Haftarah of Shoftim

Yeshayahu 51:12 – 52:12

This Haftarah is the fourth of the "Chapters of Comfort" of that we read between Tisha B'Av and Rosh HaShanah. As with the other Haftarot in the series, its purpose is to give hope to all the generations of the Jewish People and to reassure them that one day, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, that the Jewish People will be living there in safety and security, that their unique relationship with G-d will grow and deepen, and the entire world will acknowledge it and create a world of justice and righteousness. According to this Haftarah, the fourth step in this Redemption is a time of prophecy, which will be the result of G-d's Presence returning to Jerusalem.

As in earlier Haftarot, G-d reassures the Jewish People that as the Creator of the Universe, He is more powerful than any human adversary they might face. Once their fears are gone, and they feel sheltered by His Presence, they will be able to receive "His word" - prophecy.

12) It is I, it is I who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear mortal men, human beings who are like dry grass?	(יב) אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מְנַחֶמְכֶם מִי אַתְּ וַתִּירְאִי מֵאֱנוֹשׁ יָמוּת וּמִבֶּן אָדָם חָצִיר יִנָּתֵן:
13) You have forgotten Hashem, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and formed the earth. You were afraid constantly, all day, of the wrath of the tyrant, who aimed to destroy - but where is the wrath of the tyrant?	(יג) וַתִּשְׁכַּח ה' עֹשֶׂךָ נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם וְיֹסֵד אָרֶץ וַתְּפַחֵד תָּמִיד כָּל הַיּוֹם מִפְּנֵי חֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק כַּאֲשֶׁר כּוֹנֵן לְהַשְׁחִית וְאַיֵּה חֲמַת הַמֵּצִיק:
14) He rushed to unleash instability, lest he die in the destruction, lest he run out of bread.	(יד) מִהַר צֹעֶה לְהִפָּתֵחַ וְלֹא יָמוּת לַשַּׁחַת וְלֹא יֶחְסַר לַחְמוֹ:
15) And I am Hashem your G-d, who calms the sea, as its waves crash; Hashem Tzva-ot is His name.	(טו) וְאָנֹכִי ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ רֹגַע הַיָּם וַיֶּהֱמוּ גַּלָּיו ה' צְבָא-וֹת שְׁמוֹ:
16) I will put My words in your mouth, I will shade you with My hand, while I stretch out the heavens and form the earth, and say to Tzion: you are My people.	(טז) וָאָשִׂים דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי אָתָּה: ס

The Jewish People are numb and disoriented from the pain and loneliness of Exile, and the prophet attempts to awaken so that the nightmare can end.

17) Wake up, wake up, arise, Jerusalem! For you drank the cup of His fury from the hand of Hashem, the dregs of the cup of poison, you drank and drained.	(יז) הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי קוּמִי יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר שָׁתִית מִיַּד ה' אֶת כּוֹס חֲמָתוֹ אֶת קֻבַּעַת כּוֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָה שָׁתִית מָצִית:
18) There is none to guide her, among all the children she has borne, there is no one to hold her hand, among all the children she has raised.	(יח) אֵין מְנַהֵל לָהּ מִכָּל בָּנִים יָלָדָה וְאֵין מַחֲזִיק בְּיָדָהּ מִכָּל בָּנִים גִּדֵּלָה:
19) Twofold are the events that befell you – who would go to your side? Robbery and ruin, famine and sword – who would comfort you?	(יט) שְׁתַּיִם הֵנָּה קֹרְאֹתַיִךְ מִי יָנוּד לָךְ הַשֹּׁד וְהַשֶּׁבֶר וְהָרָעָב וְהַחֶרֶב מִי אֲנַחֲמֵךְ:
20) Your sons have fainted, lying on all the streets, like a wild ox in a trap, brimming with the wrath of Hashem, the anger of your G-d.	(כ) בָּנַיִךְ עֻלְּפוּ שָׁכְבוּ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל חוּצוֹת כְּתוֹא מִכְמָר הַמְלֵאִים חֲמַת ה' גַּעֲרַת אֱ-לֹהָיִךְ:
21) Therefore listen to this, poor one, intoxicated, but not from wine.	(כא) לָכֵן שִׁמְעִי נָא זֹאת עֲנִיָּה וּשְׁכֻרַת וְלֹא מִיָּיִן: ס

G-d says, "Enough", and repays our enemies in kind for the way they treated us.

22) So says your master, Hashem, your G-d, the Defender of His people: I now take the poison cup from your hand. The dregs in the cup of My fury, you will never drink again.	(כב) כֹּה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנַיִךְ ה' וֵא-לֹהַיִךְ יָרִיב עַמּוֹ הִנֵּה לָקַחְתִּי מִיָּדֵךְ אֶת כּוֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָה אֶת קֻבַּעַת כּוֹס חֲמָתִי לֹא תוֹסִיפִי לִשְׁתּוֹתָהּ עוֹד:
23) I will put it in the hands of those who grieved you, who said to you, "Lie down so we can walk upon you", and you made your back flat like the ground, like a road for passers-by.	(כג) וְשַׂמְתִּיהָ בְּיַד מוֹגַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ לְנַפְשֵׁךְ שְׁחִי וְנַעֲבֹרָה וַתָּשִׂימִי כָאָרֶץ גֵּוֵךְ וְכַחוּץ לַעֹבְרִים: ס

Exile and captivity are over. The Jewish People need to shake off its effects and regain their former glory.

52:1) Awake, awake, put on your strength, Tzion! Put on the clothes of your glory, Jerusalem, the Holy City! For the uncircumcised and impure will no longer attack you.	(א) עוּרִי עוּרִי לִבְשִׁי עֻזֵּךְ צִיּוֹן לִבְשִׁי בִּגְדֵי תִפְאַרְתֵּךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף יָבֹא בָךְ עוֹד עָרֵל וְטָמֵא:
2) Shake yourself off from dust, arise, sit up, Jerusalem! Release the bonds on your neck, the captive daughter of Tzion.	(ב) הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְּׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלִָם הִתְפַּתְּחִי מוֹסְרֵי צַוָּארֵךְ שְׁבִיָּה בַּת צִיּוֹן: ס

The severity of the oppression in Exile was not commensurate with the sins of the Jewish People. G-d has had enough of His reputation suffering because of the way His people are treated.

3) For so says Hashem: You were sold for free, not with money will you be redeemed.	(ג) כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' חִנָּם נִמְכַּרְתֶּם וְלֹא בְכֶסֶף תִּגָּאֵלוּ:
4) For so says Hashem, G-d: My people had gone down to Egypt to live there, and Ashur oppressed them for naught.	(ד) כִּי כֹה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנָי ה' מִצְרַיִם יָרַד עַמִּי בָרִאשֹׁנָה לָגוּר שָׁם וְאַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ:
5) Now what do I have here, says Hashem, that My people have been taken for free? Their rulers will praise themselves, says Hashem, constantly all day My name is reviled.	(ה) וְעַתָּה מַה לִּי פֹה נְאֻם ה' כִּי לֻקַּח עַמִּי חִנָּם מֹשְׁלָיו יְהֵילִילוּ נְאֻם ה' וְתָמִיד כָּל הַיּוֹם שְׁמִי מִנֹּאָץ:
6) Thus, My people will know My name, thus, on that day. For I am the one who speaks, it is I.	(ו) לָכֵן יֵדַע עַמִּי שְׁמִי לָכֵן בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי אֲנִי הוּא הַמְדַבֵּר הִנֵּנִי:

The return of G-d's Presence to Jerusalem will bring about the return of prophecy. The Jewish People will be able to truly see G-d's role in Jewish history. The entire world will realize that G-d is the source of our Redemption.

7) How lovely are the herald's footsteps on the mountains, announcing peace, heralding good, announcing Redemption, saying to Tzion, "Your G-d has reigned!"	(ז) מַה נָּאווּ עַל הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן מָלַךְ אֱ-לֹהָיִךְ:
8) Your lookouts will raise their voices, together they will sing. For they will see eye to eye, as Hashem returns to Tzion!	(ח) קוֹל צֹפַיִךְ נָשְׂאוּ קוֹל יַחְדָּו יְרַנֵּנוּ כִּי עַיִן בְּעַיִן יִרְאוּ בְּשׁוּב ה' צִיּוֹן:
9) Burst out, sing together, the ruins of Jerusalem, for Hashem has comforted His people, and redeemed Jerusalem.	(ט) פִּצְחוּ רַנְּנוּ יַחְדָּו חָרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם כִּי נִחַם ה' עַמּוֹ גָּאַל יְרוּשָׁלִָם:
10) Hashem has bared His arm of holiness, before the eyes of the nations; and all the corners of the Earth saw the Redemption from our G-d.	(י) חָשַׂף ה' אֶת זְרוֹעַ קָדְשׁוֹ לְעֵינֵי כָּל הַגּוֹיִם וְרָאוּ כָּל אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ אֵת יְשׁוּעַת אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ: ס

Unlike the Exodus from Egypt, this Redemption will not be rushed. The Jewish People will have the leisure to shake away the impurity of Exile, and come out of it surrounded by G-d's Presence.

11) Away, away, come out of there! Do not touch the impure, come out from it, cleanse the bearers of the arms of Hashem.	(יא) סוּרוּ סוּרוּ צְאוּ מִשָּׁם טָמֵא אַל תִּגָּעוּ צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ הִבָּרוּ נֹשְׂאֵי כְּלֵי ה':
12) For you will not come out in haste, and will not walk as if chased, for guiding you will be Hashem, and taking up the rear will be the G-d of Israel.	(יב) כִּי לֹא בְחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן כִּי הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם ה' וּמְאַסִּפְכֶם אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: ס

Copyright © Kira Sirote

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

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