Shepherd Parable

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  1. The Shepherds of Israel, in the Past and in the Future

    Dr. Tova Ganzel

    Yehezkel records a harsh prophecy directed against the kings of Israel, the nation’s leaders, whom he compares to shepherds who do not tend to their flocks. In the future, the leadership will be taken from these shepherds who failed in the past to properly lead the nation. God Himself will gather up the flock, rehabilitate it and hand it over to a different shepherd who will fulfill his role faithfully.

    The new shepherd will be a descendant of David.  However, the present model of leadership will come to an end. It will not be a mere technical replacement of personnel, but rather a fundamental change in the essence of the role. Therefore in speaking of David’s future status he is not referred to as “king” but as a “Nasi” – prince.

    Since the institution of kingship has failed, an alternative form of leadership must replace it. One of the roles of the king of Israel is to bring about a situation that will facilitate the Divine Presence coming to rest amongst the nation. The kings of Israel, as depicted in Sefer Yehezkel, brought about the opposite situation: defilement and the distancing of the Divine Presence. Now it is too late; there is no repair for the corrupt kingship, and therefore it is replaced by the station of the “Nasi.”

  2. Yehezkel 34-36

    Matan Al Haperek

    Rabbi David Sabato

    Perek 34 is dedicated to harsh criticism of the leaders of Israel, who are compared to shepherds who misuse their positions. Instead of taking care of their sheep they take advantage of them for their own use. The perek is full of descriptions taken from the world of shepherding and describes in detail the supposed role of the leader as shepherd and the neglect which was the reality. There are two main sections to the perek: the first section (1-16) deals with the neglect of the shepherds/ leaders, and with God taking over for them and correcting their wrongdoings. The second section (17-25) contains criticism of the conduct within the flock and the lack of justice in it. It foresees the correction of these wrongs through a just trial by God and the appointment of David as prince over them. The perek ends with a blessing that will come to the people, which includes peace and agricultural prosperity. This blessing is based on the blessing in Vayikra 26.

    After the prophecy about the shepherds we find two parallel prophecies: the first (perek 35) is directed at Mount Se'ir, the homeland of Edom, and predicts its destruction and desolation (in Hebrew: Shemama- a word which appears seven times in the prophecy). The second prophecy (36: 1-15) is directed at the desolated mountains of Israel, and foresees their rebirth, blossoming and resettlement by the nation of Israel. 

  3. The Poor Man’s Ewe: One Parable or Two?

    Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman | Hour

    The book of Shmuel II presents the story of David and Batsheva three times. First we have a description of the incident itself, then the parable that Natan the Prophet tells David about the poor man’s ewe, and then the explanation of the parable that Natan presents to David. However, upon closer examination, we notice that the three accounts of the same event differ from each other, and the parable specifically presents some obvious discrepancies with the actual event. Through a close reading of the parable we notice key details that lead us to a secondary interpretation of the parable, allowing us to view the story, and the character of David, through a different lens. 

  4. Zechariah 11-12

    Matan Al Haperek

    Rabbi David Sabato

    The different prophecies in perek 11 have a common theme- the use of the shepherd and his flock in their imagery. The first part (1-3) describes the difficult sounds and visions of the fire and destruction. Afterward two symbolic acts are described, each one of them an unfavorable description of different types of shepherds. In the first act (4-14), God commands the prophet to herd the “flock of slaughter”, a flock which is intended for slaughter. The prophet herds the sheep and then abandons them; this is symbolized by the cutting off of the two shepherd’s crooks. In the end he receives his reward and throws it to the “keeper of the treasury”. In the second act the prophet is commanded to act as a “foolish shepherd” as a symbol of the corrupt rule. The prophecies in this perek and in the following perek are full of hints and obscure symbols. The commentators explained these hints in different ways, but even so it is difficult to understand their meaning.

    Perek 12 describes the war of the nations on Jerusalem and Judah in the End of Days. In the first section the enemy’s failed attempt at placing a siege on Jerusalem is described (2-9). The second section describes the great mourning which will be in Jerusalem after the war (10-14). The perek is divided into sections which open with the words “On that day”, and which list the various events in the End of Days. The background to this prophecy is other prophecies of the End of Days – the rescue of Jerusalem from the Assyrian army in the days of Chizkiyahu, the vision of the war of Gog and Magog, and others.

     

  5. Yehoshua vs. Pinhas as Moshe's Successor: Shepherd vs. Savior

    Rabbi Shlomo Dov Rosen