Jeremiah · Chapter 45

"These words." Those mentioned above from the beginning of the book until the fourth year of Jehoiakim, as it is written above:

"In writing, etc." – At the time he wrote the Scroll of Lamentations, and what is stated, "these words," means that he mentioned therein the calamitous events which he had foretold concerning Judah and Israel, and which indeed came to pass. This is what is stated above, "Take for yourself a scroll of a book, etc." (above, 36). Regarding the phrase “upon a scroll.” He said: “Scroll” is named after its end, for after it is written, it becomes a scroll. That is to say: Jeremiah spoke the words from his mouth, and Baruch was writing them upon a scroll.

In his writing of these words on a scroll — above (36:2), the scroll that the Lord commanded Jeremiah to write on a scroll, the words which He spoke to him concerning Israel and concerning all the nations. And also for our Sages of blessed memory, the words concerning Israel are [those in] the Scroll of Lamentations, while the words concerning the nations are the prophecies arranged here from section 46 to section 52, which were arranged before Jeremiah in a special scroll, as stated above (25:13), "And I will bring... all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations," which alludes to the prophecies of this section. And therefore, before he arranged this book, he informs us what the Lord said to him, to Baruch the scribe:

"And I found no rest." This means that the Divine Presence did not rest upon me to prophesy, as it is stated, "And the Spirit rested upon them" (Numbers 11:26). In what way am I different from the students of the prophets? Joshua served Moses, and the Divine Spirit rested upon him; Elisha served Elijah, and the Divine Spirit rested upon him. In what way am I different?

"You said, 'God has added grief to my pain.'" Meaning: Baruch was complaining about [the absence of] prophecy. At the time when he was writing the words of the prophecy from Jeremiah's mouth, since the word of prophecy did not come to him [directly], he complained and said, "Woe is me." And according to the Midrash, "my pain" refers to what Israel was paining him with through insult and scorn, and "the grief" is the word of prophecy that did not come to him — even though he had prepared himself for it as much as he could, except that he lacked the natural predisposition [for prophecy] at the time of his formation, as we wrote at the beginning of the book. And the Midrash [relates] that Baruch was complaining about prophecy. He said: "Joshua attended Moses our teacher, and the holy spirit rested upon him; Elisha attended Elijah, and the holy spirit rested upon him — how am I different from all the disciples of the prophets? Woe is me, for God has added grief to my pain, and I have found no rest." And "rest" means only prophecy, as it is stated, "when [the spirit] rested upon them" [Numbers 11:25]. What does the Omnipresent answer him? "Behold, what I have built I am destroying," etc. — "And do you seek great things for yourself?" And "great things" means only prophecies, as it is stated, "Tell me, please, all the great things..." [2 Kings 8:4], etc., and it says, "and I will tell you great and inaccessible things" [Jeremiah 33:3]. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Baruch: If there is no vineyard, why [need] a fence? If there are no sheep, why [need] a shepherd? And for what reason? Because, "Behold, I am bringing evil upon all flesh," etc. Thus everywhere you find that the prophets prophesy only by the merit of Israel. And so did Targum Yonatan render "and rest I did not find" as "ve-nevuah lo ashkachit" ("and prophecy I did not find").

"For the Lord has added." The LORD added to me sorrow upon the pain that has been [with me] since then, for since I heard from you the prophecy of the calamity, my heart has been pained; and now, as I write the scroll, as if it has already come to pass, sorrow has been added within me. “I have labored in my sighing.” And I am weary and exhausted from the fact that I am constantly sighing and worrying about the coming of the calamity. "And I have found no rest." This is as if to say: Behold, that which I write for you is the scroll, and not something else — for I serve you constantly and learn from you. Why then did prophecy not rest upon me, and why was I different from the rest of the disciples of the prophets? I received only the bad, and not the good.

He added. From the language of addition: And "rest." Its meaning is prophecy, as it is named after the verse: "And the spirit rested upon them" (Numbers 11:26).

"You said": Baruch was preparing himself for prophecy, yet the Spirit did not rest upon him. And when he wrote the prophecies into the scroll, he experienced double sorrow, for he served Jeremiah only in the task of writing, and no prophetic illumination fell upon him as was fitting for a man of spirit standing before the prophet at the time that prophecy would descend upon him. Moreover, even though he was an assisting vessel in inscribing the words of God upon the scroll, should he not also prophesy? — as was the case with the sons of the prophets, and the incident of Saul bears witness to this. And regarding this it says, 'The Lord has added grief to my pain,' for he saw that all the more so he would not merit this at another time. And behold, 'I have labored with my sighing' — over the abundance of preparations he made to find the word of God, and nevertheless 'I found no rest' — that the Holy Spirit would rest upon me.

"And the whole land" – this is the land that is being judged with uprooting and destruction.

"And all the land — it [too]." [Meaning:] the entire land, all of it, just as it is — I will overthrow and I will uproot, as it says, "Behold, I bring evil upon all flesh" [Jeremiah 45:5], as Jeremiah prophesied concerning the nations. And Jonathan translated: "And all the land of Israel is Mine."

"Which I have built": This means Israel, whom I made like a beautiful building — behold, I will now demolish and destroy them. "And that which I planted, etc." The matter is repeated in different words. "And all the land, it [shall be so]." This means that all the places of the Land of Israel shall be destroyed and uprooted.

Demolishing. The matter of breaking and shattering: Notesh. The meaning of uprooting:

Thus says the Lord: The Lord said to him in response to his thought, "Behold, that which I have built, I am destroying." This means that the prophecy that will come upon the prophets not as a mission of agency, but rather to complete the prophets with an abundance of holiness and good intellect—this will occur only when the Divine Presence dwells among Israel, not in a time of distress, when the Lord destroys everything and removes His Presence from the Sanctuary, the Temple, and the Land. How can you seek for yourself great things, to achieve a great completion through prophecy? And you seek this for your own needs, not to be an agent sent to the public, since the mission has already been completed through Jeremiah. Do not seek more than what I will give you, which is that My providence will cling to you to save you from the comprehensive evil that will come. And you will be able to go to all places, and you will be under the watchful care of the Lord, and you will find refuge in the shadow of His wings.

“Seek for yourself great things.” Prophecies, such as: “Tell me, I pray, all the great things” (2 Kings 8:4); “Call to Me, and I will tell you great things” (above, 33). The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: If there is no vineyard, there is no fence; and if there is no flock, there is no shepherd. I do not reveal Myself to the prophets except by virtue of the merit of Israel. This is taught in the Mekhilta at its beginning.

"And you shall seek." And how can you now seek great things? That is, the prophecy that will rest upon you anew. "Do not seek [prophecy], for since Israel is in exile, there is no place where prophecy will dwell anew." "For behold, I." This means: But your reward will be with "For behold, I am bringing evil," etc. “Your life”: I will give it to you as spoil, for when you save your life, it is as though you have plundered it for yourself. "Upon all the places." In all the places that you will go into exile, your life will be granted to you as spoil, and you will not die.

Gedolot. The words "Gedolot" mean prophecy. “Upon all flesh.” Upon every person: "To plunder." A term of plunder (spoil):