(א) מלת יין לפניו חסר הפעל?, מ"ש ולא הייתי רע לפניו, אין לו ביאור הלא היו פניו רעים?:

(1) Is the verb governing the word “wine” missing from the verse? And what is the meaning of “I had never been sad in his presence”? Is this not contradicted by the fact that his countenance was sad?

And it came to pass—wine was before him: The statement “I was the king’s cupbearer” applies to both clauses: “And I was serving wine before him.” In the second clause, serving refers to the actual act of pouring the wine. And I had not been sad: The king insisted that his servants not appear before him with a gloomy countenance, because he would then suspect them of harboring evil intentions. Nehemiah knew the king’s temperament and took care to appear cheerful whenever he came before him. He therefore says that, in truth, I had never been sad in his presence.

And he said: Nevertheless, the king noticed that Nehemiah’s countenance was sad and became angry about it. This may have been because the signs of his fasting and self-affliction during those days were visible on his face; alternatively, it occurred through Divine Providence, so that the king would question him and thereby give him an opportunity to speak. Nehemiah became afraid, because “a king’s wrath is like messengers of death,” for he knew that the king regarded such behavior as an offense.

And I said: He therefore did not deny that his countenance was sad. Instead, he explained that the reason was that the city containing the graves of his ancestors lay in ruins, for the burial place of one’s ancestors was precious and sacred in the eyes of the Persians.

(ד) מ"ש ואתפלל, איך התפלל בעמדו לפני המלך, ולמה לא כתב נוסח התפלה?:

(4) When he says, “And I prayed,” how could he have prayed while standing before the king, and why does he not record the text of the prayer?

For what: That is, what exactly do you request—that the graves be rebuilt, or the entire city? Do you want me to order it rebuilt, or do you wish to be the one who rebuilds it? And I prayed: While answering the king, he inwardly addressed God in prayer. When he said, “If it pleases the king,” in his heart he directed these words toward the supreme King, praying that the matter should be pleasing in His sight and that He should favor the work of his hands; but aloud, he addressed these words to the earthly king.

If: That is, if the matter itself—rebuilding the ruined city—is good in his sight, and if your servant finds favor to serve as the agent for this purpose. Thus he said, “If your servant finds favor, send me; and if it pleases the king, I will rebuild it.”

(ו) הי"ל ואתנה לו זמן וישלחני?:

(6) Should the verse not have said, “And I gave him a time, and he sent me”?

And he said: The meaning is that both the king and the consort sitting beside him spoke to Nehemiah, just as in the verse, “And Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said.” According to the Sages, this king was Darius, the son of Esther. Accordingly, it may be suggested that this consort was his mother Esther, who hastened to make this request—for the king had already consented to the matter—because of her love for her people and her birthplace. How long: That is, when will you depart, and when will you return? And it pleased: Even before Nehemiah had settled upon a definite period, the matter pleased the king, and he sent me—that is, he granted me permission to go. Only afterward, I gave him a time, answering the king’s question concerning the time of his departure and return.

(ז) מהו אשר יעבירוני?, ומי יעביר אותו עד בואו אל הפחות?:

(7) What is the meaning of “that they may let me pass”? And who was to escort him until he reached the governors?

Let letters be given to me: The king’s scribes should issue them in the king’s name, so that they may escort me with troops and horsemen for protection; for the king provided him with army officers as far as the province Beyond the River (verse 9).

The keeper of the royal forest: He was responsible for the forests of Lebanon that belonged to the king. To make beams: The word is an infinitive in the intensive conjugation, meaning to make roofing for the gates of the fortress—that is, the gates of the Temple Mount. At that time, only the Temple itself had been built, but not the surrounding complex. And for the house into which I shall enter: The king would build a residence in every province for its governor, and that house belonged to the king. He therefore did not say, “for my house.”

And the king sent: This explains who escorted him as far as the governors. Until that point, he was accompanied by the army officers whom the king had sent with him. From his request that letters be given to the governors so that they would conduct him onward from there, it is evident that he had requested the king’s troops to protect him until he reached them.

(יב - יח) מדוע לא הגיד לאדם מה שרוצה לעשות?: ומדוע שבר בחומה בלילה?, ומדוע יצא משער הגיא ושב לשם?, ומדוע לא אמר לסגנים לאן הלך?, שכל אלה הדברים הם חדות סתומות, והלא אמר להם תיכף אח"ז מה שיעשה כמ"ש בפי"ח?:

(12–18) Why did he not tell anyone what he intended to do? Why did he inspect the wall at night? Why did he leave through the Valley Gate and return through the same gate? Why did he not tell the officials where he had gone? All these matters are obscure riddles, especially since he told them immediately afterward what he intended to do, as stated in verse 18.

And I arose at night: He did not yet wish to reveal that he intended to rebuild the wall, lest the enemies immediately begin to obstruct and denounce the undertaking, as they attempted to do afterward. He therefore went at night with only a few men, and they traveled on foot so that their passage would cause no commotion.

And I went out through the Valley Gate: Nehemiah’s residence was located there. This is clearly demonstrated by the account below (chapter 12): one of the two thanksgiving processions went to the right, toward the Dung Gate (12:31), while the second went to the left, toward the Tower of the Ovens (12:38). Evidently, both processions departed from the Valley Gate, which stood between the Tower of the Ovens and the Dung Gate (3:11–14). They departed from there because the governor’s residence was located there. The Valley Gate was on the western side. Nehemiah left his residence heading south, passed the place called the Dragon’s Spring, and proceeded to the Dung Gate, which was one thousand cubits away (3:13). And I was breaking: It appears that he wanted to test whether the portions of the old wall that remained were strong enough that they would not need to be demolished, so that only the breached sections would have to be filled in. Thus it is stated below (4:1), “the breaches began to be closed,” implying that wherever the wall was not breached, they left the old wall standing. He therefore tested whether he could break a standing section with his hand or whether it was strong. Ibn Ezra’s version spells the word with a sin rather than a shin, and he interprets it as related to thought or consideration—meaning that Nehemiah examined the wall. This interpretation fits very well with what I have explained.

And I passed by the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool: This was along his route southward (below, 3:15). And there was no room: He could not ride there because the breaches were narrow, so he dismounted and proceeded on foot.

And I went up through the valley: He continued southward throughout, and says, “I went up,” as it is written there, “as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David.” And I returned: From there he began retracing the route he had taken, traveling from south to north until he reached the Valley Gate, where he had begun his journey; from there he returned to his residence.

And the officials: They noticed that he was not at his residence, but they did not know where he had gone or what he was doing, because he had not told them at all for what purpose he had come to Jerusalem. Thus he says, “to the Jews,” and so forth, “until then”—that is, until that day I had not told anyone about the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Only now did he begin to speak to them about it.

And I said to them, “You see the distress”: That is, the reason we suffer at the hands of Judah’s enemies is that Jerusalem lies in ruins, and there is no fortified stronghold in which to take refuge from the enemy. Therefore, come, let us rebuild, so that we will no longer be an object of disgrace, for then we will have a fortified stronghold.

The king: A decree had already been issued by Cyrus to halt this construction (Ezra 4:21), and “a document written in the king’s name cannot be revoked.” However, that decree stated only that the city was not to be rebuilt “until a command is issued by me.” The king could therefore issue a new order granting permission, and they now possessed such authorization. This is what Nehemiah told them.

And I answered them: He first answered that the undertaking had the king’s authorization. And I said to them: Afterward, he told them, “The God of heaven”—that is, we have a share in Jerusalem, for it is our ancestral inheritance, as well as a memorial, because the God of heaven will grant us success, and the work of our hands will remain as a memorial and an act of righteousness. For we are His servants and are building for the sake of God; therefore, we shall arise and build. But you have no share, because you are foreigners; nor any right, because you do not serve God; nor any memorial through your deeds, because God will not grant you success.