עזרא, פרק ד׳, פסוק כ״ג

Governmental decisions in the Persian Empire carried immense weight, triggering immediate reactions across the realm. The enemies of Judah seized upon a newly arrived royal letter to halt the construction project in Jerusalem. This document was an official copy of a decree from King Artaxerxes, whom some identify as King Cyrus [רש״י]. The nature of this correspondence was inherently deceitful. It functioned as a document of slander, crafted by individuals who distorted the truth and manipulated their words [ר' סעדיה גאון].

As soon as the letter was read before the officials Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, they wasted no time. They hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem with an intense urgency, a rapid pace compared to the sudden haste of the Exodus from Egypt [ר' סעדיה גאון].

Behind this sudden rush lay a calculated political scheme. The original royal order only prohibited the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, not the construction of the Temple. However, because Rehum and Shimshai were responsible for translating and copying the Persian decree, they controlled its interpretation. They abused this authority to twist the king's intent, falsely expanding the ban to include the Temple as well. This explains their frantic rush to Jerusalem. They needed to establish facts on the ground through brute force before anyone could discover that they had overstepped the king's actual command [מלבי״ם].

Arriving with a large armed force, they physically compelled the builders to abandon their work. Armed with the perceived backing of an official royal letter and overwhelming military might, the officials successfully achieved their goal and brought the construction to a complete standstill [ביאור שטיינזלץ].