Jerusalem - Extending Beyond its Walls

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1. Zekharya: Spiritual Visionary

   Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

   Haggai and Zekharya, while radically different – Haggai is straightforward and political, Zekharya quasi-mystical and spiritual – can in fact be seen as two sides of the same coin. Similar to Haggai, Zekharya’s message says that while things may appear grim at present, in the long run they will turn around dramatically. However, while Haggai calls for the Jews to roll up their sleeves and begin the work. Zekharya cries for repentance, suggesting that the rebuilding of Jerusalem will materialize regardless. Throughout Zekharya, the Jews’ role is to strive in matters of spirituality, and God will take care of the rest.

   Jerusalem will be so expansive that it will not be able to contain its population with walls. The expansive nature of the city is, of course, in sharp contrast to the meager numbers that plagued the community of returnees.

   God commands the Jews of Babylonia that the exile has ended, and they must now return to the holy city of Jerusalem. Eventually, the other nations will join the Jews in worshipping God in Jerusalem. 

2. Building and Securing Jerusalem's Walls

   Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

   Having inspired the community to commit to rebuilding the wall, Nehemya moves swiftly to repair the breaches, dividing responsibility for forty-two stretches of wall among a range of leaders, families, and townspeople. By the chapter’s end, the Jews had managed to complete the wall’s entire circumference, albeit to only half its intended height.

   Sanbalat and his colleagues turn to the threat of physical violence. Nehemya responds by establishing guard duty throughout the course of the night. Giving arms to the citizens of Jerusalem, he inspires the people to be unafraid, remember God, and fight on behalf of their families.

   Instead of dwelling on the negativity or engaging in extended conversations, Nehemya responds with decisive action, moving at breakneck pace to create the facts on the ground necessary to ensure the Jews’ safety. In so doing, he co-opts the Jews’ energies into assisting with the construction, rendering irrelevant their complaints.

   Throughout the process, Nehemya does not take a moment for himself. He not only oversees the building and guard duty, but accepts personal responsibility for both. 

3. The Broad Wall

   Megalim Institute

   Megalim | 2 minutes

   The refugees that came to Jerusalem from the collapsing kingdom of Israel in 721 BCE built their homes in an unsettled area on the city's western hill, and King Hezekiah had to protect this area from Sennacherib's army ahead of the Assyrian siege. This video shows the massive wall that Hezekiah built, a portion of which was uncovered in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem by archaeologist Nahman Avigad. At the foot of the wall are the remains of private dwellings that were demolished during its construction, an action that angered the prophet Isaiah.

   Courtesy of Megalim Institute