Nevuchadnezzar's Steps to Honor Hashem
When Merodach-Baladan's letter names Hashem last, his scribe Nevuchadnezzar runs to fix it, and the angel Gavriel stops him before his reward grows too great.
Meanwhile, in Babylonia, King Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, noticed that the day was extraordinarily long. Bewildered, he sought an explanation and was told that Hashem had performed this miracle for the ailing King Chizkiyahu, who had just experienced a miraculous recovery.
Amazed, Merodach-Baladan exclaimed, “Such a great man is alive, and I have not yet sent him my greetings?” He immediately composed a letter, writing: “Greetings to King Chizkiyahu, greetings to the city of Jerusalem, and greetings to the Great G-d.”
At the time, Nevuchadnezzar served as the official royal scribe, but he was not present when the letter was drafted. Upon hearing its contents, he reacted with surprise. “You refer to Him as the Great G-d, yet you place His name last? The honor of Hashem should come first!”
Realizing the grave mistake, Nevuchadnezzar hastened to catch the messenger and have the letter rewritten with proper reverence. He took four hurried steps in his pursuit, but before he could take another, the angel Gavriel intervened, halting his advance.