Haftarah of Shabbat HaGadol

Malachi 3:4-24

Malachi was the very last prophet, and this is the very last chapter of his book. Malachi lived during the rebuilding of the Second Temple, the original Return to Zion, an era that was plagued with political, economic, and religious problems.

Malachi presents his prophecy in the style of a dialog between G-d and the Jewish People, with G-d posing challenges, and the Jewish People defending itself, and posing questions back to G-d. Some of the questions and challenges may have been topical to his generation, but in truth, they resonate throughout Jewish History.

The Haftarah begins with the goal of the Jewish People: ultimately, G-d will be happy with us and our service, as He had been in the past.

4) Then they will be pleasing to Hashem,

the offerings of Yehuda and Yerushalaim,

like in the days of old, and in former years.

(ד) וְעָרְבָה לַה'

מִנְחַת יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם

כִּימֵי עוֹלָם וּכְשָׁנִים קַדְמֹנִיּוֹת:

The way that we will reach this goal is by getting rid of behaviors that are not compatible with what G-d wants us to be. What G-d expects of us has not changed, and while the Jewish People have a long history of disappointing Him, He has not given up on us.

5) I will draw close to you for judgment;

and I will be quick to testify

against those who claim magical powers,

against adulterers,

against those who lie in court,

against those who cheat their workers,

widows and orphans, defraud the stranger –

and do not fear Me,

said Hashem Tzva-ot.

(ה) וְקָרַבְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם לַמִּשְׁפָּט

וְהָיִיתִי עֵד מְמַהֵר

בַּמְכַשְּׁפִים

וּבַמְנָאֲפִים

וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִים לַשָּׁקֶר

וּבְעֹשְׁקֵי שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר

אַלְמָנָה וְיָתוֹם וּמַטֵּי גֵר

וְלֹא יְרֵאוּנִי

אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת:

6) For I, Hashem, have not changed,

and you, the sons of Yaakov, have not vanished.

(ו) כִּי אֲנִי ה' לֹא שָׁנִיתִי

וְאַתֶּם בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב לֹא כְלִיתֶם:

The prophet now addresses his own generation, which is rebuilding Jewish presence in the Land of Israel. There is one law in particular that they have refused to keep, which G-d finds particularly disappointing: the laws of Ma'aser. Ma'aser and Teruma are the two different kinds of tithes that one has to give to the Levi and the Cohen, respectively, to sponsor their work for the community. The prophet claims that the economic and agricultural difficulties that they are experiencing are directly related to their failure to give the tithes. He tells them that they may even test G-d in this manner: if they give away some of their produce as He commanded, they will be blessed beyond anything they can imagine.

7) "Since the days of your fathers,

you have turned away from My laws and have not kept them.

Come back to Me, and I will come back to you!"

said Hashem Tzva-ot.

And you say, "Come back in what way?"

(ז) לְמִימֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם

סַרְתֶּם מֵחֻקַּי וְלֹא שְׁמַרְתֶּם

שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם

אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת

וַאֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמֶּה נָשׁוּב:

8) "Would a person rob G-d? Yet you rob Me."

And you say, "In what way do we rob you?"

"In Ma'aser and Terumah.

(ח) הֲיִקְבַּע אָדָם אֱ-לֹהִים כִּי אַתֶּם קֹבְעִים אֹתִי

וַאֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמֶּה קְבַעֲנוּךָ

הַמַּעֲשֵׂר וְהַתְּרוּמָה:

9) You are cursed,

yet you rob Me,

the entire nation.

(ט) בַּמְּאֵרָה אַתֶּם נֵאָרִים

וְאֹתִי אַתֶּם קֹבְעִים

הַגּוֹי כֻּלּוֹ:

10) Bring all the Ma'aser to the treasure house,

so there should be food in My house.

Please do test Me in this!"

said Hashem Tzva-ot.

"See if I do not open for you the floodgates of the heavens,

and pour over you a blessing beyond measure.

(י) הָבִיאוּ אֶת כָּל הַמַּעֲשֵׂר אֶל בֵּית הָאוֹצָר

וִיהִי טֶרֶף בְּבֵיתִי

וּבְחָנוּנִי נָא בָּזֹאת

אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת

אִם לֹא אֶפְתַּח לָכֶם אֵת אֲרֻבּוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם

וַהֲרִיקֹתִי לָכֶם בְּרָכָה עַד בְּלִי דָי:

11) I will get rid of pests,

and they will no longer ruin the land's produce,

nor make barren the vine in the field,"

said Hashem Tzva-ot.

(יא) וְגָעַרְתִּי לָכֶם בָּאֹכֵל

וְלֹא יַשְׁחִת לָכֶם אֶת פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּל לָכֶם הַגֶּפֶן בַּשָּׂדֶה

אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת:

12) "All the nations will praise you,

for you will be a favored land,"

said Hashem Tzva-ot.

(יב) וְאִשְּׁרוּ אֶתְכֶם כָּל הַגּוֹיִם

כִּי תִהְיוּ אַתֶּם אֶרֶץ חֵפֶץ

אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת: ס

On the topic of testing, the Jewish People have a complaint of their own against G-d. They see that wicked, immoral people prosper; if so, what is the point of living a life of restrictions?

13) "You have said harsh words against Me," said Hashem.

And you say, "What have we said against you?"

(יג) חָזְקוּ עָלַי דִּבְרֵיכֶם אָמַר ה'

וַאֲמַרְתֶּם מַה נִּדְבַּרְנוּ עָלֶיךָ:

14) You have said, "It's pointless to serve G-d.

What have we gained by keeping His charge,

by walking somberly

before Hashem Tzva-ot?

(יד) אֲמַרְתֶּם שָׁוְא עֲבֹד אֱ-לֹהִים

וּמַה בֶּצַע כִּי שָׁמַרְנוּ מִשְׁמַרְתּוֹ

וְכִי הָלַכְנוּ קְדֹרַנִּית

מִפְּנֵי ה' צְבָא-וֹת:

15) So now, we praise the wicked;

the doers of evil have prospered;

they tested G-d and have escaped."

(טו) וְעַתָּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִים זֵדִים

גַּם נִבְנוּ עֹשֵׂי רִשְׁעָה

גַּם בָּחֲנוּ אֱ-לֹהִים וַיִּמָּלֵטוּ:

The prophet does not answer this question directly. Instead, he suggests that the people who truly fear G-d encourage each other, and wait for the answer together. It might appear that G-d does not care, but in fact, He is paying very close attention. There will come a day where G-d makes a true accounting, a day of frightening destruction, and on that day, all evil will vanish, and all good will be protected.

16) Then those who fear Hashem speak to each other;

Hashem pays attention, and hears.

He writes a book of remembrance before Him,

for those who fear Hashem,

and care about His name.

(טז) אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי ה' אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ

וַיַּקְשֵׁב ה' וַיִּשְׁמָע

וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו

לְיִרְאֵי ה'

וּלְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ:

17) And they will be Mine, said Hashem Tzva-ot,

for That Day that I will make, My treasure,

and I will care for them,

like a man would care for

the son who serves him.

(יז) וְהָיוּ לִי אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת

לַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה סְגֻלָּה

וְחָמַלְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם

כַּאֲשֶׁר יַחְמֹל אִישׁ

עַל בְּנוֹ הָעֹבֵד אֹתוֹ:

18) You will come back and you will see,

the difference between the righteous and the evil,

between one who serves G-d,

and one who does not serve Him.

(יח) וְשַׁבְתֶּם וּרְאִיתֶם

בֵּין צַדִּיק לְרָשָׁע

בֵּין עֹבֵד אֱ-לֹהִים

לַאֲשֶׁר לֹא עֲבָדוֹ: ס

19) For That Day is coming,

blazing like a furnace;

all the wicked and evildoers will be like straw,

That Day is coming, it will burn them, said Hashem Tzva-ot,

leaving them no root nor branch.

(יט) כִּי הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם בָּא

בֹּעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר

וְהָיוּ כָל זֵדִים וְכָל עֹשֵׂה רִשְׁעָה קַשׁ

וְלִהַט אֹתָם הַיּוֹם הַבָּא אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת

אֲשֶׁר לֹא יַעֲזֹב לָהֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ וְעָנָף:

20) The sun of justice will rise for you who fear My name,

healing with its rays,

and you will come out and frolic like fattened calves.

(כ) וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה

וּמַרְפֵּא בִּכְנָפֶיהָ

וִיצָאתֶם וּפִשְׁתֶּם כְּעֶגְלֵי מַרְבֵּק:

21) You will stomp on the wicked,

for they will be dust

under the soles of your feet,

on That Day that I will make,

said Hashem Tzva-ot.

(כא) וְעַסּוֹתֶם רְשָׁעִים

כִּי יִהְיוּ אֵפֶר

תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵיכֶם

בַּיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה

אָמַר ה' צְבָא-וֹת: פ

The era of prophecy is ending; these are the last verses of prophecy in the Tanach. Ultimately, it will return, with the prophet Eliyahu coming to prepare us for the Day of Hashem. In the meantime, we might not have prophecy, but we do have the Torah to guide us.

22) Remember the Torah of My servant Moshe,

that I commanded to him in Chorev for all of Israel,

the laws and the statutes.

(כב) זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי

אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אוֹתוֹ בְחֹרֵב עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל

חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים:

23) I am sending to you

the prophet Eliyahu,

in advance of the coming of the Day of Hashem,

the great and dreadful.

(כג) הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם

אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא

לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה'

הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא:

24) He will return the hearts of the fathers to their children,

and the hearts of the children to their fathers,

so that I do not come and destroy the land.

(כד) וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים

וְלֵב בָּנִים עַל אֲבוֹתָם

פֶּן אָבוֹא וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶת הָאָרֶץ חֵרֶם:

The second-to-last verse is repeated, so as to end with hope for the future.

23) I am sending to you

the prophet Eliyahu,

in advance of the coming of the Day of Hashem,

the great and dreadful.

(כג) הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם

אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא

לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה'

הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא:

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

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