Explanation of the Haftarah of Parshat Pinchas 13 Tammuz 5786

Explanation of the Haftarah of Parshat Pinchas

 13 Tammuz 5786 | 09/07/2026 | 20:56

The Connection Between the Haftarah and the Parashah

In the Haftarah, it is told about the prophecy of Yirmiyahu regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, and it is the first haftarah out of 3 haftarot that are read in the three weeks preceding the 9th of Av, which are called "Three of Punishment" [Aramaic: Tlata D'Puranutah] [A].

The Content of the Haftarah

The prophet Yirmiyahu prophesied in the days of Yoshiyahu [Josiah] son of Amon, king of Yehuda [Judah], and so too in the days of Yehoyakim [Jehoiakim] his son, and continued his prophecy until the exile of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Holy Temple.

And when Hashem revealed Himself to him for the first time, Yirmiyahu refused to go because he was a youth and "not a man of words," but Hashem told him that He would be with him and He chose him from his mother's womb for this role, and He appointed him over all the nations to prophesy about the bad and about the good, and therefore there is no need to fear.

Afterward, he sees in a prophecy a rod without leaves and flowers, and he in his wisdom understood that this was an almond tree branch. The Holy One, Blessed be He, confirms his observation and says to him that He is diligent [shoked] to perform His word and hastens to bring the evil upon the inhabitants of the land.

Afterward, Yirmiyahu sees in a prophecy a boiling pot. And the place where the boiling is intense is toward the north. And Hashem explains to him that from the north, which is Babylon, evil will come upon the inhabitants of the land, that nations of the world will gather and lay siege to Jerusalem and the cities of  Yehuda [Judah], and their inhabitants will be paid according to their actions for having abandoned Hashem and worshiped foreign worship [idolatry].

Yirmiyahu Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 Verse 3

1.These are the words of Yirmiyahu [B] the prophet and the righteous the son of Chilkiyahu, [C] and he is Chilkiyahu son of Shaphan the High Priest (Radak), and if so Yirmiyahu is a prophet son of a prophet, a righteous man son of a righteous man (according to Malbim) of the priests who dwelled in Anathoth a city of the cities of the priests, which is in the land of Binyamin (Radak);    2. To whom at first the word of Hashem came—the resting of the Divine Presence upon him (Rashi)—in the days of Yoshiyahu the son of Amon, king of Yehuda, who was righteous, and his generation was righteous (Malbim) and he began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3. And he was so—Yirmiyahu was a prophet all the days of Yoshiyahu that remained, and also his prophecy was continuous (Rashi)—in the days of Yehoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehuda, for then the generation was righteous but the king was wicked until the end of the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehuda, for then the people were wicked and the king was righteous until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month for then all his prophecies were fulfilled (Malbim). 4. And the word of Hashem came unto me, saying: 5. Before I formed you previously when you were formed in the belly [D]  I knew you, I recognized you that you are worthy and fit for prophecy and before you came forth out of the womb of your mother I sanctified you; [E] I sanctified you and designated you to be a prophet I appointed you a prophet unto the nations. [F] I appointed you and designated you to be a prophet to all the nations of the world (M"D); 6. Then said I: "Ah, My Master Hashem! Woe unto me that I should refrain from rebuking, but know, the reason that I refrain is Behold, I cannot speak; —I do not know how to arrange the words of prophecy in a clear tongue because for I am a youth." [G] I am youthful in days and I have not accustomed myself to this and they will not listen to me (M"D); 7.  But Hashem said unto me: "Say not, 'I am a youth'; do not refuse because you are a youth (M"D) for to whomsoever (Radak) I shall send you, you shall go, For they look upon the sender and not upon the messenger and whatsoever I shall command you, you shall speak. For I will put the words in your mouth (Malbim)      8. "Be not afraid of them; lest you stumble in your language and they will be extremely angry against you for I am with you to deliver you," from their hand (M"D) says Hashem. 9. Then Hashem put forth...His hand, [H] and touched my mouth. And Hashem said unto me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth." (M"D) That you will speak with a sharp tongue without fear (according to the Malbim mentioned above); 10. "See, I have charged you appointed you (Rashi) this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to prophesy concerning them regarding calamities (Radak) to root out to uproot them from their place and to pull down parts of them, and to destroy them completely and to overthrow; to demolish the entire building (Malbim) to build, and to plant." And also he prophesies regarding the good concerning building and planting for the Children of Israel (T"Y, Radak); 11. Moreover the word of Hashem came unto me, saying: "Yirmiyahu, what do you see?" And I said: "I see a rod [staff (M"D)] of an almond tree." [I] from a tree where almonds grow (Radak); 12. Then Hashem said unto me: "You have seen well; you have seen good and correctly for the almond [shaked][J] is quick [memaher] to bring out its flower before all other trees, and this is a sign for I hasten [shoked] quickly (Rashi) My word to perform it." And so you have seen a matter hinting at what is destined to be (M"D); 13. And the word of Hashem came unto me the second time, saying: "What do you see?" in the prophetic vision And I said: "I see a seething boiling pot [K] ; a pot boiled with a lot of boiling water and the face thereof—the place where the boiling rises from is mostly from the north." From the side of the north and beyond (M"D); 14. Then Hashem said unto me: what you have seen is a sign that "Out of the north from Babylon, which stands to the north of the Land of Israel (Rashi) the evil shall break forth it shall be permitted to come (Radak) upon all the inhabitants of the land." For until now the evil was, as it were, bound up (M"D); 15. "For, lo, I will call I will put into their hearts[L] to all the families of the kingdoms of the north," to come says Hashem; "and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne like judges who sit on a throne of judgment, opposite at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Yehuda." to hear the claim of the master of the will (Malbim); 16. "And I will utter [M] and then I will speak my judgments My judgments against them, I will argue with them, with Yehuda and Jerusalem (Rashi) regarding on account of all their wickedness; 'A' - because of in that they have forsaken Me, and it is not only that they have forsaken Me but 'B' - and have offered incense unto other gods, and if there was benefit to them it would be less severe, but 'C' - and worshipped the works of their own hands." That they know that they are not effective at all (Malbim); 17 "You therefore gird up your loins, to go with strength like a man of valor (Rashi) and arise, and speak unto them all that I command you; be not dismayed at fearful on account of  them, do not refrain from rebuking them (T"Y) and flattering them (Malbim) lest I dismay you before them." (Radak) I will break you and subdue you before them; 18. "For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, I have placed strength in you like a fortified city (T"Y) and an iron pillar that they cannot bend and break, and brazen walls strong like a barrier of brass so that you can overcome and be strengthened against the whole land, and he returns to define that he will overcome against the kings of Yehuda, to the officers thereof, to the priests thereof, and to the people of the land. And to the rest of the nation (Radak and M"D); 19. And they shall fight against you all of them will fight against you but they shall not prevail against you; [N] because of me for I am with you, says Hashem, to deliver you. from their hand (M"D).

Yirmiyahu Chapter 2 (ירמיהו פרק ב')

1. Moreover the word of Hashem came to me, saying: [O]; 2. "Go and call out [P] in the ears of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Hashem; if you would return to Me my desire is to have mercy upon you, for I remember recall for you for the devotion of your youth, [Q] the love of your nuptials, the love that I had for you at the time of your bridal state, when you were entirely mine (Rashi) at the standing at Mount Sinai at the receiving of the Torah (M"D), and likewise I remember for you the faith that you believed when you left to follow when you went after Me after My messengers Moshe and Aaron (T"Y) in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. to a wilderness where there is no seed sown and nothing to eat (M"D); 3. Israel is Holy and for this, Israel is considered like a heave-offering (Terumah) which is holy to Hashem that a stranger should not consume it (Radak); the firstfruits of His increase; [R] for Israel is the best and most praised of all the nations (M"D) all that devour him the pursuers that pursue him and plunder him (T"Y) shall be held guilty; because even though Israel is punished for their sin, even so, evil shall come upon them, upon the nations of the world who did evil to them, says Hashem." For I remember for them the devotion of their youth, the devotion (or kindness) of the Patriarchs (Radak).

Insights and Footnotes

[A] It is known what Rabbeinu Zadok Hacohen of Lublin wrote (in Sefer Resisei Leila) that the three haftaroth, 1) the words of Yirmiyahu, 2) Hear, 3) the Vision – are parallel  to three limbs, mouth, ear, eye, that one has to strengthen oneself and to sanctify them in these days. And the hint that we read in the book of Yirmiyahu, it is written is Seder Hadorot – Eicha is an acronym for Ani Yirmiya Cohen HaAnatot (I Yirmiyahu am a priest from the Anatot city). And he cursed the day of his birth that was on the 9th of Av, see there, (and see Rashi on verse 12).

[B] Yirmiyahu was one of three prophets that issued prophecy in that generation, Yirmiyahu, Tzefania, and Chulda the (female) prophet. Yirmiyahu would prophesy in the markets, Tzefania in the synagogues, and Chulda by the women. (Yalkut Shimoni).

The prophet Yirmayahu had a spark of Moshe and judged 40 years like Moshe and made 5 Kinot (lamentations) parallel to the 5 books of the Torah, and this is what the prophet stated, from your midst, from your brothers, like me, this is Yirmiyahu as our Rabbis of blessed memory stated (Midrash Tehillim, Mizmor 1).

King Shlomo (Solomon), peace be upon him, was reincarnated into Yirmiyahu, and they treated him as someone crazy and foolish, and he was cast into the dungeon, as written in the book Gilgulei Neshamot (by Maharam Mi-Fano). And so wrote the Gilanti , brought by the Shlah, page 205: (and in the book Kehilat Yaakov under the entry "Yod Reish"). And the reason why Yirmiyahu saw the destruction of the Temple, writes the Ramad Vali (at the beginning of his book Marpei Lashon), is because Shlomo married Pharaoh's daughter on the day the Temple was built, causing a great prosecution and wrath, and therefore he was reincarnated into Yirmiyahu to prophesy over its destruction and witness it, being forced to lament over it in contrast to Shir Hashirim (the Song of Songs) he composed at the time of its construction.

[C] The holy Alshich wrote, and these are his words: The reason for mentioning Yirmiyahu's lineage is because any prophet whose name and his father's name are mentioned—was a prophet son of a prophet. And furthermore, if this Chilkiyahu was Chilkiyahu son of Shaphan the High Priest, then Yirmiyahu was a great man and the son of a great man, a righteous man the son of a righteous man. For the commentators split over who this Chilkiyahu son of Shaphan the priest was who found the Torah scroll in the House of Hashem in the days of Yoshiyahu, as mentioned in the Book of Kings II (Chapter 22, verse 8). And Abarbanel wrote: This Torah scroll was written by Moshe our Teacher, and this High Priest began to inform of the impending destruction that in the future would be for Israel, from what he found that the Torah scroll was rolled to  the verse (Deuteronomy 28, verse 36): "Hashem shall bring you, and your king ..." as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. Thus, he was the first to receive tidings of the exile, and therefore his son Yirmiyahu completed his words and prophesied over the destruction.

The words of Yirmiyahu [דברי ירמיהו] — Did Yirmiyahu only prophesy these? Did he not write two books? For it was stated until here are the words of Yirmiyahu (chapter 51). And what does the verse teach by saying "The words of Yirmiyahu"? It teaches that they were words of rebuke, as it is said (Yirmiyahu 31, 14): "Thus says Hashem, a voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping..." And it says (Yirmiyahu 30, 7): "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it..." Similarly, you say (Amos 1, 1): "The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen (of Tekoa)..." Did he only prophesy? Did his companions not prophesy as well? Rather, they were words of rebuke. (Yalkut Shimoni).

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sakhnin opened: A servant of wise intellect shall rule over a shameful son; a wise servant—this is Yirmiyahu; shall rule over a shameful son—these are Israel who shamed themselves through idolatry, Rabbi Abba Bar Kahana stated—Let the son of the corrupt one that fixed her action come and rebuke the son of the fixed one that ruined her actions. And among brothers a heritage shall be divided, this is Yirmiyahu, as it is written, And Yirmiyahu left Jerusalem, etc.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani opened: I said to you: "for you shall utterly destroy them…, if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land", but you did not do so, rather And Rachav the harlot and her father's house and all that belonged to her were kept alive by Yehoshua; behold Yirmiyahu was one of her descendants and he will do against them matters that will be like thorns in your eyes and pricks in your sides.

Rabbi Yudan son of Rabbi Simon opened: "A prophet will I raise up unto them from among their brethren, like unto thee..." and it is written: "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like Moshe..." But you said "like unto thee"? Rather, like unto thee in words of rebuke. You find that everything written about this one [Moshe] is written about that one [Yirmiyahu]: This one prophesied for forty years, and that one prophesied for forty years. This one prophesied concerning Yehuda and Israel, and that one prophesied concerning Yehuda and Israel. For this one, his own tribesmen stood against him, and for that one, his own tribesmen stood against him. This one was cast into the river, and that one was cast into the pit. This one was rescued by a handmaid, and that one was rescued by a servant. This one came with words of rebuke, and that one came with words of rebuke. (Yalkut Shimoni).

Another interpretation: "The words of Yirmiyahu"—Let G-d ['Yod','Hei'] be elevated ['Yod','Reish','Vav'.'Mem']. Ten journeys the Divine Presence traveled, from cherub to cherub, from cherub to the threshold of the Temple... Another interpretation: "The words of Yirmiyahu"—in whose days the Holy Temple became like an Irimon (desert?). Another interpretation: in his days the attribute of justice was elevated. "The son of Chilkiyahu"—Rabbi Yudan son of Rabbi Simon said: from that same tribe of whom it is written: "I am your portion (Chelkicha) and your inheritance..." Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani said: There were four who came from an ignoble family, and these are they: Pinchas, Uriah, Yechezkel, and Yirmiyahu. People were disparaging Yirmiyahu and saying, "Is he not one of the descendants of Rachav the harlot?!" Therefore, the text had to specify his lineage: "The words of Yirmiyahu the son of Chilkiyahu."

"In the land of Binyamin"—He gave him a portion in the land of Binyamin. Just as with Binyamin it was not clarified concerning our father Yaakov that he would establish twelve tribes until Binyamin was born, so too with all the prophets who prophesied against Jerusalem, their prophecies were not clarified until Yirmiyahu stood up. And just as with Binyamin, all the days he was alive in his mother's womb she did not die, but as soon as he came out she died—as it is written: "And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, for she died"—so too, all the days Yirmiyahu was inside Jerusalem it was not destroyed, but as soon as he departed from it, it was destroyed. And this is what Yirmiyahu says: "O G-d, You have enticed me, and I was enticed; You have coaxed and I was coaxed, you too me out of the house and destroyed it." (Yalkut Shimoni).

[D] "Before I formed you"—One might think it means in his own time; therefore, the text teaches: "This is the book of the generations of Adam," which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Adam the first man all the wise men of each generation, and the wicked of each generation, the righteous of each generation, the number of their years, the count of their days, the calculation of their years, and the sum of their steps... And Yirmiyahu was born circumcised, as it says: "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you." (Yalkut Shimoni).

Yirmiyahu the prophet was one of four men who were called formed individuals: The first was Adam, the second was Yaakov, the third was Yishayahu (Isaiah), and the fourth was Yirmiyahu, as it is written: "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you." The emergence of Yirmiyahu into the world—he cried out a great cry like a young man, and said: "My bowels, my bowels! I writhe in pain! The chambers of my heart are disquieted within me..." And from where do we know that Yirmiyahu spoke thus? Since it says: "My bowels, my bowels! I writhe in pain! The chambers of my heart are disquieted within me! I cannot hold my peace." He opened his mouth and rebuked his mother. He said to her: "Mother, you did not conceive me after the manner of women, and you did not give birth to me after the manner of childbearing. Perhaps your paths were like the paths of wayward women, and you set your eyes upon another man?" And from where do we know that Yirmiyahu spoke thus? For it is written: "Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth!" When his mother heard these things, she said: "What did he see to say this to me, for I am not guilty of any iniquity?!" He opened his mouth and said to her: "I am not speaking about you, mother, and I am not prophesying about you; rather, I am speaking about Zion and Jerusalem, who adorns her daughters, dresses them in fine scarlet, and crowns them with gold. Destroyers will come upon them and plunder them, as it is said: 'And you, when you are spoiled, what will you do?'" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you; I appointed you to be a prophet over My nation." Yirmiyahu answered and said before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the Universe, I cannot prophesy over them. Which prophet went out to them and they did not seek to kill him? You raised Moshe and Aharon for them—did they not seek to stone them with stones? I cannot go out to Israel, 'I cannot speak; for I am a youth.'" The Holy Spirit said to him: "Do I not love a youth who has not tasted the taste of sin? I redeemed Israel from Egypt and called them a youth, as it is said: 'When Israel was a child [youth], then I loved him…(see Hoshea 11:1).'" (Yalkut Shimoni).

]E]. "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you"—It is told concerning the righteous man Rabbi Yisrael of Kozhnitz, that even in the days of his early childhood, signs of greatness were already revealed in him along with sparks of holiness and purity, and the elders of the Hasidim in Poland would recount that when he was a boy of six years old, he would pray with deliberation, and out of a sense of attachment and enthusiasm, and he would be precise with every single word of prayer to bring it forth from his mouth with intent and extra understanding.

Once, when reading the chapter "Eizehu Mekoman of Zevachim" before the prayer as is customary, he turned to his teacher who taught him Torah and asked him: Why are those sacrifices that come for the sake of atonement for sins and transgressions, such as a public sin-offering, an individual sin-offering, a guilt-offering for theft, and a guilt-offering for misappropriation, eaten only "within the curtains," inside the walls of the Holy Temple itself, whereas those sacrifices that come as a freewill offering, such as a thanksgiving offering and peace offerings, are eaten throughout the entire city and not specifically in the holy place? And is this not against logical reasoning? It should have been the reverse: freewill sacrifices, whose owners bring them out of goodwill and a generous spirit, ought to be eaten specifically in a place of purity inside the Holy Temple, since they come from a pure source and from a pure heart. But those sacrifices that come from sinners and transgressors as an atonement for severe sins, which soiled and defiled their soul and spirit, those should not have been brought into the Sanctuary to a place of holiness and purity, but rather eaten in the city square, in a place where refuse and filth are also present.

The teacher, who was a well-known and famous Torah scholar, heard the question of his young student, creased his brow, searched through the commentators of the Mishnah and did not find an answer, and behold, the young student turned to him with a face lit up with joy and said to him: My teacher and master! I believe I have found an answer to my question, and the judgments of Hashem are righteous together: He who sinned and brought a guilt-offering for transgressions between man and the Omnipresent or between man and his fellow, specifically him and his sacrifice do we need to bring into the Holy Place; he that has defilement within his body, his soul was damaged and blemished—behold, in the city streets it will become even more defiled, and for this reason they need to bring it "within the curtains" into an atmosphere of holiness and a spirit of purity, in order that he will also receive a flow of holiness and cleanse himself and his soul from its impurity and sin. However, one whose soul is pure and clean from any stain and blemish, and his pure heart motivated him to bring a freewill offering to Hashem—he does not need specifically the holy place, and he can find and eat his sacrifice in any place without any concern, since his soul is clear and pure (Torat Ha-Haftarah).

]F[ "A prophet unto the nations"—To Israel who conduct themselves like the Gentile nations of the world; so is it expounded in Sifrei: "A prophet from the midst of thee… " (Deuteronomy 18)—unto thee, and not to the deniers of the Torah. Behold, how do I fulfill "I appointed you a prophet unto the nations"? This refers to those of Israel who conduct themselves like the nations of the world. Another interpretation: "Before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you"—upon (regarding) you I said to Moshe: "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like you" (Deuteronomy 18)—this one [Moshe] rebuked them and that one [Yirmiyahu] rebuked them; this one prophesied for forty years and that one prophesied for forty years. (Rashi).

[G] "For I am a youth"—I am not worthy to rebuke them. Moshe rebuked them close to his death, after he was considered by them as esteemed due to the many miracles he had performed for them: he brought them out of Egypt, split the sea for them, brought down the manna for them, brought the quail for them, gave them the Torah, and brought up the well for them. But I—I am at the beginning of my mission, coming to rebuke them. (Rashi).

[H] "Then Hashem put forth His hand"—All missions that are by way of a hand, the expression used is Hoshata [putting forth], as the Targum translates "and Hashem sent the words of His prophecy. "  (Rashi).

]I] The rabbinic genius, the Chida, wrote: Yirmiyahu the prophet, peace be upon him, saw that His mercy, blessed be He, desired to advance [the exile] by two years from the numerical count of Ve-noshantem ["and ye shall have been old in the land"], so that through this they would have a revival, and at the moment of wrath  he would remember his mercy by recalling the merit of the Patriarchs. And this is the hint of "I see a staff of an almond tree [shaked]"—meaning, the merit of the Patriarchs caused this quickness [mehirot]. And it is hinted at in "a staff of an almond tree [makel shaked]," for "staff [makel]" has letters that are the final letters of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael (Israel). Shaked refers to the matter of quickness. And this is: "I see a staff of an almond tree"—I understood a hint that the merit of the Patriarchs caused the quickness in order to set a remnant for Israel.

"A staff of an almond tree I see." It is possible [to explain] according to what the genius, our teacher Rabbi Avraham, of blessed memory, head of the rabbinical court of the holy community of Brisk, in the year 5375 (1615 C.E.) was told in a dream: "For the word Kadosh (holy), contains the קש [the letters Kuf-Shin] which in Gematria is four hundred Sitra Achra [forces of impurity], [four hundred men went with Eisav], and in the middle (of the word Kadosh קדוש), a letter of coupling ('Dalet', 'Vav'דו ) to separate them. And in the first 'holy,' which corresponds to the First Temple, and the second 'holy,' which corresponds to the Second Temple, there was after them enslavement. But the third 'holy,' which is the eternal redemption, he wrote afterward (Yishayahu 6, 3) 'the whole earth is full of His glory'"—this is the gist of his words.

And it is possible that Yirmiyahu the prophet, peace be upon him, saw that the iniquities had overwhelmed, and the destruction would happen if they did not repent. And through the iniquities, the 400 that were separated within the word Kadosh (holy), were now joined and now the Shin-Kuf became coupled, and due to the iniquity, the 'Dalet' remained alone. And 'the 'Vav' departed, as they said in the holy Zohar. And instead of being Kadosh [holy], it became the letters 'Shin', 'Kuf', 'Dalet' an almond tree [shaked spelled by the letters 'Shin', 'Kuf', 'Dalet'] , for Shin-Kuf became coupled and they became 400 in Gematria, the 400 of Eisav [four hundred men went with him], and the Dalet remained alone.

And in any case, Yirmiyahu the prophet remembered the merit of the Patriarchs and said, "A staff of an almond tree [makel shaked]." "staff [makel]" hints at Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael (Israel) in the final letters of makel, to recall the merit of the Patriarchs who lived 502 years, matching the numerical value of the initials of "shaked ani roeh" ["an almond tree I see"] with the Kollel (raising the initials to a Gematria sum of 502), and they served the Hashem all their lives, even in their dreams, as written in Sefer Chasidim (sign 165). And this is the will of the Creator, blessed be He, that they should find merit for His children, and therefore He said to him: "You have seen well" to recall the merit of the Patriarchs (Tzavari Shalal, Chomat Anakh).

[J] And from the Midrash Aggadah: This almond tree, from the time of its budding until its completion of ripening is twenty-one days, like the count of days between the seventeenth of Tammuz, when the city was breached, until the ninth of Av, when the Temple was burned. (Rashi).

[K] And in the Targum Yonatan: "A seething pot" etc.—a king boiling like a pot, I see, and his camp coming from the wilderness... and see in Radak who explained it as referring to a different issue.

[L] And in the Targum Yonatan: "For, lo, I will call"—for behold, I am bringing to an end/destroying [Hebrew מכלי] all the seed of the kingdoms of the north etc. [But seemingly according to his explanation, it is difficult, for if so, how can it say "and they shall come and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of Jerusalem"? It requires further study].

[M] "And I will utter My judgments" etc.—meaning, I will bring upon them the judgment of retribution because of their wickedness (M"D).

[N] And in the Targum Yonatan it is explained: "And they shall "—and they will set up judgments and fight against you against you to contradict the words of your prophecy (T"Y).

[O] "And the word of Hashem came"—The Abarbanel, z"l, wrote: After Yirmiyahu was commanded in the first prophecy to go on the mission of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not refrain due to being a youth, and they also informed him from where this evil would come with quickness, the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that it would be hard in the eyes of Yirmiyahu to open with a prophecy of calamities, and it is better that he prophesy first with good things, and after that tell the matters of the future calamities. Therefore, the verse begins: "Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem," and utters words of praise and consolation as an introduction to the harsh things he will say afterward... And this is a good trait to first praise whoever one wishes to rebuke, and after that tell them the words of rebuke so that they will not come to despair; and likewise in Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avot) they began with the Mishnah: "All Israel have a portion in the world to come."

[P] "Go and call out"—This is the beginning of the book; why was it written here? Because there is no chronological order ("early" or "late") in the Torah. "I remember for you the devotion of your youth"—Others say: it is fitting because they believed in Me, that I split the sea for them, for they did not say to Moshe, "How can we go out into the wilderness when there is no sustenance in our hands and we have no provisions for the way?" Rather, they believed and followed Moshe. Concerning them it is explicitly stated in the Tradition: "Go and call out" etc. And what reward did they receive for this? "Israel is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase." And why does it call it "His increase," to tell us that we do not eat except from the harvest. But the principal reward is reserved for us in the world to come, and the world was not created except in the merit of Israel, as it is said, "the firstfruits of His increase," and it is written: "In the beginning [Bereshit—which can be interpreted as 'for the sake of the firstfruits'] the L-rd created." (Yalkut Shimoni).

[Q] "I remember for you the devotion of your youth, the love of your nuptials, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown." It is possible [to explain] according to what they said, of blessed memory, in Tanna Devei Eliyahu Rabba (end of Chapter 23): When Israel went out from Egypt, they made a covenant to perform acts of kindness with one another. And it has been explained by me regarding what is written in the holy Zohar, that in Egypt they merited to partake of Matzah which is the letter ה' [Hei], which is the Shechinah, and afterward they would merit to get a mitzvah corresponding to the letters 'Vav', 'Hei' ו"ה  standing for the Holy One Blessed be He and his Shechina; and therefore Israel acted very wisely at the hour of their departure to perform acts of kindness with one another, in order to merit the commandment to unify the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah.

And this is what is written: "I remember for you the devotion of your youth," namely that which you strived to do acts of kindness, each man to his fellow, and your intent was "the love of your nuptials" to include and connect the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah. And through this, you merited the highest stature of "when you went after Me," as it is written (Exodus 13, 21): "And Hashem went before them by day..." and they said in the holy Zohar that this was the higher level, to walk after the Shechinah. (The Chida, Ahavat David, Drush 'Vav').

[R] In the holy Zohar it is written: Israel merited to be called brothers to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: "For my brethren and companions' sakes..." After that, they were called "holy" literally, as it is written: "Israel is Holy to Hashem ..." Holy, and not just men of holiness, because of this: "all that devour him shall be held guilty " (Zohar, Parashat Mishpatim, page 122.).

And my master said to me: (Variant text: There are two things in my heart and I love them with an absolute love) There are two things in the world and I love them in my heart with an absolute love, and these are: the Torah and Israel. But I do not know which of them takes precedence. It is the way of the sons of man to say the Torah precedes, as it is said (Proverbs 8): "Hashem possessed me in the beginning of His way…" But I say, Israel takes precedence, as it is said (Yirmiyahu 2): "Israel is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase." A parable to a king who had a wife and children within the house, and he wrote a letter to the place where his wife and children were, so that they would make for him a comfortable state of mind within the house. And he wrote the letter and sent it by the hand of a messenger. If it were not for his wife and children who make for him a comfortable state of mind within the house, I would have destroyed the place. So too, if it were not for Israel, the Torah would not have been created and the world would have been destroyed. Because of this, it says: "Israel is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase," and it was stated Hashem possessed me in the beginning of His way" etc. (Tanna Devei Eliyahu Rabba – Chapter 14).

Another interpretation: Why are they compared to sand? Just as with sand, if a person takes a full handful from it and puts it into dough or into a cooked dish, no creature can taste it because it blunts their teeth; so too are Israel—whoever plunders them or robs them in this world, they blunt his teeth in the time to come, because they are holy, as it is said (Yirmiyahu 2): "Israel is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase; all that devour him shall be held guilty; evil shall come upon them, says Hashem." And anyone who touches holy things incurs liability (Bamidbar Rabba 2, 13).

"Israel is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase"—It should be explained by way of a hint: Behold, it is known that parents bear a holy obligation to plant the love of Torah and fear of heaven in the heart of the child. While he is at the beginning of his life and placed in the cradle, and the more they act early to operate and influence the tender child, the greater the likelihood that the education will yield fruit of praises for a name and for glory.

And this is what the verse says: " Israel is holy to Hashem"—if the parents desire that the child shall be holy unto the Lord and grow up in the virtues of the Torah, then "the firstfruits of His increase"—it is necessary at the very beginning of the way to educate him toward Torah and fear [of heaven].