מלכים א, פרק י״ד, פסוק ט״ז

The fate of the Kingdom of Israel is ultimately sealed for destruction, with the historical blame placed squarely on the spiritual corruption led by their first king. God is now handing the nation over to its decreed punishment [מצודת דוד]. Commentators view this impending fate in complementary ways. On one hand, it represents delivering the nation over to a curse and utter desolation [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. At the same time, it signifies surrendering the Israelites to enemies who will eventually exile them from their homeland [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל].

The root cause of this disaster is Jeroboam [מצודת ציון]. He bears the primary responsibility for the tragedy befalling the people, especially since they actively chose to crown him as their leader from the very beginning [אברבנאל]. His guilt operates on two distinct levels. First, he is held accountable for his own personal sins. Second, he is blamed for causing the entire nation to sin, most notably through destructive actions like setting up the golden calves [מצודת דוד].

A natural question arises as to why the entire nation faces such severe punishment if Jeroboam was the one who initially led them astray. The answer lies in the fact that the people continued to sin of their own accord. By doing so, the Israelites proved that their participation in these offenses was driven by convenience, personal desire, and willing agreement. Ultimately, they cannot claim that they were forced or coerced into their actions, leaving them fully responsible for their own downfall [מלבי״ם].