Haftarah of VaEira

Haftarah of Va'Eira

Yechezkel 28:25 – 29:21

Yechekel received his prophecies in Babylonia, where he was exiled in 597BCE, a decade before the final destruction of Jerusalem.

In addition to his prophecies to the Jewish People, Yechezkel also addresses other nations, to tell them what G-d has planned for them and why. The bulk of the Haftarah of Va'Eira, the Parsha that describes the Plagues, is addressed to the nation of Egypt.

Our history with Egypt did not end with the Exodus. Egypt remained a superpower for a thousand more years, and the nations around it - including the two kingdoms of the Land of Israel - were its satellites. When Assyria began to conquer the region and swallow up the smaller nations and city-states one after the other, Yehudah hoped that Egypt would step in to protect them. It did not. Assyria conquered the Kingdom of Israel completely; Jerusalem, the capital of Yehudah, was saved through Divine intervention, not through any action by the Egyptians.

Later, Nevuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia began an even more successful conquest, threatening Egypt itself. Pharaoh crossed through Yehudah to engage him in Syria. On his way back from the battle, which he had lost, Pharaoh made Yehudah a vassal state. A few years later, Nevuchadnezzar defeated Egypt and drove Pharaoh back to his own land. The king of Yehudah now became a vassal of Babylonia. After several years, he rebelled against Nevuchandnezzar, assuming that Egypt would stand by him. Egypt, however, failed to provide any assistance. The next king of Yehudah did not learn his lesson and also rebelled; Nevuchadnezzar's reaction was to exile the king and the nation's leaders, including the prophet Yechezkel, to Babylonia. The last king, Tzidkiyahu, followed the same disastrous policy, and in 586 BCE, Nevuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem entirely. Egypt did not come to Yehudah's aid at any point.

The Haftarah tells us about these political developments from G-d's perspective.

The prophet starts with a few encouraging words for Israel: they may be in exile now, but ultimately, they will return to their land. They will live there in security, because G-d will have gotten rid of all of the enemies in the region.

25) So says G-d, Hashem:

While gathering the House of Israel

from the nations among which they have scattered,

I will become holy through them in the eyes of the nations;

they will dwell in their land

that I have given to my servant Yaakov.

(כה) כֹּה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנָי ה’

בְּקַבְּצִי אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל

מִן הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר נָפֹצוּ בָם

וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בָם לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם

וְיָשְׁבוּ עַל אַדְמָתָם

אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְעַבְדִּי לְיַעֲקֹב:

26) They will dwell there safely,

build houses and plant vineyards.

They will dwell safely,

once I have carried out the verdicts

of all those who oppress them in their region,

and they will know that I am Hashem their G-d.

(כו) וְיָשְׁבוּ עָלֶיהָ לָבֶטַח

וּבָנוּ בָתִּים וְנָטְעוּ כְרָמִים

וְיָשְׁבוּ לָבֶטַח

בַּעֲשׂוֹתִי שְׁפָטִים

בְּכֹל הַשָּׁאטִים אֹתָם מִסְּבִיבוֹתָם

וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי ה’ אֱ-לֹהֵיהֶם: ס

Yechezkel is unique among the prophets in dating his prophecies. Yechezkel's next prophecy takes place, as he makes sure to tell us, on 12 Tevet, 10 years after his exile, in 586 BCE, several months after the destruction of Jerusalem. Some of the immediate blame for this disaster lies with Egypt, for failing to provide the assistance it promised.

The prophet addresses Pharaoh, referring to him as a crocodile, which was the symbol of the Egyptian god of the Nile. Pharaoh might think that he's as invincible as the crocodile, that he rules the world - until G-d comes for him.

1) In the 10th year,

in the 10th month, on 12th day of the month,

the word of Hashem came to me, as follows:

(א) בַּשָּׁנָה הָעֲשִׂירִית

בָּעֲשִׂרִי בִּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ

הָיָה דְבַר ה’ אֵלַי לֵאמֹר:

2) Son of man:

Turn toward Pharaoh, King of Egypt,

and prophecy about him,

and about all of Egypt.

(ב) בֶּן אָדָם

שִׂים פָּנֶיךָ עַל פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם

וְהִנָּבֵא עָלָיו

וְעַל מִצְרַיִם כֻּלָּהּ:

3) Speak, and say: So says G-d, Hashem:

I am on to you, Pharaoh, King of Egypt,

the great crocodile,

lying in his Nile,

who says, “The Nile is mine, and I made it.”

(ג) דַּבֵּר וְאָמַרְתָּ כֹּה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנָי ה’

הִנְנִי עָלֶיךָ פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם

הַתַּנִּים הַגָּדוֹל

הָרֹבֵץ בְּתוֹךְ יְאֹרָיו

אֲשֶׁר אָמַר לִי יְאֹרִי וַאֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִנִי:

4) I will put hooks in your jaws,

make the fish of your Nile stick to your scales;

I will raise you up from your Nile,

and all the fish of your Nile

will stick to your scales.

(ד) וְנָתַתִּי חַחִים בִּלְחָיֶיךָ

וְהִדְבַּקְתִּי דְגַת יְאֹרֶיךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶיךָ

וְהַעֲלִיתִיךָ מִתּוֹךְ יְאֹרֶיךָ

וְאֵת כָּל דְּגַת יְאֹרֶיךָ

בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶיךָ תִּדְבָּק:

5) I will abandon you in the desert,

you and all the fish of your Nile,

you will fall on the open field,

you will not be gathered nor collected;

to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the land,

I will give you to them, as food.

(ה) וּנְטַשְׁתִּיךָ הַמִּדְבָּרָה

אוֹתְךָ וְאֵת כָּל דְּגַת יְאֹרֶיךָ

עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה תִּפּוֹל

לֹא תֵאָסֵף וְלֹא תִקָּבֵץ

לְחַיַּת הָאָרֶץ וּלְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם

נְתַתִּיךָ לְאָכְלָה:

The purpose of Egypt's punishment will be to show them that G-d has power over all, and that He repays nations for their actions. The cause of Egypt's ruin is that Israel counted on them, and they betrayed them.

6) And all the residents of Egypt will know,

that I am Hashem,

for they were a brittle crutch for the House of Israel.

(ו) וְיָדְעוּ כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי מִצְרַיִם

כִּי אֲנִי ה’

יַעַן הֱיוֹתָם מִשְׁעֶנֶת קָנֶה לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל:

7) As they took your hand and ran,

and you tore their shoulders,

as they leaned on you, you broke away,

and you caused them to stagger.

(ז) בְּתָפְשָׂם בְּךָ בַכַּף תֵּרוֹץ

וּבָקַעְתָּ לָהֶם כָּל כָּתֵף

וּבְהִשָּׁעֲנָם עָלֶיךָ תִּשָּׁבֵר

וְהַעֲמַדְתָּ לָהֶם כָּל מָתְנָיִם: ס

G-d will bring war, desolation, and exile to Egypt; as a result, they will realize that it is G-d who runs the world, and not they.

8) Thus says G-d, Hashem:

I am bringing the sword against you,

and I will eradicate man and beast from you.

(ח) לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנָי ה’

הִנְנִי מֵבִיא עָלַיִךְ חָרֶב

וְהִכְרַתִּי מִמֵּךְ אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה:

9) Egypt will be desolate and destroyed,

- and they will know that I am Hashem -

because he said “The Nile is mine, and I made it.”

(ט) וְהָיְתָה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁמָמָה וְחָרְבָּה

וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי ה’

יַעַן אָמַר יְאֹר לִי וַאֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי:

10) Therefore, I turn against you, and your Nile,

and I will turn Egypt into desolate ruins,

from the Tower of Swene to the border of Kush.

(י) לָכֵן הִנְנִי אֵלֶיךָ וְאֶל יְאֹרֶיךָ

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְחָרְבוֹת חֹרֶב שְׁמָמָה

מִמִּגְדֹּל סְוֵנֵה וְעַד גְּבוּל כּוּשׁ:

11) A person’s steps will not walk through it,

an animal’s steps will not walk through it,

and it will not be settled for forty years.

(יא) לֹא תַעֲבָר בָּהּ רֶגֶל אָדָם

וְרֶגֶל בְּהֵמָה לֹא תַעֲבָר בָּהּ

וְלֹא תֵשֵׁב אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה:

12) I will make Egypt a ruin,

among ruined countries,

and her cities will be ruined among destroyed cities,

for forty years.

I will disperse Egypt among the nations,

and scatter them in the lands.

(יב) וְנָתַתִּי אֶת אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁמָמָה

בְּתוֹךְ אֲרָצוֹת נְשַׁמּוֹת

וְעָרֶיהָ בְּתוֹךְ עָרִים מָחֳרָבוֹת תִּהְיֶיןָ שְׁמָמָה

אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה

וַהֲפִצֹתִי אֶת מִצְרַיִם בַּגּוֹיִם

וְזֵרִיתִים בָּאֲרָצוֹת: פ

Their punishment is limited to 40 years, but they will never recover their status as a superpower. They will never again be in a position to betray the trust of Israel.

13) For so said G-d, Hashem:

At the end of the forty years, I will gather Egypt

from the nations where they were spread out.

(יג) כִּי כֹּה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנָי ה’

מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה אֲקַבֵּץ אֶת מִצְרַיִם

מִן הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר נָפֹצוּ שָׁמָּה:

14) I will bring back the captives of Egypt,

and return them to the Land of Pathros,

to their birthplace,

and there they will be a lowly kingdom.

(יד) וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת שְׁבוּת מִצְרַיִם

וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי אֹתָם אֶרֶץ פַּתְרוֹס

עַל אֶרֶץ מְכוּרָתָם

וְהָיוּ שָׁם מַמְלָכָה שְׁפָלָה:

15) Among the kingdoms, it will be lowly;

it will no longer lord over the nations,

I will diminish them so they don’t rule over nations.

(טו) מִן הַמַּמְלָכוֹת תִּהְיֶה שְׁפָלָה

וְלֹא תִתְנַשֵּׂא עוֹד עַל הַגּוֹיִם

וְהִמְעַטְתִּים לְבִלְתִּי רְדוֹת בַּגּוֹיִם:

16) They will no longer be a shelter for the House of Israel, recalling their sin,

in turning to them,

and they will know

that I am G-d, Hashem.

(טז) וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִבְטָח מַזְכִּיר עָוֹן

בִּפְנוֹתָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם

וְיָדְעוּ

כִּי אֲנִי אֲ-דֹנָי ה’: פ

The next prophecy, dated 1 Nissan, 17 years later (569 BCE), describes Nevuchadnezzar's attempt to conquer Tyre. Since it was not as successful as he had hoped, G-d offers him Egypt to plunder instead.

Indeed, records show that after the destruction of Jerusalem, Nevuchanezzar engaged in a long and unfruitful siege of Tyre, followed by a successful campaign against Egypt in their own land (567 BCE). Egypt never quite recovered; the last native Pharaoh was conquered by the Persians approximately 40 years later.

17) In the 27th year,

on the first day of the first month,

the word of Hashem came to me, as follows:

(יז) וַיְהִי בְּעֶשְׂרִים וָשֶׁבַע שָׁנָה

בָּרִאשׁוֹן בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ

הָיָה דְבַר ה’ אֵלַי לֵאמֹר:

18) Son of Man,

Nevuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia, made his army toil,

heavy toil, at Tyre;

every head is made bald,

every shoulder is blistered,

but there was no reward for him and his army at Tyre,

for that toil that he toiled over her.

(יח) בֶּן אָדָם

נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל הֶעֱבִיד אֶת חֵילוֹ

עֲבֹדָה גְדֹלָה אֶל צֹר

כָּל רֹאשׁ מֻקְרָח

וְכָל כָּתֵף מְרוּטָה

וְשָׂכָר לֹא הָיָה לוֹ וּלְחֵילוֹ מִצֹּר

עַל הָעֲבֹדָה אֲשֶׁר עָבַד עָלֶיהָ: ס

19) Therefore, so says G-d, Hashem:

Here I am giving to Nevuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia,

the land of Egypt;

let him take its population and loot and plunder,

and it will be payment for his army.

(יט) לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנָי ה’

הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל

אֶת אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

וְנָשָׂא הֲמֹנָהּ וְשָׁלַל שְׁלָלָהּ וּבָזַז בִּזָּהּ

וְהָיְתָה שָׂכָר לְחֵילוֹ:

20) It’s his payment for his toil;

I give him the land of Egypt,

for what they had done to Me,

says G-d, Hashem.

(כ) פְּעֻלָּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָבַד בָּהּ

נָתַתִּי לוֹ אֶת אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לִי

נְאֻם אֲ-דֹנָי ה’: ס

The day that Egypt gets its comeuppance, Israel will realize that the prophet's words are real. They, too, will know that it is G-d who rules history.

21) On that day,

I will raise a ray to the House of Israel,

and I will you give a voice among them,

and they will know that I am Hashem.

(כא) בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא

אַצְמִיחַ קֶרֶן לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל

וּלְךָ אֶתֵּן פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה בְּתוֹכָם

וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי ה’: פ

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

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

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