ירמיהו, פרק י״ט, פסוק ב׳

God directs Jeremiah to a specific, highly charged location outside Jerusalem to deliver a harsh prophecy of doom. The chosen site is the Valley of Ben Hinnom, situated southwest of the city walls [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This location is not random. It served as a horrific center for idol worship, where children were burned in fire to serve Baal and Molech. Because this valley was the very site of such severe sins, it is the most appropriate setting for Jeremiah to perform a symbolic act and deliver a message of divine punishment [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

Jeremiah is instructed to stand directly in front of a specific entrance known as the Harsith Gate [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The exact identity of this gate shapes the underlying message of the prophecy. One approach identifies it as the Dung Gate, the city's disposal site where waste and broken pottery were discarded [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. This understanding links directly to Jeremiah's action of holding a clay flask, creating a deliberate thematic connection between the fragile clay vessel and the gate of discarded pottery [אברבנאל].

Alternatively, based on the teachings of the sages, this entrance may have been the Eastern Gate of the Temple courtyard. In this view, the name derives from a word meaning "sun," as the gate directly faced the sunrise [רד״ק, חומת אנך]. This interpretation also connects deeply to the sins being condemned, as the worship of Molech was closely associated with sun worship, earning it the title of the Sun Gate [מלבי״ם].

Standing at this significant threshold, Jeremiah is commanded to call out loudly [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He must declare the exact words God speaks to him, introducing the detailed prophecy that immediately follows [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].