Haftarah of Behar

Yirmeyahu 32: 6-27

The story in this Haftarah occurred just months before the destruction of Jerusalem, while it was already under siege by the Babylonians. Earlier in the chapter, the prophet Yirmeyahu prophesied that the city is about to be captured and was jailed for treason. The Haftarah takes place while Yirmeyahu is in jail.

G-d tells Yirmeyahu that his cousin Chanamel will visit him in jail and ask him to buy his land. According to the Torah (in Parshat Behar), when a person finds it necessary to sell his land, it is incumbent on members of the family to "redeem" it by buying it.

6) Yirmeyahu said,

The word of Hashem came to me, saying:

(ו) וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ

הָיָה דְּבַר ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר:

7) Chanamel, the son of your uncle Shalum,

is coming to you to ask you,

"Buy my field in Anatot,

because you have the right of redemption to buy it."

(ז) הִנֵּה חֲנַמְאֵל בֶּן שַׁלֻּם דֹּדְךָ

בָּא אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר

קְנֵה לְךָ אֶת שָׂדִי אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת

כִּי לְךָ מִשְׁפַּט הַגְּאֻלָּה לִקְנוֹת:

Indeed, Chanamel comes to Yirmeyahu in jail, and asks him to redeem his field. Yirmeyahu does so, with all the necessary paperwork and legalities, right there in jail.

8) My cousin Chanamel came to me,

as Hashem had said, to the jail yard;

He said to me,

"Please buy from me my field that is in Anatot,

in the land of Binyamin!

For you have the right of inheritance, and of redemption, buy it!"

And I knew that this was the word of Hashem.

(ח) וַיָּבֹא אֵלַי חֲנַמְאֵל בֶּן דֹּדִי

כִּדְבַר ה' אֶל חֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי

קְנֵה נָא אֶת שָׂדִי אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת

אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִין

כִּי לְךָ מִשְׁפַּט הַיְרֻשָּׁה וּלְךָ הַגְּאֻלָּה קְנֵה לָךְ

וָאֵדַע כִּי דְבַר ה' הוּא:

9) I bought the field

in Anatot from my cousin Chanamel,

I weighed him out the silver,

seven shekels and ten pieces of silver.

(ט) וָאֶקְנֶה אֶת הַשָּׂדֶה

מֵאֵת חֲנַמְאֵל בֶּן דֹּדִי אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת

וָאֶשְׁקֲלָה לּוֹ אֶת הַכֶּסֶף

שִׁבְעָה שְׁקָלִים וַעֲשָׂרָה הַכָּסֶף:

10) I wrote up a contract and signed it,

and had it witnessed,

and weighed the silver on a scale.

(י) וָאֶכְתֹּב בַּסֵּפֶר וָאֶחְתֹּם

וָאָעֵד עֵדִים

וָאֶשְׁקֹל הַכֶּסֶף בְּמֹאזְנָיִם:

11) I took the purchase contract,

the sealed conditions and legalities, and the public record.

(יא) וָאֶקַּח אֶת סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה

אֶת הֶחָתוּם הַמִּצְוָה וְהַחֻקִּים וְאֶת הַגָּלוּי:

12) I gave the purchase contract

to Baruch ben Neriah ben Machseya,

in front of my cousin Chanamel,

and in front of the witnesses

who wrote in the purchase contract,

in front of all the Jews

staying in the jail yard.

(יב) וָאֶתֵּן אֶת הַסֵּפֶר הַמִּקְנָה

אֶל בָּרוּךְ בֶּן נֵרִיָּה בֶּן מַחְסֵיָה

לְעֵינֵי חֲנַמְאֵל דֹּדִי

וּלְעֵינֵי הָעֵדִים

הַכֹּתְבִים בְּסֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה

לְעֵינֵי כָּל הַיְּהוּדִים

הַיֹּשְׁבִים בַּחֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה:

Yirmeyahu tells his assistant Baruch ben Neriah to place the documents in storage for safe-keeping.

13) I commanded Baruch in front of them, as follows:

(יג) וָאֲצַוֶּה אֶת בָּרוּךְ לְעֵינֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר:

14) So said Hashem Tzva-ot the G-d of Israel:

Take these contracts,

this purchase contract,

the sealed part, and this public record,

and place them in a clay container,

so that they will last for many years.

(יד) כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָ-אוֹת אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

לָקוֹחַ אֶת הַסְּפָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

אֵת סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה הַזֶּה

וְאֵת הֶחָתוּם וְאֵת סֵפֶר הַגָּלוּי הַזֶּה

וּנְתַתָּם בִּכְלִי חָרֶשׂ

לְמַעַן יַעַמְדוּ יָמִים רַבִּים: ס

The sale has a prophetic message: even though the country is about to be conquered, redemption will come. One day, there will again be a market for real estate in the Land of Israel.

15) For so said Hashem Tzva-ot the G-d of Israel:

"Houses, fields, and vineyards will yet be bought in this land."

(טו) כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

עוֹד יִקָּנוּ בָתִּים וְשָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת:

Yirmeyahu then turns to G-d, and tries to understand the context for what he had been asked to do. He begins by talking about G-d as the Creator, about His involvement in history and His justice to all mankind.

16) I prayed to Hashem,

after having given the purchase contract

to Baruch ben Neriah, as follows:

(טז) וָאֶתְפַּלֵּל אֶל ה'

אַחֲרֵי תִתִּי אֶת סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה

אֶל בָּרוּךְ בֶּן נֵרִיָּה לֵאמֹר:

17) Ah, our Lord, Hashem!

You have made the heavens and the earth

in Your great power,

and Your outstretched arm;

nothing is too incredible for You.

(יז) אֲהָהּ אֲדֹנָי ה'

הִנֵּה אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ

בְּכֹחֲךָ הַגָּדוֹל

וּבִזְרֹעֲךָ הַנְּטוּיָה

לֹא יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ כָּל דָּבָר:

18) You do kindness for thousands,

and pay the sins of the fathers

to their sons after them;

the G-d who is great, and mighty;

Whose name is Hashem Tzva-ot.

(יח) עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים

וּמְשַׁלֵּם עֲוֹן אָבוֹת

אֶל חֵיק בְּנֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵיהֶם

הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר

ה' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ:

19) Great is the wisdom,

and vast is the planning,

that Your eyes are aware of all the ways of mankind,

to give each person according to his ways,

and according to the fruits of his actions.

(יט) גְּדֹל הָעֵצָה

וְרַב הָעֲלִילִיָּה

אֲשֶׁר עֵינֶיךָ פְקֻחוֹת עַל כָּל דַּרְכֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם

לָתֵת לְאִישׁ כִּדְרָכָיו

וְכִפְרִי מַעֲלָלָיו:

G-d took the Jewish People out of Egypt and gave them the Land of Israel; they failed to live up to His expectations. And now, as a result of their actions, they are under siege and about to be conquered and destroyed, just as He had said would happen.

20) That You have given

signs and miracles in Egypt, up to this day,

and in Israel and in mankind,

and You have made Yourself a name until this day.

(כ) אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתָּ

אֹתוֹת וּמֹפְתִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבָאָדָם

וַתַּעֲשֶׂה לְּךָ שֵׁם כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה:

21) You took Your nation, Israel, out of Egypt,

with signs and miracles, with a strong hand and outstretched arm,

and with great awe.

(כא) וַתֹּצֵא אֶת עַמְּךָ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

בְּאֹתוֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה וּבְאֶזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה

וּבְמוֹרָא גָּדוֹל:

22) You have given them this land,

that You had promised their fathers to give them,

a land flowing with milk and honey.

(כב) וַתִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת

אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם

אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ:

23) They came, and inherited it,

but they did not listen to Your voice,

and did not follow Your Torah.

Everything that You told them to do, they did not do;

and all this evil has befallen them.

(כג) וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיִּרְשׁוּ אֹתָהּ

וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלֶךָ

וּבְתוֹרָתְךָ לֹא הָלָכוּ

אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָה לָהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת לֹא עָשׂוּ

וַתַּקְרֵא אֹתָם אֵת כָּל הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת:

24) The siege engines have come to the city to capture it,

and the city is given over to the Chaldeans who make war upon it,

to the sword, to starvation, and to disease,

and all that You have said has happened, and now You see it.

(כד) הִנֵּה הַסֹּלְלוֹת בָּאוּ הָעִיר לְלָכְדָהּ

וְהָעִיר נִתְּנָה בְּיַד הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַנִּלְחָמִים עָלֶיהָ

מִפְּנֵי הַחֶרֶב וְהָרָעָב וְהַדָּבֶר

וַאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ הָיָה וְהִנְּךָ רֹאֶה:

Finally, Yirmeyahu turns to G-d and asks, "In these circumstances, You ask me to buy real estate, with all the legal documentation? Is it possible that this document will ever have any meaning?"

25) And You tell me, Hashem, G-d!

"Buy yourself a field for money with witnesses",

and the city is given over to the Chaldeans!

(כה) וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ אֵלַי אֲ-דֹנָי ה'

קְנֵה לְךָ הַשָּׂדֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וְהָעֵד עֵדִים

וְהָעִיר נִתְּנָה בְּיַד הַכַּשְׂדִּים:

Hashem answers Yirmeyahu: "Who are you to tell Me what is and isn't possible?"

26) The word of Hashem came

to Yirmeyahu, as follows:

(כו) וַיְהִי דְּבַר ה'

אֶל יִרְמְיָהוּ לֵאמֹר:

27) "I am Hashem,

the G-d of all mankind.

Is anything too incredible for Me?"

(כז) הִנֵּה אֲנִי ה'

אֱלֹהֵי כָּל בָּשָׂר

הֲמִמֶּנִּי יִפָּלֵא כָּל דָּבָר:

In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l

לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל

http://www.torahforum.org/haftara/