יחזקאל, פרק י״ב, פסוק ז׳

A prophet is often called upon to become a living lesson, acting out difficult and uncomfortable scenarios to deliver a harsh truth. In this instance, the prophet follows the divine command exactly and without question, performing a public, symbolic drama that illustrates the terrifying stages of a nation's destruction and a panicked escape [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The performance begins in broad daylight. The prophet gathers his belongings and brings them outside, mimicking a person packing essential gear for a long journey into exile [מצודת דוד]. He repeats this routine day after day, ensuring the onlookers clearly understand that he is preparing for captivity [רש"י]. This daytime display can also be understood as a representation of the initial waves of exile that had already taken place [מלבי"ם].

As evening falls, the tone of the display shifts dramatically. The prophet acts out the role of someone sneaking back into the city under the cover of darkness, only to flee through a secret tunnel to the other side [מלבי"ם]. He begins digging through a wall using nothing but his bare hands, working completely alone and without any proper equipment [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Relying on bare hands serves a dual purpose. Practically, it avoids the loud clanking of hammers and iron tools that would surely expose a fugitive to the enemy [רד"ק, מלבי"ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Symbolically, it captures the sheer terror of a person running for his life in a sudden panic, lacking even a moment to grab basic tools [רד"ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This vivid act points directly to the historical escape of King Zedekiah and his officials. Upon seeing the Babylonian forces, they would flee in such absolute terror and haste through the King's Garden that they would be forced to claw through the opposite garden wall with their bare hands, having no time to secure tools for their desperate escape [רד"ק].