Once again the people gather at the temple, pilgrims and performers of public piety, bound by ancestral bonds and some vague sense of the sacred. Perhaps it’s also fear of the unknown, or common enemies, and a desire to be part of something bigger. And once again the prophets proclaim truth the people pretend to hear until they can’t pretend they don’t.
By the time Jeremiah stands on the steps of YHWH’s temple in Jerusalem in today’s chapter, during the reign of King Jeoiakim, this sanctuary has been in business for hundreds of years. But it isn’t the first official ritual center of the tribes of Judah and Israel. Earlier versions existed as more modest tents and tabernacles, most famously the shrine of Shiloh, in the Northern territories. But Shilo was phased out, eventually demolished by divine wrath and internal wars. Jeremiah’s family hails from the lineage of those disgraced priests and bitter memory of that destruction is still fresh in his mind - and in the memory of the people of Jerusalem, centuries later.
Now, as he stands on the steps of the temple and warns the people that their bad behavior would cause this temple to topple just like that one in Shiloh — it hits home. And they are sacred - and mad:
“YHWH spoke to Jeremiah: Stand in the court of the House of YHWH and speak to all the towns of Judah, who are coming to worship in the House of YHWH, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not omit anything.
Perhaps they will listen and turn back, each from their own evil way, that I may renounce the punishment I am planning to bring upon them for their wicked acts.
For I will make this House like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of earth.”
Why is the memory of Shiloh’s fall so harsh for the people of Jerusalem who’ve likely never ever been that far north?
Rabbi Lau explores this question and unpacks this rich historical moment:
“The Temple courtyard is teeming with festive throngs, following the king's orders to strengthen their service of God. Such religiosity gives them a sense of security in times of distress. "This house" is God's fortress; no harm can befall it. The Temple has endured for centuries, surviving political changes, hostile nations, and national crises since the days of Solomon.
The prophets of Jeremiah's time all draw upon the Temple as a source of stability, declaring that "God's sanctuary will ensure our well-being," that "thus says the Lord: I will bestow peace upon this house," and using other such catch phrases to soothe and lull the people into a submissive stupor under Jehoiakim's hand. The priests dedicate themselves to Temple upkeep and service. All these factions unite forcefully against the anonymous prophet who dares to declare in the name of God that "this house will be like Shiloh."
Mentioning Shiloh and Jerusalem in the same breath is tantamount to blasphemy. The terrible events that occurred in Shiloh are deeply engraved upon the national memory. The Tabernacle that stood there for hundreds of years was corrupted by the high priest's sons. Shiloh also considered itself invincible, graced with God's protection, but it was eventually trampled and reduced to ruins. No wonder the spontaneous reaction of Jeremiah's audience is to lynch him: "You will surely die!"
Jeremiah manages to escape this angry mob, at least for the time being.
As once again the people who hail from Judah gather in temples on this sacred night of atonement, we are invited to reflect on our common bonds, shared traumas and collective guilt. How many prophets have we silenced or attempted to obliterate? How often in the name of comfort and the familiar did we watch our sacred centers fall into ruin and our care of each other erode into selfish stares? Jeremiah’s voice still echoes from the temple courtyard today, a call for responsibility. “Perhaps they will listen and turn back, each from their own evil way.” And what if we don’t? Perhaps we will listen? Perhaps we will change.
Gmar Chatima Tova. Signed and Sealed in the Book of Life.
May this fast day of reflection help each one of us and all of us together rise to the challenges of being sacred temples, dedicated to justice, kindness and love.
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