The Book of Jeremiah ends with what we know already to be the premise of his prophetic failure -- Judah fell and an era ended. Exile became history. The homeland became longing.
Chapter 52 recaps the details that appear in earlier chapters as well as in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. Unique to this account is the detailed list of all the holy vessels of the Temple, one by one, and how all was looted, lost, taken to Babylon along with the remaining refugees. In just four words the essence of this tragedy is told:
וַיִּ֥גֶל יְהוּדָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃
“Thus Judah was exiled from its land.”
Jeremiah 52:27
How does a nation manage to survive dispersion?
What is the lasting effect of such trauma?
How many people on the planet have lost their link to language, lore, shared narratives and symbols? What’s left of the Assyrians or even Babylon? Whoever wrote the book of Jeremiah, alongside the rest of the Hebrew Bible, was likely writing or editing with a proximity to the trauma that was both close enough to feel the pain and yet removed enough to gain perspective. And as many scholars claim - it is this very response to the sense of exile that prompted these words to be written, and this book to become the cornerstone of a people uprooted yet planted upon many different lands. History has not had its final say, however. Nowadays, as Israel exists, mid war, still fighting for survival, Jeremiah’s story echoes as a warning and a promise, a reminder and, perhaps, a source of hope.
The book will end with one slightly hopeful image - the exiled King of Judah, after years in prison, is released and seated at the Babylonian King’s table, fed daily, with perhaps some semblance of restored respect. It’s not much but it’s all they got.
Rabbi Benny Lau concludes this book with this contemporary contemplation:
“Some 2,600 years ago, Jeremiah was sitting in prison, mired in personal misery and national tragedy, when God commanded him to purchase a field. Nothing had come of his multiple visions — no glorious monarchy and no reunification; only a continuous descent into despair, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem, and exile to Babylonia. Just before that nadir, God explained to Jeremiah why he was to purchase the field — God closes no door without opening a window. The fate of the nation was sealed — yet the nation was destined to resurrect itself, upon the land promised to its forefathers:
“I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in My furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and cause them to live in safety [...] I will never stop doing them good, and I will inspire them to fear Me, never turning away from Me” (Jer. 32:37-41).
The Babylonian exile eventually ended, followed by the Second Commonwealth and then conquest by Persia, Greece, and Rome. The destruction of the Second Temple led to a new exile that lasted until the twentieth century.
We are now in the midst of a third attempt to establish a national home in our ancestral land, but often fear that history might be repeating itself: The leaders have sinned, and the prophets stray after worthless idols. The streets of Jerusalem still throng with false prophets who earnestly claim, "The tradition of our forefathers is in our hands; the Third Temple shall not be destroyed!" Once again, they seek to lull us into a sense of false security, to make us forget the grave responsibility we shoulder: to be worthy of this national home, this Jewish state.
The State of Israel has no insurance policy. It is our role to protect and maintain it. There are many good people who strive to rectify the ills of the Jewish state — to reduce socioeconomic disparity, to break down the walls that divide us, to bridge language gaps, to include rather than reject. I sincerely pray that this book inspires us to re-excavate the treasures of our past, drawing upon them to rebuild a Jewish identity, a Jewish culture that will shed light and goodness upon all it touches.”
So we say goodbye to Jeremiah. Take a breath, and share a prayer with all people who seek life, and hope and peace.
Tomorrow -- on the fast pace train that is this 929 project scheudle -- welcome to the world of Ezekiel, by the rivers of Babylon.
Below the Bible Belt: 929 chapters, 42 months, daily reflections.Become a free or paid subscriber and join Rabbi Amichai’s 3+ years interactive online quest to question, queer + re-read between the lines of the entire Hebrew Bible. Enjoy daily posts, weekly videos and monthly learning sessions. 2022-2025.
#Jeremiah #Jeremiah52 #ProphetJeremiah #ירמיהו #BookofJeremiah #Jeremiad #Prophets #Neviim #Hebrewbible #Tanach #929 #labshul #belowthebiblebelt929 #Babylon #Exile #ExileofJudah #destructionoffirsttemple #RabbiBennyLau #forcedmigration #resettlement #asylumseekers #refugees #Jewishrefugees #stoptheviolence #makelovenotwar #hope