(7) Now when all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Bavel had made Gedaliah the son of Achikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, and women, and children, and of the poorest of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Bavel; (8) then they came to Gedaliah to Mitzpah, even Yishmael the son of Nesaniah, and Yochanan and Yonasan the sons of Kare'ach, and Serayah the son of Tanchumes, and the sons of Ephai the Netophasi, and Yezaniah the son of the Ma'achasi, they and their men. (9) And Gedaliah the son of Achikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying: ‘Fear not to serve the Kasdim; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Bavel, and it will be well with you. (10) As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mitzpah, to stand before the Kasdim that may come to us; but you, gather your wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.’ (11) Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moav, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Bavel had left a remnant of Yehudah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Achikam, the son of Shaphan; (12) then all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Yehudah, to Gedaliah, to Mitzpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance. (13) Moreover Yochanan the son of Kare'ach, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mitzpah, (14) and said unto him: ‘Do you know that Ba'alis the king of the children of Ammon has sent Yishmael the son of Nesaniah to take your life?’ But Gedaliah the son of Achikam believed them not. (15) Then Yochanan the son of Kare'ach spoke to Gedaliah in Mitzpah secretly, saying: ‘Let me go, and I will slay Yishmael the son of Nesaniah, and no man shall know it; why should he take your life, that all the Jews that are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Yehudah perish?’ (16) But Gedaliah the son of Achikam said to Yochanan the son of Kare'ach: ‘You should not do this thing; for you speak falsely of Yishmael.’
(1) Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Yishmael the son of Nesaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Achikam to Mitzpah; and there they ate bread together in Mitzpah. (2) Then arose Yishmael the son of Nesaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and hit Gedaliah the son of Achikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Bavel had made governor over the land. (3) Yishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mitzpah, and the Kasdim that were found there, even the men of war.
The fast of the seventh is the third of Tishrei, because on it Gedaliah ben Achikam was killed, and who killed him? Yishmael ben Nesaniah killed him. To teach us that the death of a righteous person is equal to the burning of the house of Hashem; and it is called the seventh since it is in the seventh month.
והנה מה שצריך להבין הוא כי אין לדון דברי החסידות על מראיהן הראשון, אלא צריך לעיין ולהתבונן עד היכן תולדות המעשה מגיעות, כי לפעמים המעשה בעצמו יראה טוב, ולפי שהתולדות רעות יתחייב להניחו, ולו יעשה אותו יהיה חוטא ולא חסיד. הנה מעשה גדליה בן אחיקם גלוי לעינינו שמפני רוב חסידותו שלא לדון את ישמעאל לכף חובה או שלא לקבל לשון הרע, אמר ליוחנן בן קרח שקר אתה דובר על ישמעאל (ירמיה מ'), ומה גרם? גרם שמת הוא ונפזרו ישראל וכבה גחלתם הנשארה, וכבר ייחס הכתוב הריגת אנשים אשר נהרגו אליו כאילו הרגם הוא, ובמאמרם ז"ל (נדה ס"א): על הפסוק את כל פגרי האנשים אשר הכה ביד גדליה.
What must be understood is that actions should not be judged for saintliness at first glance, but should be carefully observed and reflected upon so that it may be determined how far their results extend. For at times an action in itself may seem worthy of performance, but because its results are evil, one will be obliged to leave it; and if he does not, he will be adjudged a sinner rather than a chasid. The episode of Gedaliah ben Achikam (Yirmiyahu 40:13) provides a clear illustration of this fact. Because of his abundant chassidus, which would not permit him to judge Yishmael adversely, or which would not permit him to receive slander, he said to Yochanan ben Kareach, "You are speaking falsely of Yishmael." What was the result? He died, the Jews were scattered, and their last hope was extinguished. And the Torah attributes to him the death of those men who were killed, as if he were the murderer, as indicated by the comment of our Sages of blessed memory upon the verse, (Yirmiyahu 41:9), "...the men who were killed through Gedaliah."