דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ו, פסוק כ״ב

The history of the Kingdom of Judah concludes on an uplifting note with the historic declaration of Cyrus [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The account mirrors the opening of the Book of Ezra, indicating a continuous narrative flow penned by the same author [רלב״ג].

This monumental event takes place during the very first year of Cyrus's reign [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The timing is exact, designed to fulfill the prophecy delivered by Jeremiah now that the allotted time has ended. This marks the completion of the seventy years of exile. Notably, this seventy-year period is not calculated from the day the Temple was destroyed. Rather, the count begins from the initial subjugation of the Israelites under the King of Babylon, specifically when Nebuchadnezzar first conquered Jehoiakim [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג].

To bring this divine promise to reality, God awakened Cyrus [מצודת ציון]. This divine intervention stirred the king's inner will [רש״י, מצודת ציון] and deeply moved his very soul [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Inspired by this awakening, the king ordered a herald to travel and make a widespread proclamation across every province of his empire [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. To ensure the message was enduring and clear, the declaration was not limited to spoken words. The king formalized his decree by sending official written letters to all the inhabitants of his kingdom [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ], clearly detailing the full content of his historic message [מצודת דוד].