Chaggai 1 חגי א׳

בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ. הוּא דָּרְיָוֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס שֶׁהָיָה אַחַר אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, וּמָצִינוּ בְּמִדְרַשׁ וַיִּקְרָא רַבָּה שֶׁבְּנָהּ שֶׁל אֶסְתֵּר הָיָה. וּבִימֵי כֹּרֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן עָלוּ זְרֻבָּבֶל וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן מִבָּבֶל לִירוּשָׁלַיִם בִּרִשְׁיוֹן כֹּרֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עזרא א:ג) ״מִי בְכָל עַמּוֹ וְגוֹ׳״. וְעָמְדוּ צָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִין וְשָׁלְחוּ אִגְרוֹתֵיהֶם לְכֹרֶשׁ לְצַוּוֹת לְבַטֵּל מְלֶאכֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁהִתְחִילוּ (וְצִוָּה וּבִטְּלוּם). מִיּוֹם הַהוּא בָּטְלוּ, כִּמְפֹרָשׁ (בְּעֶזְרָא ד:כד) ״בֵּאדַיִן בְּטֵלַת עֲבִידַת בֵּית אֱלָהֲנָא וְגוֹ׳״. וּבָטְלָה שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים שֶׁמָּלַךְ כֹּרֶשׁ, וְאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, וְשָׁנָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל דָּרְיָוֶשׁ בְּנוֹ. וּבִשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם נֶאֶמְרָה נְבוּאָה זוֹ לְחַגַּי, לְזָרְזָם לַחֲזֹר וְלִבְנוֹת בַּמְּלָאכָה, וְלֹא יִירָאוּ כִּי לֹא יְבַטְּלוּם הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יַצְלִיחֵם.

In the second year of King Darius This was Darius king of Persia, who succeeded Ahasuerus. We find in Midrash Leviticus Rabbah (13:4) that he was Esther’s son. Now, in the days of Cyrus I, Zerubbabel and Joshua the Priest went up from Babylon to Jerusalem with the sanction of Cyrus, as it is said (Ezra 1:3): “Whoever is among you of all His people, etc.” The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin rose up and sent their letters to Cyrus to [have him] ordain that they [Judah and Benjamin] stop the construction of the Temple, which they had commenced; and he gave the order and stopped it. From that day they stopped, as is explained in Ezra (4:24): “Then the work of the house of God was stopped, etc.” It was stopped for the three years that Cyrus reigned, the fourteen years of Ahasuerus, and the first year of Darius his son. In the second year [of Darius] this prophecy was proclaimed to Haggai: to urge them [i.e., Judah and Benjamin] to resume the building, and that they should not fear, for the heathens would not stop them for the Holy One, blessed be He, would grant them success.

הָעָם הַזֶּה אָמְרוּ. לְפִי שֶׁבִּטְּלוּ אוֹיְבֵיהֶם עַל יְדֵיהֶם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, סְבוּרִים הֵם שֶׁלֹּא אֲקַיֵּם אֶת דְּבָרַי שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי ״לְפִי מְלֹאת לְחָרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה״, וְלֹא יָבֹא עוֹד עֵת בֵּיתִי לְהִבָּנוֹת. אֱמֹר לָהֶם שֶׁבָּא עַתָּה הָעֵת, אֲבָל עֵת הָרִאשׁוֹן לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא לִפְקִידָה, לִמְלֹאת לִתְחִלַּת מַלְכוּת בָּבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, וְכֵן הָיְתָה לְסוֹף שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, נִפְקְדוּ לַעֲלוֹת עַל פִּי כֹּרֶשׁ. אֲבָל בִּנְיַן הַבַּיִת נִתְלָה בְּחֻרְבּוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁבִּימֵי צִדְקִיָּהוּ, שֶׁהָיָה מְאֻחָר שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְמַלְכוּת בָּבֶל, כִּדְאָמַר מַר (מגילה יא:א, ערכין יב:ב) גָּלוּ בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה, גָּלוּ בִּתְשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה. וְעַתָּה מָלְאוּ הַשְּמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה.

This people has said Since their enemies stopped them the first time, they think that I will not fulfill My words that I said, (Dan. 9:2) “According to the completion of seventy years from the destruction of Jerusalem”; and that the time for the House to be rebuilt will never come. Say to them that now the time has come, but the first time was only a remembrance at the completion of the seventy years from the inception of the kingdom of Babylon. And so it was that at the end of seventy years they were remembered for going up by the sanction of Cyrus; but the [time for the] building of the House depended upon [counting from] the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place eighteen years later than [the inception of] the kingdom of Babylon, as the master said (Meg. 11b): “They were exiled in the eighteenth year; they were exiled in the nineteenth year.” Now, the eighteen years are complete.

הַעֵת לָכֶם. לְשׁוֹן ׳תֵּימָהּ׳, לְכָךְ נָקוּד הַהֵ״א בְּפַתָּח.

Is it [an appropriate] time for you? This is an interrogative expression; therefore the “heh” is vowelized with a “pattah.”

סְפוּנִים. מְכֻסִּים בְּנִסְרֵי אֲרָזִים, כְּמוֹ (מלכים א ו:ט) ״וַיִּסְפֹּן אֶת הַבַּיִת״, ״וְסָפֻן אֶת הַבַּיִת בָּאָרֶז״. וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״הַכְדִין כָּשֵׁר לְכוֹן דְּאַתּוּן יָתְבִין בְּבָתַּיָּא דִּי מְטַלְּלִין בְּנִסְרֵי דְאַרְזַיָּא, וּבֵית מַקְדְּשָׁא הָדֵין חָרוּב״.

ceiled covered with boards of cedar, as in (I Kings 6:9): “And he covered the house” and (ibid. 7:3) “And it was covered with cedar.” And so did Jonathan render: “Is such a way proper for you, that you sit in the houses that are covered with boards of cedar, and this Temple is destroyed?”

עַל דַּרְכֵיכֶם. עַל עִסְקֵיכֶם, שֶׁאַתֶּם רוֹאִין שֶׁאֵין בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם בְּרָכָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר: ״זְרַעְתֶּם הַרְבֵּה וְהָבֵא מְעָט״. כָּל זֶה בִּשְׁבִיל חֻרְבַּן בֵּיתִי הוּא.

your ways Your affairs, for you see that there is no blessing in the work of your hands, as he [Haggai] states: You have sown much and you bring in little. All this is because of the desolation of My house.

וְהָבֵא מְעָט. בַּעֲוֹן בִּכּוּרִים שֶׁבָּטְלוּ.

and you bring in little because of the iniquity of the cessation of [the offerings of] the first fruits.

אָכוֹל וְאֵין לְשָׂבְעָה. בַּעֲוֹן בִּטּוּל מְנָחוֹת.

You eat without being satiated because of the iniquity of the cessation of the meal-offerings.

שָׁתוֹ וְאֵין לְשָׁכְרָה. שֶׁנִּטַּל טַעַם הַיַּיִן לְפִי שֶׁבָּטְלוּ הַנְּסָכִים.

You drink without getting your fill for the taste of wine was taken away because the libations ceased.

לָבוֹשׁ וְאֵין לְחֹם לוֹ. בַּעֲוֹן בִּגְדֵי כְּהוּנָה שֶׁבָּטְלוּ.

You dress, and it has no warmth because of the iniquity of the cessation of wearing the priestly garments.

וְהַמִּשְׂתַּכֵּר מִשְׂתַּכֵּר אֶל צְרוֹר נָקוּב. כָּל רֶוַח שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים הוֹלֵךְ וְכָלֶה, כְּנוֹתֵן מְעוֹתָיו בְּקֶשֶׁר בֶּגֶד נָקוּב.

And he who profits, profits into a bundle with holes Any profit that you make becomes less and less, like one who puts his money into a cloth bundle with holes.

וְאֶכָּבְדָה. חָסֵר הֵ״א, כְּנֶגֶד חֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים שֶׁהָיוּ בְּמִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן וְלֹא הָיוּ בְּמִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי: אָרוֹן, אוּרִים וְתֻמִּים, וְאֵשׁ, וּשְׁכִינָה, וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת יוֹמָא.

and I will be honored The “heh” [whose numerical value is five] missing from the Masoretic text corresponds to the five items in the First Temple that were not in the Second Temple: 1) the Holy Ark, 2) the Urim and Tummim, 3) the fire that descended from heaven, 4) the Shechinah, and 5) the Holy Spirit, as is stated in Tractate Yoma (21b).

פָּנֹה אֶל הַרְבֵּה. עַד הֵנָּה הֱיִיתֶם סְבוּרִים לְהָבִיא מִן הַשָּׂדֶה הַרְבֵּה, וַהֲבֵאתֶם מְעָט.

You looked for much Until now, you expected to bring much from the field, but you brought little.

וְנָפַחְתִּי בוֹ. אָבִיא עָלָיו מַכַּת רִקָּבוֹן וְתוֹלַעַת.

and I will blow into it I will bring upon it a plague of decay and worms.

וְנָפַחְתִּי. לְשׁוֹן ״נֹפֵחַ בָּאֵשׁ פֶּחָם״ (ישעיהו נד:טז).

and I will blow an expression like (Isa. 54:16) “Who blows on a charcoal fire.”

עֲלֵיכֶם כָּלְאוּ שָׁמַיִם. ״עַל חוֹבֵיכוֹן״.

because of you the heavens have kept back Because of your sins.

כָּלְאוּ. מָנְעוּ.

בְּמַלְאֲכוּת ה׳. בִּשְׁלִיחוּת הַמָּקוֹם.

in [fulfilling] the Lord’s mission In the messengership of the Omnipresent.

וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ מְלָאכָה. הִתְחִילוּ מְסַתְּתִין בָּאֲבָנִים וּמְנַסְּרִין עֵצִים, בַּשִּׁשִּׁי בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאֶחָד הָיָה דְבַר ה׳ אֶל חַגַּי.

and they came and performed labor They commenced cutting stones and sawing trees in the sixth month, on the twenty fourth of the month; and in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day, the word of the Lord came to Haggai.