Haftarah of VaYeishev

Amos 2:6 - 3:8

The prophet Amos lived in the Kingdom of Israel, and addressed himself to this powerful, arrogant, and corrupt society, shortly before their destruction and exile:

G-d has been patient and overlooked a number of sins, but Israel has reached the point of no return.

Corruption of judges has become so commonplace that the bribe can be negligible, and they will still take it. While the weak and poor in this society can barely hold up their heads, the powerful have no shame, and no mercy.

(ו) כֹּה אָמַר ה'

עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה פִּשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

וְעַל אַרְבָּעָה לֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ

עַל מִכְרָם בַּכֶּסֶף צַדִּיק

וְאֶבְיוֹן בַּעֲבוּר נַעֲלָיִם:

6) So says Hashem:

Over three sins of Israel,

but the fourth, I will not tolerate:

For selling out the righteous for money,

a pauper for a pair of shoes.

(ז) הַשֹּׁאֲפִים עַל עֲפַר אֶרֶץ בְּרֹאשׁ דַּלִּים

וְדֶרֶךְ עֲנָוִים יַטּוּ

וְאִישׁ וְאָבִיו יֵלְכוּ אֶל הַנַּעֲרָה

לְמַעַן חַלֵּל אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי:

7) The poor keep their eyes on the dust of the earth,

the path of the humble veers aside.

But a man and his father visit the call girl,

in order to defile My Holy Name.

(ח) וְעַל בְּגָדִים חֲבֻלִים יַטּוּ

אֵצֶל כָּל מִזְבֵּחַ

וְיֵין עֲנוּשִׁים יִשְׁתּוּ

בֵּית אֱלֹהֵיהֶם:

8) On pledged garments they recline,

near any altar,

confiscated wine they drink

in the house of their gods.

I got rid of the nation that lived in this land before you, the Emori, because they were corrupt and immoral. I took you out of Egypt and kept you in the desert for an entire generation, so that you would become a nation of prophets and holy people. And now you reject prophesy, you reject holiness.

(ט) וְאָנֹכִי הִשְׁמַדְתִּי אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי מִפְּנֵיהֶם

אֲשֶׁר כְּגֹבַהּ אֲרָזִים גָּבְהוֹ

וְחָסֹן הוּא כָּאַלּוֹנִים

וָאַשְׁמִיד פִּרְיוֹ מִמַּעַל

וְשָׁרָשָׁיו מִתָּחַת:

9) I destroyed the Emori before them,

who were as tall as cedars,

as strong as oaks;

I destroyed his fruit above

and his roots below.

(י) וְאָנֹכִי הֶעֱלֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אֶרֶץ הָאֱמֹרִי:

10) I brought you up from the Land of Egypt,

I led you in the desert for forty years,

to possess the land of the Emori.

(יא) וָאָקִים מִבְּנֵיכֶם לִנְבִיאִים וּמִבַּחוּרֵיכֶם לִנְזִרִים

הַאַף אֵין זֹאת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם ה':

11) I raised some of your sons to be prophets,

your young men to be Nazirites.

Is that not so, Children of Israel? Says Hashem.

(יב) וַתַּשְׁקוּ אֶת הַנְּזִרִים יָיִן

וְעַל הַנְּבִיאִים צִוִּיתֶם לֵאמֹר

לֹא תִּנָּבְאוּ:

12) You forced wine on the Nazirites,

the prophets you ordered, saying,

"Do not prophesy!"

Now that you have overloaded My patience, I will crush you. It doesn't matter how brave and swift you think you are, you will not escape.

(יג) הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵעִיק תַּחְתֵּיכֶם

כַּאֲשֶׁר תָּעִיק הָעֲגָלָה

הַמְלֵאָה לָהּ עָמִיר:

13) So now I will crush you,

like a wagon crushes

when it is filled with sheaves.

(יד) וְאָבַד מָנוֹס מִקָּל

וְחָזָק לֹא יְאַמֵּץ כֹּחוֹ

וְגִבּוֹר לֹא יְמַלֵּט נַפְשׁוֹ:

14) Flight will fail the swift,

the strong will not gather his power,

the mighty will not escape with his life.

(טו) וְתֹפֵשׂ הַקֶּשֶׁת לֹא יַעֲמֹד

וְקַל בְּרַגְלָיו לֹא יְמַלֵּט

וְרֹכֵב הַסּוּס לֹא יְמַלֵּט נַפְשׁוֹ:

15) The bowman will not stand his ground,

the swift runner will not escape,

the horseman will not escape with his life.

(טז) וְאַמִּיץ לִבּוֹ בַּגִּבּוֹרִים

עָרוֹם יָנוּס בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם ה':

16) The bravest of the mighty

will flee naked on that day, says Hashem.

You are my family, I have a unique relationship with you, and I will not let you slide into corruption without doing something about it.

(א) שִׁמְעוּ אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה

אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' עֲלֵיכֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

עַל כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה

אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלֵיתִי מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר:

1) Listen to this

which Hashem said about you, Children of Israel,

to the entire family

which I have brought out of the Land of Egypt, saying:

(ב) רַק אֶתְכֶם יָדַעְתִּי

מִכֹּל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה

עַל כֵּן אֶפְקֹד עֲלֵיכֶם

אֵת כָּל עֲוֹנֹתֵיכֶם:

2) I have known only you,

of all the families on this earth;

therefore I will visit upon you,

for all your sins.

You may be tempted to dismiss My punishments as coincidence, but that would be irrational. The effects that you see in this world have causes. What I will do to you will also have causes.

(ג) הֲיֵלְכוּ שְׁנַיִם יַחְדָּו

בִּלְתִּי אִם נוֹעָדוּ:

3) Would two people walk together,

without a common goal?

(ד) הֲיִשְׁאַג אַרְיֵה בַּיַּעַר

וְטֶרֶף אֵין לוֹ

הֲיִתֵּן כְּפִיר קוֹלוֹ מִמְּעֹנָתוֹ

בִּלְתִּי אִם לָכָד:

4) Would a lion roar in the forest,

if he has no prey?

Would a young lion growl from his den,

unless he did capture?

(ה) הֲתִפֹּל צִפּוֹר עַל פַּח הָאָרֶץ

וּמוֹקֵשׁ אֵין לָהּ

הֲיַעֲלֶה פַּח מִן הָאֲדָמָה

וְלָכוֹד לֹא יִלְכּוֹד:

5) Would a bird fall in a snare to the earth,

if there was no trap?

Would a snare spring from the ground,

but fail to capture?

(ו) אִם יִתָּקַע שׁוֹפָר בְּעִיר

וְעָם לֹא יֶחֱרָדוּ

אִם תִּהְיֶה רָעָה בְּעִיר

וַה' לֹא עָשָׂה:

6) If a Shofar is sounded in a city,

do the people not tremble?

Could there be a disaster in a city,

and Hashem did not make it happen?

You don't need to guess at My intentions, I always give you fair warning through My prophets. You might try to shut them up, but that is as pointless as pretending not to hear the roar of the lion that is about to attack.

(ז) כִּי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה אֲדֹ-נָי ה' דָּבָר

כִּי אִם גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ

אֶל עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים:

7) For G-d, Hashem, will not do anything

without revealing His confidence

to His servants, the prophets.

(ח) אַרְיֵה שָׁאָג מִי לֹא יִירָא

אֲדֹ-נָי ה' דִּבֶּר

מִי לֹא יִנָּבֵא:

8) A lion roars, who will not fear?

G-d, Hashem, speaks,

who will not prophesy?