"זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ"/2

"זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ"

Exegetical Approaches

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Overview

Commentators differ in their understanding of the nature of the prophecy in Yirmeyahu 2:1-3. According to Radak, in contrast to most of the book, Yirmeyahu's opening message to the people is one of comfort. The nation's earlier devotion to Hashem merited them that, despite their sins and the punishment to follow, they would not be totally destroyed.  Rashi, instead, reads the verses as a call to repent. The promise of vengeance on enemies is not unconditional, and will only come to fruition if the people change their ways.  R"Y Kara is unique in reading the prophecy as one of rebuke.  He connects it to the rest of the chapter and claims that Hashem reminds the ungrateful nation of all the good He had showered upon them in the Wilderness in order to highlight their present lack of appreciation and betrayal in rejecting Him.

Consolation

The prophecy constitutes a small island of comfort amidst a sea of rebuke.

Sources:Targum YonatanYirmeyahu 2:2-3About Targum Yonatan (Neviim), RadakYirmeyahu 2:2-3About R. David Kimchi, AbarbanelYirmeyahu 2:1-3About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, MalbimYirmeyahu Beur HaInyan 2:1-3About R. Meir Leibush Weiser, ShadalYirmeyahu 2:2-3About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto

Scope of the prophecy – According to this approach the entire prophecy is but 2 verses long, and is not connected to the chastisement in the continuation of the chapter. [It reads the words "שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר י"י בֵּית יַעֲקֹב" in verse 4 as a new opening.]

Context – As the verses surrounding this prophecy are all filled with rebuke and tell of calamity that is to befall Israel, these sources must explain the placement of a prophecy of consolation in their midst.  According to this approach, after his initiation as prophet, but before Yirmeyahu begins to foretell doom and destruction,¹ Hashem comforts the people, telling them that despite the hardships which they are to suffer, they should know that they will not be destroyed totally and that their enemies, too, will be punished. Moreover, they should recognize that all the rebukes and punishment stem from love, not hatred.²

"חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ" – These sources disagree regarding the nature of this "חֶסֶד " and whether the phrase refers to acts done by the nation for Hashem, or Hashem for the nation.

• Faith in Hashem – Targum Yonatan and Radak claim that the "חֶסֶד" spoken of refers to Israel's faith in Hashem.  It is not clear, though, why belief should be spoken of as an act of kindness. It is possible that "חֶסֶד" here relates to the word  "חָסִיד", a term used to refer to someone who is loyal to another.³   If so, the phrase "חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ" would translate as "the loyalty of your youth".
• Devotion to Israel – Shadal argues that a person cannot do an act of "חֶסֶד" for Hashem. The term can only describe acts done by a superior, stronger party to an inferior, weaker party and not vice versa.⁴ As such, he claims that the phrase speaks of Hashem's love and devotion to Israel.
• Kindness to others – Radak also raises the possibility that the verse refers to the general acts of kindness done by the forefathers, actions aimed at those around them.

Relationship between the clauses of vs. 2 – These sources disagree regarding the relationship between the three clauses of the verse, in line with their positions regarding the meaning of "חֶסֶד"  above:

• Israel 's actions – According to Targum Yonatan and Radak, all three terms refer to Israel's deeds and speak of her devotion to Hashem throughout the Wilderness period.
• Mutual relationship – Abarbanel and Shadal, in contrast, assume that the verse speaks of both sides of the relationship.  While the first two clauses (חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ and אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ) refer to actions done by Hashem, the last clause refers to the deeds of the nation.⁵

"זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ" – According to these sources, Hashem is saying that He remembers the nation's earlier devotion to Him (Radak) and the positive relationship they had (Shadal) and views this as a merit for them (זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ).

Relationship between verses 2-3 – The two verses are a cause and effect.  Because Hashem remembers the earlier period with affection, and deems it as meritorious for Israel, he views the nation now as holy, like the first wheat which is dedicated to Hashem and prohibited from eating. Thus, anyone who "eats" and harms Israel will be punished.  The verse does not contradict the later prophecies of calamity since Hashem does not say that Israel will not be attacked, but rather that those who do so will later be punished.

Biblical parallels – This position might look to Yirmeyahu 31's description of Hashem's relationship with Israel in the Wilderness period as support of its reading.  There, too, the prophet speaks of Hashem's earlier affection for the nation as a reason for His desire to comfort them. The two sets of verses have much linguistic overlap, strengthening the comparison: "מָצָא חֵן בַּמִּדְבָּר עַם שְׂרִידֵי חָרֶב הָלוֹךְ לְהַרְגִּיעוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל... וְאַהֲבַת עוֹלָם אֲהַבְתִּיךְ עַל כֵּן מְשַׁכְתִּיךְ חָסֶד."

Call to Repent

Yirmeyahu calls to the people to repent, promising that if they do, Hashem will have mercy on them.

Sources:RashiYirmeyahu 2:2-3About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki

Context – Due to the context of rebuke, Rashi prefers not to read the verses as total comfort, but as a call to repent.  According to him, the promise of vengeance on enemies in verse 3 is conditional on the people returning to God and serves to encourage them to do so.

"חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ" – According to Rashi, this phrase is explained by the later clause "לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר".  Hashem says that the nation's following Him into an unknown, unsettled wilderness without food or drink constituted a "חֶסֶד".  It was not a given that they would do so, and is therefore perceived as an act of kindness done for Hashem.

Relationship between the clauses of verse 2 – Rashi is somewhat ambiguous and might be saying either of the following:

• While the first and last clauses of the verse refer to acts done by the nation, the second clause, "אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ" refers instead to Hashem's love and gathering of the nation to their bridal canopy.  This presumably symbolizes His choosing them as His nation and giving them the Torah.
• Alternatively, all three verses refer to deeds of the nation and "אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ" speaks of the nation's love for Hashem when Hashem took them in marriage.

Relationship between verse 2-3 – According to Rashi, verse 3 is the consequence of Hashem's fond memories mentioned in verse 2. Because of the nation's earlier loving relationship with Hashem. even though now they are sinning, Hashem desires to give them a chance to repent so that He can punish their enemies.

"העיקר חסר מן הספר" – The main weakness in Rashi's reading is that the call to repent is not explicit in the text. If Yirmeyahu's goal is to encourage the people to change, one would have thought that the fact should be stated.

Chastisement

Yirmeyahu's words open an entire prophecy of rebuke in which he chastises the nation for their ingratitude and rejection of Hashem.

Sources:R. Yosef KaraYirmeyahu 2:2-9, 17Yirmeyahu 2:2-8About R. Yosef Kara

Scope pf the prophecy – R"Y Kara does not view the first three verses of the chapter as an independent unit, but rather as an introduction to the prophecy that follows in the rest of the chapter.

"זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ" – R"Y Kara translates this phrase not as "I remember" but "I remind you". Since the people are ingrates who have forgotten all that Hashem has done for them in the past, Hashem reminds them.

"חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ"

• R"Y Kara explains the clause "חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ" to refer to Hashem's love and kindness to the nation in taking them out of Egypt and caring for them in the Wilderness.
• Alternatively, the phrase might refer to Hashem's covenant with the nation, when He took them in marriage at Mt. Sinai.  The word "חֶסֶד" is often paired with the word "בְרִית" suggesting that the two are related.⁶

Relationship between the clauses of verse 2 – As R"Y Kara assumes that the prophecy is one of rebuke for the nation's ingratitude, he needs to read all of the clauses of the verse as referring to actions done by Hashem for the people rather than the people for Hashem. As such, he reinterprets the words "לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר", suggesting that the clause is a time marker (understood as if written: "בלֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר").  Hashem is not speaking of the people's faith in following Him, but explaining when He showed them love and care. Alternatively, R"Y Kara could have explained, as does Shadal's student, that the phrase refers to Hashem's leading the people in the desert: "זכרתי מה שהייתי מוליך אותך במדבר, באופן שהיית הולכת אחרי במדבר.‎"⁷

"קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַי"י רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה" - when? According to R"Y Kara, this verse does not refer to how Hashem views the nation in the present, but rather how He viewed them in the past. In the Wilderness, Hashem called the people a holy nation, as Hashem says at Mt. Sinai: "וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ". At that point, when the people were still loyal to Hashem, they were untouchable and any who harmed them would be punished.  Now, however, when they have strayed after idolatry, Hashem, instead, invites others to punish the nation.

Connection to the rest of the chapter – The main sin discussed in the rest of the chapter is, indeed, the nation's ingratitude and rejection of Hashem and His covenant, supporting R"Y Kara's reading of verses 2-3.  Later in the chapter, the prophet's language and imagery even echoes these opening verses:

• Yirmeyahu chastises that the people do not question: "אַיֵּה ה' הַמַּעֲלֶה אֹתָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם הַמּוֹלִיךְ אֹתָנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר" (vs. 6).
• A few verses later, he repeats: "הֲלוֹא זֹאת תַּעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ עׇזְבֵךְ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהַיִךְ בְּעֵת מוֹלִכֵךְ בַּדָּרֶךְ". (vs. 17)
• Finally, in verse 32-33, Yirmeyahu speaks of the nation forgetting her bridal ornaments and seeking new love:  " הֲתִשְׁכַּח בְּתוּלָה עֶדְיָהּ כַּלָּה קִשֻּׁרֶיהָ וְעַמִּי שְׁכֵחוּנִי יָמִים אֵין מִסְפָּר, מַה תֵּיטִבִי דַּרְכֵּךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ אַהֲבָה".‎⁸

Biblical parallels – For another example of a prophecy with an ambiguous message, that some commentators read as rebuke and others as consolation, see Yeshayahu 7 and the discussion in Prophecy to Achaz – Calamity or Consolation?.

¹ See Abarbanel who says that after Yirmeyahu's initiation, in which he was told of the imminent catastrophes to befall the nation, Yirmeyahu requested that his first prophecy to the people not foretell destruction and evil, but be a promise of good.

² See Shadal who makes this point.

³ The term is often used to refer to followers of Hashem specifically.  See, for example,Tehillim 4:4, 31:24, and 50:5.  See also Divrei HaYamim II 32:32 (and Divrei HaYamim 35:26 similarly) "דִּבְרֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּוּ וַחֲסָדָיו" where "חֲסָדָיו" might refer to the king's faith in Hashem and his accompanying reformation. See also Nechemiah 13:14, "זׇכְרָה לִּי אֱלֹהַי עַל זֹאת וְאַל תֶּמַח חֲסָדַי אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי בְּבֵית אֱלֹהַי" where the term "חֲסָדַי" might similarly mean belief in and acts done for Hashem.

⁴ He claims that it is only in later books, such as Divrei HaYamim and Nechemiah, that the term is borrowed and used to refer also to acts of devotion to God.

⁵ According to Abarbanel each clause refers to a distinct time period.  Hashem showed mercy to the Avot in the period of Israel's "youth", blessing then with "land" and "seed".  He further showed His love to them when he "wed" them and gave them the Torah.  Israel, for her part, showed her loyalty by following Hashem in the Wilderness.  According to Shadal, in contrast,  the entire verse speaks of the Wilderness period.

⁶ See, for example, Devarim 7:9, 12, Melakhim i 8:23, and Tehillim 89:29.

⁷ R"Y Kara himself suggests this as well, as he writes, "את שכחת חסד שעשיתי לך מנעוריך .שגאלתי אתכם מתחת סבלות מצרים והולכתי אתכם במדבר וסיפקתי צורכיכם במדבר מ׳ שנה".

⁸ This theme of the nation breaking the covenant / marriage is repeated in 3:1: "הֵן יְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָלְכָה מֵאִתּוֹ וְהָיְתָה לְאִישׁ אַחֵר"