Welcome back to another episode of NachDaily with the 2nd chapter in Doniel. As it is a long chapter with 49 pessukim, we’re going to split it into two classes. Today we will learn up to passuk 12.

The main theme in this chapter is Doniel’s ability to interpret Nevuchadnetzer’s dream, which was impossible to understand through ordinary means. Doniel’s ability to Divinely understand it promoted him to a higher rank.

These are some of the deepest and hardest parts of Tanach to understand, as they are still layered with obscurity and mystery. As mentioned in the introduction, it’s quite possible that even Doniel didn’t understand the meaning of what he was saying. By no means is this a fully comprehensive commentary. It’s exciting to learn this, and I would encourage people to read along with the chapters, even in English, to get a sense of the awe of this amazing sefer.

Many chapters throughout Doniel are written in Aramaic, which presents a difficult language barrier. It was written in Aramaic because that was the spoken language of the Jews at that time.

In the second year after Nevuchadnetzer destroyed the Beis Hamikdash (Rashi), he had a dream. This was no ordinary dream, and Nevuchadnetzer was deeply disturbed and alarmed by it.

The Ramad Walli goes into a lengthy explanation describing how Nevuchadnetzer was the “rosh – head” of all the negative klippos in the upper worlds. This is why he always perceived things in dreams. The head represents the mind and power of thought, which never rests during the day or night. Therefore, when Nevuchadnetzer fell asleep and his soul moved to the heavenly realms, he would pick up otherworldly thoughts and schemes in his dreams. He obviously didn’t understand them, but knew that they had deep significance, which alarmed him.

The King summoned all his magicians, physicians, sorcerers and stargazers. He wanted to know not only the dream, but its interpretation! This of course was not humanly possible.

The Meforshim debate whether Nevuchadnetzer actually forgot his dream, or he wanted to test them to see if they could figure it out.

All the wise-men came in front of him and proclaimed “Long live the King! If you tell us the dream, we can tell you the meaning.”

He replied that he couldn’t remember the dream, but if they didn’t tell him they would all be killed. If they told him, they’d be handsomely rewarded.

They repeated that first he had to tell them the dream so that they could tell him its meaning.

In a fit of anger, Nevuchadnetzer told them that he knew that they were stalling for time and were trying to fool him. He again demanded to know the dream!

In verse 10 they told the King, “No one on earth can possibly know what you want to know.”

The Medrash Tanchuman, Mikeitz 2, brings the background conversation. The advisors said to Nevuchadnetzer, if you would have had one of the sons of Aharon who wore the Urim V’tumim, he could have told you the answer. The King angrily replied that it was they who advised him to destroy the beautiful Beis Hamikdash to begin with!”

In verse 12 he orders all of the wise men of Bavel killed.

Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, as we’ll finish the chapter, learning Nevuchadnetzer’s dream and its interpretation.