New Covenant
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Three Prophecies Regarding the Future
Rabbi David SabatoIn three prophecies in the unit of prophecies of consolation, Yirmiyahu foresees the changes that will take place at the time of the redemption.
The first prophecy deals with Israel being replanted in their land and the new relationship between the actions of the fathers vs. the consequences to the sons.
The second prophecy deals with a new covenant and its consequences. The difference between the old covenant and the new one relates not to the contents or the addressee as Christianity believes, but to the manner in which it will be made and its consequences. The prophet contrasts the old covenant that was broken by the people and the new covenant that apparently will not be broken because it will be engraved on the hearts of the people. One of the general motifs in the book of Yirmiyahu is the internalization of holiness and opposition to the formal, mechanical conception of holiness. Standing out against this in many places in the book of Yirmiyahu is prayer and moral deeds as a condition for holiness. The underlying problem with the tablets of the covenant and ark is their remoteness from the people, which allows people to escape from them. The removal of the ark and the transfer of its contents inwards into the hearts of the people will create the desired change and turn the covenant into an eternal covenant.
The third prophecy addresses the rebuilding of Jerusalem which will be holy to the Lord and will not be plucked up again forever.
The Redemption of the Field of Hanamel
Rabbi David SabatoYirmiyahu is commanded by God to buy the land of his cousin, Hanamel, despite the fact that the destruction is imminent. At the beginning of the story, Yirmiyahu acted as a prophet – a messenger of God who fulfills His word without hesitation. But after the fulfillment of the words of the prophecy in the presence of all the people, Yirmiyahu turns to God as a person with a turbulent prayer and challenges God.
Yirmiyahu's objection does not refer to the contrast between the real situation and the utopian prophecy. This is a theological objection that focuses on a contradiction in God's ways, for the prophecy of consolation contradicts the entire course of Yirmiyahu's prophecies from the beginning of his path as a prophet until the present. According to the principles of reward and punishment established by God, calamity must now befall the people; why then does he speak of redemption and consolation? The focus of the prayer is not found in the practical unreasonableness, but rather in the theological aspect of the deed, and this is an objection against God's ways of governance.
God’s response to Yirmiyahu stresses that He is not only the Maker of heaven and earth, but also the God of all flesh, and therefore, God has the power to turn the hearts of His people toward Him in the future and to thereby ensure the redemption.
Redemption: Return, Rebuilding and a New Covenant
Rabbi David SabatoSeparating From Foreign Wives
Rabbi Tzvi SinenskyEzra’s response to the news of intermarriage is at once severe and passive. His actions seem conflicted. The success of the initiative is similarly mixed. At first glance, it appears to be a remarkable triumph. Upon closer examination, however, the people’s commitment appears lukewarm. The fact that Nehemya was repeatedly required to confront the sin implies that Ezra had failed to truly solve the problem.
Ezra was a different type of leader than Nehemya. Whereas Nehemya was a forceful political personality deeply grounded in Torah values, Ezra was first and foremost a brilliant, dedicated scholar. Ezra was not, in essence, a man of action. Only when prodded does Ezra rise to the occasion and move mountains to profoundly shape his community.
The parallels to the Revelation at Sinai teach despite the fact that the community has sinned, repentance creates the possibility of renewed covenantal commitment. Shivat Tzion represents a time of renewed commitment to our relationship with God.