Shemot

Shemot is one of the few Haftarot where there is a serious divergence between the custom of the Sefardim and Ashkenazim. The Sefardim read the first chapter of Yirmiyahu, which describes his reluctance to become a prophet, dovetailing beautifully with Moshe’s reluctance to take on his role. It is also read for Matot.

But the custom of Ashkenazim is to read a chapter from Yeshayahu that does not appear to have any connection to Moshe, nor to the Exodus. True, its first verse, הַבָּאִים יַשְׁרֵשׁ יַעֲקֹב , has one word in common with one of the words in the first verse of the Parsha: וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרָיְמָה, but this is unusually tenuous. There is nothing special about these words, nor are they unique to these two texts; a quick search shows that they are used all over the Tanach. Nor is there a Midrash that connects the two phrases, which is how we normally figure out if it’s significant or not.

Linear annotated translation of the Haftarah of Shemot

Here is a serious connection, though, where the Haftarah sheds light on something obscure in the Parsha: The mouth that will speak with G-d

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