Haftarah of Bechukotai

Yirmeyahu 16:19-17:14

Yirmeyahu lived during the generation of the destruction of Jerusalem and its exile. He spent his life warning the Jewish People that they cannot get away with betraying G-d and ignoring their commitments to Him.

The Haftarah begins with a vision of the ultimate future. The role of the Jewish People will be to show the rest of the world that G-d is the only source of power in the world. People try to make "gods" in their own image, and then project upon them the power that they wish they had. It doesn't work, and when they will realize this, they will come looking for G-d, the real source of all power and strength.

19) Hashem is my strength, my fort, my refuge in the day of trouble.

To You the nations will come from the ends of the earth,

and they will say, "Our fathers bequeathed us nothing but lies,

nonsense, and it is all useless.

(יט) ה' עֻזִּי וּמָעֻזִּי וּמְנוּסִי בְּיוֹם צָרָה

אֵלֶיךָ גּוֹיִם יָבֹאוּ מֵאַפְסֵי אָרֶץ

וְיֹאמְרוּ אַךְ שֶׁקֶר נָחֲלוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ

הֶבֶל וְאֵין בָּם מוֹעִיל:

20) Can a man make himself gods?

But they are not gods."

(כ) הֲיַעֲשֶׂה לּוֹ אָדָם אֱלֹהִים

וְהֵמָּה לֹא אֱלֹהִים:

21) Therefore, I am letting them know this time,

I will let them know My might and My power,

and they will know that My Name is Hashem.

(כא) לָכֵן הִנְנִי מוֹדִיעָם בַּפַּעַם הַזֹּאת

אוֹדִיעֵם אֶת יָדִי וְאֶת גְּבוּרָתִי

וְיָדְעוּ כִּי שְׁמִי ה': ס

Yet the Jewish People themselves have turned to the same man-made gods. They have done this for so long, it has become a part of them. They built pagan altars on the Land of Israel that G-d gave them, and G-d will take it away from them.

1) The sin of Yehuda is inscribed with an iron stylus,

with a diamond point, engraved on the tablet of their hearts,

and on the corners of your altars.

(א) חַטַּאת יְהוּדָה כְּתוּבָה בְּעֵט בַּרְזֶל

בְּצִפֹּרֶן שָׁמִיר חֲרוּשָׁה עַל לוּחַ לִבָּם

וּלְקַרְנוֹת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶם:

2) Like the mention of their sons are their altars,

and their sacred spaces next to leafy trees,

upon high hills.

(ב) כִּזְכֹּר בְּנֵיהֶם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם

וַאֲשֵׁרֵיהֶם עַל עֵץ רַעֲנָן

עַל גְּבָעוֹת הַגְּבֹהוֹת:

3) Mountains in the field,

your strength, your treasures, I will give as spoils,

your high places, for sinning in all your territories.

(ג) הֲרָרִי בַּשָּׂדֶה

חֵילְךָ כָל אוֹצְרוֹתֶיךָ לָבַז אֶתֵּן

בָּמֹתֶיךָ בְּחַטָּאת בְּכָל גְּבוּלֶיךָ:

4) You will be forced to forfeit your inheritance that I have given you,

and serve your enemies,

in an unknown land;

for you have kindled a fire of anger in Me; burning forever.

(ד) וְשָׁמַטְתָּה וּבְךָ מִנַּחֲלָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַעֲבַדְתִּיךָ אֶת אֹיְבֶיךָ

בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדָעְתָּ

כִּי אֵשׁ קְדַחְתֶּם בְּאַפִּי עַד עוֹלָם תּוּקָד: ס

People who put their faith in human beings instead of G-d face inevitable failure.

5) So said Hashem:

Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,

and relies on the muscle of his arm,

and from Hashem turns away his heart.

(ה) כֹּה אָמַר ה'

אָרוּר הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בָּאָדָם

וְשָׂם בָּשָׂר זְרֹעוֹ

וּמִן ה' יָסוּר לִבּוֹ:

6) He shall be like a weed in the Aravah,

and he will not see when the good comes,

he will live in the parched desert,

a salt land that cannot be settled.

(ו) וְהָיָה כְּעַרְעָר בָּעֲרָבָה

וְלֹא יִרְאֶה כִּי יָבוֹא טוֹב

וְשָׁכַן חֲרֵרִים בַּמִּדְבָּר

אֶרֶץ מְלֵחָה וְלֹא תֵשֵׁב: ס

In contrast, people who put their faith in G-d will prosper, as the source of their strength is eternal and unwavering.

7) Blessed is the man,

who trusts in Hashem,

and Hashem will be his shelter.

(ז) בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר

אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּה'

וְהָיָה ה' מִבְטַחוֹ:

8) He will be like a tree planted upon the water,

toward the river, it sends its roots,

and does not fear that the heat will come;

its leaves will be verdant,

in a drought year it will not worry,

and will not stop yielding fruit.

(ח) וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל עַל מַיִם

וְעַל יוּבַל יְשַׁלַּח שָׁרָשָׁיו

וְלֹא יִרְאֶה כִּי יָבֹא חֹם

וְהָיָה עָלֵהוּ רַעֲנָן

וּבִשְׁנַת בַּצֹּרֶת לֹא יִדְאָג

וְלֹא יָמִישׁ מֵעֲשׂוֹת פֶּרִי:

A person who trusts in G-d and a person who trusts in Man might look the same, and even act the same to a great extent, but G-d can tell the difference. Even though the actions of the two types of people look similar, the fruit that those actions yield will be different. Believing that the source of your prosperity is your own wits leads people to commit fraud. They can only hide their deception for so long, ultimately it is all exposed, and they lose everything.

9) The heart is deceitful in all, and it is mortal,

who can know it?

(ט) עָקֹב הַלֵּב מִכֹּל וְאָנֻשׁ הוּא

מִי יֵדָעֶנּוּ:

10) I am Hashem, who searches the heart and the innermost thoughts,

to give a man according to his deeds,

according to the fruit of his actions.

(י) אֲנִי ה' חֹקֵר לֵב בֹּחֵן כְּלָיוֹת

וְלָתֵת לְאִישׁ כִּדְרָכָיו

כִּפְרִי מַעֲלָלָיו: ס

11) Like a partridge that broods over young it did not hatch,

he makes wealth but not by law;

in the midst of his days it will leave him,

and in the end, he shall be despised.

(יא) קֹרֵא דָגַר וְלֹא יָלָד

עֹשֶׂה עֹשֶׁר וְלֹא בְמִשְׁפָּט

בַּחֲצִי יָמָיו יַעַזְבֶנּוּ

וּבְאַחֲרִיתוֹ יִהְיֶה נָבָל:

When the Jewish People turn away from G-d, they're turning their back on the Source of all life and His Sanctuary among them. Causing it to be lost and destroyed will be a source of shame to the Jewish People.

12) The Throne of Glory,

exalted from the Beginning,

the place of our Sanctuary!

(יב) כִּסֵּא כָבוֹד

מָרוֹם מֵרִאשׁוֹן

מְקוֹם מִקְדָּשֵׁנוּ:

13) The hope of Israel is Hashem,

all who leave You will be shamed,

those who stray from Me, will be written in the land,

for they left the source of flowing waters, Hashem.

(יג) מִקְוֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל ה'

כָּל עֹזְבֶיךָ יֵבֹשׁוּ

וְסוּרַי בָּאָרֶץ יִכָּתֵבוּ

כִּי עָזְבוּ מְקוֹר מַיִם חַיִּים אֶת ה': ס

G-d is also the source of all healing, and the prophet turns to G-d and asks Him to make it all better.

14) Heal me, Hashem, and I will be healed!

Save me, and I will be saved;

for You are my praise.

(יד) רְפָאֵנִי ה' וְאֵרָפֵא

הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי וְאִוָּשֵׁעָה

כִּי תְהִלָּתִי אָתָּה:

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

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