Welcome back to another episode of NachDaily with Doniel, Chapter 3. This is the famous story of Chananya, Azaryah and Mishael jumping into a fiery furnace, only to be miraculously saved.

The perek opens with King Nevuchadnetzer erecting a giant golden statue, 60 cubits high and wide, in the valley of Dura. He had a proclamation read in front of all of his ministers and officials saying that upon hearing the sound of the horns, they were to bow down and worship the statue. Whoever disobeyed this order would meet his death by being thrown into a heated furnace.

The Ramad Walli and others explain that the Valley of Dura is the same place where the Dor Haflaga tried to build a tower against God. Nevuchadnetzer, in his great audacity, did this intentionally, to reawaken and harness the evil of that generation.

The horns were sounded, and everyone worshiped the idol. The Ramad Walli explains that horns were sounded because nothing arouses a person’s heart to serve God more than music. Here, Nevuchadnetzer used this power for evil.

Immediately after this happened, people from Casdim seized the moment to slander the Jews to the King. They approached Nevuchadnetzer in a respectful manner.

“Didn’t you declare that anyone who doesn’t bow to the golden idol will be killed in a furnace? There are 3 Jewish men whom you appointed in charge of your provincial affairs who didn’t worship it. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego (the Babylonian names given to Chananya, Azariah and Mishael).

The Ramad Walli explains that the men from Casdim told Nevuchadnetzer that these Jews were “kafuy tov,” ingrates, for all the good he’d done for them. After all, it was you who took them from Eretz Yisrael and gave them good lives here in Bavel.

In a fit of rage, Nevuchadnetzer had Shadrach, Meshach and Abed- Nego brought in front of him for questioning. He told them that if

they refused to worship the golden statue they would be incinerated in the furnace.

In verse 16, an amazing thing happened. In an act of defiance, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego answered, “We’re not worried. Our God can save us from a fiery furnace, but even if He doesn’t, we will absolutely not worship your golden statue!”

The Ramad Walli explains that this whole ordeal was the Yad Hashem bringing about a tikkun, rectification, for the people in Eretz Yisrael who had worshiped avoda zara prior to their exile. As all the Jewish people are considered one, their refusal to bow would bring a tikkun to those sinners.

Filled with rage, Nevuchadnetzer ordered them to be tied up and thrown into a furnace which had been stoked 7 times hotter than usual. It was so hot that the men who brought Chananya, Azaryah and Mishael died from the heat of just coming close to the flames. The King had the 3 Jews thrown into the flame bound up and with all their clothing on.

The Ramad Walli adds that their clothing was not removed so as to spare the honor of these 3 great tzaddkim. They were unaware that a miracle was going to happen. Hashem arranged for them to be thrown in clothed so that they wouldn’t be embarrassed.

The Malbim explains that the people at that time believed the forces of nature to be separate from Hashem, that He had no ability to intervene or rule over fire, earth, wind and water. The furnace was stoked to such a degree to show that God did not rule there.

In verse 25, the King couldn’t believe his eyes. Astonished, he asked his advisors, “Didn’t we just throw three men into the fire? I see four men wlking around unbound in the fire – with not a single mark on them! And the fourth one appears like an angel!” The Ramad Walli adds that they were just walking around leisurely, as one would stroll about his house.

Indeed, the 4th was the angel Gavriel, who Hashem sent to save them. The Gemarah in Pessachim 118a brings that Yurkami, the heavenly angel over hail, told Hashem, “I will go down to save them and put out the fire.”

Gavriel interjected, saying that it would show God’s glory best if he, as the angel of fire, would go down to cool off the flame. This would be a “nes b’toch nes,” a miracle within a miracle.

In verse 26, the astounded King called the “Servants of the Supreme God” to come out of the fire. The King’s advisors gathered around to see them completely untouched by the fire, their clothing and hair completely intact, and not a trace of smoke emanating from them.

The perek ends with Nevuchadnetzer doing a complete turn-around, praising and blessing Hashem Who sent an angel to save His servants to honor the fact that they defied the King’s command at the risk of their lives.

Nevuchadnetzer proceeded to make a royal decree that anyone who despises the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego will be killed. The King then promoted them in the ranks over Babylon.

Nevuchadnetzer actually penned a letter to everyone in his Kingdom about the wonders of God and what he personally witnessed.

Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily when we’ll learn about Nevuchadnetzer’s second dream.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.