ירמיהו, פרק ל״ו, פסוק י״ח

When questioned by the officials, Baruch ben Neriah provides a precise account of how Jeremiah's prophecies were recorded, emphasizing the absolute accuracy of the transmission from spoken word to written text. He clarifies that the reading and writing occurred simultaneously. The text was not copied from an earlier document. Instead, Baruch wrote down the words exactly as the prophet spoke them, without waiting for him to finish a thought. This immediate transcription ensured that not a single detail of the phrasing was altered and that Baruch did not unintentionally add any of his own personal interpretations [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Another perspective suggests that this specific method of dictation highlights the profound level of the prophecy itself. Ordinarily, sacred texts are required to be copied strictly from an existing written source. The fact that Baruch wrote directly from Jeremiah's spoken words demonstrates that the prophet's voice was actually the direct word of God, much like how God dictated the Torah directly to Moses [מלבי״ם].

Baruch also specifies the physical materials used in this process, noting that the words were written with black ink [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. Although the blank parchment is referred to as a book before any words are actually written on it, it is named for its final purpose, as it only truly becomes a book once the writing is complete [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. The explicit mention of these specific materials, the book and the ink, is intentional. It indicates that from the very beginning, the text was written with the clear intention of being included in the sacred scriptures, which must specifically be recorded on a book and with ink [מלבי״ם].