Haftarah of Matot

Yirmiyahu 1:1 - 2:3

This Haftarah introduces the prophet Yirmiyahu, who served for the forty years preceding the Destruction of Jerusalem.

1) The words of Yirmiyahu ben Chilkiyahu

of the Cohanim living in Anatot,

in the land of Binyamin.

(א) דִּבְרֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ בֶּן חִלְקִיָּהוּ

מִן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת

בְּאֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִן:

2) To whom was the word of Hashem

in the days of Yoshiahu ben Amon, king of Yehuda,

from the thirteenth year of his reign.

(ב) אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר ה' אֵלָיו

בִּימֵי יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ בֶן אָמוֹן מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

בִּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לְמָלְכוֹ:

3) And in the days of Y'oyakim ben Yoshiahu, king of Yehuda,

until the end of the eleventh year

of Tzidkiyahu ben Yoshiahu, king of Yehuda,

until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

(ג) וַיְהִי בִּימֵי יְהוֹיָקִים בֶּן יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

עַד תֹּם עַשְׁתֵּי עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה

לְצִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

עַד גְּלוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי: ס

The Haftarah relates the very first prophecy that Yirmiyahu received, telling him that he has been designated to from birth to be a prophet.

4) The word of Hashem came to me, saying

(ד) וַיְהִי דְבַר ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר:

5) "Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you,

and before you came out from the womb, I sanctified you;

a prophet to the nations, I have made you."

(ה) בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ

וּבְטֶרֶם תֵּצֵא מֵרֶחֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּיךָ

נָבִיא לַגּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ:

Yirmiyahu expresses his fear that he does not have what it takes to succeed in his mission; however, G-d does not let him off the hook. He tells Yirmiyahu not to be afraid, and states the theme of his mission: destruction for the sake of rebuilding.

6) I said, "Oy, Hashem, G-d!

I don't know how to speak,

for I am just a lad!"

(ו) וָאֹמַר אֲהָהּ אֲ-דֹנָי ה'

הִנֵּה לֹא יָדַעְתִּי דַבֵּר

כִּי נַעַר אָנֹכִי: פ

7) Hashem said to me,

"Do not say, 'I am just a lad.'

Wherever I will send you, you will go,

and whatever I command you, you will speak.

(ז) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלַי

אַל תֹּאמַר נַעַר אָנֹכִי

כִּי עַל כָּל אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁלָחֲךָ תֵּלֵךְ

וְאֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר אֲצַוְּךָ תְּדַבֵּר:

8) Do not be afraid of them,

For I am with you, to save you," said Hashem.

(ח) אַל תִּירָא מִפְּנֵיהֶם

כִּי אִתְּךָ אֲנִי לְהַצִּלֶךָ נְאֻם ה':

9) Hashem sent out His hand;

He touched my mouth.

Hashem said to me,

"I have now placed My words into your mouth.

(ט) וַיִּשְׁלַח ה' אֶת יָדוֹ

וַיַּגַּע עַל פִּי

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלַי

הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי דְבָרַי בְּפִיךָ:

10) Behold, I have assigned you this day

to the nations and to the kingdoms,

to abandon, to smash, to ruin, and to destroy -

to build and to plant."

(י) רְאֵה הִפְקַדְתִּיךָ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

עַל הַגּוֹיִם וְעַל הַמַּמְלָכוֹת

לִנְתוֹשׁ וְלִנְתוֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִיד וְלַהֲרוֹס

לִבְנוֹת וְלִנְטוֹעַ: פ

Yirmiyahu's first vision is that of a big stick made of almond-wood. The word for "almond-wood" is the same as the word for "hasten" - the message is that the destruction of Jerusalem is imminent.

11) The word of Hashem came to me, saying:

"What do you see, Yirmiyahu?"

I said, "I see an almond-wood staff."

(יא) וַיְהִי דְבַר ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

מָה אַתָּה רֹאֶה יִרְמְיָהוּ

וָאֹמַר מַקֵּל שָׁקֵד אֲנִי רֹאֶה:

12) Hashem said to me, "You have seen well.

For I am hastening to carry out My word."

(יב) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלַי הֵיטַבְתָּ לִרְאוֹת

כִּי שֹׁקֵד אֲנִי עַל דְּבָרִי לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ: פ

The second vision is that of a boiling pot, symbolizing the impending siege of Jerusalem. G-d tells Yirmiyahu the reason for this punishment: the Jewish People have betrayed Him by worshipping pagan gods.

13) The word of Hashem came to me a second time, saying:

"What do you see?"

and I said, "I see a boiling pot,

and it is facing north."

(יג) וַיְהִי דְבַר ה' אֵלַי שֵׁנִית לֵאמֹר

מָה אַתָּה רֹאֶה

וָאֹמַר סִיר נָפוּחַ אֲנִי רֹאֶה

וּפָנָיו מִפְּנֵי צָפוֹנָה:

14) Hashem said to me,

"From the north the evil will unfold,

upon all the residents of this land.

(יד) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָי

מִצָּפוֹן תִּפָּתַח הָרָעָה

עַל כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ:

15) For I call now to all the families

of kingdoms of the north, says Hashem,

and they will come

and each will place his chair before the gates of Yerushalaim,

and upon all its walls around,

and upon all the cities of Yehudah.

(טו) כִּי הִנְנִי קֹרֵא לְכָל מִשְׁפְּחוֹת

מַמְלְכוֹת צָפוֹנָה נְאֻם ה'

וּבָאוּ

וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כִּסְאוֹ פֶּתַח שַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם

וְעַל כָּל חוֹמֹתֶיהָ סָבִיב

וְעַל כָּל עָרֵי יְהוּדָה:

16) I will bring down My judgment upon them,

due to all their evil,

that they have left Me, and worshiped other gods,

and bowed to their own handiwork.

(טז) וְדִבַּרְתִּי מִשְׁפָּטַי אוֹתָם

עַל כָּל רָעָתָם

אֲשֶׁר עֲזָבוּנִי וַיְקַטְּרוּ לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים

וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְמַעֲשֵׂי יְדֵיהֶם:

G-d warns Yirmiyahu again that his mission will not be easy; the authorities will not be pleased with his message of imminent destruction, and he has reason to fear for his life. However, as long as he has courage and strength, G-d will be with him and protect him.

17) And you, gird your loins,

arise, and speak to them

of all that I command you.

Do not cower from them,

or else I will make you cower before them.

(יז) וְאַתָּה תֶּאְזֹר מָתְנֶיךָ

וְקַמְתָּ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם

אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי אֲצַוֶּךָּ

אַל תֵּחַת מִפְּנֵיהֶם

פֶּן אֲחִתְּךָ לִפְנֵיהֶם:

18) Meanwhile, I have made you today

like a fortress, an iron tower, a brass rampart,

to the entire country,

to the kings of Yehudah and to her ministers,

to her priests, and to her noblemen.

(יח) וַאֲנִי הִנֵּה נְתַתִּיךָ הַיּוֹם

לְעִיר מִבְצָר וּלְעַמּוּד בַּרְזֶל וּלְחֹמוֹת נְחֹשֶׁת

עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ

לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה לְשָׂרֶיהָ

לְכֹהֲנֶיהָ וּלְעַם הָאָרֶץ:

19) They will fight you, but they will not prevail over you,

For I am with you, says Hashem, to save you.

)ט) וְנִלְחֲמוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְלֹא יוּכְלוּ לָךְ

כִּי אִתְּךָ אֲנִי נְאֻם ה' לְהַצִּילֶךָ: פ

In order to end on a positive note, the Haftarah continues into the next chapter and next prophecy. G-d reminds the Jewish People of the early stages of our relationship, when we followed Him blindly in the desert, while He took care of us. He then warns our enemies that our blood is not free; the Jewish People are valuable to Him, and He will not let them get away with harming us.

2:1) The word of Hashem came to me, saying:

(א) וַיְהִי דְבַר ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר:

2) Go and call out to the ears of Yerushalaim, saying:

So says Hashem:

I recall the kindness of your youth,

the love of newlyweds,

when you walked after me in the desert,

in a land that is not sown.

(ב) הָלֹךְ וְקָרָאתָ בְאָזְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר

כֹּה אָמַר ה'

זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ

אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ

לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר

בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה:

3) Israel is holy to Hashem,

the first of His crop,

whoever eats it will be shamed,

evil will come upon them, says Hashem.

(ג) קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַה'

רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה

כָּל אֹכְלָיו יֶאְשָׁמוּ

רָעָה תָּבֹא אֲלֵיהֶם נְאֻם ה': פ

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

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