The Weekly Haftorah

To contact Rabbi Mendel Dubov, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠JewishSussex.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To contact Rabbi Mendel Dubov, visit ⁠⁠⁠JewishSussex.com⁠⁠⁠.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠⁠JewishSussex.com⁠⁠.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠⁠JewishSussex.com⁠⁠.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠⁠JewishSussex.com⁠⁠.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠⁠JewishSussex.com⁠⁠

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠⁠JewishSussex.com⁠⁠It is important to note that chronologically the book of Isaiah should have begun here, with chapter 6. The five chapters that precede this were mostly concerning the destruction of “Judah and Jerusalem,” because at that time the state of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians. This came long after the reign of Uzziah, by whose reign the beginning of chapter 6 is dated. This is one of the places that follow the famous rule that “there is no chronological order in the Torah.”The correlation between the Parshah and the haftarah is the vision of the heavenly spheres that open the narrative in the latter. At the time of the giving of the Torah, “the heavens opened” and the Jewish people saw all that the prophets would later describe in mystical terms. In a similar vein, the haftarah for the first day of Shavuot (the date of the giving of the Torah) is taken from the first chapter of Ezekiel, who describes his vision known as the Merkavah (Divine “chariot”). These are portions of Tanach that enter the realm of the esoteric and “heavenly” part of of the Torah, known in Jewish vernacular as Kabbalah. All the physical terms therein must be divested of their simple meaning, as they describe something that is only analogous to the physical description.After witnessing the Divine service of the heavenly angels, a seraph angel brings a “coal” to Isaiah’s lips and atones for his sin (see below). The voice of G‑d is heard and, as if speaking to the angels, He wonders who might go as a messenger to His people below who have gone astray. Isaiah answers the call, this while fully realizing the consequences of such a position.G‑d tells Isaiah of how the people’s heart had grown “fat,” their ears “heavy” and their eyes “sealed.” If only they were more sensitive, they would return to G‑d and not have to endure the troubles looming on the horizon. Unfortunately, it would not be until destruction came that the people would awaken. Still, then, it would be likened to a “terebinth and an oak” in the fall: even though they lose their leaves and beauty, there is still vitality in the trunk. By the same token, although the Jewish people would lose tremendously, they would nevertheless endure forever.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠JewishSussex.com⁠. This week's haftorah describes the fall of the Canaanite general Sisera and his armies, who were swept away by the Kishon River, and Deborah's ensuing song of thanks. This parallels this week's Torah portion which discusses the drowning of the Egyptian forces in the Red Sea and and the subsequent songs led by Moses and Miriam. Deborah the Prophetess was the leader and judge of the Israelites at a difficult time; the Israelites were being persecuted by King Jabin of Canaan and his general Sisera. Deborah summoned Barak son of Abinoam and transmitted to him G‑d's instruction: "Go and gather your men toward Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and Zebulun. And I shall draw to you, to the brook Kishon, Sisera, the chieftain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will give him into your hand." At Barak's request, Deborah accompanied him, and together they led the offensive. Sisera was informed of the Israelites' mobilization and he gathered his forces and proceeded towards the Kishon River. Barak's army below and the heavens above waged battle against the Canaanites and utterly destroyed them. The river washed them all away; not one of the enemy survived. The defeated general fled on foot and arrived at the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. She invited him in and offered to hide him. When he fell asleep, Jael took a tent-peg and knocked it through Sisera's temple. The next chapter of the haftorah is the Song of Deborah, which describes the miraculous victory and thanks the One Above for His assistance.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠JewishSussex.com⁠. Our haftarah is taken from the last part of the book of Jeremiah, in which he delivers a number of prophecies concerning Israel’s neighboring nations. The time was one of great upheaval. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia was conquering one empire after another, soon making his nation the superpower of the time. One of the greatest rival empires to Babylonia was Egypt. In this reading, Jeremiah foresees the defeat of the Egyptian Pharaoh and his nation by the Babylonians. He begins with calling on Egypt to mobilize in preparation for a battle that would take place with Babylonia, some years after the latter would destroy Judea. Egypt would suffer total defeat, her mercenaries sent fleeing to their homelands. The cause for Egypt’s defeat would be by Divine ordinance: G‑d had taken an irrevocable oath that Egypt would fall. (The reason for Egypt’s punishment was because they had promised the Judean kingdom to fight with them against Nebuchadnezzar. When, however, Judea was attacked, Egypt failed to send any help.) Soon, the Egyptians who enjoyed a prosperous life until then would go into exile. Even the aristocrats, indeed the king himself with his powerful army, would not withstand the Babylonian onslaught. Nevertheless, after some time, the state of defeat and subservience to Babylonia would come to an end. At that time the Egyptians would regain some of their power and a semblance of their original sovereignty. Upon seeing this, the Jews could feel hurt: What about us? Why are we failing to return to our original state of glory? To this prophet responds in a reassuring tone: “Have no fear, My servant Jacob.” Although it will take more time, G‑d will never forsake His people, and in the end they will return to their land in peace and security. Even if the Jews would see the total destruction of the empires who took them captive, or major wars between the nations amongst whom they lived, they still should not fear. Yes, they would have to suffer, but they would always survive.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit ⁠JewishSussex.com⁠. This week's haftorah begins with a mention of the ingathering of the exiles, echoing G‑d's promise mentioned in the Torah portion: "I will take you out of the suffering of Egypt." The prophet then goes on to discuss the decimation of Pharaoh and Egypt, reminiscent of the primary theme of the Torah portion—the devastation G‑d wrought upon Egypt. Ezekiel begins with a description of what will occur during the ingathering of the exiles. "When I gather in the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, and I have been sanctified through them in the eyes of the nations, then shall they dwell on their land that I gave to My servant, to Jacob. And they shall dwell upon it securely..." The prophet then proceeds to convey a prophecy regarding Pharaoh and Egypt, foretelling the fall of the Egyptian empire. Egypt merited this punishment for two reasons: a)  They had reneged on their promise to come to Israel's aid against the attacking Babylonians. b) They had incredible arrogance, considering themselves un-reliant on G‑d, instead attributing their success to the bounty their deified Nile afforded them. Therefore, Ezekiel warns: "And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and in ruins, and they shall know that I am the Lord! Because he [Pharaoh] said, 'The river is mine, and I have made it.'" G‑d warns that the land of Egypt will be empty and desolate for forty years, after which G‑d will return the people to the land to reinhabit it, but it will no longer be an important nation to be reckoned with. The haftorah ends with another prophecy wherein G‑d informs Ezekiel that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, will be the one to conquer Egypt and take its spoils. This as a reward for his effort in defeating the wicked nation of Tyre.

To contact Rabbi Dubov, visit JewishSussex.com. The haftarah begins with recalling the descent of Jacob to Egypt (the subject with which Parshat Shemot begins). The Jews struck root and blossomed in a foreign land. When they were treated badly by their host country, the Egyptians eventually suffered the very same suffering they inflicted on the Jews. An example for this was when the Egyptians drowned in the sea, this coming as a punishment for drowning Jewish babies in the Nile. By the same token, if Jews would destroy their idols and leave their sinful ways, G‑d would repel their enemies and would render them weak and feeble, thus allowing the Jews to take their territory. The prophet then turns to the state of the ten northern tribes (the kingdom of Israel, also known as Ephraim after its leading tribe), whose people, particularly the elite, were sunk in the pursuit of material pleasures. Life would not continue for them in this way much longer, for in the end they would suffer the fate of exile and belittlement. The state of Judah, at least at this time, had not gone as far as their brethren in Israel, and so G‑d would be with them, granting their leaders wisdom and strength. But Isaiah sees the people of Judah too slipping down the slope of temptation. As in Israel, they too would fall to drinking and merrymaking, lowering themselves to a most disgraceful and unholy plateau. “Who will the teachers teach?” the prophet decried, “the suckling babies?!” The prevailing attitude seemed to be that for every commandment they would hear from the sage, they had some kind of other “commandment” to adhere to. For any defining line of moral standard, they seemed to have some kind of different standard to judge by. If the prophet told them that time was running out and that soon they would experience a downturn, they would delay any movement just to enjoy a few last days of a frivolous life. In the end, though, the day of reckoning would come. For every commandment abandoned, there would be an enemy who would inflict another harsh decree. For that little time of superficial gratification, there would be a downfall that would also not take very long. Once again, however, in the end it will be good. After their endurance in exile, there will come a time when the Jews will return home from all the places to which they have been dispersed. our holy forefathers will no longer be ashamed of their grandchildren; to the contrary, at that time they will praise G‑d, for the children He gave them will go in their ways.

Overview Our Parshah tells the story of Jacob’s final moments in this world. He speaks to Joseph, blesses Joseph’s children, and then gathers his sons for them to hear his last words to them. In a similar vein, the haftarah describes the final words of another one of our greatest heroes: King David. In this last command to his young son Solomon, the king begins with telling him to be strong and fear G‑d. Following the Torah and its mitzvot would bring him wisdom and success, and guarantee that G‑d would keep His promise to David that his descendants would forever be the kings among Israel. After these general instructions, David leaves his son with some work to do. There were a number of things that David wanted to see happen, but which could be carried out only after his death. In the following paragraphs we will explain some of the background behind these various commands.

Overview Perhaps the most tragic of all Jewish divides was that of the ten tribes versus the two (Israel and Judah). This split, which was divinely ordained, began with a political motive. The overwhelming majority of the people were disenchanted with Rechavam (Rehoboam), the heir to King Solomon, and ended up forming their own state. The real trouble began, however, when Yeravam (Jeroboam) ben Nevat, the leader of the revolt and its appointed king, did not think it was a good idea for his people to visit the Temple in Jerusalem. The ruling monarchs there were Rehoboam and later his successors from the Davidic dynasty, and for his subjects to maintain a strong connection to the opposing state was not politically wise. Jeroboam therefore banned all pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and instead erected two large golden calves at the two ends of his kingdom for pilgrims to visit in worship. The spiritual elite, as well as many kohanim and Levites, were obviously appalled by this act. Slowly but surely, many of them made their way out of Israel and settled in Judah. The net effect of all this in subsequent generations was the spiritual devastation of the entire state. Over the next two centuries, most of the rulers were quite wicked, and the people went in similar ways. Many of the prophets warned time and again that their actions would bring on catastrophe, but their warnings were hardly heeded. In the end the state fell to the Assyrians, and its inhabitants were scattered across the globe. Most of the exiled Jews assimilated in the local population and were lost to their people. Lost, but not totally. In this prophecy of Ezekiel, he speaks in clear and certain terms of the eventual ingathering and return of all Jews from wherever they may have been exiled. They will return to their homeland and reside under a united kingdom—no longer split in two. It will be Moshiach who will reign over all Israel: Moshiach, who is the ultimate heir to King David. The spiritual ills of the past will be entirely cured, and the Jews will once again attain the holy state in which they were destined to be. No longer will they need to fear exile, for the redemption, the Temple in Jerusalem and Davidic rule will now all be final and eternal. To demonstrate this, Ezekiel is instructed to take two sticks of wood; on one he was to write “For Judah” and on the other, “For Joseph and for Ephraim.” He was to bring these pieces together, thus demonstrating that the two kingdoms, that of David (from the tribe of Judah) and that of Jeroboam (from the tribe of Ephraim, son of Joseph) would in time to come be united. The connection to the Parshah is quite fascinating. The portion of Vayigash begins with the confrontation between Judah and Joseph about the fate of Benjamin. The difficult exchange between them served as a precedent for the future rivalry between the descendants of these two leaders.

Solomon was just a young lad when he assumed the throne. In fact, he was a mere twelve years of age. In those days, prior to the construction of the Temple, the altar that was built by Moses was situated in Gibeon. Soon after he became king, Solomon went to Gibeon to pray and give thanks. While in Gibeon, G‑d appeared to Solomon in a dream. “What should I give you?” the Almighty asked. Solomon was acutely aware of his young age and lack of experience. He, therefore, asked G‑d for “an understanding heart to judge Your people.” G‑d expresses His great satisfaction and happiness with this choice. Solomon could have opted to make any other attractive wish for himself: long life, wealth, victory over his enemies, etc. Because he had wished for what he did, G‑d told him that in addition to wisdom, he would also enjoy great wealth and honor. And the wisdom G‑d would grant him would be the likes of which no one before him or after him would possess. This gift of wisdom was put to the test soon after the young king returned home. Two prostitutes came before the king with a quarrel. The first began to lay out her side of the story: They had both been sharing a lodging space, and had both given birth—she first, her housemate three days later. Unfortunately, her housemate’s baby had died the night after it was born. Upon realizing this, her housemate had gone and secretly exchanged her dead child with her housemate’s live one. “I awoke in the morning to nurse my son, and behold, he was dead! But I looked closely at him in the morning, and behold, it was not my son whom I had borne.” The second woman denied this entirely. “Not so! The living child is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And so the argument continued. Solomon repeated the claims of each party, thus ensuring he understood them. (Our sages use this verse as the source for a judge’s obligation to repeat the claims of the litigants in front of them, to ensure he has understood them properly.) The case was obviously made more difficult by the fact that there were no witnesses for any of the events. Solomon had to think of some original method of how to detect who was speaking the truth. The king said, “Fetch me a sword,” and they brought a sword before the king. The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” The woman whose son was the live one said to the king—for her compassion was aroused for her son—and she said: “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “Let it be neither mine nor yours; divide it.” The king answered and said, “Give her the living child, and by no means kill him: she is his mother.” Word of Solomon’s great display of wisdom spread throughout the entire kingdom. The people now revered the young king, for they saw that the wisdom of G‑d was with him. Simply speaking, what impressed the people was that despite his young age, the king had managed to think of such a clever scheme to solve this difficulty. Now of course such a scheme would not always be effective. Any decent human being would at least be hesitant to agree to the proposition of “dividing” any child, even if it was not theirs; indeed, they would most probably express profound shock at the mere proposition. The wisdom of Solomon was the ability to discern the precise character of the litigants who stood in front of him. The accurate assessment that his charade would be effective was the product of his great wisdom and a clear display of it.

Overview The prophet Obadiah was a contemporary of Elijah the prophet. He lived in the days of King Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel. In fact, he was the manager of their entire estate. We encounter him in the story of Elijah and his confrontations with King Ahab. When Jezebel began hunting down and killing all prophets of G‑d, Obadiah took it upon himself to hide one hundred prophets in two caves and to provide all their needs from his own pocket. The verse there calls him “a very G‑d-fearing man.” Albeit nameless, we also encounter him posthumously in the haftarah of Vayeira, with the miracle of Elisha and the oil (see there). The book of Obadiah contains only one chapter, and it is entirely preoccupied with the fate of Edom—the descendants of Esau. Obadiah was specifically chosen to be the carrier of this message because he was in fact an Edomite who had converted to Judaism. Furthermore, “Obadiah, who dwelt amidst two wicked people (Ahab and Jezebel) and did not learn from their ways—let him come and prophesy the downfall of Esau, who dwelt amidst two righteous people (Isaac and Rebecca) and did not learn from their ways.” As we read in our Parshah extensively, Esau and his descendants lived in and ruled the region of Mount Seir known as Edom. The people of Edom were a continuous adversary of the Jews in the Land of Israel. What is interesting, though, is that Obadiah speaks of the doom that will befall Edom in the days of Moshiach. This is not unique to Obadiah—a number of other biblical prophets speak of this as well. The Mishnah states it as fact that the descendants of the biblical nations no longer inhabit their original places of origin. As far this prophecy is concerned, however, a fascinating observation is made by a number of commentaries. Rome was founded by the people and culture of Edom, the descendants of Esau. Thus the Romans, who destroyed the Second Temple, and those European nations who continued in their path with centuries of Jewish persecution and torture, are all included in the term “Edom.” It is for this reason that throughout rabbinic literature, the exile we are in now is referred to “the exile of Edom.” The book of Obadiah, then, refers to “Edom” in this broader sense. Although the details of how this prophecy might be fulfilled are mostly obscure, the obvious idea is that in time to come G‑d will take retribution upon Edom, who oppressed the Jewish people. The “Vision of Obadiah” begins with what might be a mocking statement directed at Edom’s arrogance. Notwithstanding their self-determination, G‑d will bring them down from the high place they considered themselves to be. Edom will be entirely overrun by its enemies and backstabbed by its allies. At that time it will lose both its wise and its mighty, rendering it a ridiculed and poor nation. Seeing far into the future, Obadiah tells of the future wrongs of Edom which would earn them this retribution. In the time of the destruction and exile of the Jews by the Babylonians, the Edomites stood by and happily watched the downfall of Israel and the exile of its people. There was not even a trace of the kinship that might have been expected from a nation who were in effect cousins to the Jews. Worse still was the destruction perpetrated by the Romans themselves some five hundred years later. The hate the Romans showed was so great that they were bent on destroying every last remnant of what once was the Jewish people. The prophet says that “the day is near” when all the evil done by Edom will be returned to it. (Radak explains that although this would happen in a long time from when these words were said, it could be considered “near” in the sense of “certain,” as this is a promise by G‑d.) At that time, not only will the Jews return to their rightful land and holy place, but they will also expand their territory into the lands of their former enemies. This will be the time when G‑d will be recognized as sovereign in the world.

Overview Hosea was one of the prophets who lived at the time of the looming destruction of the northern state of Israel, which comprised ten of the twelve tribes. (He refers to the state as “Ephraim,” for its first ruler, Jeroboam ben Nebat, was from that tribe.) Hosea was the first of four prophets who warned of the eventual exile in similar terms, the others being Isaiah, Amos and Micah. The beginning of the haftarah seems to be directed to the people as a whole. Although the people were very hesitant about mending their ways, G‑d still would not, nay could not, totally destroy them. After their long exile, G‑d would gather them in and return them to their land. The people of Israel had been spending their lives in vanity, pursuing emptiness, and not in the most scrupulous of ways. If catastrophe would befall them, it could have been caused only by their own actions. “Keep lovingkindness and justice,” begs Hosea, “and hope to your G‑d always.” The prophet reminds the people of their history—the events in this week’s Parshah. Jacob contended with his wicked brother Esau and overcame him. Moreover, he fought with an angel, and was victorious, the angel in turn pleading with Jacob to let him be. Prior to these events, Jacob arrived penniless at the home of his uncle Laban, and had to work to marry his wives. He then, however, amassed great wealth when G‑d caused the turn of events to be in his favor. If this was the history of their ancestor, the Jews could take heed and cast their lot with G‑d, and not with the emptiness of affluence or the nations they allied with.

Overview The book of Malachi gives us a unique glimpse into the time when he delivered his prophecies. As the last of the biblical prophets, Malachi is there as the Second Temple is being built and the handful of Jews return to their land. Although they had taken a leading role in this historic time, the spiritual level that these Jews were at was rather low. As we read in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah at length, the Jewish men thought much more of the non-Jewish women than of their Jewish wives. After all, why be married to a Jewish woman, on whose face can be seen all the difficulties of exile, when you can marry a good-looking local girl and become part of society? The newly arrived immigrants were also so bent on material prosperity in their new surroundings that expenses for their Jewish duties were seen as burdensome. We read here that the sacrifices offered in the Temple were taken from the poorest of the crops and animals. The people also had a general disrespect, even contempt, for the Temple service. It is here that Malachi admonishes them to wake up to their real selves. He begins with describing the unconditional love that exists between G‑d and His people. This had been demonstrated with the Jewish return to their homeland, something that no other exiled nation had been able to do. Where is the reciprocation? the prophet demands. So insensitive had they grown that they did not even think there was anything wrong with their attitude. The service in the Temple was to be the source of blessing for the people in the land, and ridiculing it would in turn become a source of shame and contempt for themselves. The final words of the haftarah are directed to the kohanim. G‑d had made a covenant with the priests because of their commitment and righteous ways. The kohanim were expected to continue in the way of their ancestors, teach the people, and live lives that would serve as role models for the rest of the nation.

Overview The portion of Chayei Sarah is all about continuity. Abraham has grown old, and the burning question that occupies his mind is the continuation of his family and legacy. Abraham and Sarah’s only son, Isaac, is not married yet. Our Parshah gives us the detailed account of the search and eventual finding of Isaac’s wife, Rebecca. The haftarah carries a similar theme. King David had been handpicked by G‑d to establish the Jewish kingdom. G‑d had promised him that Jewish kings for all time would be of his descent. As David had many sons, there was going to be a need to clarify who would be the heir to David’s throne. Earlier in his life, David had made it clear that it was Solomon, the son of his wife Bathsheba, who would take over the kingdom after him. But David had grown old and weak, and was no longer involved in matters of state as he once had been. Taking advantage of this situation, David’s oldest living son, Adonijah (Adoniyahu), thought it was a good time to self proclaim himself as the next king. He was handsome and evidently popular, while Solomon was a mere twelve years of age. He went about parading himself with great pomp around the kingdom. He threw a large party and invited a number of powerful and influential people whom he knew would support his cause. Getting news of this, the prophet Nathan came to Bathsheba and encouraged her to go to the king and implore him to do something. Nathan went in after her, and they both reminded David of his promise and asked him to intervene. The old king reaffirmed his oath that Solomon would be his heir. In the verses following the conclusion of the haftarah, David orders that Solomon be crowned and officially proclaimed as king during his lifetime.

Overview Parshat Vayeira tells the story of the miraculous birth of Isaac. Although Abraham and Sarah could never naturally have children, G‑d gave them a child in their deep old age. Reflecting this, the haftarah recounts a similar miracle which was performed through the prophet Elisha. Elisha had been the student of Elijah the prophet. Before the ascent of Elijah to heaven, Elisha requested of his teacher that he be granted “a double portion of your spirit.” This was indeed fulfilled, and Scripture enumerates twice as many miracles performed by Elisha as by his teacher Elijah. Our haftarah recounts three of these miracles. The first miracle involved a widow who was heavily in debt, and her creditors were threatening to take her two sons as slaves to satisfy the debt. When Elisha asked her what she had in her home, the widow responded that she had nothing but a vial of oil. Elisha told her to gather as many empty containers as possible. She should then pour oil from her vial into the empty containers. She did as commanded, and miraculously the oil continued to flow until the last empty jug was filled. The woman would sell the oil for a handsome profit, and have enough money to repay her debts and live comfortably. The second miracle: Elisha would often pass by the city of Shunem, where he would dine and rest at the home of a certain hospitable couple. This couple even built a special addition to their home, a guest room designated for Elisha's use. When the prophet learned that the couple was childless, he blessed the woman that she should give birth to a child in exactly one year’s time. Indeed, one year later a son was born to the aged couple. The third miracle: A few years later, this miraculously born son complained of a headache and died shortly thereafter. The Shunammite woman laid the lifeless body on the bed in Elisha’s designated room, and quickly made her way to the prophet. Elisha came to the woman’s home and miraculously brought the boy back to life.

Overview The Jewish exile would leave Jerusalem desolate and alone. So barren would it be that its former glory would be barely imaginable. The cities of her enemies would be filled with masses, as if they were married women with many children. But Jerusalem could be compared to a mother who may well be taken as being childless, so lost are her children to her. Moreover, the Divine Presence that continually rested within in her midst would now be gone. As such, the pain would be double, now also likened to a wife whose husband abandoned her, leaving her feeling as if she has been widowed. But Jerusalem will yet see her children return. Her numbers and joy will far surpass those of her adversaries. No more will she need to remember the shame and mortification of her early days of loneliness. Jerusalem and her neighboring towns and villages will now flourish with multitudes; bursting forth beyond its boundaries. As such, she is encouraged: “Prepare! Strengthen yourself! Your children are coming home.” The departure of G‑d’s presence will feel as but a temporary and fleeting moment. Much like a husband is devoted to the wife of his youth, so will G‑d never forsake His beloved land and people. The sinfulness of the city caused G‑d to depart from it for a time, leaving it alone and saddened, but now He will return to it with such intensity that the entire negative experience will be lost and insignificant. The fulfilment of this prophecy, and many others like it, will be realized with the coming of Moshiach—may it be speedily in our days. “Sing, you barren woman who has not borne… for the children of the desolate one are more than the children of the married woman” The simple meaning of the verse has been illustrated above: the earlier part of the verse is a reference to the time of the exile, and the later part refers to the time of the redemption. The wording of the verse, however, seems peculiar, as it all reads in present tense: the woman who is barren and desolate has many children. As an explanation, the Talmud relates the following episode: Once, a certain heretic said to Beruriah, the wife of Rabbi Meir: “It is written, ‘Sing, you barren woman, who has not borne.’ Because she did not bear, is she to sing?” She replied to him: “You fool! Look at the end of the verse, where it is written, ‘For the children of the desolate one are more than the children of the married one.’ What, then, is the meaning of ‘[Sing, you] barren [woman] who has not borne’? Sing, O community of Israel, who resembles a barren woman, for not having born children like you, who are destined for Gehenna (purgatory).” As with every part of Torah, this Talmudic passage has its meaning in the spiritual realm. “Children” is a term often used to describe an emotional arousal which is borne out of a realization in the mind. In the realm of holiness, we are enjoined to “love” and “fear” G‑d. Through delving into and absorbing what G‑dliness is all about, we will hopefully create, or “give birth to,” the emotion that should follow this realization. The thought and realization of the distance of G‑d and the insignificance of all else is the cause of the feeling of awe, or fear, of G‑d. The realization that this very G‑d has made Himself close and completely accessible to us should arouse a feeling of closeness to, or love of, G‑d. But since G‑d chose to create the world in a way that there will be choice, the same process is replicated in the unholy realm as well. When a person visualizes and thinks about the various physical pleasures, he or she develops a feeling of love and closeness to to them. When thinking worrying thoughts about falling short financially and the like, this creates an unholy feeling of fear and anxiety within us. In the words of Beruriah: “Sing, O community of Israel, who resembles a barren woman, for not having born children for Gehenna.” Not facilitating “birth” to an unwanted place is surely a cause for joy.

Overview The haftarah for Simchat Torah, the day on which we finish reading the Torah, is a natural sequel to the ending of the Five Books of Moses. The Torah ends with the passing of Moses and the ascent of Joshua to the role of leadership. This next link of the Jewish story is recorded in the book of Joshua. In its first chapter we read how Joshua quickly takes the reins of command into his hands and begins preparing the Jewish people for their entry into the promised land. The opening verses of Joshua capture what may be described as a mixture of emotions. The Jewish people have just been dealt a mighty blow, the loss of Moses. The people owed everything they had to their revered leader, and the void left by his passing was massive. On the other hand, the Jews were now at the threshold of a major historic milestone. The entry into and inheritance of the promised land had been awaited for over four hundred years. It had been promised in the covenant to Abraham, and repeated multiple times thereafter. Now, after over two centuries of endurance in Egypt and a turbulent forty years of wandering in the desert, the long-awaited moment had finally arrived. The verses reflect this mood in the first words of G‑d to Joshua: “Moses My servant has died.” This statement of obvious fact is understood by the commentaries as the communication of G‑d’s feeling of loss, so to speak, with the passing of his beloved Moses. The overtone was, in effect, that had Moses still been living, it would be in Him that G‑d would confide, not Joshua…1 If there was anyone who felt this most acutely, it was Joshua himself. The ensuing words of G‑d to Joshua are therefore charged with security, strength and reassurance to the new leader. The first instruction to Joshua was to pass over the Jordan River and enter the Land of Israel. G‑d reassured Joshua that it would be under his leadership that the land would be conquered and divided among the people. G‑d would be with him just as He was with Moses, and he had nothing to fear. The one condition to all this was a total commitment to the Torah and its commandments, just as he had received them from Moses, his teacher. After these reassuring words, Joshua issued his first set of commands to the people. They were to prepare themselves for travel, for in three days they were going to enter the land. Joshua then addressed the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. These were the tribes who had requested of Moses to settle in Transjordan, citing the better pasture for their livestock there. Moses had granted them this on condition that the able-bodied men of these tribes would enter the land with their brethren, heading the fighting forces, and not leave until the various battles were won and the people were settled. Now, when the Jews were ready to enter the land, the members of these tribes were called upon by Joshua to remember and fully fulfill their pledge. The people responded to Joshua’s instructions with a commitment of total allegiance. If G‑d would be with Joshua as He was with Moses, they would be faithful to him right to the end. Echoing the same words that G‑d had just communicated to him, the people begged of Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” The people were united, resolute and ready to go.

Overview It was one of the greatest moments in Jewish history. Almost five centuries had passed since the birth of the Jewish people with the exodus from Egypt. Since their arrival in the Land of Israel, the Jews had lived in their respective tribal territories with almost no central infrastructure to unite them as a people. With the appointment of King Saul, and later King David, the Jews now had a united kingdom equal to that of their neighbors. Spiritually, however, there was still no focal point. True, there was the Tabernacle in Shiloh (later in Nob and Gibeon), but this was still a temporary situation. Worship and sacrifices were still allowed anywhere else, due to the lack of permanence in the Tabernacle. King David had eventually transferred the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, but it was essentially in transit without a permanent residence. Even politically, there was not much rest in the country during the reign of King David. David was constantly fighting with Israel’s various enemies, which indeed was the reason why G‑d did not allow him to actually build the Temple. Now, for the first time in history, everything came together: The Jews were united politically as one nation, and King Solomon, David’s son and successor, had now led them in the project of building the Temple. Israel was dwelling in peace, with many of their enemies now subservient to them. As a result of all this, the people were living in great prosperity and economic comfort. Indeed, in many ways this time is considered to be the zenith of all Jewish history. The story of this haftarah is that of the dedication of the First Temple. The celebration began seven days before the Sukkot festival, and continued with the following seven-day celebration of Sukkot. An immense crowd gathered from the entire country to behold the awesome sights and to join in the festivities. The height of the celebration was when the Ark was brought into the sanctuary by the Kohanim. The king addressed the people and then, while kneeling in front of the altar, offered a lengthy and moving prayer on behalf of the people. Upon finishing, he once again turned toward the huge crowd and blessed them. “Blessed be G‑d, who has given rest to His people Israel,” the king began. He continued in bestowing blessings for the fulfillment of his earlier prayer to G‑d and for the people to always remain faithful to Him. In this way, the entire world would know that there was no other being who controlled heaven and earth. [In many siddurim (prayerbooks), some of the verses from Solomon’s blessing are said each day as part of the weekday morning service.] The verses then describe the huge numbers of cattle and sheep brought as sacrifices of thanksgiving by Solomon himself: 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. The volume of sacrifices far exceeded the capacity of the altar in the Temple. To this end, Solomon gave legal sanctity to the entire Temple courtyard, thus halachically allowing for sacrifices to be brought in the entire vicinity of this open space.1 Thus passed the fourteen days of celebration. Finally, on Shemini Atzeret, the last day of the festival season, the king appeared to the people and bid them farewell. The people blessed the king and then, on the next day, began their journey home “rejoicing and delighted of heart.”

Overview The haftarah read on the Shabbat of Chol Hamoed Sukkot describes the “war of Gog and Magog.” This is a war of apocalyptic proportions that the prophets tell us will occur around the time of Moshiach’s coming. It is read on this Shabbat due to a tradition that this war will take place in the month of Tishrei, the month in which the festival of Sukkot is celebrated. The war of Gog and Magog is described in a number of the books of the prophets. In summary, the war is described by Ezekiel in this haftarah as follows: After the Jews are settled in their land, a coalition of nations led by Gog, king of the land of Magog, will be aroused to attack Israel. The military campaign will send tremors throughout the entire region, but G‑d will make it occur specifically in order for Gog and all his cohorts to receive their due downfall and punishment. A great confusion will break out among the army of Gog. Mighty hailstones, fire and brimstone will rain down on them, causing so much havoc that they will begin killing each other. The purpose of all these events is so that the world finally recognizes the sovereignty of G‑d. (The prophet Zechariah (ch. 14 of his book) also describes this war, and states that Gog will make three attempts to vanquish Jerusalem. The third will prove to be successful, after which disaster will befall the city and its inhabitants. After this, however, Zechariah foresees the confusion and downfall of Gog and his hordes in similar terms as Ezekiel.)

Overview The haftarah for the morning of Yom Kippur begins with a number of themes: The prophet proclaims that we must “clear the way” and “remove the obstacles” from the “path.” Rashi takes this as a call to sideline and offset the evil inclination and the evil thoughts within us that are the obstacles to walking the righteous path of life. G‑d is exalted and beyond any scope, but He chooses to be found with the downtrodden and lowly of spirit. Harsh times may befall a person. G‑d will seem to be hidden and uninvolved. But this will not continue for eternity. After all, the soul and spirit emanate from Him, and in the end salvation will come. This difficult times come due to sin, but with teshuvah G‑d will recompense and give total comfort. Doing teshuvah gives the person an entirely new identity. Instead of being the subject of insults, he will become a bastion of inner and outer peace. Conversely, the wicked are compared to the raging sea. Even a small wind causes waves and instability in the water; similarly, the life of the wicked is never peaceful—not from their fellow men, and definitely not from on high. After underscoring the ideas above, Isaiah tells of the instruction he received from G‑d to rebuke the people. He was to relentlessly and forcefully to carry out this mission. The admonishment was directed at the rampant problem of spiritual double standards. On the one hand, there seemed to be an interest in the right thing to do. The various rituals of penitence were also adhered to. But all this penetrated only superficially. People remained selfish, deceitful and oppressive. Fasting was—and remains—a primary means of penitence. Arrogance and indulgence are precipitators of sin, and fasting throws a wrench into such self-confidence. The fast, however, must be viewed as a means. Mere abstinence without an objective is not at all what this is about. The people were observing fasts, and left out none of the trappings: sackcloth, ashes, and a poor and bowed head. But the prophet booms, “do you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the L‑rd?” What was doing with the poor? Were the hungry being fed? Were the naked being clothed? Was justice being meted out? Were people helping family members, or ignoring them? Were Jewish slaves being released, as the Torah demands, or were they being kept in slavery? Why was there quarreling, finger-pointing and hate speech? This is what a fast needed to be about. Gaining the correct perspective and acting upon it would bring endless good and blessing to all those who did—in both this world and the next. G‑d would answer the prayers of the people. Even if all around them things would be dark, for them it would be as bright as midday. History would record positively those who restored a broken society and built the ruins of the world. Finally, the prophet speaks about Shabbat observance. The verse carries many of the foundational ideas from which the sages extrapolate the laws regarding the spirit of Shabbat. The delight in Shabbat meals, the honor given to it with special Shabbat finery, refraining from un-Shabbat-like conversation and actions—all these and more are contained in this verse. It seems that that the prophet is continuing his theme: it is not enough that Shabbat be kept; there is a spirit and atmosphere about it that is crucial to the whole idea. The haftarah finishes with a description of the incredible spiritual elevation that a Jew is given as a result of proper Shabbat observance.