ירמיהו, פרק ל״ד, פסוק י״ח

Making an agreement in the ancient world was a dramatic and deeply symbolic event. To finalize a pact, people would cut an animal in half and walk between the severed pieces. The primary approach among commentators agrees that this was the traditional method for establishing a binding contract. It was a solemn blood covenant, similar in nature to the famous pact God made with Abraham.

When the prophet addresses those who canceled God's covenant and failed to uphold their promises, he focuses on this vivid imagery. The ritual carried a severe, threatening message. As [רש״י] explains, it formed an absolute bond with a clear warning: anyone who violates the agreement deserves to be cut apart and divided exactly like the slaughtered calf.

In this specific historical moment, the leaders of Judah had initially agreed to free their slaves, only to go back on their word and force them into captivity once again. [רש״י] notes that in doing so, their ritual of cutting the calf and walking between its pieces was not merely a failure to follow a divine command. Instead, it transformed into a brand-new covenant made specifically to rebel against God.

To underscore the gravity of this betrayal, the prophetic message repeats the fact that the covenant was not kept, even after already stating that it was broken. This repetition is intentional. According to [מצודת דוד], it serves to highlight the extreme severity of their actions, reminding the people that the very agreement they violated had been made directly before God.