Kaisipang Hudyo sa Zacarias 11:8: Guide for the Perplexed & Netzach Yisrael

Still more strange is the following manner of calling the prophet’s attention to a certain object. He is shown a different object, the name of which has neither etymologically nor homonymously any relation to the first object, but the names of both contain the same letters, though in a different order, Take, e.g., the allegories of Zechariah (chap. 11:7, sqq.). He takes in a prophetic vision staves to lead the flock; he calls the one No‘am (pleasure), the other ḥobelim. He indicates thereby that the nation was at first in favour with God, who was their leader and guide. They rejoiced in the service of God, and found happiness in it, while God was pleased with them, and loved them, as it is said, “Thou hast avouched the Lord thy God,” etc., and “the Lord hath avouched thee,” etc. (Deut. 26:17, 18) They were guided and directed by Moses and the prophets that followed him. But later a change took place. They rejected the love of God, and God rejected them, appointing destroyers like Jeroboam and Manasse as their rulers. Accordingly, the word ḥobelim has the same meaning [viz., destroying] as the root ḥabal has in Meḥabbelim keramim, “destroying vineyards” (Song of Sol. 2:15). But the prophet found also in this name Ḥobelim the indication that the people despised God, and that God despised them. This is, however, not expressed by the word ḥabal, but by a transposition of the letters Ḥet, Bet, and Lamed, the meaning of despising and rejecting is obtained. Comp. “My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me” [baḥalah] (Zech. 11:8). The prophet had therefore to change the order of the fetters in ḥabal into that of Baḥal.

In the first chapter of Taanit (9a): Rabbi Yose, son of Rabbi Yehudah, says, “Three good sustainers rose up for the Jewish people, and they are: Moses, Aaron and Miriam. And three good gifts were given through their agency, and these are they: The well, the [pillar of] cloud, and the manna. The well in the merit of Miriam; the pillar of cloud in the merit of Aaron; the manna in the merit of Moses. When Miriam died, the well disappeared, as it is stated (Numbers 20:1), ‘And Miriam died there’; and it says thereafter (Numbers 20:2), ‘And there was no water for the congregation.’ But it returned in the merit of [Moses and Aaron]. When Aaron died the clouds of glory disappeared, as it is stated (Numbers 33:40), ‘And the Canaanite, the king of Arad heard.’ What report did he hear? He heard that Aaron had died and the clouds of glory had disappeared, and he thought he had been given permission to go to war against the Jewish people. And this is [the meaning of] that which is written (Numbers 20:29), ‘And all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead.’ Do not read [the verse as], ‘And they saw (vayiru)’; but rather [as], ‘And they were seen (vayerau)' [since the clouds which had concealed the Jewish people were temporarily removed]. Both returned in the merit of Moses. As it is stated (Zechariah 11:8), ‘And I cut off the three shepherds in one month.’ But did they die in one month? Didn’t Miriam die in Nisan, and Aaron in Av and Moses in Adar? Rather, it is that three good gifts that were given through their agency were annulled, and all disappeared in one month.” To here [is the Gemara].