your feet will stumble on the mountains of the night” (Jeremiah 13:16)?’ Regarding that moment it is stated: “For the mountains I will take up weeping and wailing, and for the oases [neot] of the wilderness a lamentation” (Jeremiah 9:9) – for those beautiful and excellent mountains I will take up weeping and wailing, on the abodes [neot] of Jacob that have been transformed into a lamentation. “They did not hear the sound of livestock [mikneh]” (Jeremiah 9:9) – they did not hear the sound of words of Torah or the sound of the words of prophecy, but rather mikneh, the sound of words that arouse jealousy [mekaneh]. They aroused His zealotry with idol worship [avoda zara], just as it says: “They would arouse His jealousy with strangers [zarim]” (Deuteronomy 32:16). Therefore, “from the birds of the heavens to the animals, they have wandered and gone” (Jeremiah 9:9).
Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta said: For fifty-two years, no bird was seen flying in the Land of Israel. What is the source? “From the birds of the heavens to the animals [behema], they have wandered and gone” (Jeremiah 9:9); the numerical value of behema is fifty-two.¹⁴¹Bet – 2; heh – 5; mem – 40; heh – 5 = 52
Rabbi Ḥanina said: Forty years before, they¹⁴²God caused the Babylonians to plant the trees in preparation for the impending exile. would plant date palms in Babylon, indicating that sweet foods accustom the tongue to Torah. Rabbi Ḥanina son of Rabbi Abbahu said: There are seven hundred species of kosher fish, eight hundred species of kosher grasshoppers, and innumerable birds, and all of them were exiled with Israel to Babylon. When they returned, all of them returned with them with the exception of one fish whose name is shibuta. How were the fish exiled? Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: They were exiled via the depths, and they returned via the depths.
Rabbi Zeira said: Come and see how insolent is the Land of Israel, that it continues producing fruit.¹⁴³It does so even though it was decreed that after Israel is exiled the land would remain desolate (see Leviticus 26:32). Why does it produce fruit? Rabbi Ḥanina and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: one said: Because they fertilize it. The other said: Because they overturn its soil.¹⁴⁴Before Israel was exiled, it would produce even without these measures.
Rabbi Yudan said: For seven years, [the curse] of sulfur and salt¹⁴⁵See Deuteronomy 29:22 was fulfilled for them. Why to that extent? “He will promote a covenant with the multitudes for one period of seven years” (Daniel 9:27). What did the Cuthites among them do? They would sow it in small plots. They would sow here, and it would be burned, they would sow there and it would be burned. There was an incident involving an individual who was standing and plowing in the Beit Arava Valley, and his hand grasped his plowshare. Hot soil arose and burned his arm, to realize what is stated: “Sulfur and salt, its entire land is afire” (Deuteronomy 29:22).
Rabba bar Kahana said: They are neither an indication of forgiveness in the land nor an indication of desolation of the land,¹⁴⁶This statement refers to the return of the birds and fish to the Land of Israel, and to the original exit of the birds and fish from the land (Matnot Kehuna). but rather it is from before Him, to realize what is stated: “Fear of you and dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, [and upon every bird of the heavens, and upon all that crawls on the ground, and upon all fish of the sea]” (Genesis 9:2).¹⁴⁷Since these creatures are subject to domination by man, it stands to reason that if humanity could no longer reside in the land of Israel, neither could these creatures. But in the future, everything will return. That is what is written: “The land that had been desolate will be tilled, instead of being desolation in the eyes of every passerby” (Ezekiel 36:34).
The prologue of the Sages to Midrash Eikha Rabati is complete.