ירמיהו, פרק נ״א, פסוק נ׳

A divine call urges the exiled Israelites in Babylon to seize a fleeting opportunity to return to their homeland. God addresses those who have survived great violence, specifically identifying these survivors as the Israelites [מצודת ציון]. Their survival carries a dual significance. It refers to the people who escaped the devastating forces of Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradan during the initial destruction of their land [רש״י, רד״ק]. Additionally, it speaks to their present reality, as they have just survived the enemy attacks currently destroying Babylon itself, safely avoiding the fate of the local population [מצודת דוד].

Because they have been spared, they are given an urgent instruction to act. They must leave Babylon immediately and head straight for their homeland without any hesitation [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. As they prepare to depart, they are told to remember God from a distance. Commentators offer two main perspectives on the nature of this distance. It can be understood as a geographical divide, urging the people to keep God in their thoughts while still standing in the distant territory of Babylon [מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, the distance represents the passage of time, calling on them to remember God after the long seventy years spent in exile [רד״ק].

Regardless of whether the distance is physical or temporal, the focus of their memory is the same. They are to reflect on the service of God in the Temple that was interrupted and lost. Remembering this sacred service is meant to inspire a swift return to restore it. To further awaken their desire to go home, they are asked to hold Jerusalem in their hearts. The exiles must picture the ruined, desolate city that mourns its own destruction. Holding onto the painful memory of Jerusalem's condition is the ultimate catalyst intended to motivate them to leave Babylon behind and return to their land [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].