בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִגְדַּ֤ל הַמִּסְפֵּד֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם כְּמִסְפַּ֥ד הֲדַדְ־רִמּ֖וֹן בְּבִקְעַ֥ת מְגִדּֽוֹן׃
В тот день будет великий траур в Иерусалиме, Как и траур Ададриммона в долине Мегиддона.
Tosafot
But didn't they [also] do this before Ahab? R’ Y’hudoh said that the honor accorded Hizkiyah was the massive size of his funeral – thirty six thousand people who bared their shoulders. R' Neḥemya disagrees with this interpretation of the ‘honor’, because we find that even Achov who was a wicked king had a very large funeral. The verse cannot mean that the ‘honor’ of Hizkiyah is a massive funeral, if we find that even the wicked Achov had a very large funeral. But where do we find that Achov had a very large funeral? It is certainly not mentioned in the N’vee’im. Says Tosafot:
That they made a massive eulogy for him, Achov, as the Gemara says in M’giloh (3a): The prophet Zechariah 12, 11, speaks of the eulogy of Hadrimon son of Tavrimon. On the surface the verse is extremely difficult to understand, there is no such known person in Tanach. The Targum there clarifies the matter. The verse means: like the eulogy of Achov ben Omree who was killed by Hadrimon ben Tavrimon. And that occurred during a battle when there were many people, and they all eulogized him. This is the source for the large funeral of Achov that R' Neḥemya referred to.
But the verse in M’lochim seems to contradict the Targum, which says that the people eulogized Achov and seemingly mourned his death. And even though it is written about the death of Achov (M’lochim 1, 22, 36) and the ‘joy’ went through the encampment, and the Gemara says (Sanhedrin 39b) as an explanation of the use of the word רנה, With the destruction of the wicked comes joy (Mishlay 11, 10), with the loss of Achov ben Omree there was joy. It is clear from the Gemara’s understanding of the verse in M’lochim that there was joy, not mourning, at the death of Achov.1R’ Yacov of Emden suggests that there may be no contradiction at all. The very same people, who acted as mourners from fear of reprisal by Achov’s followers, were inwardly joyous about the death of the evil king.
That was for the righteous of the generation, but his servants and those who loved him, were eulogizing him. Both are true. There was a massive eulogy for him by his servants and admirers. There was also profound joy for the righteous who saw in his death a victory over evil.
That they made a massive eulogy for him, Achov, as the Gemara says in M’giloh (3a): The prophet Zechariah 12, 11, speaks of the eulogy of Hadrimon son of Tavrimon. On the surface the verse is extremely difficult to understand, there is no such known person in Tanach. The Targum there clarifies the matter. The verse means: like the eulogy of Achov ben Omree who was killed by Hadrimon ben Tavrimon. And that occurred during a battle when there were many people, and they all eulogized him. This is the source for the large funeral of Achov that R' Neḥemya referred to.
But the verse in M’lochim seems to contradict the Targum, which says that the people eulogized Achov and seemingly mourned his death. And even though it is written about the death of Achov (M’lochim 1, 22, 36) and the ‘joy’ went through the encampment, and the Gemara says (Sanhedrin 39b) as an explanation of the use of the word רנה, With the destruction of the wicked comes joy (Mishlay 11, 10), with the loss of Achov ben Omree there was joy. It is clear from the Gemara’s understanding of the verse in M’lochim that there was joy, not mourning, at the death of Achov.1R’ Yacov of Emden suggests that there may be no contradiction at all. The very same people, who acted as mourners from fear of reprisal by Achov’s followers, were inwardly joyous about the death of the evil king.
That was for the righteous of the generation, but his servants and those who loved him, were eulogizing him. Both are true. There was a massive eulogy for him by his servants and admirers. There was also profound joy for the righteous who saw in his death a victory over evil.
Daf Shevui to Megillah
The Talmud asks the obvious question—why was God okay with translating the Torah but not okay with translating the Prophets? The answer is that the meaning of the Torah and its laws is usually quite apparent. People can understand it without a Targum. However, as anyone who has ever read anything from the Prophets knows, many of the verses are difficult to understand. It was the meaning of these verses that God did not want revealed to the rest of the world.
As an example of a cryptic verse the Talmud chooses Zechariah 12:11, which R. Joseph said could not be understood without the Targum. The verse refers to the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddon but without some interpretation we can’t know what that refers to. The Targum explains it as referring to two people who were killed in two separate events: Ahab son of Omri, whose death is told in I Kings 22 and Josiah son of Amnon whose death is told in II Kings 23. Note that the Targum splits the verse from Zechariah into two events—one involving Hadadrimmon and the other involving the plain of Megiddo.
As an example of a cryptic verse the Talmud chooses Zechariah 12:11, which R. Joseph said could not be understood without the Targum. The verse refers to the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddon but without some interpretation we can’t know what that refers to. The Targum explains it as referring to two people who were killed in two separate events: Ahab son of Omri, whose death is told in I Kings 22 and Josiah son of Amnon whose death is told in II Kings 23. Note that the Targum splits the verse from Zechariah into two events—one involving Hadadrimmon and the other involving the plain of Megiddo.
Ezra ben Solomon
Those who first went forth into exile will be the first to return. Some time later, the children of Judah will return. So Isaiah prophesied when he said: “In that day my Lord will apply His hand a second time to redeem the other part of His people from Assyria—as also from Egypt, Pathos, Nubia, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coastlands” [Isa. 11:11]. The verse specifies “a second time,” for the redemption of the ten tribes will come first. And thus “the other part of His people” who will have remained in Assyria. In the following verse Isaiah lists the two exiles and makes mention of the two acts of redemption, referring to each and every one with its proper name. He says: “He will hold up a signal to the nations and assemble the banished of Israel; and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” [Isa. 11:12]. He refers to the ten tribes as the “banished of Israel” as they dwell together but are banished from their land. The exile of Judah is designated as a dispersion, “and he will gather the dispersed of Judah.” The house of Israel will anoint a Messiah called Messiah ben Joseph; he will conquer lands and kingdoms and go to Jerusalem and rebuild it, as it is written: “The Lord builds Jerusalem, He gathers in the dispersed of Israel” [Ps. 147:2]. But he will die in battle. Of him it states: “In that day, the wailing in Jerusalem shall be great” [Zach. 12:11] and “they shall lament to Me about those who are slain” [Zach. 12:10]. Afterwards, the dispersed and scattered among the nations shall come and appoint a single leader, the Messiah, son of David, who was with them in exile. They will come to the Land of Israel with the permission of the kings of the nations and with their assistance. As it is written: “And out of all of the nations, said the Lord, they shall bring all your brothers on horses, in chariots and drays, on mules and dromedaries to Jerusalem, My holy mountain, as an offering to the Lord” [Isa. 66:20]. This kingdom will continue and never end. This is the meaning of “Thus declares the Lord God, Who gathers the banished of Israel” [Isa. 56:8]: these are the ten tribes. “I will gather still more to those already gathered” [ibid.]: I add yet another gathering to the first, the dispersed of Judah. This is the meaning of “The Lord your God will restore your exile and have mercy upon you. He will return and gather you from among all the nations among whom He scattered you” [Deut. 30:3]. It is possible that there may be a substantial period of time between these two ingatherings. Afterwards they might yet have to be as herdsmen in the wilderness of the nations, in order to separate out and purify the wicked among Israel, and to smelt them just as silver is smelt in the refining furnace, as happened during the Exodus from Egypt….208An eschatological discussion of Zech. 9:9 etc. has been ellipted.