In the annals of Jewish history, Gedaliah ben Ahikam stands as a significant figure, particularly after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. His role as the governor of Judea under Babylonian rule and the tragic events that followed his assassination are commemorated annually in the Jewish calendar on the Fast of Gedaliah in the month of Tishrei. The book of Zechariah mentions this fast,
‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’ Zechariah 8:18, NKJV
Gedaliah was appointed governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. 2 Kings recounts,
"Then he [Nebuchadnezzar] made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left." 2 Kings 25:22, NKJV
His appointment signaled a momentary glimmer of stability for the remnant of Jews who had not been exiled to Babylon. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam, who had once supported the prophet Jeremiah and was known for his commitment to peace and justice. Jeremiah, who had prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, encouraged the people to support Gedaliah and live peacefully under Babylonian rule, viewing it as part of God's plan. 2nd Kings summarizes the events,
"Now when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” But it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah, the Jews, as well as the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. And all the people, small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans."
2 Kings 25:23-26, NKJV
It appears that Ishmael, the son of Netaniah, killed Gedaliah because he, being of Davidic lineage, felt he was the one entitled to rule and thus was envious of Gedaliah, as Metsudat David explains:
"From royal lineage. As if to say, this is why he killed Gedaliah, thinking that he [himself] was the one worthy of ruling, because he is from the royal lineage, and not Gedaliah." Metsudat David on 2 Kings 25:25, Sefaria.org [1]
Jeremiah 40, which relates the account in detail, notes that Gedaliah was warned that Ishmael wanted to kill him, as he was hired by the king of Ammon to do so,
"They said to him: Do you know that Baalis king of the children of Amon sent Yishmael son of Netanya to smite you mortally, to assassinate you? But Gedalya son of Ahikam did not believe them. Gedalya, a righteous and fair individual, refused to believe that Yishmael, an acquaintance of his, would seek to kill him for no good reason. Although they differed in their political opinions, there was no personal quarrel between them. Therefore, he maintained that this accusation was unfounded." R' Adin Steinsaltz on Jeremiah 40:14, Sefaria.org [2]
Perhaps the king of Ammon exploited Ishmael's envy and desire to rule as a tactic to assassinate Gedaliah. This account echoes Cain killing Abel, the ten spies bringing the evil report against the land, and the sale of Yosef. After the brothers threw Yosef into a pit, they sat down for a meal. On some level, the Passover meal during the month of Nissan is a rectification for this betrayal of Yosef HaTzaddik. The opposite of the month of Nissan is the seventh month, the month of Tishrei, in which Gedaliah was killed during a festive meal.
A Festive Meal
Before Gedaliah's betrayal, Ishmael and his company had a meal with Gedaliah,
"In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, who was of royal descent and one of the king’s commanders, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah; and they ate together there at Mizpah." Jeremiah 41:1, Sefaria.org
Even worse, this was no ordinary dinner. According to Radak, this meal occurred on Rosh HaShanah. Sephardic.org comments,
"When Rosh Hashanah approached, Ishmael and ten men came to celebrate the holiday with Gedaliah. During the festivities, Ishmael and his men attacked Gedaliah and his men and murdered them. Not only did this terrible act lead to more violence and murder, but it also forced the Jews to flee to Egypt, which ended the Jewish settlement in the land of Israel. The murder of Gedaliah and his men led to the finality of the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people from the land of Israel in its entirety." Why We Fast on Tzom Gedaliah, Shelly Greenstein, Sephardic.org [3]
The Malbim explains that Ishmael attempted to find false legal grounds for his actions,
"And it was on the second day, Ishmael had hidden the death of Gedaliah, therefore it said No man knew. He intended to find a false charge so that he could say that he killed him legally and justly. This was the strategy in killing the eighty men..." Malbim on Jeremiah 41:41, Sefaria.org [4]
What is the meaning of this story in the larger tapestry of Israel's history? The themes of this tragic event seem to echo a painful past but also look forward to a future hope.
Gedaliah and the Geulah
The numerical value of the name "Gedaliah" (58) may give us a clue to his mysterious personality:
Gedaliah - גדליהו
Noach - נח
Chen (Grace) - חן
The Stone - האבן
These names link Gedaliah to the Messiah, who is compared to Noach, Grace, and a Stone. The pattern here is stunning:
Gedaliah was a true leader who saw only good in his people
He tried to preserve Israel's presence in the Land
He told the people not to fear
Some leaders of Israel were jealous of him and conspired with the Gentiles to kill him.
He was betrayed at a festive meal
He died on a festival day
This pattern sounds remarkably similar to the Gospels.
Gedaliah and the Temple
R' Pesach Siegel, comments on his connection to the Temple:
“By virtue of his constant connection with Hashem and simultaneously with His people, he was the bridge between heaven and earth. He was the Beis HaMikdash in human form. The people were his “service”, and he saw the point of light within each one, bringing together as one in the service of their “Temple”... The outpouring of life force from the Creator was channeled through Gedalia to the rest of the world, in the same manner that a husband is mashpia, pours forth his blessing upon his wife...Gedalia was THE tzaddik. He was the sole cause of Hashem’s continued personal interest in Eretz Yisroel at the time. It is for this reason that his death is literally the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. The Rambam calls him “the burning coal.” Just as a smothered fire can be brought back to life by a solitary remaining coal, so too, the Beis Hamikdash was not totally consumed as long as Gedalia lived. His death is worthy of a fast day.”
Tzom Gedalia 5771, R’ Pesach Siegel, Yeshiva Tiferet [5]
The Talmud speaks of the death of the righteous,
מיתתן של צדיקים כשריפת בית אלקינו
“…the death of the tzaddikim is put on a level with the burning of the House of our G-d.”
Rosh HaShanah 18b, Soncino Press Edition [6]
R’ Chaim of Volozhin comments,
“If someone sanctifies himself properly through the performance of all the Mitzvot…Then he himself is the Beit HaMikdash itself…Because this is the truth regarding Tzadikim through the deeds which are desirable by the blessed one they are the Mikdash mamash.”
R’ Chaim of Volozhin, Nefesh HaChaim, Gate 1, Ch. 4 [7]
The Gospel of John says,
"What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?’ Yeshua answered them, ‘Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Judeans therefore said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this Temple! Will you raise it up in three days?’ But he spoke of the Temple of his body.”
John 2:18-21
The Talmud brings down the principle, מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת, “the death of the righteous atones,”
למה נסמכה מיתת מרים לפרשת פרה אדומה ־ לומר לך: מה פרה אדומה מכפרת ־ אף מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת. אמר רבי אלעזר: למה נסמכה מיתת אהרן לבגדי כהונה? ־ מה בגדי כהונה מכפרין ־ אף מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת מועד קטן דף כח.א
“Said R. Ammi, ‘Wherefore is the account of Miriam’s death placed next to the [laws of the] red heifer? To inform you that even as the red heifer afforded atonement [by the ritual use of its ashes], so does the death of the righteous afford atonement [for the living they have left behind]. R. Eleazar said, “Wherefore is [the account of] Aaron’s death closely followed by [the account of the disposal of] the priestly vestments? [To inform you] that just as the priest’s vestments were [means] to effect atonement, so is the death of the righteous [conducive to procuring] atonement.” Moed Katan 28a, Soncino Press Edition
Yeshua of Nazareth is the ultimate Tzaddik. His body was the Temple, which was destroyed and rebuilt in three days. He is our atonement,
בָּנַי הִנְנִי כֹתֵב אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָאוּ וְאִם־יֶחֱטָא אִישׁ יֶשׁ־לָנוּ לִפְנֵי אָבִינוּ מֵלִיץ יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ הַצַּדִּיק׃ וְהוּא כַּפָּרָה עַל־חַטֹּאתֵינוּ וְלֹא עַל־חַטֹּאתֵינוּ בִלְבַד כִּי גַּם־עַל־חַטֹּאת כָּל־הָעוֹלָם
“My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Yeshua the Messiah, the Tzaddik. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2
Thus, we may return to the prophecy of Zechariah,
‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’ Zechariah 8:18, NKJV
Would it be right to feast on a day that such a righteous Tzaddik was murdered? The answer is that Gedaliah will be resurrected in the Messianic Era! He himself will be celebrating this festival day with the Resurrected Messiah, in a restored Jerusalem, with all of Israel as one, loving truth and shalom, embracing ahavat chinam, baseless love. May this day turn from mourning into joy and gladness speedily in our days.
References
Metsudat David on 2 Kings 25:25, Sefaria.org
R' Adin Steinsaltz on Jeremiah 40:14, Sefaria.org
Why We Fast on Tzom Gedaliah, Shelly Greenstein, Sephardic.org
Malbim on Jeremiah 41:41, Sefaria.org
Tzom Gedalia 5771, R’ Pesach Siegel, Yeshiva Tiferet
Rosh HaShanah 18b, Soncino Press Edition
R’ Chaim of Volozhin, Nefesh HaChaim, Gate 1, Ch. 4
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