Zechariah HaNavi
Born: Eretz Yisrael, (year, ?)
Died: Eretz Yisrael, 313 BCE
A prophet, grandson of Ido the prophet. He has his own book in the Tanach, (Trei Asar/Twelve Prophets).
According to the Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria in Sha'ar HaGilgulim (hakdama 33), Zechariah had the souls of Aharon HaKohen and his sons Nadav and Avihu. He was a cohen, but is not referred to as such, because the main tikkun (soul correction) in this case had more to do with Nadav and Avihu than their father Aharon HaKohen, according to the Ari.
Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi all prophesied in the second year of [the reign of] Darius (Tractate Megillah 15a).
Zechariah prophesied during the Second Temple era (Tractate Sanhedrin 99a).
Zechariah is also called Meshulam, in the book of Nechemia 8:4, because he was perfect (shalem) in his deeds (Tractate Megillah 23a).
"I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; but the people who were with me did not see" (Daniel 10:7). This [refers to] Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. They were superior to him in that they were prophets [who were sent by God to relate prophesies to Israel] whereas he was not [sent with a prophesy], and he was superior to them in that he saw [the vision] whereas they did not (Tractate Sanhedrin 93b; see Maharsha).
Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi received the traditions of the Torah from the prophets [before them] (Avot d'Rabbi Natan I).
The Aramaic translation of the prophets was written by Yonatan ben Uziel, who had heard it [via his teachers (Maharsha, Tractate Megillah 3a)] from Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (ibid.).
These Mishnahs [not found in our Mishnah] were written by five great righteous men: Shimur the Levite, Chezekiah, Tzedkiah, Chaggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Ido the prophet. [In addition,] it was they who hid the vessels of the Temple and the treasures of Jerusalem (Ben Ish Chai's Rav Pe'alim p. 16).
Jeremiah was the last of all the prophets. Did Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi not prophesy after him? [Yes, but] they had received these prophecies long before (Midrash Aggadah, Bamidbar 30:15).
With the deaths of the last prophets - Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi - Divine Inspiration departed from Israel (Tractate Yoma 9b).
May the merit of the tzaddik Zechariah HaNavi protect us all, Amen.
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