Yehezkel Perek 32

Yehezkel Perek 32-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 31

Yehezkel Perek 31-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 30

Yehezkel Perek 30-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 29

Yehezkel Perek 29-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 28

Yehezkel Perek 28-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 27

Yehezkel Perek 27-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 26

Yehezkel Perek 26-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 25

Yehezkel Perek 25-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 24

Yehezkel Perek 24-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 23 Part II

Yehezkel Perek 23 Part II-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 23 Part I

Yehezkel Perek 23 Part I-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 22

Yehezkel Perek 22-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 21 Part II

Yehezkel Perek 21 Part II-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 21 Part I

Yehezkel Perek 21 Part I-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 20 Part II

Yehezkel Perek 20 Part II-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 20 Part I

Yehezkel Perek 20 Part I-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 19

Yehezkel Perek 19-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 18

Yehezkel Perek 18-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 17

Yehezkel Perek 17-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 16 Part II

Yehezkel Perek 16 Part II-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 16 Part I

Yehezkel Perek 16 Part I-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 15

Yehezkel Perek 15-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 13

Yehezkel Perek 13-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 14

Yehezkel Perek 14-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 12

Yehezkel Perek 12-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 11

Yehezkel Perek 11-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 10

Yehezkel Perek 10-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 9

Yehezkel Perek 9-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 8

Yehezkel Perek 8-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 7

Yehezkel Perek 7-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 6

Yehezkel Perek 6-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 5

Yehezkel Perek 5-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 4

Yehezkel Perek 4-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 3

Yehezkel Perek 3-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 2

Yehezkel Perek 2-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yehezkel Perek 1

Yehezkel Perek 1-
Sefer Yehezkel is taught by Mr. Ovadia Sutton, Student at Sephardic Rabbinical College; Student at Baruch College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 52

Yirmiyahu Perek 52-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 51

Yirmiyahu Perek 51-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 50

Yirmiyahu Perek 50-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 49

Yirmiyahu Perek 49-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 48

Yirmiyahu Perek 48-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 47

Yirmiyahu Perek 47-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 46

Yirmiyahu Perek 46-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 45

Yirmiyahu Perek 45-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 44

Yirmiyahu Perek 44-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 43

Yirmiyahu Perek 43-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 42

Yirmiyahu Perek 42-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 41

Yirmiyahu Perek 41-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 40

Yirmiyahu Perek 40-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 39

Yirmiyahu Perek 39-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 46

Yirmiyahu Perek 46-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 38

Yirmiyahu Perek 38-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 37

Yirmiyahu Perek 37-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 36

Yirmiyahu Perek 36-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 35

Yirmiyahu Perek 35-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 34

Yirmiyahu Perek 34-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 33

Yirmiyahu Perek 33-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 32

Yirmiyahu Perek 32-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 31

Yirmiyahu Perek 31-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 30

Yirmiyahu Perek 30-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 29

Yirmiyahu Perek 29-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 28

Yirmiyahu Perek 28-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 27

Yirmiyahu Perek 27-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 26

Yirmiyahu Perek 26-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 25

Yirmiyahu Perek 25-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 24

Yirmiyahu Perek 24-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 23

Yirmiyahu Perek 23-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 22

Yirmiyahu Perek 22-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 21

Yirmiyahu Perek 21-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 20

Yirmiyahu Perek 20-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

A man named Pashchur, who was in charge of the Kohanim (priests) in the Temple, didn’t care for Yirmiyahu’s prophecies, so he tossed him in a jail cell. Pashchur released him the next day and Yirmiyahu said, “God doesn’t call you‘Pashchur,’He calls you‘Magor Misaviv’,”which means“terror all around.”Why did Yirmiyahu say that this was God’s name for Pashchur? Because God curses Pashchur. He will witness his friends falling to the enemy’s sword. The nation will be exiled to Babylonia and the treasures will be plundered. Pashchur will go into captiv- ity and die in exile because he was a false prophet.

Because Pashchur oppressed him, Yirmiyahu cried out to God, Who pressed Yirmiyahu into his mission, making him the object of verbal and physical attacks. Every time he addresses the people, Yirmiyahu ends up crying out because he must foretell destruction. This, of course, does not endear him to the people. But what else can

Yirmiyahu do? If he would refuse to carry out God mission, God’s word would burn inside him like a fire that he is unable to contain. Yirmiyahu heard the slander of the people against him, plotting to frame him. Those he thought were his friends wait for him to fall. They try to lure him over to their side, to worship idols, but God is with him. Yirmiyahu’s enemies will fail and be eternally ashamed.

God tests the righteous, looking inside them to see their true intentions. Yirmiyahu prays to see God punish his antagonists. Yirmiyahu tells the righteous to praise God for revealing the plot of the poisoners to him. Yirmiyahu was feeling so low, he lamented his own conception and birth, going so far as to curse whoever informed his father that he was born, making him think it was a good thing. Yirmiyahu mourns that he did not die before birth; why did he have to be born to such a miserable existence?

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 19

Yirmiyahu Perek 19-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God told Yirmiyahu to buy a jug from a potter (specifically a clay jug, as opposed to one made of metal or some other material). He was to take leaders of the people and the priests with him. He was then to go to the Dung Gate, where broken pottery was disposed of. There, Yirmiyahu was to announce to them to listen to the word of God, Who says that He is bringing evil upon that place because they forsook him in favor of idols and filled the place with the blood of innocents. They served the Baal, whose service is counter to God’s instructions.

Days are coming, God says, when the place where Yirmiyahu was speaking would no longer be called “Tofes” or “Beis Hinnom,” but “The Valley of Slaughter.” God will upset the plans of Judah and Jerusalem from that place and hand them over to their enemies, allowing their carcasses to be food for animals and birds. The city will become a waste, amazing all who see it. As punishment for the children sacrificed to Baal, people will come to eat their own children. After relating this dire prophecy, Yirmiyahu was to smash the jug in front of the lead- ers of the people, who accompanied him. He would then say, “Just as one breaks a clay jug and it cannot be repaired, so God will do to this nation and its people. Here, in Tofes, they will bury corpses until they run out of room. The whole city will be just like Tofes, all the houses will be like the ones where they worshipped idols.

Yirmiyahu returned from Tofes and stood in the courtyard of the Temple and announced, “God says He is bring- ing evil on this city and all the cities of the land, because the people are too stubborn to listen to Him!”

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 18

Yirmiyahu Perek 18-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God spoke to Yirmiyahu and told him to go to the house of a certain potter. When he got there, Yirmiyahu found the potter working on his pottery wheel. The clay pot he was making got ruined, so he just made it over again. God said to Yirmiyahu, “Just as this potter did to his vessel, I can do to Israel. I can exile and destroy a nation and, when they repent, I can stop punishing them. I can establish a nation and if they do evil, I can stop benefitting them. So tell the people of Judah that I plan to punish them and that they should return from their evil ways.” God gave them this opportunity, even though He already knew that they wouldn’t even try to improve, prefer- ring to indulge their desires.

God said to look among the nations to see if there was anything ever so shameful as a people choosing to reject a source of pure water (metaphorically referring to God Himself). The people have forgotten God and sacrifice to idols. They claimed that the path of Torah was full of obstacles, so they chose a new path that they hadn’t known before. Their evil will cause the land to become desolate and everyone who sees it will shake their head. God will scatter them before their enemies and will not save them.

The people plotted against Yirmiyahu. They thought, “So what if we do him in? The Torah won’t be lost and there are other prophets. In fact, they’ll probably give us better prophecies than Yirmiyahu! Let’s not even listen to him!” Yirmiyahu prayed to God to listen to him rather than to his detractors, who seek to destroy him. He asks God to remember that he originally prayed on their behalf, in an attempt to save them. Now that they tried to kill him, however, all bets are off - their children will fall to the famine and the sword and their wives

will be widows. A great cry will be heard from their houses because God will bring the enemy upon them. God knows all about their plot and Yirmiyahu asks that He not overlook it. He prays that his enemies fall at the time of God’s wrath.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 17

Yirmiyahu Perek 17-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

The nation’s sin is deeply ingrained, as if written by an iron pen with a diamond point. And where is it “written?” On the people’s hearts and on the altars they used to serve idols. Their idols were as dear to them as their own children. Therefore, God has made Jerusalem “fair game” for plunder. They will be forced to release the land to make up for all the shemmitos (Sabbatical years) they did not observe, while they serve their enemies in a foreign land.

God says that cursed is a person who puts his trust in human beings (Rashi clarifies that this means to work the land during the Sabbatical years, when it is supposed to rest). This causes him to turn away from God, Who promised enough produce before shemittah to last for three years. Such a person will be cut off (presumably childless) like a tree standing alone. He will dwell in dry, salty land, not seeing good.

On the other hand, a person who trusts in God will be blessed and God will be his trust. (This verse is sung as the song “Baruch HaGever.”) This person will be like a tree planted by the water, whose leaves will stay green despite any drought.

A person’s heart is full of deceit. A person may appear to be good, but God can tell what’s really going on inside. God examines everyone inside and out, and gives them what they truly deserve. Some people claim wealth that they have not truly earned; they will not live to enjoy it.

God’s “throne” is exalted and He is the source of hope to the Jewish people. Anyone who turns his back on God will ultimately regret it. Yirmiyahu asks God to heal him from the insults and injuries he has suffered. People ask where God is; Yirmiyahu asks God to show them! Yirmiyahu wasn’t eager to ask God to act; he preferred to seek mercy on the nation. Since he had to foretell disaster, Yirmiyahu hopes that God’s words will not be a source of humiliation to him. Yirmiyahu asks that his pursuers, not he, be shamed and broken. Let them suffer repeated days of reckoning.

God tells Yirmiyahu to stand in the gate used by many people, which the kings of Judah would use to come and go. He was then to visit the other gates of Jerusalem. And what was Yirmiyahu to do there? He was to announce to the people not to carry on Shabbos (the Sabbath) - not to carry into Jerusalem, nor to carry out of their houses, nor to perform any other labors on Shabbos. This was commanded many generations earlier, but the people didn’t listen and neither did Yirmiyahu’s generation. God says that if the people listen and refrain from carrying on Shabbos, then the Davidic dynasty would thrive and the people of Judah could inhabit Jerusa- lem forever. People would come from all over - from all of Judah and Benjamin, and from the Negev, to offer sacrifices to God in the Temple. But if they don’t listen and continue to violate Shabbos, God will light a fire in Jerusalem, consuming all the palaces without being extinguished.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 16

Yirmiyahu Perek 16-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God told Yirmiyahu that he was not to marry or have children* because the children born in that place (presumably Anasos) and their parents were doomed to fall to sickness and famine, never to be mourned or buried. Yirmiyahu was also instructed not to go to a house or mourning for them, since God has withdrawn His peace and kindness from them. Great and small will die, unburied and unmourned. There will be no meal to console mourners. Likewise, Yirmiyahu was not to go to a wedding feast because God said He would cut off the sounds of rejoicing from that place. When Yirmiyahu tells the people these things, they will ask what they did to de- serve it. He will reply that it is because they rejected God and His Torah in favor of idols.

This generation is even worse than their ancestors because they know better, yet each one follows his own desires. That’s why God is exiling them to a foreign land where they will serve the nations that worship the idols they loved so much. The day is coming, God says, when people will no longer refer to Israel as the nation God took out of Egypt. Instead, they will be known as the nation God returned from exile, because He WILL return them to the land. He will send many “fishermen” and “hunters,” referring to the invaders who will pursue the Jewish people. The sins of the nation are not hidden from God, Who sees everything. He will punish them for repeating the sins of their ancestors and for defiling the land with idols.

Yirmiyahu speaks to God and says that nations will come from the ends of the Earth, saying that they inherited lies from their ancestors; they will realize that a person cannot make a “god!” Therefore, they will know God’s power and that He alone is God.

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*It may seem strange that God commanded Yirmiyahu not to marry or have children, since doing so is a missvah. God occasionally suspended individual missvot to the prophets because of the needs of their missions. This is why Elijah was able to sacrifice on a private altar, outside the Temple, and the Judge Samson was able to marry non-Jewish women.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 15

Yirmiyahu Perek 15-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God told Yirmiyahu that even if He were beseeched by Moses and Samuel, both of whom prayed for the people of their generations, He would still send this nation into exile. After they are exiled, if the nation asks, “Where shall we go?” Yirmiyahu is to tell them, “Some to death from the disease, others to the sword, others to the famine, and the rest to captivity.” (Each punishment mentioned is harsher than the preceding.) God will assign four “families” (meaning four types of punishment): the sword to kill, the dogs to drag the carcasses, and the birds and beasts to devour them. The nation will be a horror to the kingdoms of the world; all who hear about

it will tremble in fright that such a thing might also happen to them. This all happened because of the evil of King Menashe of Judah, who institutionalized and promoted idolatry among the people.

Who will have pity on Jerusalem, or cry for them? Who will go out of their way to ask about their welfare? They have forsaken God, so they will go backwards, away from Him. He has stopped Himself from punishing them many times, but no more. Now He passes His hand over them to destroy them. God winnows the nation like grain, to disperse them. The widows of the nation are to God more numerous than the sands of the shore. God brings Nebuchadnezzar to Jerusalem to rob her in broad daylight. The troops of the invaders come upon her suddenly. God has cut off Jerusalem, the hometown of seven evil kings (see Midrash Tanchuma on Vayeitzei, cited by Rashi). Jerusalem mourns; metaphorically, the sun sets while it is still day. The survivors will be handed over to the enemy.

Yirmiyahu now mourns the fact that he is considered a person of contention, in that his own people despise him. God assures Yirmiyahu that He will leave him over; Yirmiyahu’s end, at least, will be good. The people will turn to him in the time of famine and war. Egypt (or possibly Israel) is strong like iron, but they cannot defeat Nebuchadnezzar, who is like iron plus copper. The wealth of the nation will be plundered because of their sins. The people will be given to their enemies in a foreign land because God’s fire is ignited against them.

Yirmiyahu asks God to remember him and to avenge him against those who pursue him. He asks that God not delay in doing so, as Yirmiyahu has allowed himself to be disgraced for God. He originally relished the role of being God’s prophet; he didn’t engage in frivolous activities. Instead, he sat in seclusion, mourning for the de- struction he was shown. Yirmiyahu asks why he must always know such constant pain, like a wound that never heals. He compared God to an inconsistent spring that cannot be relied upon for water. (This was not a good thing to say to God.) God replied that if Yirmiyahu repented for his criticism of Him (Whose ways we really can’t know), then He would forgive him. Similarly, let Yirmiyahu try and take good people out of the evil people. Let them return to him, but he is not to return to them (i.e., to follow in their ways). God says He will make Yirmiyahu like a strong copper wall to the nation - make no mistake, the people will fight against him, but they will not defeat him, because God is on his side. God will see to it that Yirmiyahu is protected from those who wish him harm.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 14

Yirmiyahu Perek 14-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God spoke to Yirmiyahu about the droughts that were to come. The people of Judah will mourn because their cities will be desolate; the cry of Jerusalem will go up. Important people will send their servants to go find

water, but they will find the pits dry and will return empty-handed. They will cover their heads in mourning over the lack of water and in shame for their inability to fulfill their task. The ground will be broken from the lack of rain; farmers will be ashamed. Deer in the fields will give birth, but have to leave their offspring unat- tended to search for grass. Donkeys will gasp for air, climbing hills to look for grass, unsuccessfully. (All this is written in the present tense in the text, even though Yirmiyahu was speaking of the future.)

If our sins testify against us, we ask God to act for the sake of His Name. Why should our Hope and Savior be a stranger to His people, like a traveler who goes someplace else to sleep? God is among us and we are called by His Name, so we pray that He will not abandon us. God says that the people love to stray. They did not hesitate to do so, so He turned His back on them. Now He will remember their sins and pay them back in kind.

Once again God tells Yirmiyahu not to pray for the people. He will not accept it if the people fast or offer sacri- fices; He is going to destroy them with war, famine and disease. Yirmiyahu responds by quoting the “prophets” of the time, who tell the people that none of this will happen; instead, there will be peace. God responds that those “prophets” are lying. He did not send them - He didn’t even speak to them! The false prophets who deny the war and famine will be the first to die in the war and famine! The people who listened to them will find themselves cast into the streets with no one to bury them. (Why should they be punished for listening to prophets? How should they know the prophets are false? The prophets said things that were clearly against the Torah. The people allowed themselves to be deceived because the false prophets said what they wanted to hear.)

Yirmiyahu was instructed to tell the people that his eyes will run with tears day and night without stopping because of the impending exile. If he goes in the fields, he will see people killed by the sword. In the city, he will see people killed by the famine. Prophets and priests have gone to a land not their own.

Why has God rejected His nation, afflicting them and allowing no cure? We pray for healing and peace, but all we get is evil and terror. We know that we have repeated the sins of our ancestors against God and we ask that He not condemn us - not because we deserve it, but for His own sake. We ask that He remember the covenant with the Forefathers and keep it with us. None of the idols of the nations can make it rain; only God can do that. We pray to Him, for it is He Who shuts the Heavens, holding back the rain.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 13

Yirmiyahu Perek 13-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God told Yirmiyahu to go buy a linen belt and to wrap it around his loins (imagine the way a modern athletic supporter is worn). Yirmiyahu was not to wash it. The prophet did as he was instructed. God then told Yirmiyahu to take that sweaty garment to a place called Peras (possibly on the banks of the Euphrates, as Peras is also the name of that river) and to hide the belt in a small cave there. Again the prophet did as instructed. Finally, Yirmiyahu was directed to retrieve the belt. When he did, the prophet discovered that it had rotted and was worthless. At this time, God decided to reveal the meaning behind these strange commands. God said that just as the linen belt was destroyed, this is how He would destroy the arrogance of the nation of Judah and the ego of the residents of Jerusalem. These people, who continue to follow their desires, rather than God’s word, and who serve idols, will be like the belt: no good for anything. And just as the belt is wrapped around the loins, this is how God caused the nation to cling to Him, but they rebelled.

God instructed Yirmiyahu to say the following in His Name: Every jug will be filled with wine. When the people say “We know that every jug is filled with wine,” Yirmiyahu will reply that the jugs are a metaphor; all the people, the kings, the priests and prophets will be full of drunkenness. God will smash them against one another, breaking them like jugs.

The people were encouraged to repent before it was too late. If they do not listen, Yirmiyahu will cry because their arrogance has caused God’s people to be exiled. Tell King Yehoyachin and his royal mother to sit on the ground like mourners, for their greatness has been brought low. The cities are sealed in fear of Nebuchadnez- zar; the nation has been exiled peacefully (meaning either surrender or acceptance of the exile as payment for their sins).

Look north; where is the exiled flock? What can you say when God comes, after you welcomed foreign idols? Won’t you feel pains like a woman in labor? If you think, “Why did this happen?” know that it’s because of the magnitude of the nation’s sins. Can a person change the color of his skin, or a leopard its spots? (This is where the saying comes from, folks!) That’s how likely it is that this sinful nation will change their ways! They will be scattered like straw in the wind. This is payback, says God, for overlooking Him in favor of idols. God shames the nation by metaphorically “lifting the hem of their garment over their face.” (The metaphor is apt because the cheating nation is compared to an adulterous spouse and this would have been a way of shaming a promiscu- ous woman.) God has seen their cheating on every hill and they will not be purified from it.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 12

Yirmiyahu Perek 12-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

Yirmiyahu says that he knows that God is by definition always right, but that he still engages in debate with Him so that he can better understand God’s ways. He then asks God why the wicked are allowed to prosper. (Rashi says Yirmiyahu specifically asked why Nebuchadnezzar was allowed to achieve such greatness.) God plants these people, allowing them to flourish. Sometimes they give lip service to God, but they never serve Him for real. On the other hand, God knows that Yirmiyahu serves Him sincerely; He saved Yirmiyahu from the plotters of Anasos, whom He will punish. How long will the land be desolate?

God replies to Yirmiyahu’s question that the sins of the people have caused the exile; they thought that God could not foresee their end. Just like a person who can’t keep up with runners has no chance of keeping pace with horses, similarly if Yirmiyahu can’t be safe in his hometown, what chance would he have in another land? The plotters were his own kinsmen and they tried to kill him! He must not trust them, even if they act civilly towards him.

God continues that He is “cutting His losses” - He’s giving up on the Temple and the nation, allowing them to fall into enemy hands. The Jewish people treated God like a lion in the forest treats people passing through - they “roared” against Him, antagonizing Him. Are they a blood-stained bird of prey that other birds surround to attack, inviting the animals of the field to eat the remains? The generals of the Babylonian army (who are “shepherds” to their troops) will trample the land, turning it into a wasteland. Plunderers come to pillage the land, which has been laid waste from end to end by Nebuchadnezzar, acting on God’s behalf. The people plant wheat, but thorns come up instead. They cry out from their troubles, but God will not listen.

Finally, God says regarding the countries neighboring Israel that He will exile them, as well. After He does so, they, too, will eventually return to their land - but only if they learn a lesson from the Jews. They have to learn from the Jews to serve God, just as they previously taught the Jews to serve idols. If they don’t, then that nation will be gone for good. (You’ll notice that many of our ancient neighbors are gone, but look how much of the non-Jewish world now worships God, albeit differently than we do.)

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 11

Yirmiyahu Perek 11-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God spoke to Yirmiyahu, saying that he should tell the people to listen to the words of their covenant with God. A person who will not heed the covenant will be cursed. When God took the nation out of the “iron crucible” of Egypt, the deal was that they serve Him, rather than the Egyptians. He would fulfill the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Jews would inherit the land. (Yirmiyahu responded “Amen” that God would rightfully curse those who refuse to comply with the covenant.)

God continued that Yirmiyahu should announce throughout Judah and Jerusalem to keep covenant and ob- serve the mitzvos of God. The ancestors were warned every day since leaving Egypt to listen to God, but they still refuse, each preferring to do as he pleases. God punished them for non-compliance, as He said He would (Deut. 28), but they didn’t correct their behavior. It’s a conspiracy among the people, to return to the sins of earlier generations and to serve idols. The nations of Judah and Israel broke the covenant with God, so He will bring inescapable evil upon them. They will cry out to Him, but He won’t listen to them. When they’re exiled, the people will call upon the idols they worshipped, as if that will do any good. (There was an idol for every city and the streets were full of altars to Baal.)

As in chapter 7, God instructs Yirmiyahu not to pray for the people because He will not listen. Why do the people even bother going to the Temple, seeing all the evil they plan and do? They even stopped circumcising their children, which is the sign of the covenant with God! God had compared the people to a good olive tree, laden

with fruit, but now the branches of this tree will be broken up and the leaves will be used as fuel for the fire. God planted this “tree,” but now they must be punished for the evil they’ve done.

God informed Yirmiyahu of the evil that people were planning to do to him (they didn’t care much for his criticism, even though it was intended to save them). He was like an animal about to be sacrificed and he had no idea! People from Yirmiyahu’s hometown, the priestly city of Anasos, had planned to poison him, but God “tipped him off.” God knows all the thoughts and deeds of a person, so it’s not as if such a plot could be concealed from Him. Yirmiyahu just asked that he should live to see how God punished those who plotted to murder him. God announced regarding the plotters of Anasos that they would die by the sword and their children would starve. They would be punished more harshly than the rest of the nation in that none of them would survive.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 10

Yirmiyahu Perek 10-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

Yirmiyahu tells Israel to listen to what God has to say about them. Don’t learn the ways of the other nations and don’t turn to the stars in the sky, as the other nations do; they will come to regret it. Worshipping heavenly bodies is bad enough, and it leads to worshipping idols of wood and stone. A carpenter chops a tree and carves it, embellishing it with silver and gold and reinforcing it with nails. These idols have no more ability to speak or walk than the trees from which they were made. They can neither harm nor save.

There is nobody like God, Who is great and Who has real power. Who would not be in awe of God, Who deserves to be acknowledged as the real Ruler of the universe? The nations are foolish for serving idols that are simply lumps of wood plated in precious metals. There’s a real God, Whose anger will make the ground shake.

Yirmiyahu instructs King Yehoyachin and the exiles to tell the Kasdim (Chaldeans) that their “gods” did not make Heaven and Earth, but they will perish from Heaven and Earth! (This verse is in Aramaic, the language of

Babylonia, because they were to deliver the message in the vernacular.) God made the Heavens and Earth with strength, wisdom and understanding. He made the clouds, the lightning and the wind. People are ignorant of what God knows and how He does what He does. The idols made by artisans can’t do anything - they’re not even alive! They’re a lie and they will perish from the world. God, Who revealed Himself to Israel, created everything and rules over myriads.

Next, Yirmiyahu tells the people under siege to gather their belongings. God says that He will greatly afflict the inhabitants of the land. Again, Yirmiyahu mourns for the destruction he sees; it’s very painful for him, but he must endure it.

Jerusalem has been ruined and the inhabitants have been exiled. The kings, who were shepherds of the peo- ple, did not seek God with the result that the people - their flocks - have gone astray. Word has come from the north that Nebuchadnezzar is on the move; he is coming to lay waste to Judah.

Yirmiyahu tells God that he understands that Nebuchadnezzar could not accomplish this if it were counter to G- d’s plan. He acknowledges that the people deserve to be punished, but he asks that God temper his attribute of justice with that of mercy so the people will not be destroyed. Instead, he asks that God redirect some of His wrath to the nations that do not recognize Him and who have oppressed Israel over the years. (This last verse is said during the Passover seder, when we stand and open the door.)

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 9

Yirmiyahu Perek 9-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

Yirmiyahu wishes that he could live in an inn, far away from his people, so he wouldn’t have to observe their sinful actions. Their tongues are like bows shooting words of falsehood as the arrows. They go from one sin

to the next, not recognizing God. Nobody can trust anybody else. They just tell lies all day and sin until they’re exhausted. Because of their immersion in falsehoods, they have lost the ability to know God. Therefore, the nation must be refined (through suffering, just as silver is refined through fire).

They speak peacefully to each other while secretly laying traps for one another - how can God possibly let this go on? Yirmiyahu mourns for the destruction that is to come; not only will the habitations of people be destroyed, even the places where cattle graze will become desolate. Both birds and animals will be forced to relocate. Jerusalem will become a ruin, inhabited by jackals. Isn’t anybody smart enough to understand why the land is being turned into a wilderness? Isn’t there a prophet who has been told this by God? It’s because the people ignored the Torah! Instead of following God, they pursued their desires and served idols. Therefore, God will serve them bitterness and poison. They will be scattered throughout the nations and pursued to the verge of extinction.

God says to call for mourners to raise a cry over the people, so mournful that their eyes will gush. (Yirmiyahu includes himself among the nation by saying “us” rather than “them.”) A cry is heard from Jerusalem, “We are ruined! We are shamed! We have been exiled and our homes have been razed!”

Yirmiyahu addresses the women, telling them to teach their neighbors and daughters a song of mourning. Death has entered, not discriminating infants and young adults. People will fall like sheaves without anyone to pick them up.

God says that no one should boast of their strength, wisdom or wealth - none of these things will save him. The only thing of value is that a person recognizes God - and God likes righteousness and justice! Days are coming when God will punish the wicked, Jew and non-Jew alike. Egypt, Judah, Amon, Moav and the rest - they’re either literally uncircumcised or, in the case of Israel, they have uncircumcised hearts.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 8

Yirmiyahu Perek 8-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

When God makes the wicked pay, they will exhume the bones of the kings, idolatrous priests and false proph- ets in order to make them pay posthumously. Their bones will be spread out under the heavenly bodies that they worshipped, never to be re-interred. (The fulfillment of this prophecy is not found in Tanach, but it is mentioned in the Apochryphal book of Baruch, chapter 2 verse 24-25: “But we would listen to Your voice, to serve the king of Babylon, therefore You have fulfilled that which You said through Your servants the prophets, that the bones of our kings, and the bones of our fathers, would be removed from their resting places. They are cast out to the heat of the day to the frost of the night...”)

Death will be better than life to those Baal-worshippers who survive the death of their co-religionists. But should they only fall and not rise? If they repent, God will return to them. Why do the people of Jerusalem keep relapsing into their bad ways, refusing to repent sincerely? They don’t speak properly to one another and they do not regret the evil they do. They’re as enthusiastic in their evil as a horse rushing into battle. Birds can tell when it’s time to migrate, but these people can’t seem to remember to listen to God! They consider themselves knowledgeable in Torah, but they’re deluded. They will be ashamed when it becomes apparent that they have rejected God’s word. They will lose their wives and their property to others because everyone, great and small, deals deceitfully. The false prophets comfort the people with baseless reassurances of peace; they should be shamed because of their actions. Since they were not ashamed, they will be among the fallen, utterly destroyed.

Why is everyone so complacent, as if everything’s okay? Go up to the strongholds and mourn there, for the evil that comes from abandoning God. Instead of peace and healing, there will be terror. From Dan, the home of Ye- ravam’s golden calf idol, there will come the horses of the invaders to devour the land and its inhabitants. Fiery snakes that cannot be charmed are coming to bite. (At this point Yirmiyahu swoons because of the harshness of the prophecy that is revealed through him.) Eventually the people will cry from distant lands, where they will be exiled. This is so unnecessary - God is right here! If they would just turn to Him, all this could be avoided! But they continue to antagonize Him. Summer has come and gone and Egypt still hasn’t sent aid.

Yirmiyahu mourns that he is wounded because his people are wounded; is there no salve or doctor to heal them? If only his head were a vessel full of water and his eyes fountains of tears - he would cry day and night over the fate of his nation!

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 7

Yirmiyahu Perek 7-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God told Yirmiyahu to position himself in front of the main entrance to the Temple. Yirmiyahu was to proclaim to those who came to the Temple that they should heed God’s word. If they would improve themselves, God would allow them to continue to inhabit the land and have the Temple. The people were encouraged to ignore the false prophets who say that God would never allow His Temple to be destroyed. They must improve themselves by being proactive in misvot like judging righteously and aiding the weak and needy. Bloodshed and idolatry must stop. If they do this, God will let them live in the land forever.

Listening to the false prophets does no good. Do you think people can steal, kill, commit adultery and worship idols, and just go to the Temple and everything will be overlooked? Not so! Don’t expect to treat the House of God like a cave where wild people gather.

If you think Jerusalem is impenetrable because of the Temple, remember Shiloh, where the Mishkan stood. God allowed it to be destroyed because of the people’s sins. And now, since the people didn’t learn their lesson from the destruction that took place there, God will allow Jerusalem and the Temple to be destroyed as well. God will allow the people to be exiled as He did with the Ten Tribes of the Northern King- dom.

God tells Yirmiyahu not to pray for the people, because He won’t listen. God says that His anger will come upon people, animals, trees and crops - it will burn and not be extinguished. God tells the people that they might as well take their burnt offerings (which are given up completely to God) and turn them into peace offerings (which are eaten by their owners). People weren’t commanded to give sacrifices, they were commanded to obey God. The former without the latter is meaningless. Since the people refused to listen to God, they were moving backwards, not forwards.

Ever since they left Egypt, God continuously sent the people prophets with His message, but they didn’t listen and they became increasingly more obstinate. It’s reached the point that God tells Yirmiyahu up front that the people simply won’t listen to him. Yirmiyahu is to tell the people that they are the nation that wouldn’t listen to God or allow themselves to be corrected. They don’t have truth in their mouths, and certainly not in their hearts! Tear out your hair in grief because God has rejected this generation! The people of Judah have polluted the Temple with idolatry and they built altars to pass their children through fire - this is the service of the idol Moleh; God hates the practice!

Days are coming, God says, when the Valley of Tofet will be called “The Valley of Slaughter” because of all the people who will be killed there; they will also be buried there because they will run out of grave space in the usual places. The carcasses of the fallen will be food for the animals and birds, with no one to scare the scavengers away. The sound of rejoicing will cease to be heard in Judah and Jerusalem - neither bride nor groom - because the land will be desolate.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 6

Yirmiyahu Perek 6-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

The Benjaminites are told to gather, to guard their cities, and the city of Tekoa is told to sound the shofar to warn of the impending invasion. God says that the delicate people have been destroyed. Shepherds and their flocks will each come to feed off of a city they have surrounded. They are all prepared to battle Israel, both noon and night. God enables them to cut down the trees in order to build their attack positions against Jerusalem, whose sins have caused this. Evil pours forth from Jerusalem like water from a well. Correct yourselves, they are warned, before it’s too late! They will be picked clean, like a vineyard. The enemy will pass over them a second time, to make sure they haven’t missed anything.

Yirmiyahu asks, “Who can I warn that will listen? The people act as if their ears are clogged! They don’t want to hear God’s word!” This makes God even angrier and He is unwilling to hold back forever. He will pour His wrath out (through the invading armies) on men and women, old and young. Their houses, fields and wives will be taken away and given to others because they are all corrupt, from the smallest of them to the greatest. The false prophets eased their minds by promising them peace, but it was a lie. These charlatans should be ashamed for doing this, but they’re not. The false prophets themselves will perish in the siege.

God says: Stand at the crossroads and see which is the good path. If the people would do this, they’d finally have peace of mind, but they refuse. God places guardians over the people, sounding shofars, but they don’t listen. Therefore, the nations of the world are called to attack; they will know the evil that has been in Jerusalem. The Earth is a witness that God brings this destruction for violating His Torah.

God doesn’t need fancy spices, imported from foreign lands to be offered up as incense. The Jews’ sacrifices are unacceptable to Him. Therefore, God will place stumbling blocks before the nation. Fathers and sons, neighbors and friends will trip over them.

A nation is coming from the north; they have no mercy. They roar frighteningly, like the ocean. They are armed and mounted for war. Just hearing this makes the people weak. Don’t go on the road or in the field because the enemy is there! Instead, put on the ashes and sackcloth of mourning because of the invaders.

God tells Yirmiyahu that He has made him the strength of the people. They go off in all different directions, none of them good. God refines Yirmiyahu while destroying the wicked, like a smith destroys lead while refining silver. The people are like “refuse silver,” also called “reprobate” - the kind used in fillings rather than in jewelry. No matter how hard you try, it can’t be refined.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 5

Yirmiyahu Perek 5-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

Yirmiyahu says: Go walk through the streets of Jerusalem and see whether you can find a righteous man there. If you do, God will forgive the nation. The people swear in the names of their idols; if you hear someone swear in the name of God, he’s trying to deceive you into thinking he’s righteous.

God pays heed to those who are faithful to Him, so why do so many turn on Him? He punishes them, but they refuse to listen to Him. Yirmiyahu says that the people simply lack understanding and he goes to their leaders to convince them to lead the people back on the proper path. Unfortunately, they paid him no mind. Because of this, a “lion” (Nebuchadnezzar) will strike them, a “wolf ” (the Medes) will pillage them and a “leopard” (Greece) will attack their cities. Anyone who ventures out will be torn apart because of their sins.

The people do not deserve to be forgiven. They turned on God and followed non-gods. He gave them every- thing, but they cheated on Him. They were adulterous with one another’s wives, like wild stallions. How can God overlook such behavior? (As in the previous chapter, God says that He will destroy, but not completely.) The people denied God. They figured He doesn’t care what we do and there won’t be any payback; they dis- regard the words of the prophets. What God says through His prophets will, in fact, happen to such people. Therefore, God put His Word in Yirmiyahu’s mouth like flame, to consume people like wood. A nation is coming from the distance, whose language the Jewish nation doesn’t know. They are crack shots with a bow and arrow - every shot is a kill. They will eat the harvest, kill the children, capture the herds and flocks, and destroy the vineyards and orchards. They will ruin the cities with their swords.

God says that, despite all this, He will not allow the Jewish people to be eradicated. If you ask why He allowed all this evil to come upon us, the answer is: Just as they served foreign “gods,” now let them serve foreign na- tions! Let the fools finally see, hear and understand Who God is. He made the sand a boundary for the ocean - no matter how hard the waves churn, they cannot pass it. If the sea cannot hope to revolt against God’s will, how can a rebellious nation expect to do so? God gives them rain in its proper time to ensure the harvest schedule, and still they refuse Him! Their sins brought about these troubles.

There are evil people in the nation, who set ambushes for others. They are rich with possessions obtained illicitly and they don’t turn down any opportunity to sin. They don’t stick up for orphans or poor people, who need their help. How can God overlook this? It’s mind-boggling that prophets lie, telling the people that there will be peace, and the priests rule through them. And the people like this arrangement! If that’s how things are now, imagine what they will be like later.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 4

Yirmiyahu Perek 4-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

God says that if the Jews return to Him, He will accept them and if they remove their idols, they will not be exiled. When they swear in God’s Name, then they will be swearing in truth and righteousness. The other nations will praise Israel when they are faithful to God. God told the nation to learn from farmers, who plow the soil to keep thorns from growing where they wish to plant. The Jews are advised to “circumcise” their hearts, removing those impediments to clinging to God. If not it will be announced through- out the kingdom of Judah to flee before the invading forces, Babylonia attacking from the north.

Nebuchadnezzar is like a lion, whom none can resist. He has sprung upon the people to lay waste their cities. The Jews will mourn because they brought the anger of God upon themselves. On that day, the heart of the king and his officers will fall, while the priests and false prophets of the idols will be amazed.

Yirmiyahu says that God has surely misled the Jews by promising them peace because the sword has come upon them. (The Radak explains that it was the false prophets of the idols who promised peace. Since God never stopped them from doing so, the people took that as His tacit consent.) When the enemy invades, it will be said of the Jews that a wind blew away the streams of water, leaving a desert. A stronger wind (or spirit) will come to Israel; Yirmiyahu says he will contend with the false prophets of the idols. The enemy will approach swiftly. Yirmiyahu says that this is not the time for lip service - real repentance is necessary.

The voice of the prophets calls from the locations of idolatry in Dan and Mount Ephraim (home of Yeravam’s golden calf in I Kings 12 and Micha’s idol in Judges 17-18, respectively). The voice warns of the oncoming siege. The attackers will surround Jerusalem like watchmen surround a field. Yirmiyahu is so overwrought that it causes him actual physical pain. It’s just one destruction after another, until the whole land has been overrun, palaces falling as easily as tents. How long must we see the flags and hear the shofars of war? The people are foolish and they don’t recognize God, like children who just don’t understand. But when it’s time to do evil, then they’re smart!

In a vision, Yirmiyahu sees the Earth, desolate and uninhabited, as at the beginning of Creation. The skies were dark, representing the troubles to come, and the mountains shook, representing the destruction that would befall kings. The land was emptied of its people; even the birds had fled. The fields had become deserts and the cities were destroyed, all because of God’s anger. God says that the land will become a wasteland, but He will not allow it to become completely empty; there will always be some who remain. The Earth will mourn and the skies will go dark because of what will happen; God has spoken and He will not change His mind.

The sound of oncoming soldiers will make the inhabitants of the cities flee until every city is deserted. Yirmiyahu uses the analogy of a promiscuous woman: “Once you’re shamed, what’s the point of adorning your- self with jewelry and make-up? You’re dressing up for lovers that hate you.” Instead, the nation will be like a woman in labor with her first child, unused to such pains. They will cry out that they are weak because of those who seek to destroy them.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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Yirmiyahu Perek 3

Yirmiyahu Perek 3-
Sefer Yirmiyahu is taught by Rabbi Harold Sutton, Rabbi of Congregation Hochma U'Mussar; Rosh Yeshivat Magen David Yeshivah; Rabbi at the Sephardic Rabbinical College.

Yirmiyahu says that if a man divorces his wife and she marries another, he may not take her back again after that. But the Jews “cheated on” God with many idols and He is still willing to take them back! Look around - is there any place they didn’t cheat on God? They sat by the side of the road, eagerly waiting for idolators to come! They defiled the land and rain was withheld, but they refused to be corrected.Why don’t they turn back to God and call Him“Father” again? If they would only do that, His anger would pass. Instead, they squeeze in as much evil as they are able.

God told Yirmiyahu to bring back exiles from the Ten Tribes. Yirmiyahu told them to return and that God would not be angry forever. All they had to do was acknowledge their sins, for rebelling against God. Return, the prophet tells them, and God will accept them. He will give the people leaders who will direct them according to His will and who will feed them knowledge and understanding. When the people are once again prosperous in the land, they will no longer need to go to battle bearing the Ark of the Covenant as in the old days; war will be a thing of the past.

Jerusalem will be considered the throne of God by all nations, who will gather there to serve Him. Judah and Israel will be reunited into one nation again. God gave them a desirable land and He asks that they call Him their Father again and follow Him. The nation betrayed God like a faithless wife. A voice will be heard - the Jews crying that they forgot God. Return, Yirmiyahu says, and God will cure them of their backsliding tendencies. The people will realize that they turned to idols in vain - only God can save them. The idolatry of generations has left its toll on the nation; they are totally disgraced because they sinned against God for so long.

Summary provided by Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of the Orthodox Union.

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