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YOU ARE HERE: Study Programs >> Perek Yomi (A Chapter a Day) >> Questions to Guide You

Perek Yomi - Haggai

by Rabbi Robert Layman

With the Prophet Haggai (pronounced Haggai in Hebrew), we enter a new, brief and final era of Biblical prophecy. Babylonia has been subdued by the might of Persia. King Cyrus, whom Jewish history looks upon favorably, has permitted the Jews to return to their homeland. The majority elect to remain in Babylonia, having adjusted to the conditions of the exile, while the more faithful make the difficult trek to Judah to begin their lives anew. That event began in 537 B.C.E.

Haggai's chronology can be determined by his references to specific years in the reign of King Darius, a successor of Cyrus, who had to contend with numerous rebellions. Darius had ascended the throne in 521. Against this background, Haggai calls for a renewal of the religious and national spirit of his people and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. He foresees a "day of the Lord" when great empires will cease to subjugate smaller nations and will make pilgrimages to the Temple. That messianic era cannot become a reality without a Temple, a project that Haggai views with great urgency. It is believed that Haggai was already up in years when he began to prophesy, that his career was short-lived (his recorded utterances span just a few months) but that he lived long enough to see the foundation of the Temple set in place under the leadership of the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, who evidently was moved to action by the Prophet.

Chapter 1

  1. From the introduction, the prophet is delivering his message at what period in Jewish history?
  2. Having returned (that is, some having returned) from exile, what major religious center remains to be built?
  3. Verse 4 indicates that the concern of those who had resettled on the land was primarily for themselves and, as a result, were they enjoying blessing or privation?
  4. Specifically, in verse 9, what association does the prophet establish between the failure to rebuild "God's house" and the condition of the people generally?
  5. What was the reaction of the leadership of the returned exiles and the people themselves (verse 12)?
  6. Was there any objection from any quarter (as recorded in this volume) to the "building of the house"?

Chapter 2

  1. From verse 2, would one conclude that although "God's house" had been built it was "something of a disappointment" because of its modest size and furnishings?
  2. What is the message of the prophet to those who are somewhat dismayed by the "simplicity"?
  3. What is the prediction for both the House and the land?
  4. Verses 14 through 19 are meant to instruct the listener that with the establishment of the house (its condition to the contrary notwithstanding) will come blessing or privation?
  5. How does the prophet conclude his message -- with optimism or with concern?
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