Chavakuk 2:1-4 חבקוק ב׳:א׳-ד׳

עַל מִשְׁמַרְתִּי אֶעֱמֹדָה. עָג עוּגָה חֲבַקּוּק וְעָמַד בְּתוֹכָהּ, וְאָמַר: לֹא אָזוּז מִכָּאן עַד שֶׁאֶשְׁמַע מַה יְּדַבֵּר בִּי עַל שְׁאֵלָתִי זֹאת לָמָּה הוּא מַבִּיט וְרוֹאֶה בְּהַצְלָחָתוֹ שֶׁל רָשָׁע.

On my watch I will stand Habakkuk dug a circular hole, stood within it, and said, “I will not budge from here until I hear what He will say to me concerning this, my question why He looks and sees the prosperity of a wicked man.”

וּמָה אָשִׁיב. אֶל הַבָּאִים לְהִתְוַכֵּחַ לְפָנַי.

and what I will reply to those who come to contend with me.

עַל תּוֹכַחְתִּי. שֶׁהֵם מוֹכִיחִים אוֹתִי בְּפָנַי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהַרְהֵר עַל מִדַּת הַדִּין. תּוֹכַחַת – מונאיפרובמנ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז.

when I am reproved mon aprobement in O.F.; the reproach one addresses to me. when I am reproved For they reprove me to my face that one should criticize the Divine standard of justice.

וַיַּעֲנֵנִי ה׳ וַיֹּאמֶר כְּתֹב לְךָ חָזוֹן. הַנִּגְלֶה לְךָ, וּבָאֲרֵהוּ עַל הַלּוּחוֹת הֵיטֵב, אֲשֶׁר יָרוּץ הַקּוֹרֵא בּוֹ לִקְרוֹתוֹ מַהֵר שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּשֵׁל, וְזֶהוּ הַחָזוֹן אֲשֶׁר תִּכְתֹּב.

And the Lord answered me and said: Write for yourself the vision that will be revealed to you, and explain it well on the tablets so that one may read it swiftly. And this is the vision that you shall write.

כִּי עוֹד חָזוֹן לַמּוֹעֵד. עוֹד עָתִיד לָקוּם נָבִיא לְקֵץ שָׁנִים שֶׁיִּתְגַּלֶּה לוֹ חָזוֹן לְמָתַי יִהְיֶה מוֹעֵד מַפֶּלֶת בָּבֶל וּגְאֻלַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

For there shall be another vision for the appointed time A prophet shall yet arise at the end of the years, to whom a vision shall be revealed concerning when the appointed time shall be for the downfall of Babylon and the redemption of Israel.

וְיָפֵחַ לַקֵּץ. וְדִבֵּר שֶׁיֹּאמַר לוֹ עַל הַקֵּץ שֶׁל בָּבֶל לְפִי מְלֹאת לְבָבֶל שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא יְכַזֵּב.

and He shall speak of the end The speech that He shall say to him concerning the end of Babylon, (Jer. 29:10) “For at the completion of seventy years of Babylon.” וְיָפֵחַ is an expression of speech; and there are many uses of this root with similar meaning in the Book of Proverbs. Since speech is only the wind emanating from the mouth, he [the writer of the Scriptures] calls it פִּיחַ, blowing, and he calls it wind, e.g., (Ps. 33:6) “And with the wind of His mouth all their host.”

אִם יִתְמַהְמָהּ. לָבוֹא שֶׁיַּאֲרִיךְ לָכֶם אוֹתוֹ מוֹעֵד, חַכֵּה לוֹ כִּי לֹא יְאַחֵר אַחַר הַשִּׁבְעִים כְּלוּם. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ: אִם יִתְמַהְמָהּ הַנָּבִיא לָבֹא וְהוּא הָיָה יִרְמְיָה. וְיוֹנָתָן תִּרְגֵּם: ״כְּתִיבָא נְבוּאֲתָא וּמְפָרְשָׁא עַל סִפְרָא דְאוֹרָיְתָא״. תִּרְגֵּם ״כְּתֹב״ כְּמוֹ ״כְּתִיב״, כְּבָר נִרְמָז (בַּתּוֹרָה) ״אָז תִּרְצֶה הָאָרֶץ אֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ״ – שִׁבְעִים שְׁמִטּוֹת קִלְקְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא שָׁמְטוּ, וּכְנֶגְדָּן גָּלוּ מִמֶּנָּה שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים בְּסוֹף ב׳) ״עַד רָצְתָה הָאָרֶץ אֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתֶיהָ, כָּל יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה לְמַלֹּאת שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה״. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא (בִּיחֶזְקֵאל ד:ה) ״וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ אֶת שְׁנֵי עֲוֹנָם שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים יוֹם, יוֹם לַשָּׁנָה נְתַתִּיו לָךְ״. וְאוֹמֵר: ״וְאַתָּה שְׁכַב לְךָ עַל צִדְּךָ הַשְּׂמָאלִית וְגוֹמֵר״. נִמְצֵאתָ אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: הִכְעִיסוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים שָׁנָה עַד שֶׁגָּלוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים, וְשֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה קִלְקְלוּ אַרְבָּעִים. וּמִשֶּׁגָּלוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים עַד חֻרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הֵם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שֶׁל מְנַשֶּׁה וּשְׁאָר שְׁנוֹתָיו בִּתְשׁוּבָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ (מלכים ב כא:ב) ״וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע כְּכָל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אַחְאָב״, כְּמִנְיַן שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אַחְאָב, וְהוּא מָלַךְ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה. שְׁתַּיִם שֶׁל אָמוֹן בְּנוֹ וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל יְהוֹיָקִים וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה שֶׁל צִדְקִיָּהוּ, הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעִים וְשֵׁשׁ, וּנְבוּאָה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה לִיחֶזְקֵאל בַּשָּׁנָה הַחֲמִישִׁית לְצִדְקִיָּהוּ. מִכָּל מָקוֹם נִמְצְאוּ יְמֵי קִלְקוּלָם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים שֶׁלְּאַחַר נְבוּאָה זוֹ, שֶׁהוֹסִיף שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים. אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנִים עוֹשִׂים שְׁמוֹנָה יוֹבְלוֹת, וְכָל יוֹבֵל שֶׁבַע שְׁמִטּוֹת, הֲרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שְׁמִטּוֹת וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנִים הַמְּקֻדָּשׁוֹת לְיוֹבֵל, הֲרֵי שִׁשִּׁים וְאַרְבַּע. וּבִשְׁלוֹשִׁים וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנָה יֵשׁ חָמֵשׁ שְׁמִטּוֹת, הֲרֵי שִׁשִּׁים וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים מְקֻדָּשׁוֹת, וּשְׁנַת יוֹבֵל זֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן נֶחְשָׁב אַף הוּא בְּמִנְיָן שֶׁבַּעֲוֹנָם לֹא נִגְמַר. וְכָאן כָּכָה אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַחֲבַקּוּק: כְּבָר כָּתוּב חָזוֹן בַּתּוֹרָה, אֲבָל סָתוּם הוּא. הוֹסִיף אַתָּה וּבָאֵר עַל הַלּוּחוֹת, כִּי עוֹד יִתְגַּלֶּה חָזוֹן לְמוֹעֵד זֶה.

and it shall not fail; though it tarry it shall not fail to come, though that appointed time may take long to come. wait for it for...; it shall not delay at all after the seventy years. This clause can also be explained to mean: though he tarry, meaning the prophet Jeremiah. Jonathan renders: the prophecy is written and explained in the Book of the Torah. He translated כְּתֹב as כָּתוּב. It has already been alluded to in the Torah (Lev. 26:34): “Then shall the land placate [God concerning] its Sabbaths.” Israel sinned by violating seventy Sabbatical Years, in which they did not release the land, and, corresponding to them, they were exiled therefrom for seventy years. And so it is stated in II Chronicles (36:21): “Until the land placated its Sabbaths; all the days it lay waste, it rested to complete seventy years.” And so you find in Ezekiel (4:5): “And I have given you the years of their iniquity according to the number of days, three hundred and ninety days... (verse 6) I gave you a day for a year.” And Scripture says (verse 4): “And you lie on your left side, etc.” You are found saying that Israel provoked God for three hundred and ninety years until the Ten Tribes were exiled, and the tribe of Judah sinned for forty years, and from the time the Ten Tribes were exiled until the destruction of Jerusalem are the twenty-two years of Manasseh. The rest of Manasseh’s years were spent in repentance, for it is stated concerning him (II Kings 21:2f.) “And he did what was evil, etc.,... as Ahab... had made.” Therefore we count Manasseh’s evil years according to the number of Ahab’s years, and he reigned for twenty-two years. With two years of his son Amon’s reign, and eleven of Jehoiakim’s, and eleven of Zedekiah’s, the evil years total forty-six, and this prophecy was said to Ezekiel in the fifth year of Zedekiah. In any case, we find the time of their sinning four hundred and thirty years, for after this prophecy they tarried there six years. [I.e., the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained in the land for six more years] In four hundred years, there are eight Jubilee Years, and in every Jubilee cycle there are seven Release Years, making a total of fifty-six Release Years and eight years consecrated as Jubilee Years making all together sixty-four. In thirty-six years there are five Release Years, totaling sixty-nine consecrated years, and this final Jubilee year is also counted in the number, since it was not completed because of their iniquity. And here, this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Habakkuk: A vision is already written in the Torah, but it is sealed. You write and explain on the tablets, for a vision of this appointed time will yet be revealed.

וְיָפֵחַ לְשׁוֹן ׳דִּבּוּר׳ הוּא, וְהַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בְּסֵפֶר מִשְׁלֵי. וְעַל שֵׁם שֶׁהַדִּבּוּר אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא רוּחַ הַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַפֶּה, קוֹרֵהוּ ׳פִּיחַ׳ וְקוֹרֵהוּ ׳רוּחַ׳, כְּגוֹן ״וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כָּל צְבָאָם״ (תהילים לג:ו).

and He shall speak It is an expression [denoting] speech, and there are many similar instances throughout the book of Proverbs. Since speech is merely wind that goes out of the mouth, it is called פיח or רוח, wind, as in (Psalms 33:6) “and with the breath of His mouth, all their host.”

הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה. נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁלּוֹ תָּמִיד הִיא בְּכַעַס וּבְתַאֲוָה, שׁוֹאֵף לִבְלֹעַ וְלֹא שָׂבֵעַ. עֻפְּלָה לְשׁוֹן ׳עַזּוּת׳, כְּמוֹ (במדבר יד:מד) ״וַיַּעְפִּלוּ״, וְכֵן ״עֹפֶל וָבֹחַן״ (ישעיהו לב:יד).

Behold, it is puffed up The soul of the wicked man is always wroth and full of desire, longing to swallow and never satisfied. עֻפְּלָה is an expression of insolence, as in (Num. 14:44) “And they acted insolently (וַיַעְפִּילוּ)”; and (Isa. 32:14) “Rampart (עֹפֶל) and tower.”

לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ. אֵין רוּחוֹ מִתְקָרֶרֶת עָלָיו לוֹמַר דַּי בְּמַה שֶּׁקָּנִיתִי כְּבָר, לָכֵן יָבֹא עָלָיו הַפֻּרְעָנוּת.

his soul is not upright within him His spirit is not satisfied within him, and he does not say, “What I have already acquired is enough.” Therefore, retribution shall come upon him.

וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה. יְכָנְיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁעָתִיד זֶה לְהַגְלוֹתוֹ, יַעֲמֹד לוֹ צִדְקוֹ, וּבְיוֹם שֶׁיֻּשְׁלַךְ זֶה מִקִּבְרוֹ, יִשָּׂא אֱוִיל מְרֹדַךְ אֶת רֹאשׁ יְהוֹיָכִין וְיָשִׂים אֶת כִּסְאוֹ מֵעַל לְכִסֵּא הַמְּלָכִים.

but the righteous shall live by his faith Jeconiah the king, whom this wicked man is destined to exile - his righteousness shall stand for him, and on the day this one is cast out of his grave, Evil-merodach shall raise Jehoiachin’s head and place his throne above the thrones of the kings.