Fifty-Two Years No Bird Flew Over the Land of Israel

For the mountains I will take up weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lament (Jeremiah 9:9). For the high and lofty mountains that became wilderness I will take up a lament. For they are laid waste so that no man passes through, and they do not hear the sound of cattle [mikneh] (Jeremiah 9:9). It was not enough for you that you did not listen to His voice, but you provoke [maknim] Me with your idolatry. Even so, from the birds of the heavens to the beasts, they have fled and gone (Jeremiah 9:9). Rabbi Yose bar Halafta said: For fifty-two years no bird was seen flying over the land of Israel, to fulfill what is said, From the birds of the heavens to the beasts they have fled and gone (Jeremiah 9:9). Rabbi Hanina said: Forty years before Israel was exiled to Babylon, they planted date palms in Babylon, because Israel craved sweetness, which trains the tongue for Torah. They taught in the name of Rabbi Judah: For seven years brimstone and salt held sway, a burning over all its land (Deuteronomy 29:22), as it is said, And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week [seven years] (Daniel 9:27). The Samaritans who were there, what would they do? It was burned in patches and patches; they would sow here and it would be burned, sow here and it would be burned. Rabbi Zeira said: Come and see how brazen is the land of Israel, that it still produces fruit. And why does it produce fruit? Two Amoraim. One said, because they manure it. The other said, because they turn over its soil, like one who empties a measure, so that what is above goes down and what is below comes up. There was an incident with a certain man who was plowing in the valley of Arbel, and his plow-point went deep, and burning earth came up and scorched the seed. Rabbi Hanina son of Rabbi Abbahu said: Seven hundred kinds of clean fish, and eight hundred kinds of clean locusts, and birds without number, and all of them went into exile with Israel to Babylon. And when they returned, all of them returned with them, except for the fish called shibuta. And how did the fish go into exile? Rabbi Huna in the name of Rav Yose said: By way of the deep they went into exile, and by way of the deep they returned.