(א - ד) למה עשה אז הסעודה הלזו?, ולמה צוה להוציא כלי ההיכל באותה סעודה דוקא?, ולמה אמר תחלה לאתויי מאני דהבא וכספא ואח"כ אמר שלא הביאו רק כלי זהב?, תחלה אמר מן היכלא די בירושלים ואח"כ אמר מן היכלא די בית אלהא די בירושלים?, ולמה כפל אשתיו בהון, אשתיו חמרא?:

Questions: (1–4) Why did he make this banquet at that time? And why did he command specifically at that banquet to bring out the vessels of the Temple? Why did he first say, “to bring the vessels of gold and silver,” and afterward say that they brought only vessels of gold? At first it says, “from the Temple that is in Jerusalem,” and afterward, “from the Temple, the house of God, that is in Jerusalem”—why this change in wording? And why does it repeat, “they drank from them” and “they drank wine”?

“Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and before the thousand he drank wine,” — The Sages explained that they were aware of the prophecy of Jeremiah that after seventy years the kingdom of Babylon would come to an end. They calculated that this time had already been completed, and when they saw that the predicted event had not occurred and that the kingdom still stood in full strength—especially, as it is related in Josephus, that at that time they had fought against Media and Persia who had come up against them, and his thousand nobles had been victorious in battle, which was a sign that his fortune was still strong— he concluded that his idols and his heavenly patron had prevailed over the God of gods. Therefore he made the feast for the thousand nobles who had won the war, and he drank wine in their presence. Although it was the custom of kings in those days that when a king made a feast for his nobles and servants, he himself would eat and drink in a separate chamber, he now showed them their great importance in his eyes by drinking together with them.

“Belshazzar,” — and in order to demonstrate that there was no need to fear the decree of God given through His prophet—that the kingdom of Babylon would be abolished—he commanded that the vessels of the Temple be brought out and profaned, to show that the power of that God had weakened and that there was no need to regard the sanctity of His sacred vessels. And Scripture says that “Belshazzar spoke under the influence of the wine,”—that is, this was not the counsel of a king, but the counsel of wine; for to profane sacred vessels of any god was considered abhorrent among the nations of that time, and this advice resembled that of a drunken commoner, carried away by wine. Thus he commanded “to bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the Temple that was in Jerusalem, and that the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them,”. His offense was twofold: First, he did not say to bring the vessels from the Temple of the house of God, as is stated in the next verse, for he did not wish to refer to it by the name of God at all; in his eyes it was like an ordinary building. Second, for this reason he commanded that both silver and gold vessels be brought, whereas in the Temple of God the vessels used in the inner service were of gold, and those not used for inner service were of silver. But since he did not regard it as the Temple of God, but merely as an ordinary structure, the gold vessels used for divine service were, in his eyes, no different from the silver vessels found in the Temple; therefore he referred to it only as “the temple that was in Jerusalem,” and not as the Temple of God.

“Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the house of God which was in Jerusalem,” — however, his nobles and servants still regarded it as the house of God and knew that Hashem dwelt there; they only believed that their own idol was stronger and had prevailed over Him, nullifying His decrees. Therefore, they brought only the gold vessels—those used in the sacred service before God—in order to use them in honoring their idol, which they believed had triumphed over Him. The third offense was that the king, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them, for it was the custom that the king’s women remained inside and did not attend the banquets of the nobles, as is evident in the story of Vashti. But here they cast off all restraint, bringing the women into the feast, and they too drank from the sacred vessels—an act of great disgrace and provocation.

“They drank wine,” — the fourth offense was that they drank wine, which is a greater act of disrespect than other forms of use, for “wine is a mocker, strong drink is tumultuous.” The fifth offense was “that they praised the gods of gold and silver,” as if the idols had prevailed over the God of Israel, and had nullified His words and His decrees.

(ה) תחלה אמר שנפקו אצבעות, משמע אצבעות לבד ואח"ז אמר שראה פס ידא די כתבא, שמשמע כל פס היד?:

Questions: (5) At first it says that fingers appeared, implying only fingers; but afterward it says that he saw the palm of a hand writing, which implies the whole hand—how is this to be understood?

At that moment, fingers of a human hand emerged and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the palm of the hand that was writing. Behold, in order that one should not say that this appeared to him as imagination, or that his senses erred, or that one of the king’s nobles—an enemy—wrote this to frighten him, therefore it explains: that all the nobles saw the fingers that were writing, and many people are not misled by the same deceptive illusion; and that it was opposite the lampstand, where there was light and no shadow to mislead; and that the writing was on the plaster of the palace wall, and the plaster was at a height beyond where a human hand could reach; and furthermore, although the nobles saw only the writing fingers, the king saw the entire palm of the hand that wrote—this is proof that it was a miraculous matter, since his perception differed from theirs.

Then, he had further proof that this was not imagination: for at that moment the king’s appearance changed from fear, as it is said, “one who is frightened—even if he himself does not see, his mazal sees.” And his thoughts alarmed him, which was a sign that it portended something bad; and the joints of his loins were loosened of their own accord—this too was for him a bad omen, as it is said, “his loins were not loosened,” for people in those times regarded this as a sign of evil.

The king cried aloud to bring the wise men of Babylon, and said to them that whoever would read this writing and declare its interpretation would be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold upon his neck, — which were garments permitted only for those nobles closest to the king; and he would rule as the third in the kingdom, — some explain that he would rule over a third of the kingdom, and others that he would be third in rank after the king. From all this it is clear that the king already understood in his heart that this was a great matter, and that explaining it would be extremely difficult; therefore he did not decree death upon them if they failed to read it, as Nebuchadnezzar had done regarding his dream, for he knew that it was impossible to read a hidden, angelic writing.

Then all the wise men of Babylon entered, but they could not read the writing nor make known its interpretation, — for sometimes they would know how to read the writing but not understand its meaning, and sometimes they would know the interpretation even without being able to read the writing, by means of magic and astrology, through which they could discern what was decreed according to the judgments of the stars and their influences; but here they knew neither.

(ט) פסוק ט' כבר נאמר בפסוק ו'?:

Questions: (9) Has verse 9 not already been stated in verse 6?

“Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his appearance changed,” — even more than it had changed before (for the word “greatly” applies to both), “and his nobles were perplexed,” — they did not know what to do. And the great fear that now increased was due to three reasons: First, he saw that there was no hope that anyone would be able to understand the matter. Second, through this he realized that the message did not come from lower forces—such as lesser gods or spirits—for in such cases the wise men of Babylon would know incantations or methods to extract the meaning; rather, it came from the Most High God, and therefore it must be a great and universal matter. Third, a message from heaven is usually given so that people may know of an impending evil and prepare themselves to escape it—through repentance or through practical measures. But a message that announces evil without revealing what it is does not come as a warning, but only to instill fear and to proclaim a calamity for which there is no remedy at all, as it is said, “evil shall come upon you, and you will not know how to avert it.”

“The queen,” — some explain that she was the king’s mother, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar (according to the view of Abraham ibn Ezra that Belshazzar was Nebuchadnezzar’s son), or his mother; and others explain that although the other women were present at the banquet, the principal queen remained in her own chamber. And in response to the words of the king and his nobles, she entered the banquet hall and said: “O king, live forever; let not your thoughts trouble you, and let not your appearance change,” — she sought to remove from his heart the fear that had come upon him for the reasons mentioned above.

(יא - יב) יש בפסוקים אלה כפל ויתרון ואריכות לשון?:

Questions: (11–12) In these verses there appears to be repetition, excess, and unnecessary length of expression—why is this so?

“There is a man,” — what you fear, in that you despair of finding the interpretation since it is hidden from the wise men, “there is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of holy gods, and in the days of your father there was found in him light, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of God,” — that is, although it is hidden from your sages, there is hope that he will know it through the spirit of God within him; and although the matter has come from the Most High, still there is within him the spirit of holy gods to know His secrets and mysteries. And regarding what you now fear—that since the message has come in a way that its interpretation cannot be known, this is a sign that there is no hope of escape, and that it was not revealed in order to allow one to devise means of rescue—he answers this as well: “King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, and wise men,” — for there is indeed a man who can know the interpretation; therefore, the matter was not revealed in such a way that its meaning could not be known. And do not say that you were unaware of this man—for he is well known, the chief of all the wise men; when you summoned the wise men of Babylon, you should have called the greatest of them. And do not claim ignorance, for your father, Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him, and it would be expected that a son knows what was done in his father’s house.

“Therefore,” — and do not think that he is wise only in other matters and not in such matters as this; not so, for corresponding to the extraordinary spirit, and the spirit of knowledge and understanding that is in him, he is one who interprets dreams, reveals riddles, and unties knots, all of which was found in Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. That he was made chief of the magicians and enchanters was because of the spirit found within him, through which he is able to interpret dreams, riddles, and hidden matters. Thus it is known to all that he is the greatest among them in understanding such mysteries. Therefore, the message did not come from God in a way that would leave it completely obscure; rather, God knew that you would ask Daniel, and he would tell you. Thus now, let Daniel be called, and he will declare the interpretation. And in saying here “Daniel shall be called,” an additional point is included: for Nebuchadnezzar had given him the name Belteshazzar, after his god, and now that Belshazzar himself bears that royal name, it would not be fitting for another person to be called by the king’s own honored name. Therefore she says that now he should be called Daniel, not Belteshazzar—yet this does not diminish his wisdom, for he will still declare the interpretation.

(יג - יד) למה א"ל שהוא מן בני הגלות ושאביו הביאו מן יהוד?, ומ"ש בפסוק י"ד ושמעת עלך כפול עם מ"ש בפסוק ט"ו ואנא שמעית עלך?:

Questions: (13–14) Why did he say to him that he was from the בני הגלות and that his father had brought him from Judah? And why is it said in verse 14, “I have heard about you,” which seems repetitive with what is said in verse 15, “and I have heard about you”?

“Then Daniel was brought in before the king; the king spoke and said to him,” — he first sought to honor him and elevate his status. For although he was from among the exiles, who were generally regarded as lowly and despised in those days, there was a distinction between the exiles who came in the days of Zedekiah—who were held in contempt by the Chaldeans—and the earlier exile who came in the days of Jehoiachin, who were held in honor and esteem, as is explained in Book of Jeremiah (chapter 24). Similarly, it is said regarding Mordecai that he was exiled with the exile that went with Jehoiachin king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had exiled—indicating that they were of higher standing. By contrast, the later exile in the days of Zedekiah was not carried out directly by Nebuchadnezzar but by Nebuzaradan, the chief executioner, and those exiles were held in low regard. Moreover, Daniel himself was among the youths whom the king had brought to stand in his palace. Therefore he said: “Are you that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah?”—meaning, you are not from the despised exiles brought by the executioner, but from among the exiles whom my father brought from Judah, who were of rank and importance.

“And I have heard,” — this is a second reason for your importance: you are esteemed on account of your good reputation, for I have already heard of you—that the spirit of God is within you, etc.; and a good name surpasses all.

“And now,” — after speaking to him words to elevate his status, he made known to him his request: that after the wise men and enchanters had been brought before him to read this writing and make known its interpretation, and they were not able to declare the interpretation of the matter, “and I have heard about you that you are able to give interpretations and untie knots; now, if you can read the writing and make known its interpretation, you shall be clothed in purple, and a chain of gold shall be upon your neck, and you shall rule as the third in the kingdom.”

(יז) למה א"ל מתנתך לך תהוין שזה כמבזה את המלך ומנאץ מתנותיו:

Questions: (17) Why did he say to him, “let your gifts be yours,” which seems as if he is belittling the king and rejecting his gifts?

“Then Daniel answered and said before the king: Let your gifts be yours, and give your rewards to others; but I will read the writing for the king and make known to him the interpretation,” — Regarding what the king had said, that he would be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold, and rule as third in the kingdom, he told him that this gift should remain with him—meaning that he himself could rule over the entire kingdom without limitation, and if he wished to distribute great wealth, he could give it to others. But as for Daniel, no reward was fitting for him in this matter, for he was not performing some great deed deserving of payment; rather, he would merely read the writing, which is a simple matter for one who knows the form of the letters in which it was written. And once he reads it easily, he will make known the interpretation, which is clear and evident. Such gifts and honors are not appropriate for something so small—especially since he is obligated to inform the king of a matter that concerns him, without seeking profit or reward.

(יח - כד) למה הקדים לאמר לו כל ההקדמה הזאת והוא לא נקרא רק לקרוא את הכתב ולהודיע הפתרון לא להוכיח את המלך בתוכחת מגולה כזו ולהזכיר לו עונותיו, והלא בקל ישפך עליו המלך כאש חמתו והכתוב אומר אל תוכח לץ פן ישנאך?:

Questions: (18–24) Why did he begin with all this introduction? He was only called to read the writing and make known its interpretation, not to rebuke the king with such open reproof and to remind him of his sins. Would it not be easy for the king to pour out his wrath upon him like fire? And does not Scripture say, “Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you”?

“You, O king,” — he presented an introduction through which the interpretation of the writing would be understood. He began by explaining that the king’s status as ruler comes through his father: that God gave kingship to Nebuchadnezzar, and through him granted dominion also to his descendants, as it is written, “and they shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son.” Thus he said, “You are the king,” because “the Most High God gave kingship” to Nebuchadnezzar your father, and through Nebuchadnezzar’s kingship—which came from God—you too are king. He further explained that God gave Nebuchadnezzar “the kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.” “Kingship” refers to his initial rise to the throne; afterward he was given “greatness,” in that he conquered the kingdom of Assyria and other realms; and afterward he was given “honor and glory.”

“And because of the greatness,” — through the greatness by which he ruled over all and his kingdom was exalted, all the peoples feared and trembled before him. And he explains the reason for this fear: because whomever he wished, he would put to death, and whomever he wished, he would keep alive; and he would raise up and humble according to his will. That is, there are kings who rule in conjunction with advisors and ministers and do not have the power to do whatever they wish; but he ruled with unlimited authority, and everything depended on his will, as it is said, “fearful and dreadful; from him his judgment and his authority proceed.”

“And when,” — nevertheless, when his heart became lifted up and he did not recognize the greatness of his Creator, he was brought down from his kingship and became like a beast, etc., until he came to recognize that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of men.

“But you,” — you, who are his son and knew all this, should have taken instruction from what happened to your father; yet not only did you not humble your heart, but you exalted yourself against Hashem of heaven, as if you had prevailed over Him, and you profaned the vessels of His house. He recounts all that he sinned in this matter, as explained above (verses 2–4), and even more so, that he gave praise to gods of silver and gold, rather than to the God in whose hand is his very breath and to whom all his ways are attributed.

(כה - כח) למה כפל מנא מנא, והוא לא פתר רק מנין אחד?, ולמה המנין והמשקל?, ואיך הוציא מן פרסין פריסת המלכות וגם פרס?:

Questions: (25–28) Why is “MENE” repeated—“MENE, MENE”—when he only interpreted it as a single counting? And why are both numbering and weighing mentioned? And how did he derive from “PERES” both the division of the kingdom and also Persia?

“Then,” — therefore, from before Him the palm of the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And now, this is the explanation of the writing and its interpretation: the writing is “MENE, MENE,” and the interpretation is “God has numbered your kingdom” (and thus he says again “and this is the writing,” corresponding to “and this is its interpretation”). That is, the repetition “MENE” indicates two countings that God has counted. For through Jeremiah it was said: “these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years, and when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 25:11–12). And it was also said: “and all the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son” (Jeremiah 27). Thus, from the standpoint of the counting of seventy years, the time of Babylon’s kingdom had come to an end; but from the standpoint of the counting of the lifetime of his grandson, if Belshazzar had the merit to live longer, the nations would still be required to serve him, and from that perspective the kingdom was still fitting for him, as it says “and his son’s son.” Therefore, the second counting—“God has numbered your kingdom and completed it”—refers to the completion of the general term of the kingdom, with the fulfillment of the seventy years. And since in this matter it was balanced—whether to consider the general counting of the kingdom or the second counting tied to the king’s lifetime—the matter had to be placed upon the scales, and therefore it says:

“TEKEL—you have been weighed on the scales,” — that is, his merits and his sins were weighed, and he was found lacking, for the scale was tipped to guilt because he had desecrated the vessels of the house of God; therefore…

“PERES—your kingdom is divided,” — he broke the kingdom into two, for the remaining years during which he was fit to reign, according to the span of his life, were given to Media and Persia. From the plural form “Peresin” he also derived the word “Paras” (Persia), for although Darius first received the kingdom, he reigned only one year, and Daniel knew that afterward Cyrus his son-in-law would inherit it, and the kingdom would remain in the hands of Persia. Therefore he said that Media would take the kingdom first, during the lifetime of Darius, and afterward it would remain in the hands of Persia.

“Then,” — Belshazzar thought that the prophecy referred to many days in the future, and he gave Daniel rule as the third in the kingdom, according to his promise. But the decree was fulfilled immediately, that very night, when his officers killed him; and they informed the army of Media and Persia, and they came into the city. And according to historical accounts, the people of Babylon themselves accepted Darius as king over them; and thus it says: