Yirmiyahu 35 | The Prophecy to the House of Rekhav

God commands Yirmiyahu to go to a family known as the house of Rekhav and offer them wine to drink. The verse vividly describes the wine poured before them: “I placed goblets full of wine and cups before the sons of the house of Rekhav” (35:5), increasing both our surprise and Yirmeyahu’s as we witness their firm refusal to drink. The Rekhavites explain their refusal by citing an ancient command from their forefather, Yehonadav son of Rechav, who instructed them never to drink wine and never to live in permanent dwellings, but rather to reside in tents.

The Rekhavites’ remarkable loyalty to their ancestor’s command serves in this chapter as a rebuke to the people of Yehuda: “For the children of Yehonadav son of Rekhav obeyed their ancestor's command just as he had commanded them, but this people have not obeyed Me” (35:16). The rebuke is, of course, based on contrast: If the Rekhavites so carefully uphold their father’s directive, why do the people of Yehuda, who have been warned repeatedly by the prophets, fail to heed the command given to them by God?

Thus far, we have presented the straightforward connection between the parable of the Rekhavites and its message, as Yirmiyahu states explicitly. However, one might ask: Is there a deeper significance here? Is there a thematic link between the Rekhavites’ lifestyle and Israel’s sins beyond the general concept of adhering to an ancient directive?

Dr. Reuven Gafni, in the attached article, argues that the idolatrous sins of the people are strongly tied to their agricultural lifestyle. A person whose livelihood depends on the weather is more likely to deify the natural forces. Indeed, the widespread worship of Baal stemmed from his perception as the god of rain. Yehonadav son of Rekhav — who personally fought against Baal worship (see Melakhim II Chapter 10) — commanded his descendants to dwell in tents, ensuring that they would remain shepherds rather than farmers. As shepherds, they would be less susceptible to the temptation of idol worship. Gafni connects this to the imagery in the opening of Sefer Yirmiyahu: “You followed Me into the wilderness” (2:2)—suggesting that Israel found it easier to maintain their faith in God as nomads in the desert. The prohibition against drinking wine may have similarly aimed to prevent indulgence and behaviors that lead to idol worship. As the prophet Hoshea states, after a period of purification in the wilderness, Israel would be ready to return to agriculture: “Behold, now I will coax her, I will lead her back  to the open desert… there I will give her vineyards” (Hoshea 2:16-17). Yehonadav’s commandments, then, were designed to prevent his descendants from falling into the sins of idolatry. As a result, they merited the promise of longevity in the land: “So that you will thrive for many days upon the land where you will reside” (35:7).

Thus, the people of Yehuda and Jerusalem have two lessons to learn from the Rekhavites: First, the idea of unwavering loyalty to their forefather’s words. And on a deeper level, they can learn practical steps to maintain faithfulness to God and avoid the temptation of idol worship.