Yirmiyahu was a prophet who predicted the destruction of בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן (Bayit Rishon, the First Temple) by the Babylonians, and lived to see it happen. As King Nebuchednezzar was attacking Yerushalayim, Yirmiyahu was put in jail by the king of Yehudah. (Telling people that their city and Temple would be destroyed didn’t make Yirmiyahu very popular!)

And yet, while disaster was about to strike, Yirmiyahu did something surprising. We read about it in this week’s Haftarah. God told Yirmiyahu to purchase some land from his relatives, following the principle of גְּאוּלָּה (geulah, land redemption) in Parashat Behar!

Yirmiyahu said to God, “But You told me that the kingdom of Yehudah would be taken by the Babylonians! What am I going to do with this land You want me to buy?”

God went on to promise that, after the destruction by the Babylonians, Benei Yisrael would return to their land and would be looked after forever. God taught Yirmiyahu that we can never know what the future will look like. Things might seem bad, but everything might be wonderful tomorrow!

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