Haftarah of Devarim - Shabbat Chazon

Yeshayahu 1:1-27

Yeshayahu served as a prophet for four generations of kings. Even though this is the first chapter of his book, the time period that best matches its descriptions of Yehudah is that of the last of those kings, Chizkiyahu. It was characterized by years of military defeats at the hands of first Aram and then Assyria, who had raided and conquered several key cities of Yehudah.

The Haftarah accuses the Jewish People of hypocrisy and corruption masquerading as piety. Whereas the previous king, Achaz, barred entrance into the Temple and flirted with all the pagan gods in the region, Chizkiyahu put a great deal of effort into reviving the service of G-d, and the study and dissemination of Torah. The prophet tells him unequivocally that all that is meaningless to G-d if His goals of justice and righteousness are ignored.

As the first chapter in the Book of Yeshayahu, it begins by introducing the prophet with both his name and his time period.

1) The vision of Yeshayahu ben Amotz, who had visions about Yehudah and Yerushalaim; in the days of Uziyahu, Yotam, Achaz, Yechizkiyahu, kings of Yehudah.

(א) חֲזוֹן יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן אָמוֹץ אֲשֶׁר חָזָה עַל יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם בִּימֵי עֻזִּיָּהוּ יוֹתָם אָחָז יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה:

G-d accuses the Jewish People of betraying and abandoning Him, and of showing less insight and gratitude than a farm animal.

2) Listen, Heavens, and pay attention, Earth! for Hashem has spoken. Sons I have nurtured and raised, and they have betrayed Me.	(ב) שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמַיִם וְהַאֲזִינִי אֶרֶץ כִּי ה' דִּבֵּר בָּנִים גִּדַּלְתִּי וְרוֹמַמְתִּי וְהֵם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי:
3) An ox knows his owner, and a donkey, the trough of his master. Israel does not know, My nation does not think.	(ג) יָדַע שׁוֹר קֹנֵהוּ וַחֲמוֹר אֵבוּס בְּעָלָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע עַמִּי לֹא הִתְבּוֹנָן:
4) Oh, a sinful people, a nation laden with vice, offspring of evil, destructive children! They abandoned Hashem, rejected the Holy One of Israel, regressed away.	(ד) הוֹי גּוֹי חֹטֵא עַם כֶּבֶד עָוֹן זֶרַע מְרֵעִים בָּנִים מַשְׁחִיתִים עָזְבוּ אֶת ה' נִאֲצוּ אֶת קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נָזֹרוּ אָחוֹר:

G-d questions what else He could do to get their attention and make them change their ways; the entire country is already marked by war and destruction, only Jerusalem itself remains unharmed.

5) Where else could you be hit, what pain could be added? Every head is aching, every heart is sick.	(ה) עַל מֶה תֻכּוּ עוֹד תּוֹסִיפוּ סָרָה כָּל רֹאשׁ לָחֳלִי וְכָל לֵבָב דַּוָּי:
6) From your head to your feet, there is no relief; sores, lesions, and fresh wounds. Not treated, not bandaged, and not salved with oil.	(ו) מִכַּף רֶגֶל וְעַד רֹאשׁ אֵין בּוֹ מְתֹם פֶּצַע וְחַבּוּרָה וּמַכָּה טְרִיָּה לֹא זֹרוּ וְלֹא חֻבָּשׁוּ וְלֹא רֻכְּכָה בַּשָּׁמֶן:
7) Your land is desolate, your cities are torched with fire; your land, before your eyes, strangers plunder it, the desolation is like the upheaval of torrents.	(ז) אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה עָרֵיכֶם שְׂרֻפוֹת אֵשׁ אַדְמַתְכֶם לְנֶגְדְּכֶם זָרִים אֹכְלִים אֹתָהּ וּשְׁמָמָה כְּמַהְפֵּכַת זָרִים:
8) The Daughter of Tzion is left like a shed in a vineyard, like a lean-to in a field, like a sacked city.	(ח) וְנוֹתְרָה בַת צִיּוֹן כְּסֻכָּה בְכָרֶם כִּמְלוּנָה בְמִקְשָׁה כְּעִיר נְצוּרָה:
9) If not for Hashem Tzva-ot leaving us a small remnant, we would be like Sedom, another Amora!	(ט) לוּלֵי ה' צְבָא-וֹת הוֹתִיר לָנוּ שָׂרִיד כִּמְעָט כִּסְדֹם הָיִינוּ לַעֲמֹרָה דָּמִינוּ: ס

G-d addresses the Jewish People as "Sedom and Amorah", the epitome of evil and injustice. He is not interested in their Temple service, their ritual observances, or even their prayers; their hypocrisy repulses Him.

10) Listen to the word of Hashem, rulers of Sedom! Pay attention to the Law of our G-d, nation of Amora!	(י) שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר ה' קְצִינֵי סְדֹם הַאֲזִינוּ תּוֹרַת אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ עַם עֲמֹרָה:
11) Why do I need all your sacrifices? says Hashem. I am fed up with the offerings of rams, and the fat of cattle; the blood of cows, sheep and goats, I do not desire!	(יא) לָמָּה לִּי רֹב זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר ה' שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים לֹא חָפָצְתִּי:
12) You come to appear in My presence – who asked that of you, to trample My courtyards?	(יב) כִּי תָבֹאוּ לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי מִי בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי:
13) Don't bother bringing any more meaningless offerings, the incense is repugnant to Me. New moon, Shabbat, or festivals, I cannot stand deceit with solemn assembly.	(יג) לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ הָבִיא מִנְחַת שָׁוְא קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא לִי חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא לֹא אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה:
14) Your new moons and your holidays I abhor, they are a bother to Me, I'm tired of the burden.	(יד) חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח נִלְאֵיתִי נְשֹׂא:
15) When you lift up your hands to Me, I will hide My eyes from you; no matter how much you pray, I will not listen - Your hands are full of blood!	(טו) וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם גַּם כִּי תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ יְדֵיכֶם דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ:

G-d tells the Jewish People exactly what He wants from them: integrity and justice, applied to all people regardless of their social standing and connections.

16) Wash yourselves, become clean, remove your evil plots from before My eyes, stop doing evil.	(טז) רַחֲצוּ הִזַּכּוּ הָסִירוּ רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם מִנֶּגֶד עֵינָי חִדְלוּ הָרֵעַ:
17) Learn to do good, seek justice, straighten dishonesty; judge the orphan, defend the widow.	(יז) לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה: ס

G-d tells them that it is not too late to fix what is wrong. Their fate is in their hands - if they choose to do good, they will receive prosperity. If not, there will be more war and destruction.

18) Let us reason together, says Hashem – if your sins are like scarlet, they will be bleached like the snow; if they be red like crimson, like wool they will be.	(יח) לְכוּ נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה יֹאמַר ה' אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ אִם יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ:
19) If you wish, and you listen, the good of the land you will eat.	(יט) אִם תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵלוּ:
20) But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of Hashem has spoken.	(כ) וְאִם תְּמָאֲנוּ וּמְרִיתֶם חֶרֶב תְּאֻכְּלוּ כִּי פִּי ה' דִּבֵּר: ס

G-d laments His disappointment in Jerusalem. He expected justice and righteousness; instead there is fraud, corruption and murder.

21) How has she become a whore, the faithful city? I filled her with justice, righteousness would find rest there, but now there are murderers!	(כא) אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים:
22) Your silver is dross, your liquor is diluted with water.	(כב) כַּסְפֵּךְ הָיָה לְסִיגִים סָבְאֵךְ מָהוּל בַּמָּיִם:
23) Your ministers are crooks, associates of thieves, all loving bribes, and chasing graft; an orphan they would not judge, the cause of a widow would not reach them.	(כג) שָׂרַיִךְ סוֹרְרִים וְחַבְרֵי גַּנָּבִים כֻּלּוֹ אֹהֵב שֹׁחַד וְרֹדֵף שַׁלְמֹנִים יָתוֹם לֹא יִשְׁפֹּטוּ וְרִיב אַלְמָנָה לֹא יָבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶם: פ

G-d will not let the situation stand. If needed, He will purify Jerusalem by force. Its purpose and destiny is to be a city of justice and righteousness, and G-d will make it so.

24) Therefore, says the Lord, Hashem Tzva-ot, the Mighty of Israel, Oh, I will relieve Myself of My adversaries, I will avenge Myself on My enemies.	(כד) לָכֵן נְאֻם הָאָ-דוֹן ה' צְבָא-וֹת אֲבִיר יִשְׂרָאֵל הוֹי אֶנָּחֵם מִצָּרַי וְאִנָּקְמָה מֵאוֹיְבָי:
25) I will restore My hand over you, and smelt away your dross as with lye, and remove all your impurities.	(כה) וְאָשִׁיבָה יָדִי עָלַיִךְ וְאֶצְרֹף כַּבֹּר סִיגָיִךְ וְאָסִירָה כָּל בְּדִילָיִךְ:
26) I will restore your judges as at first, and your advisors as at the beginning; after that, you will be called the city of justice, the faithful city.	(כו) וְאָשִׁיבָה שֹׁפְטַיִךְ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָה וְיֹעֲצַיִךְ כְּבַתְּחִלָּה אַחֲרֵי כֵן יִקָּרֵא לָךְ עִיר הַצֶּדֶק קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה:
27) Through justice, Tzion will be redeemed, those who live within her, through righteousness!	(כז) צִיּוֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה וְשָׁבֶיהָ בִּצְדָקָה:

Copyright © Kira Sirote

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

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