Yirmiyahu 34 | The Slaves' Liberation and their Re-enslavement

In this chapter, we learn of a remarkable event: a covenant with God in which Tzidkiyahu and the entire people pledge to uphold the Torah’s commandment regarding the release of slaves. The verses report not only the formation of the covenant but also its implementation — both by the officials and by the people: “All the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant obeyed in that each person set free his manservant and his maidservant, Hebrew males and females, never to enslave them again” (34:10). Yet, in the very next verse, we learn that the people reversed their decision and re-enslaved their former servants.

What is the meaning of this covenant and its violation? Why did the people initially commit to freeing their slaves, only to later reclaim them? Harav Yaakov Medan explains this in light of the political situation described in Chapter 37: The Babylonians had besieged Jerusalem but withdrew upon the advance of the Egyptian army: “Pharaoh's army set out from Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard of this, they withdrew from Jerusalem” (37:5). Shortly afterward, Yirmiyahu prophesies that the Babylonian forces will return: “Pharaoh's army, which set 8 out to help you, is about to return to his land, to Egypt. The Chaldeans will return and attack this city. They will capture it and burn it down with fire” (37:7-8).

Our story begins in Jerusalem under siege. In times of siege, a slave is not an asset but a burden: households face a real food crisis, and a slave is yet another mouth to feed. For slave owners, it was more practical to “free” their slaves during the siege, thus relieving themselves of the obligation to provide for them. Capitalizing on these circumstances, the leaders of Jerusalem used the moment to stage a grand public “covenant” in which they ostensibly freed their slaves as an act of faithfulness to God’s covenant.

Despite the self-serving motivation behind this covenant, Yirmiyahu praises it — because, for once, the commandment of God was upheld, and a public declaration of covenant was made: “You repented today and did what was proper in My eyes” (34:15). In response to this act of righteousness, God caused the Egyptian king to rise, leading the Babylonian army to withdraw from Jerusalem—the siege was lifted as a result of their obedience to God’s command. A famous joke tells of a man desperately searching for a parking space. He prays to God, promising that if He provides one, he will donate a large sum to charity. Just as he finishes praying, a car pulls out of a spot, and the man turns to God and says, “Never mind, I found one myself.” The people of Jerusalem acted in a similar manner: once the siege was lifted and the danger passed, they felt comfortable reclaiming their slaves. This parallels Pharaoh in Egypt — during each plague, he promised Moshe to release the Israelites, only to go back on his word as soon as the plague ended. Given this parallel, it is especially striking that Yirmiyahu’s rebuke of the people explicitly recalls the Exodus from Egypt, reminding them that their own ancestors were freed from slavery under Pharaoh and emphasizing the Torah’s commandment to release slaves, which is deeply tied to Israel’s own experience of bondage.

Once the people re-enslaved their former servants, Yirmiyahu’s response was inevitable: he proclaims that the Babylonians who had withdrawn from Jerusalem would return, lay siege once more, and destroy the city. This is where our chapter concludes: “‘I shall now utter a command,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I shall bring them back to this city. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it down by fire’” (34:22). This prophecy is echoed in Chapter 37 as well.