“Of the seed of Media,” — to distinguish him from the later Darius, who was also the son of Ahasuerus, it states that he was of Median descent; that is, he was the first Darius who took the kingdom of the Chaldeans from Belshazzar.

(ב) מ"ש בינותי בספרים למ"ש המפרשים שהוא על נבואת ירמיה, למה אמר ספרים והוא ספר אחד?, ואיך אמר למלאת לחרבות ירושלים וזה לא נזכר בנבואת ירמיה, ששם כתוב לפי מלואת לבבל שבעים שנה, ויש הבדל רב בין שתי הלשונות כמבואר?:

Questions: (2) What is meant by “I understood in the books,” which the commentators explain refers to the prophecy of Jeremiah—why does it say “books” in the plural, when it is only one book? And how does it say “to fulfill the desolations of Jerusalem,” when this is not mentioned in the prophecy of Jeremiah, where it says “according to the completion for Babylon, seventy years”? There is a great difference between these two expressions, as is evident.

“I understood from the books,” — for in Jeremiah (chapter 25) it says that they would serve the king of Babylon for seventy years, and afterward God would punish the king of Babylon, and this prophecy was fulfilled at that time. But it also says (chapter 29), “for according to the completion for Babylon, seventy years, I will remember you and return you to this place,” and this prophecy had not yet been fulfilled. Therefore he reflected upon the books and found in one book that it was written: “the number of the years of which the word of Hashem came to Jeremiah,” — not as it appears in the book of Jeremiah that we have, “according to the completion for Babylon, seventy years,” but rather it was written there: “to fulfill the desolations of Jerusalem, seventy years, I will remember you.” This was a different version, and that book was also attributed to Jeremiah. There is a difference between these two versions: according to what is written in the book of Jeremiah, the counting of the seventy years begins from the rise of Nebuchadnezzar, so that by the time of Belshazzar’s death the seventy years were completed, as Rashi explains here based on Seder Olam. But according to the version that Daniel found, which says “the desolations of Jerusalem,” this refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, and thus the time of redemption would be eighteen years later. In truth, both versions were received from Jeremiah, and there is no contradiction between them: the first refers to the end of Babylon’s domination, while the second refers to the rebuilding of the Temple, which indeed did not occur until eighteen years later. Daniel understood that the first promise depended on their merits—if they were worthy—while the second depended on a fixed time, as the Sages said: “If they merit, it will be hastened; if not, it will come in its time.” Therefore he set his face to prayer to hasten the redemption through merit and supplication. And the Abarbanel explains that since Daniel had been shown in the earlier vision that the exile would last two thousand three hundred years, he thought that God had withdrawn the favorable decree spoken through Jeremiah because of the wickedness and sins of the people, as it says, “and the host shall be given over with the continual offering through transgression.” Therefore he prayed and confessed in order to turn away wrath and restore the decree.

(ג) למה כפל ואתנה פני לבקש תפלה, ואתפללה ואומרה?:

Questions: (3) Why does it repeat: “and I set my face to seek in prayer,” and then again, “and I prayed and said”?

“And I set my face,” — since he wished to pray on behalf of the community, he needed to prepare himself so that he would be worthy for his prayer on behalf of all Israel to be accepted. First, he prepared himself for prayer, and this was in two ways: He sought supplications, asking God to grant him the proper words, as communal emissaries do, whose first request is for this, as it is said, “O Hashem, open my lips…”; and this is the meaning of “and I set my face to Hashem God, to seek prayer and supplications,” — that is, to ask from God the proper speech and words through which he would offer prayer and supplication. He also prepared himself with further acts of preparation, through fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

“And I prayed,” — afterward, I prayed for myself, “and I confessed,” — confessing my own sin; for this too is a requirement of the prayer leader, that he first purify himself. After these preparations, he then began the prayer on behalf of the community, and said: “Please, O Hashem, the great and awesome God,” — lest one think that he doubts God’s ability to redeem them at the appointed time, or doubts His promises and good will, he therefore says: Regarding ability, I know that You are great and awesome, for “great” indicates that He is the origin and end of all causes, and “awesome” indicates His particular providence and His power over all things, as explained elsewhere. And regarding will and the keeping of His promise, he says: I know that You are the keeper of the covenant and the kindness, and that You do not change Your promise— but this applies only to those who love Him and keep His commandments; only for them does He preserve His covenant and kindness, not so for us, who…

“We have sinned,” — and it may be that these sins cause the good promises not to be fulfilled. Regarding sins in commandments between אדם למקום (man and God), he says: “we have sinned and committed iniquity,” — “sin” (chet) is from desire, and “iniquity” (avon) is from distortion of the intellect and denial. And regarding sins in commandments between אדם לחברו (man and fellow man), he says: “and we have acted wickedly,” — for “wickedness” (resha) generally refers to wrongdoing toward others. And we did not merely act as one who sins out of desire, but rather “we rebelled,” with rebellion and betrayal. He then explains: corresponding to “we have sinned and committed iniquity,” he says “and turned away from Your commandments,” — which are those between man and God; and corresponding to “we have acted wickedly,” he says “and turned away from Your ordinances,” — for “ordinances” (mishpatim) concern relations between people; and corresponding to “we rebelled,” he says…

“And we have not listened to Your servants the prophets,” — and this constitutes rebellion, for the prophets spoke in Your name, and their words were addressed to the entire people: to our kings and our princes, to our fathers in earlier generations, and to all the people of the land. Thus they were sent to all generations and to every part of the nation, to great and small alike; and since they were emissaries speaking in Your name, and we did not listen, it is as if one rebels against the king in his very presence, for his messenger is as himself.

(ז - ט) כפל לנו בושת הפנים וכל הלשון כפול, ואיך יחייב רחמים וסליחות כי מרדנו בך שזה מתחייב שלא יסלח ולא ירחם?:

Questions: (7–9) Why does it repeat “to us is shame of face,” and why is the entire expression doubled? And how can he invoke mercy and forgiveness on the grounds that “we have rebelled against You,” when that would seem to imply the opposite—that forgiveness and mercy should not be granted?

“To You,” — he says: regarding the punishment that has come upon us, to You, O Hashem, belongs righteousness, for the punishment was just. “And to us is shame of face in all the lands,” — in all the lands to which we were driven in exile, since the inhabitants of those lands knew that the exile came “because of their treachery which they committed against You,” we bore shame before them on account of the punishment. And this applied to “the men of Judah,” who were exiled in the days of Jehoiachin, and to “the inhabitants of Jerusalem,” who were exiled in the days of Zedekiah, and to “all Israel,” namely the ten tribes who were exiled in the days of Sennacherib— “those near and those far,” whether those exiled to nearby lands (Judah and Jerusalem) or the ten tribes who were exiled far away— all of them experienced shame in the lands of their exile because of their punishment; but…

“O Hashem! To us is shame of face, for we have sinned against You,” — we ourselves are not ashamed because of the punishment, but because of the sin; this is the primary shame for us—that we have sinned against Hashem. And this shame includes also our kings and our princes, who likewise sinned, and also our fathers, even though they did not themselves receive the punishment, they too are ashamed of their sin before Hashem.

“To Hashem our God belong mercy and forgiveness,” — now he says that the mercy and forgiveness we seek are not something we are worthy of, such that mercy and forgiveness could be attributed to us; rather, they belong to Hashem. “For we have rebelled against Him,” — for one who sins unintentionally and is punished may be shown mercy, since he was not fully deserving of the punishment, and his sin may be forgiven because it was unintentional, as it is said, “and it shall be forgiven to all the congregation of the children of Israel, for all the people were in error.” In such a case, mercy and forgiveness relate to the one being punished. But we have rebelled with rebellion and betrayal, and we are not worthy of mercy or forgiveness; therefore, if He has mercy and forgives us, it is not because of us, but for the sake of His Name, and for the sake of Hashem our God—not for our sake.

“And we have not,” — even afterward, when He sent prophets to warn us to return to the good path, “we did not listen to the voice of Hashem our God… by the hand of His servants the prophets.”

(יא - יג) למה כפל האלה והשבועה אשר כתובה בתורת משה וכו' כאשר כתוב בתורת וכו' וכל הענין כפול בלי צורך?:

Questions: (11–13) Why does it repeat “the curse and the oath which is written in the Torah of Moses,” and again “as it is written in the Torah…”—the entire matter seems doubled without need?

“And all,” — not individuals alone, but this was done by all Israel, both in the rebellion, that all transgressed Your Torah, and in that they did not listen to the voice of the prophets, as it says “and turned away so as not to listen to Your voice.” “And He poured out,” — he further explains how they completely cast off restraint: for the rebuke is doubled in Leviticus and in Deuteronomy, and the curses in Deuteronomy are doubled in severity compared to those in Leviticus. I have explained elsewhere that the curses in Leviticus were said regarding the future—“if you despise My statutes,” “and if you do not listen,” “and if even then you do not listen”—bringing punishments step by step in order to lead them to repentance, each blow added one after another, as it says “I will add to chastise you.” But the curses in Deuteronomy come to punish for the past: after He brought upon them the curses of Leviticus one by one, and they stiffened their necks and refused to repent, then He brings the rebuke of Deuteronomy, which comes all at once to cleanse past sin and complete the measure of transgression. Thus, when God brings the second rebuke of Deuteronomy, it is evidence that the people hardened themselves and did not heed all the earlier warnings, attributing everything to chance, as it says “if you walk with Me casually.” Therefore it says: “And He poured out upon us the curse and the oath that is written in the Torah of Moses the servant of God,” — these are the curses of Deuteronomy, which come with an oath and a curse (as it says “cursed is the man…” and “to enter into the covenant of Hashem and His oath”), unlike the curses of Leviticus, which do not come with an oath. And these curses were spoken by Moses as “the servant of God,” meaning they were spoken directly in his own voice; therefore it says “He poured out upon us,” — they came all at once, like something poured in a single act. “For we have sinned against Him,” — for these curses came as punishment for past sin.

“And He confirmed,” — and this refers to His fulfilling the word that He spoke against us and against our judges, “which He spoke upon us and upon our rulers,” — this is the curse written in Deuteronomy: “Hashem will bring you and your king whom you set over you…” And this was spoken specifically about us in the days of Josiah, when they found the Torah scroll opened to this very verse, and Hashem spoke through Huldah that He would bring this calamity upon us.

“As it is written,” — that is, from the fact that the curses of Deuteronomy came upon us, it is clear that the curses of Leviticus, which are meant for the future to bring them back to repentance, had already come and did not succeed. Thus it says “as it is written in the Torah of Moses,” — referring to the curses of Leviticus, “all this evil has come upon us,” — they have already come upon us repeatedly, “seven and seven, seven times,” until completion. “Yet we did not entreat Hashem our God,” — for the purpose of these curses was not punishment but to bring them to repentance, yet we did not take it to heart “to entreat Hashem and turn from our iniquities and gain insight in Your truth,” — for we treated everything as chance and did not understand that these were rebukes for sin. Therefore, wrath went forth from before Hashem to bring the second set of curses of Deuteronomy, which come to punish for past sin; and thus it says…

“And Hashem hastened,” — for the first rebukes in Leviticus do not come swiftly, but one by one; but after we did not listen to His voice, and the second rebukes came, they came with haste and speed, all at once. “For Hashem is righteous in all His deeds which He has done,” — since He did all His works and made every effort to bring us back to repentance, yet we did not listen to His voice; therefore He is righteous in hastening the evil, so that we might recognize His punishment and His providence.

“And now, O Hashem, who brought out,” — now that we have already received the punishment and are in this exile, was it not also the case in Egypt that we were not worthy of redemption by our deeds, for even there we were sinners? Yet You brought us out with a strong hand, not because of merit or worthiness, but for the sake of Your great Name, lest it be profaned (as is stated in Ezekiel, that they rebelled in the land of Egypt, yet He acted for the sake of His Name). Thus he says: “that You brought us out with a strong hand and made for Yourself a name as it is this day,” — that You did this for the sake of Your Name, even though we have sinned and acted wickedly even in Egypt. All the more so, it is fitting that You should act this way now, when Your Name is even more widely known, as it says, “and You made for Yourself a name as it is this day.”

(טז - יט) כל הענין ארוך וכפול?:

Questions: (16–19) The entire section is lengthy and repetitive—why is it expressed at such length and with apparent duplication?

“O Hashem, according to all Your righteousness,” — like the righteousness You showed us previously, even though we were not worthy, but You acted from a higher righteousness, whose nature is not to consider deeds or merit, so too now “let Your anger and Your wrath turn away,” — first, do this for the sake of Jerusalem and Mount Zion, as it says: “from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain,” for indeed “because of our sins, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach,” and there is a desecration of the Divine Name.

“And now,” — (2) do this on account of the prayer of Your servant and his supplications, (3) for the sake of the Temple, as it says: “and cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary,” and this too should be done for the sake of Hashem, for His Name dwelt in this House, and its desolation constitutes a desecration of the Divine Name.

“Incline,” — corresponding to what he said, “hear the prayer of Your servant,” he now says: “Incline, my God, Your ear and hear,” and corresponding to what he said that God should act for the sake of Jerusalem and the Temple, he says: “Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city upon which Your Name is called,” — for there is a desecration of the Divine Name. “For not…” — now he concludes what he said earlier, “to Hashem our God belong mercy and forgiveness,” that mercy and forgiveness relate to Him and not to us, as he has explained throughout his prayer at length. Regarding mercy, he says: “for not because of our righteousness do we cast our supplications before You,” — so that mercy should be attributed to us, “but because of Your abundant mercies,” — since we have no righteousness or merits. And regarding forgiveness, he says…

“O Hashem, hear; O Hashem, forgive,” — that You should forgive for the sake of Hashem; and also, do not prolong the time of the exile because of sin and iniquity (for this is what he came to pray about). Thus he says: “Attend and act,” — act immediately, “and do not delay,” — do not postpone the fixed time that was set through Jeremiah (for “delay” means postponing an appointed time). And all this You should do “for Your own sake, my God, for Your Name is called upon Your city and upon Your people,” — for at first he said “upon Your desolate sanctuary, for the sake of Hashem,” then he added “the city upon which Your Name is called,” and now he adds that Your Name is also called upon Your people— so that regarding the Temple, the city, and the people, all must be restored for the sake of His Name and honor.

(כ - כא) ועוד אני מדבר ומתפלל ומפיל תחנתי, ועוד אני מדבר בתפלה כפל מבואר?: **ועוד אני מדבר,**תפלות אחרות שלא נזכר פה, והיה בתפלתו ג' סדרים, א] תפלה שגדרו שפיכת הנפש והדבקה באלהים, ועז"א מדבר ומתפלל, ב] ווידוי ומתודה, ג] תחנה שהיא בקשה פרטית, עז"א ומפיל תחנתי שהיא התחנה הפרטית בעבור הר קדש של אלהי שזה היה עקר תחנתו:

Questions: (20–21) Why does it say “while I was still speaking and praying and casting my supplication,” and again “while I was still speaking in prayer”—this appears to be a clear repetition? “And while I was still speaking,” — referring to other prayers that are not recorded here; for his prayer consisted of three parts: (1) Prayer — whose nature is the pouring out of the soul and cleaving to God, and this is what is meant by “speaking and praying,” (2) Confession — “and confessing,” (3) Supplication — which is a specific request, as it says “and casting my supplication,” meaning a particular plea on behalf of “the holy mountain of my God,” which was the main focus of his request.

“And while I was still speaking in prayer,” — after he completed the second sequence of prayer, confession, and supplication, he began again a third time in this same order; and when he began the prayer (which is the first stage in each sequence), the angel appeared to him. “And the man Gabriel, swiftly flying,” — he flew from heaven to come to me; and the Sages said that he flew in two flights, for Gabriel in two [movements]: first he flies upward to receive influence from the one above him, namely Michael (as it is said that Michael in one [flight]), and afterward he flies downward to transmit the prophecy below.

“And he understood,” — it appeared as though he was flying along his path without knowing Daniel’s location, but when he touched him, he realized that Daniel was standing there, and he paused to speak with him. “I have come out to give you understanding,” — corresponding to what Daniel said, “I understood in the books,” the angel told him that he had not understood the matter correctly, and that he would now teach him how to understand it properly.

“At the beginning,” — do not say that the matter changed because of your prayer, for from the very beginning this decree had already gone forth. “And I have come to tell you,” — because “you are a man greatly beloved,” I was sent to come directly to you, not to convey prophecy from afar through a dream or vision, but so that you would see me face to face, which is a higher level. “And understand the word,” — according to the interpretation, this means that you should properly understand the words of Jeremiah, which you had not understood correctly; therefore it says “the word,” referring to the prophetic message. “And understand the vision,” — meaning, also understand what I will now show you further in the vision.

“Seventy weeks are decreed,” — he informed him that the decree upon Israel, that they would be in exile seventy years, corresponds to seventy sabbatical cycles; for the seventy years were because of the sin of neglecting the sabbatical years, as it says that the land would appease its Sabbaths. And since they also sinned in other matters, their sins extended over seventy times seven years, four hundred and ninety years. However, for those additional sins it was not necessary that the punishment be specifically exile, and therefore they were punished during the entire period of the Second Temple, when they were subjugated under the kingdoms of Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, all of which imposed a heavy yoke upon them, and this served to atone for those additional sins. And it has already been explained that the return in the days of the Second Temple was not the ultimate redemption, for the exile began in the days of Nebuchadnezzar and continues until the future redemption, and their dwelling in the Second Temple period is still considered part of the exile, since they lacked prophecy, the Divine Presence, the Urim and Thummim, and a king from the house of David, and the dispersed were not gathered. Rather, if they had repented fully at that time, the end would have been hastened; but since they did not merit it, the exile continued until the final appointed end. Therefore, the angel informed Daniel that “seventy weeks” were decreed: to finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring everlasting righteousness, to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. All these would have been fulfilled if they had merited it at the end of the four hundred and ninety years; but if not, the exile would be prolonged and intensified until the final redemption, which will bring everlasting righteousness, when all humanity will recognize the true faith.

(כה) מ"ש ושבועים ששים ושנים תשוב ונבנתה רחוב וחרוץ, לא היה כן שהבית לא עמד רק ת"ך שנה שהם רק ששים שבועות, לא ששים ושנים?, וגם שפתח בשבועים שבעים ופרט רק שבעה וששים ושנים וחסר שבוע אחד?:

Questions: (25) What is meant by “and for sixty-two weeks it shall return and be built, with street and moat”? For this does not appear to be so, since the Temple stood only 420 years, which are sixty weeks, not sixty-two. And furthermore, since it began with “seventy weeks,” why does it specify only seven and sixty-two, leaving one week unaccounted for?

“Know and understand, from the issuing of the word,” — according to this, he explained to him the details of the calculations that must occur within these seventy sabbatical cycles that were decreed upon the people of Israel. “To restore and rebuild Jerusalem,” — that is, from the destruction until the time when permission would be granted to return and rebuild Jerusalem, which occurred in the first year of Cyrus the Great, when he granted permission for the exiles to return, and many indeed returned. From there, “until an anointed prince,” — that is, the span of time during which an anointed leader would rule, meaning the entire period of the Second Temple when they had a “messiah,” either a High Priest anointed with oil or a ruler from among them, who functioned as a leader. This period extends for “seven weeks and sixty-two weeks,” and also “two weeks, during which it shall return and be rebuilt, with street and moat.” That is, the seven weeks (seven sabbatical cycles) extend from the destruction of the Temple until the decree of Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem. Although there were a few additional years, they were not counted because they did not complete a full sabbatical cycle. The sixty weeks extend until the destruction of the Second Temple, during which time a leader from Israel ruled over them. And the two weeks refer to the period from when the building was halted in the first year of Cyrus due to accusations, until it resumed in the second year of Darius I; although this spanned about eighteen years, it counted only as two sabbatical cycles. Thus, three distinct periods are shown: first, seven weeks until Cyrus’s decree, fulfilling the prophecy that after seventy years of Babylon God would remember them; second, two weeks until the rebuilding resumed in the days of Darius, fulfilling the prophecy that seventy years would pass over the desolations of Jerusalem; and third, sixty weeks corresponding to the 420 years of the Second Temple, during which Israel remained under foreign rule and in distress, serving to atone for earlier sins. And this also answers Daniel’s difficulty, for although he saw continued subjugation, it was part of the same extended process of exile and atonement rather than a contradiction of the earlier prophecy.

“And after the sixty-two weeks,” — during which there was an anointed leader ruling over them from among their own people, “an anointed one shall be cut off and have nothing,” — the last king, namely Agrippa, was killed in Rome, and likewise the last High Priest was killed, and afterward there was no longer a king or High Priest from among their people. “And the city and the sanctuary shall be destroyed by the people of a coming ruler,” — this refers to the Roman people; for the destruction of the Temple was not by the will of Titus, but the Roman forces carried it out on their own, as described in Josephus. “And its end shall come with a flood,” — through this overwhelming devastation comes the end of the sanctuary, and the Temple remains destroyed “until the time of war,” — that is, until the time of the war of Gog and Magog, “and until the decreed end of desolation,” — until the time that has been determined and decreed for it to remain desolate and ruined.

“And he shall strengthen a covenant,” — he explains how the destruction would occur: for one week Titus sought from them that they make peace with him, and he wished to establish a covenant with them, not even demanding tribute, but only that they enter into a covenant of peace with him; and this is what is meant by “he shall strengthen a covenant with many for one week.” “And half of the week,” — three years before the destruction, “he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease,” for the sacrifices were halted because of the wars. “And upon the wing,” — seventy years after the destruction, Hadrian set up his image in the place of the Temple, upon a wing of abominations. And this will continue “until a complete and decreed end is poured out upon the desolator,” — that is, upon the one who made it desolate and destroyed it.