Kingdom of Judah
- Rehoboam (928)
- .................
- Amaziah (r. 798–769 BCE)
- Uzziah (r. 769–739 BCE) PERIOD OF ISAIAH’S PROPHECIES
- Jotham (r. 739–732 BCE)
- Ahaz (r. 732–716 BCE)
- Hezekiah (r. 716 – 688 BCE) 721/2 ASSYRIAN CONQUESTS
- Manasseh (r. 688–642 BCE)
- Amon (r. 642–640 BCE
- Josiah (r. 640–609 BCE) PERIOD OF JEREMIAH"S PROPHECIES
- Jehoahaz (r. 609 BCE)
- Jehoiakim (r. 609–598 BCE)
- Jehoiakin (r. 598– 597 BCE)
- Zedekiah (r. 597–586 BCE) DESTRUCTION OF TEMPLE BY BABYLONIANS
Factoids about Micah:
- 6th book within the Twelve "Minor" Prophets
- His dates not known, nor is his biography
- 7 chapters; various styles; "Hear ye" used in 1:2, 3:1, 6:1; first to "predict the fall of Jerusalem" (Heschel) "Yet disaster from the LORD descended Upon the gate of Jerusalem."
- Harshly criticizes the aristocracy, priests, landlords, etc. Micah speaks on behalf of "my people" ("ami") - the poor and the downtrodden, but sees all Jews as "his" people.
- Speaks to Samaria (Northern kingdom) and to Jerusalem (Southern Kingdom)
- Harsh admonition but also consolation and comfort
(How do both themes cohere within one book?)
- A confident prophet 3:8: "But I am filled with strength by the spirit of the LORD, And with judgment and courage, To declare to Jacob his transgressions And to Israel his sin." (3:8)
- Prophesizes about End of Days; recognize this? "...And they shall beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up Sword against nation; They shall never again know war; (4) But every man shall sit Under his grapevine or fig tree With no one to disturb him. For it was the LORD of Hosts who spoke." (4:3-4)
- Recognize this? (4:2) כִּ֤י מִצִּיּוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֣א תוֹרָ֔ה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה מִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ (Also in Isaiah 2:3)
The following is the Haftarah for Parshat Balak, Micah 5:6 - 6:8
(17 lines; for both Ashkenazim and Sephardim)
(ו) וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֗ב בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כְּטַל֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵ֑שֶׂב אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יְקַוֶּה֙ לְאִ֔ישׁ וְלֹ֥א יְיַחֵ֖ל לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ {פ} (ז) וְהָיָה֩ שְׁאֵרִ֨ית יַעֲקֹ֜ב בַּגּוֹיִ֗ם בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כְּאַרְיֵה֙ בְּבַהֲמ֣וֹת יַ֔עַר כִּכְפִ֖יר בְּעֶדְרֵי־צֹ֑אן אֲשֶׁ֧ר אִם־עָבַ֛ר וְרָמַ֥ס וְטָרַ֖ף וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּֽיל׃ (ח) תָּרֹ֥ם יָדְךָ֖ עַל־צָרֶ֑יךָ וְכׇל־אֹיְבֶ֖יךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ׃ (ט) וְהָיָ֤ה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י סוּסֶ֖יךָ מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֖י מַרְכְּבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (י) וְהִכְרַתִּ֖י עָרֵ֣י אַרְצֶ֑ךָ וְהָרַסְתִּ֖י כׇּל־מִבְצָרֶֽיךָ׃ (יא) וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י כְשָׁפִ֖ים מִיָּדֶ֑ךָ וּֽמְעוֹנְנִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִֽהְיוּ־לָֽךְ׃ (יב) וְהִכְרַתִּ֧י פְסִילֶ֛יךָ וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶ֖יךָ מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְלֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃ (יג) וְנָתַשְׁתִּ֥י אֲשֵׁירֶ֖יךָ מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י עָרֶֽיךָ׃ (יד) וְעָשִׂ֜יתִי בְּאַ֧ף וּבְחֵמָ֛ה נָקָ֖ם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֥א שָׁמֵֽעוּ׃ {פ}
(א) שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֕א אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֹמֵ֑ר ק֚וּם רִ֣יב אֶת־הֶהָרִ֔ים וְתִשְׁמַ֥עְנָה הַגְּבָע֖וֹת קוֹלֶֽךָ׃ (ב) שִׁמְע֤וּ הָרִים֙ אֶת־רִ֣יב יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהָאֵתָנִ֖ים מ֣וֹסְדֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהֹוָה֙ עִם־עַמּ֔וֹ וְעִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְוַכָּֽח׃ (ג) עַמִּ֛י מֶה־עָשִׂ֥יתִי לְךָ֖ וּמָ֣ה הֶלְאֵתִ֑יךָ עֲנֵ֥ה בִֽי׃ (ד) כִּ֤י הֶעֱלִתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִ֖ים פְּדִיתִ֑יךָ וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אַהֲרֹ֥ן וּמִרְיָֽם׃ (ה) עַמִּ֗י זְכׇר־נָא֙ מַה־יָּעַ֗ץ בָּלָק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֔ב וּמֶה־עָנָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֑וֹר מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים֙ עַד־הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל לְמַ֕עַן דַּ֖עַת צִדְק֥וֹת יְהֹוָֽה׃
(ו) בַּמָּה֙ אֲקַדֵּ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה אִכַּ֖ף לֵאלֹהֵ֣י מָר֑וֹם הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ בְעוֹל֔וֹת בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י שָׁנָֽה׃ (ז) הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ בְּאַלְפֵ֣י אֵילִ֔ים בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת נַחֲלֵי־שָׁ֑מֶן הַאֶתֵּ֤ן בְּכוֹרִי֙ פִּשְׁעִ֔י פְּרִ֥י בִטְנִ֖י חַטַּ֥את נַפְשִֽׁי׃
(ח) הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָֽה־יְהֹוָ֞ה דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
(6) The remnant of Jacob shall be,
In the midst of the many peoples,
Like dew from the LORD,
Like droplets on grass—
Which do not look to any man
Nor place their hope in mortals.
(7) The remnant of Jacob
Shall be among the nations,
In the midst of the many peoples,
Like a lion among beasts of the wild,
Like a fierce lion among flocks of sheep,
Which tramples wherever it goes
And rends, with none to deliver. (8) Your hand shall prevail over your foes,
And all your enemies shall be cut down! (9) In that day
—declares the LORD—
I will destroy the horses in your midst
And wreck your chariots. (10) I will destroy the cities of your land
And demolish all your fortresses. (11) I will destroy the sorcery you practice,
And you shall have no more soothsayers. (12) I will destroy your idols
And the sacred pillars in your midst;
And no more shall you bow down
To the work of your hands. (13) I will tear down the sacred posts in your midst
And destroy your cities. (14) In anger and wrath
Will I wreak retribution
On the nations that have not obeyed.
(1) Hear what the LORD is saying:
Come, present [My] case before the mountains,
And let the hills hear you pleading.
(2) Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORD—
You firm-a foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a case against His people,
He has a suit against Israel.
(3) “My people!
What wrong have I done you?
What hardship have I caused you?
Testify against Me. (4) In fact,
I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage,
And I sent before you
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
(5) “My people,
Remember what Balak king of Moab
Plotted against you,
And how Balaam son of Beor
Responded to him.
[Recall your passage]
From Shittim to Gilgal—
And you will recognize
The gracious acts of the LORD.”
(6) With what shall I approach the LORD,
Do homage to God on high?
Shall I approach Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old? (7) Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
With myriads of streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for my sins?
(8) “He has told you, O man, what is good,
And what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice
And to love goodness,
And to walk modestly with your God...."
Comment by R. David Altschuler: rabbi in Prague, (d.1769). Son divided his commentary in two, one part explained the verses and the other, the meaning of individual words, often by citing other locations in Tanakh. Very popular; only on Nevi'im and K'tuvim.
Meaning, the only thing is to behave justly and to love righteousness. One should walk with God in the observance of the commandments with quiet, not with much public display or with arrogance (haughtiness; self-righteousness).
Avraham ibn Ezra: Spain; d.1167; friend of Yehuda HaLevi; grammarian, poet of both religious and secular works; one of the main commentators on Torah; wrote on mathematics and astrology.
הגיד - זאת היא תשובת הנביא ככה הגיד לך - אתה האדם האומר במה אקדם ה', מה טוב בעיניו שתעשה?
והוא איננו מבקש אילים ולא בנך, רק עשות משפט, שלא תעשה עול בעמיתך ולא תוננו בדיבור או בהון. רק תעשה חסד עמו בכל יכולתך.
והצנע לכתך עם השם לבדו, שתלך בדרכיו בתם לבב, הפך קשי עורף.
This is the response of the prophet.... He does not request sacrifices or your son, only that you should do justice. You should not do ill against your fellow, not to harm him by word or by wealth (possessions). You should only do kindness with him to your fullest. To walk humbly: you should walk humbly with HaShem alone; you should walk in His ways with a simple (obedient) heart, the opposite of stubbornness.
Many prophets criticized the people's preference for and reliance upon sacrifice over ethical behavior.
(י) שִׁמְע֥וּ דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה... לָמָּה־לִּ֤י רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם֙ יֹאמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה שָׂבַ֛עְתִּי עֹל֥וֹת אֵילִ֖ים וְחֵ֣לֶב מְרִיאִ֑ים (יב) כִּ֣י תָבֹ֔אוּ לֵֽרָא֖וֹת פָּנָ֑י מִֽי־בִקֵּ֥שׁ זֹ֛את מִיֶּדְכֶ֖ם רְמֹ֥ס חֲצֵרָֽי׃
(יג) לֹ֣א תוֹסִ֗יפוּ הָבִיא֙ מִנְחַת־שָׁ֔וְא קְטֹ֧רֶת תּוֹעֵבָ֛ה הִ֖יא לִ֑י חֹ֤דֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת֙ קְרֹ֣א מִקְרָ֔א לֹא־אוּכַ֥ל אָ֖וֶן וַֽעֲצָרָֽה׃ (יד) חׇדְשֵׁיכֶ֤ם וּמֽוֹעֲדֵיכֶם֙ שָֽׂנְאָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֔י הָי֥וּ עָלַ֖י לָטֹ֑רַח נִלְאֵ֖יתִי נְשֹֽׂא׃ (טו) וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶ֣ם כַּפֵּיכֶ֗ם אַעְלִ֤ים עֵינַי֙ מִכֶּ֔ם גַּ֛ם כִּֽי־תַרְבּ֥וּ תְפִלָּ֖ה אֵינֶ֣נִּי שֹׁמֵ֑עַ יְדֵיכֶ֖ם דָּמִ֥ים מָלֵֽאוּ׃ (טז) רַֽחֲצוּ֙ הִזַּכּ֔וּ הָסִ֛ירוּ רֹ֥עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינָ֑י חִדְל֖וּ הָרֵֽעַ׃ (יז) לִמְד֥וּ הֵיטֵ֛ב דִּרְשׁ֥וּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט אַשְּׁר֣וּ חָמ֑וֹץ שִׁפְט֣וּ יָת֔וֹם רִ֖יבוּ Aלְמָנָֽה׃ {ס}
(10) Hear the word of the LORD....
(11) “What need have I of all your sacrifices?”
Says the LORD.
“I am sated with burnt offerings of rams,
And suet of fatlings....
That you come to appear before Me—
Who asked that of you?
Trample My courts (13) no more....
New moon and sabbath...Assemblies with iniquity, I cannot abide.
(14) Your new moons and fixed seasons
Fill Me with loathing;
They are become a burden to Me,
I cannot endure them. (15) And when you lift up your hands,
I will turn My eyes away from you;
Though you pray at length,
I will not listen.
Your hands are stained with crime— (16) Wash yourselves clean;
Put your evil doings
Away from My sight.
Cease to do evil; (17) Learn to do good.
Devote yourselves to justice;
Aid the wronged.
Uphold the rights of the orphan;
Defend the cause of the widow.
Heschel, "The Prophets"
What the Lord requires of man is more than fulfilling one's duty. To love implies an insatiable thirst, a passionate craving. The love means to transfer the enter of one's inner life from the ego to the object of one's love.
(18) Who is a God like You,
Forgiving iniquity
And remitting transgression;
Who has not maintained His wrath forever
Against the remnant of His own people,
Because He loves graciousness! (19) He will take us back in love;
He will cover up our iniquities,
You will hurl all our sins
Into the depths of the sea. (20) You will keep faith with Jacob,
Loyalty to Abraham,
As You promised on oath to our fathers
In days gone by.
(ח) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כְּכַלּ֣וֹת יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ לְדַבֵּר֙ אֵ֣ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָ֑ם וַיִּתְפְּשׂ֨וּ אֹת֜וֹ הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים וְהַנְּבִיאִ֛ים וְכׇל־הָעָ֥ם לֵאמֹ֖ר מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת׃ (ט) מַדּ֩וּעַ֩ נִבֵּ֨יתָ בְשֵׁם־יְהֹוָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר כְּשִׁלוֹ֙ יִֽהְיֶה֙ הַבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּ֔ה וְהָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֛את תֶּחֱרַ֖ב מֵאֵ֣ין יוֹשֵׁ֑ב וַיִּקָּהֵ֧ל כׇּל־הָעָ֛ם אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בְּבֵ֥ית יְהֹוָֽה׃
(טז) וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ הַשָּׂרִים֙ וְכׇל־הָעָ֔ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְאֶל־הַנְּבִיאִ֑ים אֵין־לָאִ֤ישׁ הַזֶּה֙ מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֔וֶת כִּ֗י בְּשֵׁ֛ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ דִּבֶּ֥ר אֵלֵֽינוּ׃ (יז) וַיָּקֻ֣מוּ אֲנָשִׁ֔ים מִזִּקְנֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֶל־כׇּל־קְהַ֥ל הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יח) (מיכיה) [מִיכָה֙] הַמּ֣וֹרַשְׁתִּ֔י הָיָ֣ה נִבָּ֔א בִּימֵ֖י חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־כׇּל־עַם֩ יְהוּדָ֨ה לֵאמֹ֜ר כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת צִיּ֞וֹן שָׂדֶ֤ה תֵחָרֵשׁ֙ וִירוּשָׁלַ֙יִם֙ עִיִּ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה וְהַ֥ר הַבַּ֖יִת לְבָמ֥וֹת יָֽעַר׃
(8) And when Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You shall die! (9) How dare you prophesy in the name of the LORD that this House shall become like Shiloh and this city be made desolate, without inhabitants?” And all the people crowded about Jeremiah in the House of the LORD....
(16) Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and prophets, “This man does not deserve the death penalty, for he spoke to us in the name of the LORD our God.” (17) And some of the elders of the land arose and said to the entire assemblage of the people, (18) “Micah the Morashtite, who prophesied in the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus said the LORD of Hosts:
Zion shall be plowed as a field,
Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins
And the Temple Mount a shrine in the woods.’