יחזקאל, פרק כ״א, פסוק כ״ז

A powerful king stands at a crossroads, relying on divination to determine the fate of nations. Nebuchadnezzar uses magic and lots to decide the direction of his next conquest. Although he prefers to attack a smaller, more manageable city like Rabbath Ammon, the lot dictates a difficult, prolonged military campaign against heavily fortified Jerusalem [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The result of the divination appears in his right hand, signaling him to turn right toward the city [מצודת דוד].

This act of magic does more than just choose a target; it lays out a precise seven-step strategy for the war and the ensuing siege [מלבי״ם]. The first action involves a specific military deployment. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to positioning heavy iron battering rams designed to smash through the city walls. Alternatively, some explain that this step involves appointing army captains and troop commanders to organize and lead the assault [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The subsequent stages focus on psychological warfare and sheer brutality. The magical omen instructs Nebuchadnezzar to skip any offers of peace or negotiations. Instead, he is to immediately order his soldiers to scream battle cries and murder everyone inside the city [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. At the same time, the troops are to raise a deafening shout to terrify the trapped inhabitants and signal an impending victory [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, רד״ק].

The strategy then calls for focusing on the city entrances. Following the view that heavy siege engines are used, this means placing the battering rams directly against the closed gates to break them down and breach the city [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. According to the interpretation that commanders are being deployed, this step means stationing specific military battalions opposite each gate to tighten the blockade [רש״י].

The final instructions detail the military engineering required for the conquest. The army must pour a siege ramp, piling dirt against the wall to create a high, firmly packed mound. This allows soldiers to stand above the city's defenders, shooting arrows and fighting from an elevated position [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Finally, they are to construct a siege structure. Most commentators explain this as a wooden tower built facing the city, while others suggest it refers to an encircling wall designed to prevent anyone from escaping [מלבי״ם].

Typically, a siege follows a set order: first building a tower, then pouring a ramp, and finally deploying battering rams. However, the divination instructs Nebuchadnezzar to reverse this standard process. He is told to start immediately by placing rams against the gates, working under the assumption that the city walls are weak and can be breached quickly without the lengthy preparation of ramps and towers [מלבי״ם].