Welcome back to NachDaily with the 1st perek in Nechemiah, focusing on his distress on hearing about the state of the refugees in Eretz Yisrael.

[May this segment be a merit for the aliyas neshamos of Raizel bas Moshe, Avraham Aharon ben Yisroel Yitzchok, and Refael ben Yehoshua Falek.]

Let us begin with a word about Nechemiah’s name, which comes from the word nechama, consolation. Keep in mind that approximately 70 years earlier the 1st Beis Hamikdash was destroyed and Yerushalayim’s walls were reduced to rubble. The lifting of the walls lifted the hearts of the Jewish nation, reminding them that Hashem had not left them. This was indeed a great source of chizuk and nechama to them.

The Ramad Walli explains that the building of the surrounding walls represented the spiritual protective lights that surrounded Yerushalayim to protect it from the impeding negative forces.

There is also a question about who Nechemiah ben Chachliyah was. In the introduction we mentioned the Gemarah which brings that he was in fact the same person as Zerubavel. However, the Ramad Walli says that Nechemiah and Zerubavel are two different people because Nechemiah didn’t come from the Davidic dynasty. He says that he does not want to contradict Chazal, but ailu v’alu divrei Elokim Chaim, both are true.

Then the Ramad Walli brings support for the fact that perhaps Zerubavel and Nechemiah are the same people because in Divrei Hayomim, when it lists the names of the lineage of Zerubavel, the name Chachilia doesn’t appear once. This could be because it was the same person as Zerubavel and therefore didn’t need to be mentioned again.

The chapter opens with Nechemiah in the capital city of Shushan. He asked his friend Chanani, who had just come from Yerushlayim with other people, about the welfare of the Jews who were living

there. Chanani said that the refuges who returned to Eretz Yisrael

were having significant financial and physical difficulties. Yerushalayim’s protective walls had been breached and set ablaze.

Immediately upon hearing how the Jews in Eretz Yisrael were being persecuted, Nechemiah mourned and fasted for many days. The rest of the chapter consists of Nechemiah’s personal prayer.

In the prayer Nechemiah asks God to be kind to those who love Him and keep the Torah, to turn His ears to listen to his prayers.

Nechemiah does teshuvah for the nation by confessing their sins before Hashem. We have neglected to keep Your commandments and mitzvos. Yes, we have sinned, but You told us that if we return to our Land You will protect us even in exile. You will raise Your name and bring us back to the place You have chosen. Please grant Your servant favor in your eyes.

The last line in the chapter ends with Nechemiah saying at that time he was the King’s cupbearer.

Rav Shwab notes that Nechemiah ends with the fact that he is the Kings cupbearer because he’s asking Hashem for special protection. He doesn’t want the King to think he is using his connections for personal gain. Nechemiah is going to need to strike a delicate balance.

Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily. Thank you for listening and have a wonderful day.