יחזקאל, פרק ל״ג, פסוק כ״א

The arrival of the devastating news of Jerusalem's fall to the Babylonian exiles marks a dramatic turning point. This bitter report not only shatters the exiles' perception of reality but also fundamentally changes the nature of Ezekiel's mission. The timeline of this event is anchored in the twelfth year, a calculation based on the years that had passed since the exile of King Jehoiachin, the very exile in which Ezekiel himself was taken [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The messenger who delivers this news is a survivor who managed to escape the terror and slaughter of the war [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He brings a brief but crushing report: the city has been conquered, and its people have been struck down [מצודת דוד].

There is an interesting discussion regarding exactly how long it took for this tragic news to travel from Jerusalem to Babylon. The primary approach among commentators is that the survivor arrived in the tenth month of the general calendar, Tevet. Since Jerusalem was destroyed in the fifth month, Av, this means roughly five months had passed. This long delay is attributed to the vast distance between the two locations and the severe travel difficulties caused by the war. Even if the king of Babylon was already aware of his army's victory, the exiles were kept in the dark or only heard unverified rumors until this eyewitness arrived with a certain, firsthand account [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, another perspective suggests that the tenth month is not counted from the beginning of the general year, but rather from the specific month of Jehoiachin's exile. Based on this calculation, the tenth month would actually be Elul, meaning the survivor reached Babylon with astonishing speed, just days after the destruction in Av [אברבנאל].

Beyond the historical tragedy, the survivor's arrival carries deep spiritual significance, as it directly triggers the opening of Ezekiel's mouth. Until that exact moment, Ezekiel had been kept silent, unable to openly rebuke the exiled community. This was because Jerusalem's fate still hung in the balance, depending on the ongoing prophecies of Jeremiah, who was actively working inside the city where there was still a chance for repentance to prevent the disaster. Meanwhile, the exiles in Babylon, heavily influenced by false prophets, stubbornly refused to believe that the Temple would ever be destroyed. Once the survivor arrived and proved that God's word had been fulfilled completely, these false hopes were finally shattered. The people began to believe in God and His true prophets. With the bitter truth confirmed and Jeremiah's phase concluded, Ezekiel's silence was lifted, and God granted Him permission to prophesy freely and guide the public [מלבי״ם].