Let me tell you about Nebuchadnezzar.

For eighteen years, can you imagine, eighteen years daily, a heavenly voice boomed through his palace! This wasn't some quiet whisper; this was a full-on announcement, telling him, "O thou wicked slave, go and destroy the house of thy Lord, for His children hearken not unto Him." So proclaims Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbinic lore by Louis Ginzberg.

But Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, wasn't exactly thrilled about this divine instruction. He wasn't sure he wanted to mess with the God of the Jews. Maybe he remembered what happened to his ancestor, Sennacherib, who, after tangling with the divine, met a rather unfortunate end.

So, what did Nebuchadnezzar do? He hedged his bets. He consulted all sorts of omens, desperate for reassurance that attacking Jerusalem would actually go well for him. He turned to belomancy, an ancient form of divination using arrows. As Ginzberg tells us, he shook those arrows, asking whether he should go to Rome or Alexandria. Nothing. Not a single arrow budged. But when he asked about Jerusalem? One sprang right up!

And it didn't stop there. It’s like the universe was screaming at him! He sowed seeds, like you might consult the stars. Nothing grew for Rome or Alexandria. But for Jerusalem, everything sprouted and flourished. He lit candles and lanterns; again, darkness for Rome and Alexandria, but a blaze of light for Jerusalem. He even floated vessels on the Euphrates River – no movement for those other cities, but the vessels sailed smoothly toward Jerusalem.

Think about the sheer persistence of these signs. It's almost comical, isn't it? The divine voice, the stubborn arrows, the eager seeds, the shining lights, the cooperative river… It's like the universe was bending over backwards to make its will known.

What does it all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that even those who seem to be acting on their own volition are, in some way, part of a larger cosmic drama. Or maybe it's a cautionary tale about ignoring the signs, about the dangers of free will when faced with what feels like destiny. Either way, the story of Nebuchadnezzar and his reluctant campaign against Jerusalem is a powerful reminder that we are all, in some way, connected to something bigger than ourselves. And sometimes, that something really wants you to pay attention.