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Ezekiel's Silent Grief

God tells the prophet Ezekiel that his wife, the delight of his eyes, will die suddenly, and he is forbidden to mourn publicly – no lamentation, no tears, no bread of mourning. When his wife dies in the evening, Ezekiel obeys the next morning. When the people ask what this means, he explains that it is a sign: God will desecrate the sanctuary and let their sons and daughters fall by the sword, and the people too will mourn in silence, wasting away in their sins. Ezekiel must remain silent until a fugitive arrives with news of Jerusalem’s fall – then his mouth will be opened as a sign to the people Ezekiel 24:15-27.

Ezequiel 24,15-27

15The word of the LORD came to me:
וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃ ‬
16Son of man, I am about to take from you the delight of your eyes with a single blow. Yet you shall not mourn or weep, and no tears shall come.
בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנְנִ֨י לֹקֵ֧חַ מִמְּךָ֛ אֶת־מַחְמַ֥ד עֵינֶ֖יךָ בְּמַגֵּפָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תִסְפֹּד֙ וְלֹ֣א תִבְכֶּ֔ה וְל֥וֹא תָב֖וֹא דִּמְעָתֶֽךָ׃ ‬
17Groan in silence; make no mourning for the dead. Keep your turban on your head and your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lips, and do not eat the bread of mourners.
הֵאָנֵ֣ק ׀ דֹּ֗ם מֵתִים֙ אֵ֣בֶל לֹֽא־תַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה פְאֵֽרְךָ֙ חֲב֣וֹשׁ עָלֶ֔יךָ וּנְעָלֶ֖יךָ תָּשִׂ֣ים בְּרַגְלֶ֑יךָ וְלֹ֤א תַעְטֶה֙ עַל־שָׂפָ֔ם וְלֶ֥חֶם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽל׃ ‬
18So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.
וָאֲדַבֵּ֤ר אֶל־הָעָם֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַתָּ֥מָת אִשְׁתִּ֖י בָּעָ֑רֶב וָאַ֥עַשׂ בַּבֹּ֖קֶר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צֻוֵּֽיתִי׃ ‬
19Then the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing this?"
וַיֹּאמְר֥וּ אֵלַ֖י הָעָ֑ם הֲלֹֽא־תַגִּ֥יד לָ֙נוּ֙ מָה־אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֔נוּ כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה עֹשֶֽׂה׃ ‬
20I said to them: The word of the LORD came to me:
וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם דְּבַ֨ר־יְהוָ֔ה הָיָ֥ה אֵלַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃ ‬
21Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, the yearning of your soul. And the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.
אֱמֹ֣ר ׀ לְבֵ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ הִנְנִ֨י מְחַלֵּ֤ל אֶת־מִקְדָּשִׁי֙ גְּא֣וֹן עֻזְּכֶ֔ם מַחְמַ֥ד עֵֽינֵיכֶ֖ם וּמַחְמַ֣ל נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם וּבְנֵיכֶ֧ם וּבְנֽוֹתֵיכֶ֛ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲזַבְתֶּ֖ם בַּחֶ֥רֶב יִפֹּֽלוּ׃ ‬
22Then you will do as I have done: you will not cover your mustache or eat the bread of mourners.
וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתִי עַל־שָׂפָם֙ לֹ֣א תַעְט֔וּ וְלֶ֥חֶם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃ ‬
23Your turbans will stay on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away in your guilt and groan to one another.
וּפְאֵרֵכֶ֣ם עַל־רָאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם וְנַֽעֲלֵיכֶם֙ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תִסְפְּד֖וּ וְלֹ֣א תִבְכּ֑וּ וּנְמַקֹּתֶם֙ בַּעֲוֺנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וּנְהַמְתֶּ֖ם אִ֥ישׁ אֶל־אָחִֽיו׃ ‬
24Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything he has done. When it comes, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.
וְהָיָ֨ה יְחֶזְקֵ֤אל לָכֶם֙ לְמוֹפֵ֔ת כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֖ה תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ בְּבֹאָ֕הּ וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֥י אֲנִ֖י אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ ס ‬
25And you, son of man—will it not be on the day I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their glory, the delight of their eyes and the longing of their souls, their sons and their daughters—
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֔ם הֲל֗וֹא בְּי֨וֹם קַחְתִּ֤י מֵהֶם֙ אֶת־מָ֣עוּזָּ֔ם מְשׂ֖וֹשׂ תִּפְאַרְתָּ֑ם אֶת־מַחְמַ֤ד עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וְאֶת־מַשָּׂ֣א נַפְשָׁ֔ם בְּנֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ ‬
26on that day a fugitive will come to you to bring the news to your ears.
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יָב֥וֹא הַפָּלִ֖יט אֵלֶ֑יךָ לְהַשְׁמָע֖וּת אָזְנָֽיִם׃ ‬
27On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive; you will speak and be silent no longer. So you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am the LORD.
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִפָּ֤תַח פִּ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־הַפָּלִ֔יט וּתְדַבֵּ֕ר וְלֹ֥א תֵֽאָלֵ֖ם ע֑וֹד וְהָיִ֤יתָ לָהֶם֙ לְמוֹפֵ֔ת וְיָדְע֖וּ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ ס ‬