ירמיהו, פרק ל״ו, פסוק א׳

During the reign of King Jehoiakim, a dramatic sequence of events unfolds, bringing together the prophecies and occurrences of that specific era. At the heart of this period is a divine command to create a special scroll intended to mourn the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The creation of this document sets in motion a tense narrative that includes its writing, a public reading, and ultimately its burning by the king [אברבנאל]. God instructs the prophet to take a blank parchment, which only becomes a realized book once the heavy words of destiny are physically inscribed upon it [רד״ק].

According to the tradition of the Sages, the document the prophet is commanded to write is the Book of Lamentations. This identification raises a question, as God instructs him to record everything spoken concerning Israel, Judah, and the foreign nations. At first glance, Lamentations does not seem to contain direct prophecies about the nations, nor does it address the portions of Israel that had already been exiled. However, the command is not meant to produce a simple record of literal prophecies. Instead, it is a directive to write laments over the suffering and exile of Israel and Judah, along with the future justice destined for the nations, themes that are deeply woven into Lamentations. The ultimate goal of putting these tragic words into writing is to awaken the hearts of the people. By inspiring them to repent, they might earn forgiveness and be saved from the looming destruction, reflecting the truth that God does not desire the death of those who sin [אברבנאל].

The actual writing of this scroll happens in a unique way. While the prophet personally wrote other books, such as Kings, Samuel, and the rest of his own prophecies with direct prophetic assistance, Lamentations is dictated to Baruch son of Neriah. This difference stems from the spiritual nature of the work. The laments are not born from the highest level of full prophecy, but rather from divine inspiration. This specific spiritual state empowers a person to speak profound wisdom and sharp rebuke in an exceptionally pure, poetic, and elegant language. Crafting such elevated poetry requires intense concentration and deep isolation. Because the prophet needs to immerse himself entirely in this creative and spiritual process, he cannot be distracted by the physical labor of writing. Therefore, he relies on Baruch to transcribe the words exactly as they flow from his lips [אברבנאל].