Kaisipang Hudyo sa Jeremias 28:7: Derush Chiddushei HaLevanah

xi) Since the wording, “must I diminish myself,” which the moon used, employs the future tense, it is apparent that the moon had yet to carry out God’s decree and diminish itself. From the fact that God offered the moon several conciliatory gestures, it appears that the moon’s arguments were accepted. If so, why did God not rescind His decree and fulfill the moon’s request? Nothing is beyond God’s capacity, and there is certainly another way that He could have resolved the difficulty of two kings using the same crown. There is no reason to say God did not rescind His decree was because once a Divine decree is issued, God does not desire to retract it, as reflected in the interpretation of Yirmeyahu’s statement:²⁵Yirmeyahu 28:9. “Regarding the prophet who will prophesy promising peace, when the words of the prophet will come to fruition, it will be made known that God truly sent him.” Rashi,²⁶See Rashi’s commentary to Yirmeyahu 28:7. based on the Midrash Tanchuma,²⁷Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Masei, sec. 7. explains that if a prophet prophesies that negative events will occur, the fact that his prophecy does not materialize is not a proof that he is a false prophet, for God is patient and relents, and may withold harmful consequences. Radak²⁸See Radak’s commentary to Yirmeyahu, loc. cit. offers a similar explanation, supporting his words through the example of God’s retraction of the prophecy of doom for Nineveh. A prophecy for good, by contrast, will certainly materialize. True, it is possible that a prophecy for good will later be annulled as a result of sin, as reflected in Yirmeyahu’s words:²⁹Yirmeyahu 18:9-10. “If at any time, I speak concerning a nation… to build it and to plant it… if they do what is evil in My eyes, I will retract the good.” Nevertheless, at least initially, the positive prophecy will be fulfilled. In a similar vein, the Talmud Yerushalmi states³⁰Talmud Yerushalmi, Sanhedrin 11:5. that when the false prophet Chananyah ben Azur challenged Yirmeyahu to prove his words, Yirmeyahu answered him: I am prophesying concerning harmful events. Therefore, I cannot supply proof for my words, because although God said that the evil would come, He may relent. You are prophesying concerning positive events, so it is you who must give a sign of the truth of your words.” From all this, it is apparent that a negative Divine decree may be abrogated. Why then – if God acknowledged that the moon’s claim was valid – did He not retract?