I looked up again, and I saw: Four chariots were coming out from between the two mountains; the mountains were of copper.
Rashi’s Commentary
- and the mountains were mountains of copper A sign of the strength of these kingdoms, which came to them from between the two mountains, which are hard and strong, as these four chariots are messengers of the Holy one, blessed be He, to give ruling power to the four kingdoms of Babylon, Media, Greece, and Edom.
The horses of the first chariot were bay, the horses of the second chariot were black;
Rashi’s Commentary
- red horses They were the ones that caused Babylon to mount, for [Babylon] is red, as it is written (Dan. 2:38): “You are the head of gold” [gold having a red tinge].
- black [Horses,] to cause Media to mount, for they blackened the faces of Israel in the days of Haman.
the horses of the third chariot were white, and the horses of the fourth chariot were spotted—dappled.
Rashi’s Commentary
- white To cause Persia to mount, and Persia built the Temple.
- spotted They are spotted. [Their function is] to cause Greece to mount, [as Greece] oppressed Israel with various kinds of decrees
- ash- colored to cause Edom and Ishmael to mount, but I do not know the expression אֲמֻצִּים. Jonathan rendered: ash-colored.
In reply, the angel said to me, “Those are the four winds of heaven coming out after presenting themselves to the Sovereign of all the earth.
Rashi’s Commentary
- These are the four corners of the heavens The heavenly princes of the nations that rule over the four corners of the heavens.
- coming forth from standing, etc. They came before Him, and He gave them permission from His mouth to rule.
The one with the black horses is going out to the region of the north; the white ones have gone out to what is to the west of them; the spotted ones have gone out to the region of the south;
Rashi’s Commentary
- The one [chariot] the black horses were in was going to the northland to cause Media to ride. Concerning the red ones, he does not write that they were going forth because the kingdom of Babylon had already been destroyed.
- and the white ones went forth after them to cause Persia to mount both of them, in the north, and they ruled over Babylon.
- and the spotted ones went forth to the southland to cause Greece to mount so that Greece should take the kingdom from Persia. In Rav Saadiah’s interpretation of Daniel, the king of the south (11:5) is identified with the king of Greece.
אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ הַסּוּסִים הַשְּׁחֹרִים יֹצְאִים אֶל־אֶרֶץ צָפוֹן וְהַלְּבָנִים יָצְאוּ אֶל־אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְהַבְּרֻדִּים יָצְאוּ אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַתֵּימָן׃
רש"י
- אשר בה הסוסים השחורים יוצאים אל ארץ צפון. להרכיב את מדי ועל האדומים לא כתב יוצאים שכבר כלתה לה ממשלת בבל:
- והלבנים יצאו אל אחריהם. להרכיב את פרס שתיהן בצפון ומשלו על בבל:
- והברודים יצאו אל ארץ התימן. להרכיב את יון ויטלו המלוכ' מיד פרס ובפתרונו לרב סעדיה בדניאל ראיתי מלך הנגב הוא מלך יון:
and the dappled ones have gone out…” They were ready to start out and range the earth, and he gave them the order, “Start out and range the earth!” And they ranged the earth.
Rashi’s Commentary
- And the ash-colored ones went forth and begged of Him that they have a very long rule, to go throughout all the earth.
- And He said, “Go, walk to and fro on the earth” He gave them permission to rule a great ruling, and that is the kingdom of Edom.
Then he alerted me, and said to me, “Take good note! Those that went out to the region of the north have done my pleasure in the region of the north.”
Rashi’s Commentary
- Look, those going forth to the northland to cause Media and Persia to mount.
- eased My spirit They caused My anger to subside in Babylon when they destroyed Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar’s descendants. This is what Isaiah (48:14) said: “The Lord loves him who shall do His will in Babylon, etc.”
and say to him, “Thus said GOD of Hosts: Behold, a man called the Branch shall branch out from the place where he is, and he shall build the Temple of GOD.
Rashi’s Commentary
- whose name is the Shoot He is Zerubbabel, mentioned above (3:8): “Behold, I bring My servant, the Shoot,” since his greatness burgeoned little by little. Some interpret this as referring to the King Messiah, but the entire context deals with the [time of the] Second Temple.
- who will spring up out of his place From royal descent.
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה־אִישׁ צֶמַח שְׁמוֹ וּמִתַּחְתָּיו יִצְמָח וּבָנָה אֶת־הֵיכַל יְהֹוָה׃
רש"י
- צמח שמו. הוא זרובבל האמור למעלה הנני מביא את עבדי צמח ועל שם שצמחה גדולתו מעט מעט ויש פותרים אותו במלך המשיח אבל כל הענין הזה מדבר בבית שני:
- ומתחתיו יצמח. מזרע המלוכה:
He shall build the Temple of GOD and shall assume majesty, and he shall sit on his throne and rule. And there shall also be a priest seated on his throne, and harmonious understanding shall prevail between them.”
Rashi’s Commentary
- and he shall bear glory The glory of the kingship.
- And he shall sit The High Priest [shall sit] on the throne of the priesthood.
- And a council of peace, etc. The king and the Priest shall love one another.
The crowns shall remain in the Temple of GOD as a memorial to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen son of Zephaniah.
Rashi’s Commentary
- And the crowns shall be for Helem, etc. This is a transposed verse. It should be understood as: And the crowns shall be in the Temple of the Lord as a good memorial for Helem and for Tobijah, who donated the silver and the gold. Those crowns were hanging in the windows in the height of the Temple, as we learned in tractate Middoth (36a, 3:8).
- for Helem That is Heldai.
וְהָעֲטָרֹת תִּהְיֶה לְחֵלֶם וּלְטוֹבִיָּה וְלִידַעְיָה וּלְחֵן בֶּן־צְפַנְיָה לְזִכָּרוֹן בְּהֵיכַל יְהֹוָה׃
רש"י
- והעטרות תהיה לחלם וגו'. מקרא מסורס הוא והעטרות תהיינה בהיכל ה' לזכרון טוב לחלם ולטוביה אשר התנדבו הכסף והזהב ואותן עטרות היו תלויות בחלונות בגובה ההיכל כמו ששנינו במסכת מדות.
- חלם הוא חלדי:
Peoples from far away shall come and take part in the building of the Temple of GOD, and you shall know that I have been sent to you by GOD of Hosts—if only you will obey the ETERNAL your God!
Rashi’s Commentary
- And it shall come to pass if you hearken And this thing shall come to pass for you if you hearken, etc.