Table of Contents – Introduction || HOSHEA | 2 || 14 ||| YOEL | 1 || 2 || 3 ||| AMOS | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 9 ||| OVADYAH ||| YONAH | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4  ||| MICHAH | 1 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 |||

NACHUM ||| CHAVAKUK | 1 | 2 || 3 ||| TZEFANYAH ||| CHAGAI | 1 || 2 ||| ZECHARYAH | 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 14 ||| MALACHI | 1 || 2 || 3

THE BOOK OF ZECHARYAH

Chapter 1, 1 || Chapter 2, 14 – Chapter 4, 14 || Chapter 5, 9-11 || Chapter 7, 1-7, Chapter 8, 3-19 || Chapter 9, 9 || Chapter 14

Introduction:

 

Zecharyah lived at the same time as Chagai (they are mentioned together in Ezra 5:1 and 6:14). The times were the beginning of the Second Temple period, when the walls of Jerusalem had not yet been completed, and the new settlers were hampered by those who hated them and did everything possible to stop them from continuing the construction work. Zecharyah is mentioned as הנער הלז (2:8) – “that boy”, so it seems that he started to prophesy when he was still young.

 

In Nechemyah 12:16 there is a Zecharyah mentioned as being one of the priests, and it is possible that this is the same person. It seems that Zecharyah immigrated together with Zerubavel.

 

According to tradition, he is buried in “Zecharyah’s tomb” at the bottom of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. (Da’at Mikra)

 

The prophecies of Zecharyah are very obscure, for they contain many visions that resemble dreams, requiring interpretation. Only the Moreh Tzedek (the Mashiach) will be able to supply the true interpretations of these visions. (Rashi)

 

The visions of Zecharyah (in chapters 1-6) are unique in the books of the Prophets. Although they contain interpretations, these are not full explanations of all the components, and the reader remains perplexed. This lends them a mysterious air, and has encouraged a wide variety of interpretations (Da’at Mikra)

 

According to the Abarbanel, Zecharyah covers in his prophecies “everything that is going to happen to the nation, the good and the bad, until the End of the Days”. Chapter 14 goes even further than that, describing the effect of the End of the Days on the other nations as well: והיה ה' למלך על כל הארץ ביום ההוא יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד – the final redemption of the entire world. 

 

In this curriculum, only selections of the book will be dealt with, mainly the better-known parts of it.

 

Chapter 1, Verse 1

בחודש השמיני בשנת שתיים לדריווש היה דבר ה' אל זכריה בן ברכיה בן עידו הנביא לאמור

בחודש השמיני

1.         The eighth month from Nissan, which is Cheshvan. (Mahari Kra)

 

2.    The first day of the eighth month (in all other places in Zecharyah an exact date is given, and it is common to say the month when referring to the first of the month). (Da’at Mikra)

בשנת שתיים לדרייווש

This is the Persian king Darius I. His second year of reign corresponds to the 17th year since Coresh’s proclamation, allowing the return of the Jews to Israel. (Da’at Mikra)

לאמור

1.         To say to the people. (Ibn Ezra)

 

2.         To say to the prophet. (Ibn Ezra)

 

 

Chapter 2, Verse14  - Chapter 4, Verse14

Verse 14:

רני ושמחי בת ציון כי הנני בא ושכנתי בתוכך נאום ה'

רני ושמחי בת ציון... ושכנתי בתוכך

1.    In verses 12-13 Hashem promised that he will punish anyone who harms the Jewish people. He then goes on in this verse to tell the Jewish people to be happy about the salvation that they will experience, when the Shechinah (Divine Presence) will come to dwell amongst them. (Malbim)

 

2.    Verses 14-17 are a prophecy for the era of the Mashiach, since we know that the things prophesied here did not come true during the Second Temple era; starting from chapter 3, though, the prophecies relate to the immediate future. (Radak)

Verse 15:

ונלוו גויים רבים אל ה' ביום ההוא והיו לי לעם ושכנתי בתוכך וידעת כי ה' צבקות שלחני אלייך

ונלוו גויים רבים אל ה' ביום ההוא והיו לי לעם

1.    Many non-Jews will believe in Hashem and connect themselves with him. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    Many non-Jews will convert to Judaism. (Malbim)

ושכנתי בתוכך

The Shechinah will dwell only with the Jewish people, even though non-Jews will also believe in Hashem. (Metzudat David)

וידעת כי ה' צבקות שלחני אלייך

The people will know that the good being sent from Heaven is mainly for them; they will receive more of it than the non-Jews. (Metzudat David)

Verse 16:

ונחל ה' את יהודה חלקו על אדמת הקודש ובחר עוד בירושלים

ונחל ה' את יהודה חלקו על אדמת הקודש

1.    The land of Yehudah will be Hashem’s part, and the Jewish people will not be exiled from it anymore. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    If we say that this prophecy is for the immediate future, this verse came true, in that only the tribe of Yehudah returned from the exile. (Radak)

ובחר עוד בירושלים

The Shechinah will again dwell in Jerusalem. (Metzudat David)

Verse 17:

הס כל בשר מפני ה' כי נעור ממעון קדשו

הס כל בשר מפני ה'

All the nations will be frightened into silence. (Metzudat David)

כי נעור ממעון קדשו

The nations will be quiet, because they will see Hashem rising to punish them, as if he has just woken up. (Metzudat David)

 

Chapter 3, Verse 1:

ויראני את יהושע הכהן הגדול עומד לפני מלאך ה' והשטן עומד על ימינו לשטנו

ויראני

1.         This was a prophetic vision. (Metzudat David)

 

2.         This was a vision seen at night. (Ibn Ezra)

והשטן עומד על ימינו לשטנו

1.    Yehoshua, the High Priest was standing trial for his deeds, and Satan was prosecuting him for not rebuking his sons when they married non-Jewish women (see Ezra 10:18). (Metzudat David)

 

2.    “Satan” in Hebrew can mean “someone who impedes” – this “Satan”
 is hinting at Sanvalat and his cohorts, who were interfering with the process of the building of the Temple (see Nechemyah 4:1-3). (Radak)

Verse 2:

ויאמר ה' אל השטן יגער ה' בך השטן ויגער ה' בך הבוחר בירושלים הלוא זה אוד מוצל מאש

ויאמר ה' אל השטן

It was the angel (mentioned in the previous verse) who spoke. (Metzudat David)

יגער ה' בך השטן ויגער ה' בך הבוחר בירושלים

1.    Hashem, who has chosen Jerusalem, should scold you, Satan, and scold you again. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    Hashem, who has decided that Jerusalem is to be rebuilt, is scolding those who interfere with that process. (Radak)

הלוא זה אוד מוצל מאש

1.    “A brand plucked out of the fire” – Yehoshua is one of the few remaining Jews in the world, and yet you want to bring about his destruction by prosecuting him? (Mahari Kra)

 

2.*  According to Chazal, Yehoshua was thrown into a burning furnace together with two false prophets – Achav the son of Kolayah and Tzidkiyahu the son of Ma’aseyah (see Yirmiyahu 29:21-22, where it says that they will be known for having been singed by fire). Yehoshua had survived, though his clothes were singed. He is a righteous person, then, so how can Satan prosecute him? (Metzudat David; based on Sanhedrin 93a)                                                                                                     

Verse 3:

ויהושע היה לבוש בגדים צואים ועומד לפני המלאך

ויהושע היה לבוש בגדים צואים

1.    Yehoshua was not dressed in the proper clothes of a High Priest. This was because they had not yet built the Temple – all they had was an altar, on which they brought sacrifices, with none of the other accoutrements of the Temple such as the actual building, and the special clothes for the priests. (Ibn Ezra)

 

2.    Yehoshua was wearing soiled clothes. These symbolize his sin of not having rebuked his sons; at this point they were still married to their non-Jewish wives. (Metzudat David)

Verse 4:

ויען ויאמר אל העומדים לפניו לאמור הסירו הבגדים הצואים מעליו ויאמר אליו ראה העברתי מעליך עוונך והלבש אותך מחלצות

ויען ויאמר אל העומדים לפניו לאמור

The angel told the other angels who were standing in front of him. (Metzudat David)

הסירו הבגדים הצואים מעליו

The angel told those angels to remove the soiled garments from Yehoshua, i.e. to make his sons divorce their non-Jewish wives, thus removing Yehoshua’s sin from him. (Metzudat David)

 

According to this symbolism, our actions are like garments – if we do pure acts, it is as if our garments are clean; if we sin – it is as if our garments are soiled.

והלבש אותך מחלצות

Now that Yehoshua’s sin had been removed, his merits could be seen, and it was as if he was dressed in beautiful clothes. (Metzudat Zion, Metzudat David)

Verse 5:

ואומר ישימו צניף טהור על ראשו וישימו הצניף הטהור על ראשו וילבישוהו בגדים ומלאך ה' עומד

ואומר ישימו צניף טהור על ראשו

Zecharyah requested that the holy mitre be placed on Yehoshua’s head, meaning that his offspring would retain the high priesthood, now that they had left their non-Jewish wives. (Metzudat David)

וישימו הצניף הטהור על ראשו

Zecharyah’s request was granted, and the holy mitre was placed on Yehoshua’s head. (Metzudat David)

וילבישוהו בגדים

1.    He had already been dressed in fine clothes (as mentioned in the previous verse). (Radak)

 

Radak and Ibn Ezra bring other eof the order of acts appearing in reversed order: וירום תולעים ויבאש  (Shemot 16:20) – “And it became wormy and spoiled”, when the proper order is first spoiling and then becoming wormy.

 

2.         His merits could be seen. (Metzudat David)

ומלאך ה' עומד

All this while, the angel was standing there. (Metzudat David)

Verse 6:

ויעד מלאך ה' ביהושע לאמור

ויעד מלאך ה'

The angel warned Yehoshua. (Metzudat David)

Verse 7:

כה אמר ה' צבקות אם בדרכי תלך ואם את משמרתי תשמור וגם אתה תדין את ביתי וגם תשמור את חצרי ונתתי לך מהלכים בין העומדים האלה

אם בדרכי תלך...

If Yehoshua’s offspring go in Hashem’s ways. (Metzudat David)

וגם אתה תדין את ביתי

1.    This and the following phrase are still part of the condition. (Ibn Ezra)

 

2.    This is the reward for being faithful to Hashem: Yehoshua will be in charge of the Temple. (Mahari Kra)

 

3.    Yehoshua, being the High Priest, is to make decisions for the other priests. (Radak)

 

4.    From here on are the rewards for the children of Yehoshua – they will be in charge of the Temple. (Metzudat David)

וגם תשמור את חצרי

1.    If Yehoshua and the other priests will guard the Temple, they will receive a reward. (Mahari Kra)

 

2.    This phrase is a rewording of the previous phrase. (Metzudat David)

ונתתי לך מהלכים בין העומדים האלה

1.    You will walk amongst these eternal angels (that “stand” forever) – your soul will join them. (Radak)

 

2.    This will be the reward for all of the above. (Ibn Ezra)

 

3.    Besides the earthly rewards they will receive a reward in the World-to-Come – they will join the angels. (Metzudat David)

 

The students can note the parts of the verse which are the condition or the reward, according to the various commentators: four parts condition and one part reward (Ibn Ezra), alternate conditions and rewards (Mahari Kra), two parts condition and three parts rewards (Metzudat David).

 

This can be done by making a table in which every phrase in the verse can be marked as condition or reward according to the four commentators:

 

ונתתי לך מהלכים בין העומדים האלה

וגם תשמור את חצרי

וגם אתה תדין את ביתי

אם בדרכי תלך ואם את משמרתי תשמור

 

reward

condition

condition

condition

אבן עזרא

 

 

 

 

מהר"י קרא

 

 

 

 

רד"ק

 

 

 

 

מצודת דוד

 

Also, a distinction can be made between Metzudat David and the other commentaries – Metzudat David is the only one that says that all of this relates to Yehoshua’s children, and not to himself.

 

Regarding “standing” angels, the students can refer back to the previous verses and note the number of times that the angels are described as “standing”. They can offer ideas as to why angels are described as “standing”.

Verse 8:

שמע נא יהושע הכהן הגדול אתה ורעיך היושבים לפניך כי אנשי מופת המה כי הנני מביא את עבדי צמח

ורעיך היושבים לפניך כי אנשי מופת המה

1.    The priests sitting in front of Yehoshua deserve to have miracles happen to them. (Radak)

 

2.    The people sitting in front of Yehoshua had returned from the exile, so they had experienced a miraculous salvation. (Mahari Kra)

 

2.    Chazal say that the people sitting in front of Yehoshua were Chananyah, Misha’el and Azaryah, who, like him, had experienced the miracle of having been saved from a burning furnace. (Metzudat David)

כי הנני מביא את עבדי צמח

1.    Hashem is sending his servant Zerubavel, a scion of the House of David, to help build the Temple. (Mahari Kra)

 

2.    Zerubavel had already come, but Zecharyah is saying here that he will become greater, like a growing plant, and more powerful. (Radak)

 

2.    Hashem will send the Mashiach, as it says in Yirmiyahu 23:5: והקימותי לדוד צמח צדיק. (Metzudat David)

Verse 9:

כי הנה האבן אשר נתתי לפני יהושע על אבן אחת שבעה עיניים הנני מפתח פיתוחה נאום ה' צבקות ומשתי את עוון הארץ ההיא ביום אחד

כי הנה האבן אשר נתתי לפני יהושע

1.    There is a stone that has already been set aside to be the cornerstone for the final Temple that will be built. (Metzudat David)  

 

2.    There is a stone that Zerubavel will place before Yehoshua to be used as a cornerstone for the new Temple (see 4:7). (Radak)

על אבן אחת שבעה עיניים

1.    Every stone in the building will have Hashem watching over it personally, as if with seven eyes, so that it will not be harmed by all those who wish to stop the building process. The number seven is used here to denote many, as in other places (see Vayikra 24:21, Mishlei 24:16). (Radak)

 

2.    The seven eyes watching over the building stones are those of Yehoshua, Ezra, Zerubavel, Nechemyah, Chagai, Zecharyah and Malachi. (Radak, in the name of his father)

 

3.*  On the cornerstone received from Zerubavel, Yehoshua carved seven eyes, to express the idea that Hashem’s seven eyes, meaning the laws of nature, will rule over the world from now on through the Temple. (Malbim)

הנני מפתח פיתוחה

1.    Hashem Himself will beautify the stones; in other words, He will give the people strength and will help them in their labors. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    Hashem will release the stones, which were “tied” all this time that the building process had been arrested. (Radak)

 

3.*  This natural hashgacha will not last forever. In the next section it will be elaborated how, when the Mashiach comes, Hashem will rule over the world directly. (Malbim)

ומשתי את עוון הארץ ההיא ביום אחד

1.    All the sins of the land will be erased in one day, for people will sin no more. (Metzudat David)

Verse 10:

ביום ההוא נאום ה' צבקות תקראו איש לרעהו אל תחת גפן ואל תחת תאנה

תקראו איש לרעהו אל תחת גפן...

There will be peace and much good in the land, and the people will call to each other to join them under the fruit trees, and to enjoy the fruits. (Metzudat David)

Chapter 4, Verse 1:

וישב המלאך הדובר בי ויעירני כאיש אשר ייעור משנתו

וישב המלאך הדובר בי

1.    “The angel that was speaking to me” appears several times, in previous visions (see 1:9; 2:2 and other places).

 

2.    The angel that had spoken to Zecharyah before had left during the last vision, and now returned. (Da’at Mikra)

 

3.    In the previous vision, the angel did not speak to Zecharyah, and now he returned to speak to him. (Metzudat David)

ויעירני כאיש אשר יעור משנתו

1.    The angel “woke up” Zecharyah “like a man who is awakened from sleep” – Zecharyah was in a state resembling sleep. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    Zecharyah felt as if he had woken up, but in reality he was passing from one vision to another. (Da’at Mikra)

 

3.*  Zecharyah had not understood the previous vision, referring to the seven eyes on the stone, and therefore he fell into a deep sleep – meaning that G-d’s message was hidden from him. Then, the angel came to him again, awakened him, and proceeded to show him another vision that would explain the first one to him. (Malbim)

Verse 2: