Parsha Halacha

 

Parsha Halacha - Parshat Beha'alotecha

Zechariah ben Berechiah: One of the Last Prophets

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The Haftorah of the Torah portion of Beha’alotecha, from the book of Zechariah, is one of only two haftorot (plural of haftorah) which is read twice a year as it is also read on Shabbat Chanukah. (The other one is the haftorah of Rani Akarah which is read on Shabbat Parshat No’ach as well as on Parshat Ki Teitzei.)

This article will discuss the life and times of this important prophet.

Era

Zechariah prophesized at the time that the Jewish people were returning to Israel after the Babylonian exile.

Father

Zechariah’s father Berechyah was also a prophet since his name is mentioned in connection with his son’s prophecies.[1] The Talmud says that whenever a prophet father’s name is mentioned, it means he, too, was a prophet.[2]

Grandfather/Ancestor

According to the text,[3] the father of Berechyah was Ido. Elsewhere,[4] Ido is listed as the father of Zechariah. Since “grandchildren are considered like children,”[5] these verses aren’t contradictory.

Ido the Prophet

The Midrash says that Ido, too, was a prophet.[6] According to our sages,[7] the prophet Ido is “the man of G-d” who warned Yeravam about the downfall of his dynasty.[8] Since this took place many centuries before the building of the Second Beit HaMikdash, it’s possible that Ido was an ancestor of Berechyah and not his actual father.

May Have Been a Kohen

Another possibility is that Ido, the father of Berechyah was the Kohen, Ido, a leader of a family of Kohanim at the time of Ezra and Nechemiah.[9] The verse mentions that Ido, the kohen’s son, was Zechariah.

A Descendant of the Shunamite

According to the Midrash,[10] the mother of Ido, the prophet, was the Shunamite woman who was blessed by the prophet Elisha to have a son. That son was Ido the Prophet. The Shunamite woman was the sister of Avishag the Shunamite who was not quite married to king David.[11] Since the story of Elisha and the Shunamite woman happened many years after the time of King Yeravam, this opinion differs from the one mentioned above who says that Ido lived in the time of King Yeravam.

Also Called Meshulam

The Talmud says[12] that Zechariah was also called Meshulam because he was perfect in his actions.

The Final Prophets

The Talmud says that Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi were the final prophets[13] and that there were no prophets after their time.[14] (These three prophets are usually mentioned in tandem.)

Students of Baruch ben Neriyah

The Rambam writes[15] that Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (and other members of Ezra’s beit din) were students of Baruch ben Neriyah, the student of Yirmiyahu HaNavi.

Teachers and Members of the Great Assembly

Our sages say[16] that the Men of the Great Assembly received their teaching from Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. These prophets are also counted as members of that assembly.[17] It is noteworthy that Zechariah is the name of one of the sages who stood to the right of Ezra when he gave one of his famous speeches.[18] It is possible that this was Zechariah, the prophet.[19]

Testimony about the Beit HaMikdash

The Talmud says[20] that there were three prophets who came to Israel from Babylonia at the time of the building of the Second Beit HaMikdash and gave certain testimonies regarding the building of that Beit HaMikdash. Rashi says that these three prophets were Chaggai, Zechariah and Malachi. In the words of the Talmud, “Three prophets ascended with them from the exile: One testified to them about the size and shape of the altar, one testified to them about the proper location of the altar, and one testified to them that one may sacrifice offerings (on an altar) even if there is no Beit HaMikdash.

Translation of the Prophets

According to the Talmud,[21] Yonatan ben Uziel based his translation of the prophets on the teachings of Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Mentioned in Isaiah and Ezra

The prophet Isaiah mentions a prophet by the name of Zechariah, son of Yevarechya.[22] According to the Talmud[23] this is referring to Zechariah son of Berechyah.

In Ezra it says[24] that the returnees from the Babylonian exile were encouraged (in the building of the Beit HaMikdash) by the prophecies of Chaggai and Zechariah ben Ido.

Notable Dates

Zechariah received prophecies on the 24^th day of Shevat (in the second year of King Daryavesh of Persia)[25] and on the ninth of Kislev (in the fourth year of King Daryavesh),[26]

Notable Quotes

Here are some famous verses from the Book of Zecharaiah as well as some of the places where these verses are explained. (This book is one of the Trei Assar – the so called “Minor” Prophets.)

·        וְהוּא עֹמֵד בֵּין הַהֲדַסִּים – “And he was standing among the myrtles.”[27] According to Megillah 13a “myrtles” refers to the tzaddikim (righteous).

·        אֲנִי קָצַפְתִּי מְּעָט וְהֵמָּה עָזְרוּ לְרָעָֽה – “I [G-d]was slightly angry, and they assisted to make it worse.”[28] This verse is quoted to explain why the Egyptians were punished for oppressing the Jewish people when the persecution was already decreed by the Almighty.

·        פְּרָזוֹת תֵּשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלָיִם – “Jerusalem will be an open city (with no fear of invaders).”[29]The Lubavitcher Rebbe would often quote this verse.

·        כִּי כְּאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם פֵּרַשְׂתִּי אֶתְכֶם – “I have spread you (the Jewish people) like the four winds.” Based on this verse, the Talmud (Ta’anit 3b) says that the Jewish people are compared to the wind, and the world can’t exist without them.

·        שִׁבְעָה־אֵלֶּה עֵינֵי ה׳ הֵמָּה מְשׁוֹטְטִים בְּכׇל־הָאָרֶץ – “Seven are the eyes of G-d. They transverse the entire world.[30] See Sanhedrin 28a.

·        עֹד יֵשְׁבוּ זְקֵנִים וּזְקֵנוֹת בִּרְחֹבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָיִם וְאִישׁ מִשְׁעַנְתּוֹ בְּיָדוֹ מֵרֹב יָמִים  – “There shall yet be elderly men and women in the squares of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of their great age.”[31] See Makot 24b where Rabbi Akiva quoted this verse to the sages.

·        דַּבְּרוּ אֱמֶת אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם – “Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates.”[32] See Pirkei Avot 1:18.

·        וְאִישׁ אֶת־רָעַת רֵעֵהוּ אַל־תַּחְשְׁבוּ בִּלְבַבְכֶם וּשְׁבֻעַת שֶׁקֶר אַל־תֶּאֱהָבוּ – No man shall think evil towards their fellow in their hearts, and do not love false oaths.”[33] See Tanya, Iggeret HaKoodesh, siman 22.

·        צוֹם הָרְבִיעִי וְצוֹם הַחֲמִישִׁי וְצוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְצוֹם הָעֲשִׂירִי יִהְיֶה לְבֵית־יְהוּדָה לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה וּלְמֹעֲדִים טוֹבִים וְהָאֱמֶת וְהַשָּׁלוֹם אֱהָבוּ – “The fast of the fourth month (the 17^th of Tammuz), the fast of the fifth month (the Ninth of Av), the fast of the seventh month (Tzom Gedaliyah), and the fast of the tenth month (the 10^th of Tevet) shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah, but you must love honesty and integrity.”[34] See Rambam, Laws of Fasts, 5:19.

·        הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבוֹא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל־חֲמוֹר וְעַל־עַיִר בֶּן אֲתֹנוֹת – “Lo, your king (Moshiach) is coming to you, he is victorious, triumphant, yet humble, riding on a donkey.”[35] See Sanhedrin 98a.

·        אֶשְׁרְקָה לָהֶם וַאֲקַבְּצֵם כִּי פְדִיתִים – “I will whistle to them and gather them, for I will redeem them.”[36] The Lubavitcher Rebbe quoted this verse[37] in connection to the fact that he would, occasionally, encourage people to whistle at the farbrengens.

·        וְעָבַר בַּיָּם צָרָה – “ A trouble shall pass through the sea.”[38] See Sanhedrin 103b that this refers to the idol of Micha.

Burial Cave

There’s a burial cave known as the cave of the Prophets on the Mount of Olives. According to an ancient tradition, the prophets Chagai, Zechariah, and Malachi are buried there. This is not to be confused with Zechariah’s tomb which is the burial site of a different prophet – Zechariah, son of Yehoyada, the Kohen.

May We Soon See the Victorias, Triumphant, and Humble Moshiach!

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[1] Zechariah 1:1

[2] Megillah 15a

[3] Zechariah ibid.

[4] Ezra 5:1

[5] Yevamot 62b

[6] Vayikrah Rabbah 6:6

[7] Yalkut Shimoni al HaTorah 951:10 and Seder Olam Rabbah 20

[8] See I Kings 13:1 and on

[9] See Nechemiah 12:8

[10] Yalkut Shimoni on Nach, 228

[11] Ibid. See I Kings 1:3

[12] Megillah 23a based on Nechemiah 8:4. See below.

[13] Bava Batra 14a

[14] Sotah 48b and Sanhedrin 11a

[15] Introduction to Mishnah Torah

[16] Avot DeRabi Natan 1

[17] Rambam, Introduction to Mishnah Torah

[18] Nechemiah, 8:4. Zechariah is also mentioned in Ezra 8:16.

[19] See here and here.  

[20] Zevachim 62a quoted in Rambam, Laws of Beit HaBechirah, 2:4

[21] Megillah 3a

[22] Isaiah 8:2

[23] Makkot 24b

[24] 6:14

[25] Zechariah 1:7

[26] Ibid 7:1

[27] Zechariah 1:8

[28] Ibid verse 15

[29] Ibid, 2:8

[30] Ibid 4:10

[31] Ibid 8:4

[32] Ibid verse 16

[33] Ibid, verse 17

[34] Ibid, verse 19

[35] Ibid, 9:9

[36] Ibid 10:8

[37] On Purim 1976 (see Sichot Kodesh, 5736 page 635). See Chullin 63a

[38] Ibid verse 11

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Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach!