{"id":70107,"date":"2018-07-09T17:46:50","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-424\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T09:58:59","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T06:58:59","slug":"wall-424","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-424\/","title":{"rendered":"chapter-Prophets-Jeremiah-24"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"chapter","wall_id":"424","date":"20270414","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","books_group":"Prophets","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"70499","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"JPS Audio Bible - Jeremiah Chapter 24 ","post_title":"JPS Audio Bible - Jeremiah Chapter 24","slug":"jps-audio-bible-jeremiah-chapter-24","old_id":"70499","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"JPS Audio Bible","tile_main_caption":"Jeremiah Chapter 24","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"Hear the daily chapter","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-753876298\/jps_audio_bible_jeremiah_chapter_24","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"118070","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"Jeremiah Gives A Fig","post_title":"Jeremiah Gives A Fig","slug":"jeremiah-gives-a-fig","old_id":"118070","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":78133,"post_title":"Josh Blechner","slug":"josh-blechner","old_id":"78133","first_name":"Josh ","last_name":"Blechner ","description":"Josh first finished the Tanach during Yeshiva in Mevaseret Zion. He and his daughter studied the Tanach again for her bat mitzvah. Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group. When not studying for 929, Josh works as an in-house lawyer in New Jersey.","short_description":"Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group, and is an in-house attorney in New Jersey. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":78134,"alt":"","title":"josh blechner","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","width":276,"height":351,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","medium_large-width":276,"medium_large-height":351,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","large-width":276,"large-height":351,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","1536x1536-width":276,"1536x1536-height":351,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","2048x2048-width":276,"2048x2048-height":351,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","post_full_size-width":276,"post_full_size-height":351,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","home_baner-width":276,"home_baner-height":351}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Two actually - good and bad. But who is who?\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Figs come in two varieties- male inedible figs and female edible figs.\u00a0 In order for figs to ripen, a special wasp, called a fig wasp, needs to pollinate a fig. A female wasp will enter a male fig and lay eggs. These eggs then become male and female wasps. Male wasps dig holes in the fig for the female wasps to fly out. While the females travel through the fig, they carry pollen with them, and they fly out seeking other figs. If they enter another male fig, the cycle continues. If they enter a female fig, they will be unable to lay eggs and simply die. The fig then digests the female wasp as it ripens. The wasp and the figs both need each other to survive and both need good and bad figs for the life cycles to continue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In chapter 24, God shows Jeremiah two baskets of figs, good figs and bad figs. In a surprise twist, the good figs are likened to the exiled Jews and the bad figs are likened to those that were left in the city. It is unclear what is meant by the bad figs. It is possible that these are two different seasons of figs with figs picked too early as the bad figs and ripe figs the good ones. It is also possible that these two baskets of figs are the inedible male figs and the edible female figs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

If the metaphor symbolizes unripe bad figs and ripe good figs, the message could be that the Jews in exile are like the ripened figs that take longer to reach perfection. They cannot return to the holy city until they have spent years in exile learning not to take God for granted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

If the two baskets represent the male and female figs, then the message may be that the Jews in exile will only take what is good from their host nations. They will become stronger but will also be impervious to infestation by the ideas of the exiled nations like the female fig that only takes the good pollen but does not allow the wasp to lay eggs. The Israelites that stayed are already contaminated by the nations around them. They have allowed the eggs of idolatry and other ideas to corrupt their lives making them unfit for consumption.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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Ancient Israel was a land that nurtured the Israelites when we fulfilled our Torah obligations, and spit us out \u2014 with maximum prejudice \u2014 when we did not. Here in Jeremiah 24, the prophet receives a vision that is both terrifying and encouraging. Though we have failed to uphold the covenant, and thus triggered the events which will result in the destruction of Solomon\u2019s Temple and our exile to Babylonia, there still remain enough of us clinging to God and Torah that we will be restored to the Holy Land within 70 years.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Jeremiah warned King Zedekiah that these events would transpire if he did not abort his foolish plan. Zedekiah was a weak puppet sovereign, installed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to govern Israel as a province. Though God-fearing, Zedekiah also had ambitions of heroic glory. Against the repeated counsel of Jeremiah and others, he rebelled against the distant tyrant in Babylon.Though his underlying cause was just, his timing and strategy were woefully short-sighted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God may help those who help themselves, as He did in our battle against Amalek during the Exodus, but only if<\/span> the people<\/span><\/i> retain God\u2019s good graces. Jeremiah knew the people were on the edge of disaster, and he warned Zedekiah repeatedly to accept the status quo. Because he would not listen, Zedekiah caused the Temple to be destroyed, his sons to be murdered before his eyes, and his eyes to be torn from their sockets. Eventually he died in prison.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From this tragic tale we learn it is not enough to be right. We must also be mindful of good counsel, particularly when it contradicts our rash urges. We also need good timing and awareness of the extended consequences of our seemingly righteous proposals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Just as Jeremiah distinguished between the good figs and bad figs of his vision, so may we merit to distinguish between the good figments and bad figments of our imaginations!<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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Holtz is Professor of Bible at Yeshiva University.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":44115,"alt":"","title":"shalom holtz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","width":200,"height":200,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","medium_large-width":200,"medium_large-height":200,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","large-width":200,"large-height":200,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","1536x1536-width":200,"1536x1536-height":200,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","2048x2048-width":200,"2048x2048-height":200,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","post_full_size-width":200,"post_full_size-height":200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/shalom-holtz.jpg","home_baner-width":200,"home_baner-height":200}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Remaining is no reward; exile, no punishment\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

A Babylonian Chronicle records that, in his seventh year (597), Nebuchadnezzar <\/span><\/p>\r\n

besieged the city of Judah and on the second day of the second month of Adar, seized the city, and captured the king. He appointed there a king of his own choice, received its heavy tribute and returned to Babylon.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The biblical account of this same event (2 Kings 24:10-17) names the two Judan kings, the deposed king Jeconiah and the king of Babylon's \"own choice,\" Zedekiah, who would lead Judah for the eleven years before its destruction. Our chapter's prophecy comes in the wake of this event.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For the first time in history, the people are divided between an exilic community in Babylon, with most of the original Judan political and military elite, and a homeland community still in Judah, where \"only the poorest of the land\" remain (2 Kings 24:14). The social and geographic gaps between the communities led the Judeans in Jerusalem to view the exile of Jeconiah as a religious-economic justification for a land grab. In their eyes, the very fact that they get to remain in the land must prove that they are in the right. According to the prophet Ezekiel (himself a member of the community in exile) the homeland Judans say to their brethren in exile, \"Keep far from the Lord; the land has been given as a heritage to us\" (Ezekiel 11:15).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

With his vision of the fig baskets, Jeremiah stands diametrically opposed to the thinking of his fellow Judans in the homeland. Contrary to the casual theological observers among his brethren, for Jeremiah in this chapter, the exile does not reflect reward for good behavior or punishment for sin. Those in exile are actually \"the good figs,\" and the \"bad figs\" are those who remained behind.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":70675,"alt":"","title":"jer24-split","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split.jpg","width":1920,"height":1271,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-300x199.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":199,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-768x508.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":508,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-1024x678.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":678,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1017,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1271,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-1200x794.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":794,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-634x420.jpg","home_baner-width":634,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"A People Divided: The Tale Of Two Communities\u00a0","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Remaining is no reward; exile, no punishment","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":70675,"alt":"","title":"jer24-split","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split.jpg","width":1920,"height":1271,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-300x199.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":199,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-768x508.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":508,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-1024x678.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":678,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1017,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1271,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-1200x794.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":794,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-split-634x420.jpg","home_baner-width":634,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"430","name":"Land of Israel","old_id":"830"},{"term_id":"432","name":"Exile","old_id":"832"},{"term_id":"947","name":"Zedekiah","old_id":"1347"}]},{"order":5,"id":"70692","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Moving The Jewish Center Of Gravity\u00a0 ","post_title":"Moving The Jewish Center Of Gravity\u00a0","slug":"moving-the-jewish-center-of-gravity","old_id":"70692","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":69033,"post_title":"Chaim Strauchler","slug":"chaim-strauchler","old_id":"69033","first_name":"Chaim ","last_name":"Strauchler ","description":"Rabbi Chaim Strauchler serves as senior rabbi of Shaarei Shomayim Congregation in Toronto. He is also vice-president of the Rabbinical Council of America, an executive member of the Rabbinical Vaad HaKashruth of COR, and an associate editor for Tradition. Rabbi Strauchler is married to Avital. They have five children: Tehilla, Adir, Atara, Zvi and Freda.","short_description":"Rabbi Chaim Strauchler serves as senior rabbi of Shaarei Shomayim Congregation in Toronto.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":69076,"alt":"","title":"Chaim Strauchler","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler.jpg","width":435,"height":505,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler-258x300.jpg","medium-width":258,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler.jpg","medium_large-width":435,"medium_large-height":505,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler.jpg","large-width":435,"large-height":505,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler.jpg","1536x1536-width":435,"1536x1536-height":505,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler.jpg","2048x2048-width":435,"2048x2048-height":505,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler.jpg","post_full_size-width":435,"post_full_size-height":505,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Chaim-Strauchler-362x420.jpg","home_baner-width":362,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"An inverse Zionism?\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

\u201cThus said the LORD, the God of Israel: As with these good figs, so will I single out for good the Judean exiles whom I have driven out from this place to the land of the Chaldeans\u201d (verse 5).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cAs a whole, the congregation of Israel lived an inauthentic life outside of Israel\u201d (Rabbi Abraham Isaak Kook, Orot Hatorah 13:7).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In many of its forms, modern Zionism has involved a rejection of exilic life. Likewise, exilic life, at its outset, required a rejection of a certain form of Jewish nationalism. Jeremiah\u2019s prophecies reorient the center of Jewish life from Israel to Babylon, even as Jeremiah himself remains fixed in Jerusalem. The process begins with the legitimization of Jewish life in Babylon as a viable national identity, separate from the national identity embodied by the monarchy of Zedekiah and the city of Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Jeremiah utilizes the metaphor of two baskets of figs to first equate the Jewish people living in Babylon (after their removal with King Jehoiachin in 597 BCE) with those who remain under Zedekiah\u2019s rule in Jerusalem (1-10). The structures of state and those of exile are simply containers, which hold no more meaning than their ability to organize the people. In comparing these two baskets of figs, Jeremiah denigrates those who stay in Jerusalem as a disgrace, horror and curse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

By contrast, Jews living in Babylon will experience divine favor, will be built up, and will be graced with knowledge of God.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In moving the Jewish \u201ccenter of gravity\u201d from Jerusalem to Babylon, Jeremiah theologically decouples the Jewish people from its land, so that it might survive as \u201ca people without a land.\u201d This constitutes a crucial move in the Jewish story - allowing the Jewish people to remain connected to the land in their dreams and prayers, while residing on foreign soil. This too might be considered a form of Zionism - an inverse Zionism.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: The Ptolemaic geocentric model of the Universe according to the Portuguese cosmographer and cartographer Bartolomeu Velho (detail) \/ 1568\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":70693,"alt":"","title":"jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","width":1067,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-300x202.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":202,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-768x518.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":518,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-1024x691.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":691,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","1536x1536-width":1067,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","2048x2048-width":1067,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","post_full_size-width":1067,"post_full_size-height":720,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-622x420.jpg","home_baner-width":622,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Moving The Jewish Center Of Gravity\u00a0","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"An inverse Zionism?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":70693,"alt":"","title":"jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","width":1067,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-300x202.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":202,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-768x518.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":518,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-1024x691.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":691,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","1536x1536-width":1067,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","2048x2048-width":1067,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail.jpg","post_full_size-width":1067,"post_full_size-height":720,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-centers-Bartolomeu_Velho_1568-detail-622x420.jpg","home_baner-width":622,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"635","name":"Jerusalem","old_id":"1035"},{"term_id":"638","name":"Zionism","old_id":"1038"},{"term_id":"948","name":"Babylonians","old_id":"1348"}]},{"order":6,"id":"70695","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Who Will Be Brought Low And Who Will Rise Up? ","post_title":"Who Will Be Brought Low And Who Will Rise Up?","slug":"who-will-be-brought-low-and-who-will-rise-up","old_id":"70695","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":39778,"post_title":"Aliza Libman Baronofsky","slug":"aliza-libman-baronofsky","old_id":"39778","first_name":"Aliza Libman ","last_name":"Baronofsky ","description":"Aliza Libman Baronofsky is a first-year student in the Advanced Kollel at Yeshivat Maharat and teaches at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, in Rockville, MD. She studied Tanach at Midreshet Lindenbaum and York University and previously taught Tanach and math at the Maimonides School in Brookline, MA. Aliza is the creator of www.chumashandmath.blogspot.com, a repository of interdisciplinary lesson plans. ","short_description":"Aliza Libman Baronofsky is a student in the Advanced Kollel at Yeshivat Maharat and teaches at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, in Rockville, MD. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":39779,"alt":"","title":"aliza baronofsky","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky.jpg","width":1425,"height":1794,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky-238x300.jpg","medium-width":238,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky-768x967.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":967,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky-813x1024.jpg","large-width":813,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky.jpg","1536x1536-width":1220,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky.jpg","2048x2048-width":1425,"2048x2048-height":1794,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky-953x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":953,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aliza-baronofsky-334x420.jpg","home_baner-width":334,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Echoes of Genesis: Conflict and Return\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In a few short weeks, Jews \u2018from Hodu to Cush\u2019 will read the book of Esther, whose eponymous hero is descended from King Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim. We 929ers last met him in II Kings 24:6, when he was called Jehoiachin. At age 18, his three-month reign was cut short \u2013 or so II Kings tells us \u2013 by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon capturing him and taking him to Babylon.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In our chapter, Jeremiah has a vision of two baskets of figs: \"One basket contained very good figs, like first-ripened figs, and the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten\" (2).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The good figs symbolize Jeconiah, the elders of Judah and all the artisans and skilled workers exiled with them. We might be under the impression that this group is to be written off, gone forever, but that is not the case: God promises that he will return them to their land, plant them and not uproot them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Anyone who looks for connections between Biblical texts would have a field day with this chapter. From its first words, where the rare word <\/span>dudai <\/span><\/em>is used to mean \u201cbasket\u201d when it has previously meant \u2018mandrake\u2019, Jeremiah\u2019s vision is worded to hearken back to ancient Jewish discord. In the story of Rachel and Leah in Genesis 30, <\/span>dudaim<\/em> <\/span>are roots or flowers used as a Biblical aphrodisiac. There, the mandrakes brought by Reuben for his mother become a bargaining chip in the struggle between the sisters for the love of Jacob. As in our chapter, there are two sides. One is a winner and the other is a loser.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But the grander allusion is still to come: When I first read this chapter, I half expected the bad figs to rise up and eat the good figs, just as the skinny cows eat the fat cows in Pharaoh's dream (Genesis 40:41). Though the Bible does not use the identical words in Jeremiah and Genesis, the comparison of good and bad still brings forth a critical idea.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In the story of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dream, a captive (Joseph) who has been written off for dead by his remaining family gets an opportunity to rise out of his captivity by helping the Egyptians. He will rise to prominence and return to his ancestral home, both through the deliverance of his descendants, and literally through the carrying of his bones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In our story, Jeconiah and his inner circle have been exiled to Babylon, but their story is not yet over. God tells us in this chapter that they will return to their land. As we see in the book of Esther, Jeconiah\u2019s descendants are those who will save their entire people, just as Joseph\u2019s dream interpretation and agricultural planning saves his family from starvation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Who will be brought low and who will rise up? It\u2019s not the obvious answer and it\u2019s not in our hands.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Francisco de Goya y Lucientes - Rise and Fall, 1798 \/ 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Will Be Brought Low And Who Will Rise Up?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Echoes of Genesis: Conflict and Return","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":70696,"alt":"","title":"jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall.jpg","width":750,"height":1063,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall-212x300.jpg","medium-width":212,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall-722x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":722,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall-722x1024.jpg","large-width":722,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall.jpg","1536x1536-width":750,"1536x1536-height":1063,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall.jpg","2048x2048-width":750,"2048x2048-height":1063,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall.jpg","post_full_size-width":750,"post_full_size-height":1063,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-Francisco_de_Goya_y_Lucientes_-_Rise_and_Fall-296x420.jpg","home_baner-width":296,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"403","name":"Redemption","old_id":"803"},{"term_id":"680","name":"Symbolism","old_id":"1080"}]},{"order":7,"id":"70687","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Figs, Ripe and Rotten ","post_title":"Figs, Ripe and Rotten","slug":"figs-ripe-and-rotten","old_id":"70687","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"But can both be acceptable? A tale of two baskets\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In the beginning of our chapter, God shows Jeremiah two baskets, one full of good figs and the other full of bad figs at the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem. As God explains to Jeremiah, the good figs represent the Judean exiles to the Land of the Chaldeans (Babylonia), in the reign of King Jeconiah, who will eventually return to the Land of Israel (5-7). The rotten figs represent Zedekiah, who had been installed as king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, after the siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC. Along with his officials and those remaining in Judah, they will eventually be eradicated from the land that God gave them and their fathers (8-10).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Midrash Song of Songs Rabbah 7:20 accepts the historical application of this parable of The Two Baskets of Figs but re-interprets it in a forgiving way. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: \u201cThe Lord showed me two baskets of figs\u2026One basket contained very good figs\u201d (1-2) this refers to those exiled to Babylonia in the time of King Jeconiah, \u201cAnd the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten\u201d(2), this refers to those who remained in the time of King Zedekiah. Those exiled in the time of King Jeconiah repented and therefore returned to the Land of Israel. But did those who remained with King Zedekiah repent also? Rather, both \u201cbaskets of figs\u201d [duda\u2019ey te\u2019eynim<\/em>], the good figs and the bad figs \u201cgave forth fragrance\u201d, i.e. repented, as suggested by the verse: \u201cThe mandrakes [duda\u2019im<\/em>] yield their fragrance\u201c (Song of Songs 7:14).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Talmud Bavli Eruvin 21a-b generalizes this midrashic interpretation. \u201cGood figs\u201d refer to the totally righteous; \u201cbad figs\u201d refer to the totally wicked. But you might think that there is no hope for the wicked who have no chance of redemption. Therefore, Scripture says: \u201cThe mandrakes [duda\u2019im<\/em>] yield their fragrance\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Another Midrash on Song of Songs 7:14 (according to Eliezer Halevi Gruenhut \u201cfrom an old Genizah text\u201d) relates to the different meanings of the Biblical word duda\u2019im\u00a0<\/em>(\u201cbaskets\u201d and \u201cmandrakes\u201d- a fragrant plant). When Israel are dwelling on their own land they are called \u201cvineyard\u201d (kerem<\/em>); but when they are dwelling on the land of strangers they are called \u201cmandrakes\u201d, which lack permanence [as suggested by the verse \u201cThe mandrakes yield their fragrance\u201d], i.e. evaporate. The continuation of this verse from the Song of Songs: \u201c\u2026at our doors are all choice fruits\u201d is interpreted to refer to the [\u201cbaskets\u201d of] good attributes that Israel acquired in the course of their troubles and persecutions. The further continuation of this verse from Song of Songs, \u201cboth new and old\u201d, is interpreted to refer to the young and old. \u201cNew\u201d refers to the young who eventually learn to be tolerant, moderate and obedient. \u201cOld\u201d refers to those who continue to be merciful and benevolent.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":70689,"alt":"","title":"jer24-two baskets","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","width":768,"height":514,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-300x201.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":201,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-768x514.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":514,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","large-width":768,"large-height":514,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","1536x1536-width":768,"1536x1536-height":514,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","2048x2048-width":768,"2048x2048-height":514,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","post_full_size-width":768,"post_full_size-height":514,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-628x420.jpg","home_baner-width":628,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Figs, Ripe and Rotten","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"But can both be acceptable? A tale of two baskets","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":70689,"alt":"","title":"jer24-two baskets","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","width":768,"height":514,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-300x201.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":201,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-768x514.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":514,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","large-width":768,"large-height":514,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","1536x1536-width":768,"1536x1536-height":514,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","2048x2048-width":768,"2048x2048-height":514,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets.jpg","post_full_size-width":768,"post_full_size-height":514,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-two-baskets-628x420.jpg","home_baner-width":628,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"363","name":"Midrash","old_id":"763"},{"term_id":"432","name":"Exile","old_id":"832"},{"term_id":"460","name":"Evil","old_id":"860"},{"term_id":"466","name":"Goodness","old_id":"866"},{"term_id":"947","name":"Zedekiah","old_id":"1347"}]},{"order":8,"id":"70680","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"An Open Heart Does Not Come Naturally ","post_title":"An Open Heart Does Not Come Naturally","slug":"an-open-heart-does-not-come-naturally","old_id":"70680","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":46656,"post_title":"Molly Morris","slug":"molly-morris","old_id":"46656","first_name":"Molly ","last_name":"Morris ","description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Her particular area of interest is biblical leadership. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","short_description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":92561,"alt":"","title":"molly morris","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","width":2192,"height":2488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-264x300.jpg","medium-width":264,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-768x872.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":872,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-902x1024.jpg","large-width":902,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","1536x1536-width":1353,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","2048x2048-width":1804,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-1057x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1057,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-370x420.jpg","home_baner-width":370,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"We must ask for help\u00a0\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Chapter 24 of Jeremiah may be short on words, but it contains a powerful idea. In the midst of a parable about good figs and bad figs, with the good representing those of the Jewish nation who God will redeem from exile, God says, <\/span><\/p>\r\n

And I will give them the understanding to acknowledge Me, for I am the LORD. And they shall be My people and I will be their God, when they turn back to Me with all their heart (7).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Besides the reiteration of the promise of a reciprocal relationship with God (which I touched on in <\/span>Jeremiah Chapter 11<\/span><\/a>), the promise to \u201cgrant them the heart to know Me\u201d is a powerful statement about our natural ability to draw close to God.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Prayer does not come naturally for me<\/span>. For the most part I say the words, try to understand and feel their meaning, inevitably drifting into thinking about mundane daily necessities: work problems, shopping lists, family needs\u2026 But there is one phrase in the daily prayer that always brings me back: \u201cPetach libi b\u2019Toratecha<\/em> \u2013 Open my heart to Your Torah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s an idea that comes up repeatedly in Tanach. On Shabbat when we remove the Torah scroll from the Ark, we say \u201cMay it be Your will to open my heart to the Torah.\u201d And in Deuteronomy 30, when God is renewing His covenant with the Jewish people and speaking of eventual redemption, it is with the words, \u201cAnd the Lord, your God will open up your heart and the heart of your offspring (to love God).\u201d And the corollary is when God \u201chardened Pharaoh\u2019s heart\u201d in Exodus, so that he couldn\u2019t recognize God\u2019s miracles, even though they were right in front of him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

So, is this to be understood that having an open heart towards God is not a natural state? Psychologists might think so, in their theory of negativity bias that describes the predisposition that when confronted by both negative and positive events of equal intensity, humans will naturally ascribe more importance to, and be greater affected by the negative event rather than the positive one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We recognize all too well hardships and roadblocks in our lives and give them much more attention than we give our blessings and good fortune. Both come from God, but we do, in fact, need to ask for God\u2019s help and be open to receiving and recognizing it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":70681,"alt":"","title":"jer24-heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart.jpg","width":1920,"height":1285,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-300x201.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":201,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-768x514.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":514,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-1024x685.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":685,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1028,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1285,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-1200x803.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":803,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-628x420.jpg","home_baner-width":628,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"An Open Heart Does Not Come Naturally","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"We must ask for help\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":70681,"alt":"","title":"jer24-heart","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart.jpg","width":1920,"height":1285,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-300x201.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":201,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-768x514.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":514,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-1024x685.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":685,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1028,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1285,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-1200x803.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":803,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-heart-628x420.jpg","home_baner-width":628,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"410","name":"Torah","old_id":"810"},{"term_id":"447","name":"Heart","old_id":"847"},{"term_id":"578","name":"Listening","old_id":"978"}]},{"order":9,"id":"118067","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"The Tanakh Podcast-Jeremiah24 ","post_title":"The Tanakh Podcast-Jeremiah24","slug":"the-tanakh-podcast-jeremiah24","old_id":"118067","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33692,"post_title":"Alex Israel","slug":"33692-2","old_id":"33692","first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Israel","description":"Alex Israel teaches Tanakh at the Pardes Institute, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and Matan, Jerusalem. 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Journey Back To Eden\u00a0 ","post_title":"The Journey Back To Eden\u00a0","slug":"the-journey-back-to-eden","old_id":"70683","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":37561,"post_title":"Deena Cowans","slug":"deena-cowans","old_id":"37561","first_name":"Deena ","last_name":"Cowans","description":"Deena Cowans is a rabbinical student at JTS and alumnus of the Master's in Public Administration- Development Practice at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). \r\nDeena is the Director of Education (Rosh Chinuch) at Camp Ramah in the Rockies since January 2016, and was the Youth and Family Programs at Congregation Ansche Chesed in 2016-2017.","short_description":"Deena Cowans is a rabbinical student at JTS, and the Director of Education at Camp Ramah in the Rockies","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":37562,"alt":"","title":"deena 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the curse\u00a0\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Way back at the beginning of the Tanach, in Genesis 2, God commands Adam and Eve not to eat from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, lest they be uprooted from the Garden of Eden and banished eternally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In this chapter, God seems to reverse that curse. In verse 6, God promises to plant the righteous people who had left Judah and not uproot them again; in verse 7, God promises to give these newly rooted Judeans knowledge of God.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In a book full of curses and predictions of suffering for the Israelites, and in a chapter where God rails against the wicked Israelites who have turned away and will be destroyed, this seems like an odd place to reverse the decree of the Garden of Eden and the first people. Is it possible that, amidst all this chaos and cursing, God misses the closeness with humankind that existed in the Garden of Eden?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The answer is yes, according to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel who even wrote a whole book about it. God is \u201cin search of man,\u201d eagerly waiting for him to connect. In his theology, Heschel argues that God is upset with the suffering he himself causes the Israelites, and is devastated to have lost contact with His precious people. God wants to welcome back the faithful and loving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Jewish mystical tradition teaches that we can undo the expulsion from Eden by a process of discernment, separating good and evil just as one separates grain or seed from chaff. The goal of this process of separation and discernment is to be left with a basket of pure seeds, ready to be planted and grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God, in this chapter, decides to capitalize on this process, offering to plant and nourish the good seeds. By striving to become better people, to know the difference between good and evil, we signal God that we are ready to go back to Eden. Humanity may have sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge, but can fix that mistake by adhering to the good and turning away from evil. Knowledge is one step towards power, but true power comes from being able to discern from our knowledge how to act. Once we do, we can return to Eden.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Thomas Cole, The Garden of Eden, 1828 \/ wikimedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":70685,"alt":"","title":"Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden.jpg","width":1855,"height":1331,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-300x215.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":215,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-768x551.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":551,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-1024x735.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":735,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1102,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden.jpg","2048x2048-width":1855,"2048x2048-height":1331,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-1200x861.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":861,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-585x420.jpg","home_baner-width":585,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Journey Back To Eden\u00a0","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Reversing the curse\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":70685,"alt":"","title":"Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden.jpg","width":1855,"height":1331,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-300x215.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":215,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-768x551.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":551,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-1024x735.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":735,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1102,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden.jpg","2048x2048-width":1855,"2048x2048-height":1331,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-1200x861.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":861,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Jer24-Thomas_Cole_The_Garden_of_Eden-585x420.jpg","home_baner-width":585,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"400","name":"Sin","old_id":"800"},{"term_id":"571","name":"Repentance","old_id":"971"},{"term_id":"674","name":"Eden","old_id":"1074"}]},{"order":11,"id":"70677","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"The Craftsmen, the Smiths, and the Figs ","post_title":"The Craftsmen, the Smiths, and the Figs","slug":"the-craftsmen-the-smiths-and-the-figs","old_id":"70677","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34243,"post_title":"Moshe Sokolow","slug":"moshe-sokolow","old_id":"34243","first_name":"Moshe","last_name":"Sokolow","description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University, and teaches a weekly class in parashat hashavu`a at Lincoln Square Synagogue. He is the author of TANAKH: An Owner\u2019s Manual (Jerusalem: Urim\/Ktav, 2015).\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34244,"alt":"","title":"sokolow","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","width":302,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-300x298.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":298,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","medium_large-width":302,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","large-width":302,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","1536x1536-width":302,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","2048x2048-width":302,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","post_full_size-width":302,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","home_baner-width":302,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Who are they and what role do they play?\u00a0\u00a0\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In our chapter, Jeremiah prophetically saw two baskets of figs: one edible and one inedible. God informed him that the edible figs represented the Jews in Babylonian exile who will be redeemed, while the inedible figs were those who remained in Jerusalem, or had fled to Egypt, who will be destroyed. The prophecy is dated after the exile by Nebuchadnezzar of former King Jeconiah along with \u201cthe <\/span>harash<\/span><\/em> and the <\/span>masger<\/span><\/em>.\u201d Who were they and what role did the figs play?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We first encountered the <\/span>harash<\/span><\/em> and the <\/span>masger <\/span><\/em>(usually translated as craftsmen and smiths) in 2 Kings 24:14, where their exile was contrasted with the \u201cmost impoverished of the country folk,\u201d who could remain in Judah. Accordingly, Shadal* concluded that \u201cthey are a type of military rank, among the most respectable,\u201d and suggested that the former were armorers, who manufacture (<\/span>harash<\/span><\/em>) weapons, and the latter were sentries, who kept the camp enclosed (<\/span>masger<\/span><\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Rashi, on the other hand, inclined towards the homiletical view of the Talmud that identified them with members of the Sanhedrin. They were so-called because when they spoke, everyone else was silenced (<\/span>heresh<\/span><\/em>), and because their opinions were so authoritative that after they spoke, the discussion was closed (<\/span>sagur<\/span><\/em>).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Curiously, none of the classic exegetes explained the specific significance of the figs, save that Shadal mentioned that fig trees in the Land of Israel produce two crops a year, and Malbim noted that figs rot if left to ripen in the sun for too long. Combining these arboreal insights, we might advance our own interpretation: The edible figs grew first and, as first-fruits destined for the Temple, were subject to special oversight. Thus, they represented the righteous who would be redeemed. The inedible figs grew later and because they had no special significance were left to ripen for too long and rotted. They, therefore, represent the wicked, who were doomed to destruction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

*For an explanation of our objectives in studying Shadal\u2019s commentary, <\/span>see our introduction<\/span><\/a> in Jeremiah chapter 1.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":70678,"alt":"","title":"jer24-smiths","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths.jpg","width":1920,"height":1281,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1025,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1281,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-1200x801.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":801,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Craftsmen, the Smiths, and the Figs","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Who are they and what role do they play?\u00a0\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":70678,"alt":"","title":"jer24-smiths","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths.jpg","width":1920,"height":1281,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1025,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1281,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-1200x801.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":801,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/jer24-smiths-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"575","name":"Interpretation","old_id":"975"},{"term_id":"680","name":"Symbolism","old_id":"1080"}]},{"order":12,"id":"70660","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Say Yes To Nebuchadnezzar! ","post_title":"Say Yes To Nebuchadnezzar!","slug":"say-yes-to-nebuchadnezzar","old_id":"70660","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38552,"post_title":"Benny Lau","slug":"benny-lau","old_id":"38552","first_name":"Benny","last_name":"Lau ","description":"Rav Benny Lau is the founder and co-head of the Israeli initiative 929 along with Gal Gabbai. In addition, he is the rabbi of the Ramban synagogue in Jerusalem and is a community leader, activist, author, and public speaker.","short_description":"Rav Benny Lau is the founder and co-head of the Israeli initiative 929 along with Gal Gabbai.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":1708,"alt":"","title":"","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","medium-width":150,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","medium_large-width":150,"medium_large-height":150,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","large-width":150,"large-height":150,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":150,"1536x1536-height":150,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":150,"2048x2048-height":150,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","post_full_size-width":150,"post_full_size-height":150,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/8-1.jpg","home_baner-width":150,"home_baner-height":150}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Jeremiah\u2019s Final Mission \r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Nebuchadnezzar has installed Mataniah, Josiah's youngest son, upon the throne, renamed him Zedekiah, and sworn him to loyalty to Babylonia. Jeremiah hopes this will be the extent of the fulfillment of his first prophecy, \"From the north will disaster break loose\" (1:14), for a storm has indeed blown in from the north, stripped the land of its leaders and upper classes, and appointed a king \"after [Nebuchadnezzar's] own heart.\" Perhaps the hard times are over, and it is now time to rebuild Jerusalem under Babylonian patronage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A few months later, however, Jeremiah understands that Judean society has not changed. Whereas the exiled leaders had the capacity for leadership, their replacements come from the dregs of society, seizing the leadership vacuum as an opportunity to accumulate power. Violence and aggression prevail as paupers become princes overnight. Might makes right. King Zedekiah, young, weak, and bankrupt, cannot control the situation. That summer, Jeremiah beholds a vision of the good and bad figs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Jeremiah is blessed with a sharp eye and a thorough knowledge of nature. When he beheld an almond branch, a <\/span>shakeid<\/span><\/em>, he correctly interpreted that God was watching over, <\/span>shokeid<\/span><\/em>, the fulfillment of His words. When he saw the wind-blown tumbleweed tilting from the north, he knew that \"From the north will disaster break loose.\" Now, as summer ends, he sees two baskets of figs. He contemplates their symbolism, and when asked what he sees, he focuses on the differences between them: \"The good figs are very good, and the bad figs are so bad they are inedible\" (24:3).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Once God explains the significance of this vision, Jeremiah resumes his role as prophet of doom who cannot live in peace with his surroundings. He views the land's inhabitants as inedible \"bad figs\" and the new community in Babylonia \u2014 consisting of those same upper echelons of leadership he fought with during Jehoiakim's reign \u2014 as \"good figs,\" Israel's only hope of salvation and renewal. Those left in the land will die in shame, but those in Babylonia will return seventy years later. This is a new phase of Jeremiah's prophecy. He now understands that the exile of Jeconiah was but the precursor to a larger, more painful exile that is shortly to befall the inhabitants of the land. Jeremiah must help maintain Zedekiah's loyalty to Babylonia, in order to keep Nebuchadnezzar from destroying Jerusalem and the Temple. This becomes his final mission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Lau, Binyamin. <\/span>Jeremiah: The Fate of a Prophet<\/span><\/em>. Maggid Books, 2013. \u201cThe Vision of the Good Figs and the Bad Figs\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":69252,"alt":"","title":"jer-lau2","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","width":884,"height":635,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-300x215.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":215,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-768x552.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":552,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","large-width":884,"large-height":635,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","1536x1536-width":884,"1536x1536-height":635,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","2048x2048-width":884,"2048x2048-height":635,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","post_full_size-width":884,"post_full_size-height":635,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-585x420.jpg","home_baner-width":585,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Say Yes To Nebuchadnezzar!","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Jeremiah\u2019s Final Mission ","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":69252,"alt":"","title":"jer-lau2","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","width":884,"height":635,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-300x215.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":215,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-768x552.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":552,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","large-width":884,"large-height":635,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","1536x1536-width":884,"1536x1536-height":635,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","2048x2048-width":884,"2048x2048-height":635,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2.jpg","post_full_size-width":884,"post_full_size-height":635,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer-lau2-585x420.jpg","home_baner-width":585,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"432","name":"Exile","old_id":"832"},{"term_id":"946","name":"Nebuchadnezzar","old_id":"1346"}]},{"order":13,"id":"70661","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"The Paradox Of The Remnant\u00a0 ","post_title":"The Paradox Of The Remnant\u00a0","slug":"the-paradox-of-the-remnant","old_id":"70661","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":54356,"post_title":"Robert Alter","slug":"robert-alter","old_id":"54356","first_name":"Robert ","last_name":"Alter","description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He has written over twenty books, focusing on such topics as the European novel from the 18th century to the present, contemporary American fiction, and modern Hebrew literature. He has also written extensively on the literary aspects of the Bible. His most recent work is his monumental three volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019 - from which the selections in 929 are taken. ","short_description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of the three-volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":54357,"alt":"","title":"robert alter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","width":184,"height":275,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium-width":184,"medium-height":275,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium_large-width":184,"medium_large-height":275,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","large-width":184,"large-height":275,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","1536x1536-width":184,"1536x1536-height":275,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","2048x2048-width":184,"2048x2048-height":275,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","post_full_size-width":184,"post_full_size-height":275,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","home_baner-width":184,"home_baner-height":275}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"424","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Reversing conventional expectations\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

24:8 \u201cAnd like the bad figs that cannot be eaten because they are so bad, thus will I make Zedekiah king of Judah and his nobles and the remnant of Jerusalem remaining in this land and those dwelling in the land of Egypt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As Lundbom notes, this prophecy reverses conventional expectations: it is the Judahites who were exiled who will prove to be the saving remnant, whereas those who remained in the kingdom of Judah will be like the bad figs, unfit for consumption and hence destined to be thrown away.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From: Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible<\/em>, vol. 2: Prophets, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019, ad loc. By permission of the author.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"From Robert Alter's Bible Translation and Commentary","tile_main_caption":"The Paradox Of The Remnant\u00a0","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Reversing conventional expectations","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":14,"id":"70482","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"A Lesson on the Daily Chapter- Jeremiah 24 ","post_title":"A Lesson on the Daily Chapter- Jeremiah 24","slug":"a-lesson-on-the-daily-chapter-jeremiah-24","old_id":"70482","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":40936,"post_title":"David Silber","slug":"david-silber-2","old_id":"40936","first_name":"David ","last_name":"Silber ","description":"Rabbi David Silber is the Founder and Dean of Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. 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    \r\n\t
  1. Jeremiah still has 20-20 vision<\/em>. Approximately 30 years, and exactly 22 chapters after his dedication (in chapter 1), Jeremiah is once again asked: \u201cWhat do you see, Jeremiah?\u201d The description that he provides fits the interpretation of his prophecy perfectly.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  2. The pendulum swings?<\/em> In the prophecy of Jeremiah 22, we learned that Jehoiachin, and his progeny, were denounced in perpetuity, and removed from the kingship and from the country. In the prophecy here they are the chosen ones, from whom the covenant will continue. How can that be? Has something fundamental changed over time? Is there a difference between Jehoiachin as king, and the rest of the exiled? Is the target audience of the two prophecies so different as to change the message? Worth looking into...<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  3. More riddles<\/em>. The prophecy clarified who are the good figs and who are the bad one, but it leaves us with more riddles. Why baskets of figs? Why are they placed specially in front of the Temple? Is this sacrificial imagery? Is there more to this than meets the eye?<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Jeremiah 24","tile_main_caption":"Points to Ponder","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Jeremiah","chapter":"24","chapter_main_number":"424","date":"20270414","wall_id":"424"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/70107"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}