Can we return to Egypt?

There are three places in the Pentateuch that forbid the Israelites to come back to Egypt, after they left it. The first is in Exodus 14:13-

” וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-הָעָם, אַל-תִּירָאוּ–הִתְיַצְּבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת-יְשׁוּעַת יְהוָה, אֲשֶׁר-יַעֲשֶׂה לָכֶם הַיּוֹם: כִּי, אֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם אֶת-מִצְרַיִם הַיּוֹם–לֹא תֹסִפוּ לִרְאֹתָם עוֹד, עַד-עוֹלָם”

” But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.”

The second is in Deuteronomy 17:16-

” רַק, לֹא-יַרְבֶּה-לּוֹ סוּסִים, וְלֹא-יָשִׁיב אֶת-הָעָם מִצְרַיְמָה, לְמַעַן הַרְבּוֹת סוּס; וַיהוָה, אָמַר לָכֶם, לֹא תֹסִפוּן לָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה, עוֹד”

” Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.”

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Are we ready to listen?

The destruction of the First Temple was a shocking event in the history of the Israelites. However, not everyone remembers that in the Promised Land stayed people who were very confused about the future to come. Jeremiah, who was the prophet in this period, was asked to help those people to reach an important decision, as written:

“וַיִּגְּשׁוּ, כָּל-שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים, וְיוֹחָנָן בֶּן-קָרֵחַ, וִיזַנְיָה בֶּן-הוֹשַׁעְיָה–וְכָל-הָעָם, מִקָּטֹן וְעַד-גָּדוֹל.  וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא, תִּפָּל-נָא תְחִנָּתֵנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ, וְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲדֵנוּ אֶל-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּעַד כָּל-הַשְּׁאֵרִית הַזֹּאת:  כִּי-נִשְׁאַרְנוּ מְעַט מֵהַרְבֵּה, כַּאֲשֶׁר עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֹתָנוּ.  וְיַגֶּד-לָנוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֶת-הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר נֵלֶךְ-בָּהּ, וְאֶת-הַדָּבָר, אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשֶׂה”

“Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”

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What was the date of the first Temple’s destruction?

In the Jewish tradition the ninth day of month ‘AV’, the fifth month according to the Old Testament, considered to be the day when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and burned the first Temple, in 586 B.C.E.

However, not many people know that this date is not found in the Bible. If we read the description of Jerusalem’s destruction in 2 Kings 25, we will find a different date:

“ וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי, בְּשִׁבְעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ–הִיא שְׁנַת תְּשַׁע-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, לַמֶּלֶךְ נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ-בָּבֶל: בָּא נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב-טַבָּחִים, עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ-בָּבֶל–יְרוּשָׁלִָם. וַיִּשְׂרֹף אֶת-בֵּית-יְהוָה, וְאֶת-בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ; וְאֵת כָּל-בָּתֵּי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאֶת-כָּל-בֵּית גָּדוֹל, שָׂרַף בָּאֵשׁ. וְאֶת-חוֹמֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם, סָבִיב–נָתְצוּ כָּל-חֵיל כַּשְׂדִּים, אֲשֶׁר רַב-טַבָּחִים. וְאֵת יֶתֶר הָעָם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּעִיר, וְאֶת-הַנֹּפְלִים אֲשֶׁר נָפְלוּ עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּבֶל, וְאֵת, יֶתֶר הֶהָמוֹן–הֶגְלָה, נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב-טַבָּחִים. וּמִדַּלַּת הָאָרֶץ, הִשְׁאִיר רַב-טַבָּחִים, לְכֹרְמִים, וּלְיֹגְבִים”

“Now on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the LORD, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; Even every great house he burned with fire. So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vine-dresser and plowmen.”(2 Kings 25:8-12)

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What was the purpose of the Second Temple?

The book of Haggai has only two chapters that we have to read and only the book of Obadiah is shorter than him. However, the number of verses won’t decide what is more important and what is less. Every word that is written in the Holy Language is pure gold for us, his readers. Therefore, I wanted to share with you my thoughts about few verses from Haggai 2. When the people of Israel returned from Babylon to the Promised Land it wasn’t easy for them as people might think. They needed the encouragement of G-d and in chapter 2 we can see how G-d’s words try to help their leaders build the Second Temple, as written:

“וְעַתָּה חֲזַק זְרֻבָּבֶל נְאֻם-יְהוָה וַחֲזַק יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן-יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וַחֲזַק כָּל-עַם הָאָרֶץ, נְאֻם-יְהוָה–וַעֲשׂוּ: כִּי-אֲנִי אִתְּכֶם, נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת. אֶת-הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר-כָּרַתִּי אִתְּכֶם, בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְרוּחִי, עֹמֶדֶת בְּתוֹכְכֶם–אַל-תִּירָאוּ”

“But nowtake courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the LORD of hosts. ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; Do not fear!”(Haggai 2:4-5)

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