Haftarah of B'reishit

Yeshayahu 42:5 – 43:10

The later chapters of Yeshayahu, from which this Haftarah is taken, address the Jewish People in Exile and assure them that Redemption will come, despite all the obstacles that appear to be insurmountable.

The Haftarah begins with G-d explaining why He created the Jewish People: to be a light for the nations. The Jewish People are tasked with letting the entire world know that G-d is not only the Creator, but also the G-d of history.

42:5) So says the G-d Hashem, who created the Heavens and spread them out, who laid out the Earth and her offspring, who gave breath to people upon her, and spirit to those who walk on her:	(ה) כֹּה אָמַר הָאֵ-ל ה’ בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם וְנוֹטֵיהֶם רֹקַע הָאָרֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶיהָ נֹתֵן נְשָׁמָה לָעָם עָלֶיהָ וְרוּחַ לַהֹלְכִים בָּהּ:
6) I, Hashem, have called you in righteousness; I took you by the hand. I formed you, and I made you a covenantal people, a light for the nations.	(ו) אֲנִי ה’ קְרָאתִיךָ בְצֶדֶק וְאַחְזֵק בְּיָדֶךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לִבְרִית עָם לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם:
7) To open the eyes of the blind; to release prisoners from jail, from the dungeon, those who sit in darkness.	(ז) לִפְקֹחַ עֵינַיִם עִוְרוֹת לְהוֹצִיא מִמַּסְגֵּר אַסִּיר מִבֵּית כֶּלֶא יֹשְׁבֵי חֹשֶׁךְ:
8) I am Hashem, that is My name; I will not grant My honor to another, nor My praise to statues.	(ח) אֲנִי ה’ הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן וּתְהִלָּתִי לַפְּסִילִים:
9) The previous events have come to pass; of new ones, I am telling you; before they begin to bloom, I let you hear of them.	(ט) הָרִאשֹׁנוֹת הִנֵּה בָאוּ וַחֲדָשׁוֹת אֲנִי מַגִּיד בְּטֶרֶם תִּצְמַחְנָה אַשְׁמִיעַ אֶתְכֶם: פ

When G-d's role in history will become clear, the entire world will be overcome with gratitude and praise.

10) Sing a new song to Hashem, His praise to the ends of the world! You who sail the sea and all within it, the continents and their inhabitants!	(י) שִׁירוּ לַה’ שִׁיר חָדָשׁ תְּהִלָּתוֹ מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם וּמְלֹאוֹ אִיִּים וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶם:
11) Raise your voices, oh desert and its towns, encampments where nomads live! Exult, oh dwellers among the rocks, shout from the mountain tops!	(יא) יִשְׂאוּ מִדְבָּר וְעָרָיו חֲצֵרִים תֵּשֵׁב קֵדָר יָרֹנּוּ יֹשְׁבֵי סֶלַע מֵרֹאשׁ הָרִים יִצְוָחוּ:
12) Give honor to Hashem, declare His praise throughout the continents!	(יב) יָשִׂימוּ לַה’ כָּבוֹד וּתְהִלָּתוֹ בָּאִיִּים יַגִּידוּ:
13) Hashem goes out like a warrior, as a man of war awakening his rage; He bellows and yells, His enemies He overcomes.	(יג) ה’ כַּגִּבּוֹר יֵצֵא כְּאִישׁ מִלְחָמוֹת יָעִיר קִנְאָה יָרִיעַ אַף יַצְרִיחַ עַל אֹיְבָיו יִתְגַּבָּר: ס

G-d may have appeared to be indifferent to the injustices that have been done to the Jewish People, but that is an illusion. When the time comes for their Redemption, He will do whatever is necessary to smooth the way for the Jewish People. At that point, it will be obvious that G-d has power in this world, and imagined alternatives are just that - imaginary.

14) I have kept silent for an eternity, I have kept still and restrained myself; now, I will scream like a woman in labor, I will pant and huff at once.	(יד) הֶחֱשֵׁיתִי מֵעוֹלָם אַחֲרִישׁ אֶתְאַפָּק כַּיּוֹלֵדָה אֶפְעֶה אֶשֹּׁם וְאֶשְׁאַף יָחַד:
15) I will destroy mountains and hills, all their grass I will dry out; I will make rivers into islands, their lakes I will dry out.	(טו) אַחֲרִיב הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת וְכָל עֶשְׂבָּם אוֹבִישׁ וְשַׂמְתִּי נְהָרוֹת לָאִיִּים וַאֲגַמִּים אוֹבִישׁ:
16) I will lead the blind on an unknown road, on unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn darkness before them to light, Rough terrain to straight paths; These are the things I will have done, and I will not have forsaken them.	(טז) וְהוֹלַכְתִּי עִוְרִים בְּדֶרֶךְ לֹא יָדָעוּ בִּנְתִיבוֹת לֹא יָדְעוּ אַדְרִיכֵם אָשִׂים מַחְשָׁךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם לָאוֹר וּמַעֲקַשִּׁים לְמִישׁוֹר אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים עֲשִׂיתִם וְלֹא עֲזַבְתִּים:
17) They will be turned back and put to shame, those that put faith in statues; who say to masks, "You are our gods".	(יז) נָסֹגוּ אָחוֹר יֵבֹשׁוּ בֹשֶׁת הַבֹּטְחִים בַּפָּסֶל הָאֹמְרִים לְמַסֵּכָה אַתֶּם אֱלֹהֵינוּ: ס

Yet the Jewish People themselves, of whom so much is expected, are blind and deaf to the causes and effects of their own history. The Torah is meant to be a source of pride for the Jewish People; it is not the cause of our troubles. Leaving it does not help us blend in, on the contrary, that is what causes G-d to drop His protection and for us to be exposed to the violence of the Exile.

18) Listen, deaf ones; look carefully, blind ones.	(יח) הַחֵרְשִׁים שְׁמָעוּ וְהַעִוְרִים הַבִּיטוּ לִרְאוֹת:
19) Who is as blind as my servant, as deaf as the messenger I send? Who is as blind as the perfect one, as blind as the servant of Hashem?	(יט) מִי עִוֵּר כִּי אִם עַבְדִּי וְחֵרֵשׁ כְּמַלְאָכִי אֶשְׁלָח מִי עִוֵּר כִּמְשֻׁלָּם וְעִוֵּר כְּעֶבֶד ה’:
20) He has seen much, but he does not observe; his ears are attuned, but he does not listen.	(כ) רָאוֹת רַבּוֹת וְלֹא תִשְׁמֹר פָּקוֹחַ אָזְנַיִם וְלֹא יִשְׁמָע:
21) Hashem desires his righteousness, to increase the Torah and its greatness.	(כא) ה’ חָפֵץ לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר:
22) But he is a nation that is looted and despoiled, they are all trapped in holes, hidden in prisons; they were prey with no one to save them, spoils, with no one to say “Give back!”	(כב) וְהוּא עַם בָּזוּז וְשָׁסוּי הָפֵחַ בַּחוּרִים כֻּלָּם וּבְבָתֵּי כְלָאִים הָחְבָּאוּ הָיוּ לָבַז וְאֵין מַצִּיל מְשִׁסָּה וְאֵין אֹמֵר הָשַׁב:
23) Who among you will listen to this? Who will pay attention and hear from now on?	(כג) מִי בָכֶם יַאֲזִין זֹאת יַקְשִׁב וְיִשְׁמַע לְאָחוֹר:
24) Who handed Yaakov over to be plundered, Israel to be looted? Was it not Hashem, against whom we have sinned thus? They did not want to follow His ways, and listen to His Torah.	(כד) מִי נָתַן לִמְשִׁסָּה יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְבֹזְזִים הֲלוֹא ה’ זוּ חָטָאנוּ לוֹ וְלֹא אָבוּ בִדְרָכָיו הָלוֹךְ וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ בְּתוֹרָתוֹ:
25) He poured His anger on him, the fury of war, it blazed around him, but he did not notice. It burned him, but he did not take it to heart.	(כה) וַיִּשְׁפֹּךְ עָלָיו חֵמָה אַפּוֹ וֶעֱזוּז מִלְחָמָה וַתְּלַהֲטֵהוּ מִסָּבִיב וְלֹא יָדָע וַתִּבְעַר בּוֹ וְלֹא יָשִׂים עַל לֵב: פ

However, Redemption is coming. The process might be difficult and painful, but G-d is with us. The Jewish People are precious to Him, and He will gather us from all over the world, each and every one of us, even though we ourselves might be oblivious to what He is doing.

43:1) But now, thus said Hashem, your Creator, Yaakov, your Maker, Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I called you by name, You are mine.	(א) וְעַתָּה כֹּה אָמַר ה’ בֹּרַאֲךָ יַעֲקֹב וְיֹצֶרְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל תִּירָא כִּי גְאַלְתִּיךָ קָרָאתִי בְשִׁמְךָ לִי אָתָּה:
2) When you go through water, I am with you, rivers will not sweep you away; when you go through fire, you will not be burnt, flame will not consume you.	(ב) כִּי תַעֲבֹר בַּמַּיִם אִתְּךָ אָנִי וּבַנְּהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּךָ כִּי תֵלֵךְ בְּמוֹ אֵשׁ לֹא תִכָּוֶה וְלֶהָבָה לֹא תִבְעַר בָּךְ:
3) For I am Hashem, your G-d, The Holiness of Israel, your savior; I made Egypt your ransom, Ethiopia and Sheba in exchange for you.	(ג) כִּי אֲנִי ה’ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעֶךָ נָתַתִּי כָפְרְךָ מִצְרַיִם כּוּשׁ וּסְבָא תַּחְתֶּיךָ:
4) For you are precious in my eyes, and honored, I have loved you; I would give mankind in exchange for you, and nations in your place.	(ד) מֵאֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתָּ בְעֵינַי נִכְבַּדְתָּ וַאֲנִי אֲהַבְתִּיךָ וְאֶתֵּן אָדָם תַּחְתֶּיךָ וּלְאֻמִּים תַּחַת נַפְשֶׁךָ:
5) Do not fear for I am with you, from the East I will bring your descendents, from the West I will gather you.	(ה) אַל תִּירָא כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי מִמִּזְרָח אָבִיא זַרְעֶךָ וּמִמַּעֲרָב אֲקַבְּצֶךָּ:
6) I will say to the North, give over! and to the South, do not restrain! I will bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.	(ו) אֹמַר לַצָּפוֹן תֵּנִי וּלְתֵימָן אַל תִּכְלָאִי הָבִיאִי בָנַי מֵרָחוֹק וּבְנוֹתַי מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ:
7) Each one is called by My name, for My honor I created him, fashioned him, and so made him.	(ז) כֹּל הַנִּקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וְלִכְבוֹדִי בְּרָאתִיו יְצַרְתִּיו אַף עֲשִׂיתִיו:
8) Taking out a nation that is blind though they have eyes; deaf, though they have ears.	(ח) הוֹצִיא עַם עִוֵּר וְעֵינַיִם יֵשׁ וְחֵרְשִׁים וְאָזְנַיִם לָמוֹ:

Despite all our faults, the Jewish People are G-d's witnesses to Creation, and His witnesses to His power over the forces of history.

9) All the nations have gathered together, all the peoples have assembled; who among them can declare this, who can tell us past events? Let them give witness and be proven correct, so those who hear them can say “True!”	(ט) כָּל הַגּוֹיִם נִקְבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו וְיֵאָסְפוּ לְאֻמִּים מִי בָהֶם יַגִּיד זֹאת וְרִאשֹׁנוֹת יַשְׁמִיעֻנוּ יִתְּנוּ עֵדֵיהֶם וְיִצְדָּקוּ וְיִשְׁמְעוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ אֱמֶת:
10) You are My witnesses, says Hashem, My servant that I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; no power was formed before Me, and after Me, none will exist!	(י) אַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם ה’ וְעַבְדִּי אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרְתִּי לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ וְתַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְתָבִינוּ כִּי אֲנִי הוּא לְפָנַי לֹא נוֹצַר אֵל וְאַחֲרַי לֹא יִהְיֶה: ס

Copyright © Kira Sirote

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

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