The Secret of Nebuchadnezzar and the Reincarnation of King Solomon in Jeremiah the Prophet

Class No. 19 | Class 1: (Continuation of the Bris from No. 18) Wednesday Morning, Parshas Chukas, 30 Sivan 5755

In this article, Rabbi Berland shlit"a explains the wondrous reason why Nebuchadnezzar merited to ride on a lion, and how this relates to his punishment in Gehennom (Hell). Through the story of the childhood of Nebuchadnezzar and Jeremiah the Prophet, the secret of King Solomon's reincarnation is revealed, along with the immense danger of excessive self-confidence in a person's own holiness.

The Gemara in Tractate Shabbos (150a) cites verses from the Book of Daniel, where Nebuchadnezzar stands and praises the King of Kings. After Hashem restored his kingdom and his sanity, following seven years in which he lived as a beast, he declares: "And You, Hashem, are God." The Gemara expounds on the verse, "And surpassing greatness was added to me," explaining that besides his return to the throne, Hashem gave him an additional, wondrous gift.

"Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav Yirmiyah bar Abba: This teaches that he rode upon a male lion, and tied a tanin (snake) to its head, to fulfill that which is stated: 'And surpassing greatness was added to me.'"

After Nebuchadnezzar returned to being human and resumed the royal throne, Hashem summoned a lion for him. The lion approached him, licked his feet, and sat beneath him without harming him. Suddenly, a snake appeared, and Nebuchadnezzar took it, tied it to the lion like a horse's bit and bridle, and began to gallop on the lion while holding the snake. All of this happened miraculously, without any sorcery.

Reward in This World in Order to Lose the World to Come

The question arises: Why did Hashem give the destroyer of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) such an immense gift? The answer is to prevent him from having any claim in the World to Come. Nebuchadnezzar was punished for destroying the Beis HaMikdash by being turned into a beast for seven years. He might have come with the claim: "Master of the Universe, look at the suffering I endured! I lived under the open sky, in the cold, snow, and ice; I roamed the mountains like an animal. Now I deserve a reward in the World to Come for my suffering, since my sin has already been atoned for."

Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, told him: "Take a lion, take a snake, and ride upon them. You will receive no reward in the World to Come. You received a punishment for your actions, and so that you will not say you deserve a reward for these sufferings—receive your reward in this world in the form of riding a lion, and descend to Gehennom (Hell) for all eternity."

The Chilling Pact Between Nebuchadnezzar and Jeremiah

An additional depth is hidden within the character of Nebuchadnezzar. According to the Midrash, Nebuchadnezzar was a descendant of King Solomon, as a punishment for Solomon marrying the Queen of Sheba. In his childhood, Nebuchadnezzar was a friend of Jeremiah the Prophet, and they would play together in Jerusalem.

Even then, while they were children, Jeremiah said to Nebuchadnezzar: "I know that this House will be destroyed, and I know that you are the one who will destroy it. Will you have mercy on us?" Nebuchadnezzar answered him cruelly: "I will not have mercy on anyone here. I will kill and slaughter everyone; I will not even have mercy on small children. But upon you, I will have mercy. I promise you that when I come to conquer Jerusalem and destroy everything, I will give an order to leave you alive."

The Secret of Reincarnation: The Danger of Excessive Self-Confidence

Why did Jeremiah specifically have to stand before Nebuchadnezzar and witness the destruction? The secret is that Jeremiah the Prophet was himself the reincarnation of the soul of King Solomon. King Solomon built the Beis HaMikdash, but because he did not sanctify himself properly and relied on his own wisdom and holiness, he was forced to return in a reincarnation as Jeremiah to receive the tidings of the destruction and to undergo the terrible sorrow of writing Megillas Eichah (the Book of Lamentations).

King Solomon thought he could withstand any situation. He said to himself: "I can do this and also do that; nothing will harm me, I am already holy and pure." But the truth is that there is no such thing. A person is formed from physical matter and has a body, and he is forbidden to play games with his body or rely on it too much.

The body is liable to be harmed and to succumb to the yetzer (evil inclination) from any small thing. This is the great warning for every person—never rely on your own holiness, do not think you are immune to spiritual falls, and always maintain caution and yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven).

Part 1 of 4 — Class No. 19

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