Rebbetzin Chava Kuperman
These prophets live and work while the Temple still lies in ruins, but Babylonian rule, which lasted 70 years, has already given way to Persian rule.
We should recall that the era of prophecy comes to an end after the destruction of the First Temple. (To use a figurative comparison, there is no water in the tap, yet if you turn it on, a little still drips out).
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi - the last three drops of prophecy.
Their prophecies are different now—not explicit, but hidden, hazy, and hard to understand.
There is something else worth recalling. The prophet Jeremiah foretold the fate of Babylonian rule. He said: Babylon would last 70 years and then fall. The Jews (at the beginning of the exile) hoped that they would then return to Israel. (The Temple was destroyed 18 years after Babylonian hegemony was established). And indeed, 70 years passed, and Babylon fell to Cyrus, ruler of Persia. Cyrus issues a declaration on the Jews' return to Israel. He orders all his subjects to help the Jews in this endeavor and even returns some of the Temple vessels.
Not everyone returns to Israel—mainly those who have not settled into life in Babylon or acquired property, position, or prestige: in other words, the least well-off, not only economically but spiritually as well.
Upon their return, they lay the foundation of the Second Temple.
The prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi show them the correct locations of both the future Temple and the altar. Moreover, they say that sacrifices may already be offered at this site, even though the Temple has not yet been built. Choosing the correct location is crucial—an error of one millimeter, and the service would become idolatry.
Each prophet passed on his own “information file”: one indicated the location of the Temple, the second the location of the altar, and the third explained that sacrifices could be offered.
But the period that must pass between the destruction and the construction of the new Temple (70 years) has not yet elapsed. The local, non-Jewish population sends denunciations to Persia. “The Jews are warlike! If the Temple is built, they will rebel against the authorities! The Jews in Israel are a threat to Persia!”
Then an order is issued to halt construction; those very 18 years of limbo begin, when the Temple is no longer being built. The events recounted in Megillat Esther span 14 of those 18 years.
Let us look more closely at the tasks performed by each of the three prophets...
to be continued