meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Malbim/Prophets/Malbim on Ezekiel/English/merged.txt"}
text: Malbim on Ezekiel
  מלבי"ם על יחזקאל
  merged
  
  This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
  -Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology
  -
  -Sefaria Community Translation
  -
  
  Malbim on Ezekiel
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  take a brick for yourself – This instruction teaches that the reality and existence of Jerusalem comes solely at the hands of the Lord, and through His will, because in and of herself she is just a raw, amorphous brick without any form. By placing it before you, you hint at the fact that the Lord has placed her before Him and keeps His eyes and providence upon her. Through this ‘and engrave upon it a city’ she will be rebuilt a settled city upon her mound. Then Jerusalem will be “the city of a great king.” (Psalms 48:3)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  Do you see what people do in their homes in private, in assuming that God has left the land in charge of some [impersonal] framework and does not directly see and guide this world, and therefore they worship the lower spheres to exact favor from them and their hosts in the heavens
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  set your face southward – Setting one’s face indicates that the prophet is preparing himself towards whichever side he will prophecy. This verse is referring to the prophecy which he spoke concerning the siege of Jerusalem from verse thirteen and on. There he described how Nevuchadnezzar used divinations to determine if he should go left toward Rabbat Bnei Amon or right toward Jerusalem. The lot fell on the southern path, meaning that he should go to the right, as it says “At his right was the divination to Jerusalem…” (Ezekiel 21:27): 
  and speak to the south – this speaking (hatafah) is a small, brief prophecy which in this case is his succinct prophecy on the destruction of the Holy Temple, as it says “…sigh, with the breaking of the loins…” (21:11) The Temple is called south (darom) because south (darom) derives its name from its position at the height (rom) of the globe opposite the north, which is in the depth. This is according to the understanding of the ancients who believed that the sun was stronger in the south. So too the Temple stands at the height (rom) of the globe, on the heights of the mountains in the south (darom) of the land of Israel: 
  prophesy to the forest of the field in the south – This refers to the prophecy on the slaughter which will be throughout the land of Israel, as it says “And you shall say to the forest of the south…” (Ezekiel 21:3) and then says explicitly “And you shall say to the land of Israel…” (Ezekiel 21:8) He compares it to a forest which is full of varied trees, just as the land is filled with people. He called it south (negev) because the south is arid (naguv) and dry due to the abundant heat. The portion of the tribe of Yehudah is in the south of the land of Israel:
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  O city that sheds blood – The primary sealing of judgment came through the blood that was spilled in the midst of the city, through which ‘her time is approaching’ and the time of her extinction. Aside from this bloodshed, she worshiped idols and did other abominations to make herself unclean, as will be explained:
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
  Verse 15
  
  
  
  Verse 16
  
  
  
  Verse 17
  
  
  
  Verse 18
  
  
  
  Verse 19
  
  Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I gather you together¬ – He gathered them together in order to send them into exile, because through this the good among them will be sorted out and be a remnant and a remainder in their exile, as it says “The Lord showed me two pots of figs…” (Jeremiah 24:1) It explains there that the exile of Yochanya was like good figs, because He sent them to Babylon for the good as a saved remnant, separating them from the bad figs which remained behind and were a curse.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  because Tyre said – Tyre had a covenant with Jerusalem all the days of David and Shlomo and was not rejoicing over its fall out of hatred, rather they rejoiced because they thought that they would derive benefit from it. This is why the verse says ‘Aha! The doors of the peoples have been broken,’ because Jerusalem was the market city and all the peoples brought their wares there. It was called ‘the doors of the peoples’ because they all entered this door. Through this breaking ‘it has turned to me,’ and all the commerce will be in Tyre. One can also say that Jerusalem was called ‘the doors of the peoples’ because it stood before the peoples who lived in the south, east and north, whose path to Tyre was via the land of Israel and its surroundings. It was like a closed door, through which one cannot enter until it is opened. Now that the door has been opened through its destruction ‘it has turned to me.’ This second explanation fits the end of the verse ‘I shall become full from the destroyed city,’ that their houses were filled from the destruction of Jerusalem. This is as it is written “And also, what are you to Me, Tyre and Sidon and all the regions of Philistia… For My silver and My gold you took, and My goodly treasures you have brought into your temples. And the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem you have sold…” (Joel 4:4-6) They despoiled, plundered and gathered silver and slaves and filled themselves from the destruction and the spoils.