Haftarah of Eikev

Yeshayahu 39:14-41:3

This Haftarah is the second of the "Chapters of Comfort" of that we read between Tisha B'Av and Rosh HaShanah. As with the other Haftarot in the series, its purpose is to give hope to all the generations of the Jewish People and to reassure them that one day, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, that the Jewish People will be living there in safety and security, that their unique relationship with G-d will grow and deepen, and the entire world will acknowledge it and create a world of justice and righteousness.

If the first obstacle to having faith and hope in Redemption was the mistaken belief that G-d cannot interfere in the forces of history, then the second obstacle is the feeling that G-d no longer cares to do so. G-d responds to this fear by telling the Jewish People that it is impossible for Him to forget us or to stop caring about us.

14) Tzion said, "Hashem has abandoned me,

G-d has forgotten me!"

(יד) וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי ה'

וַא-דֹנָי שְׁכֵחָנִי:

15) Can a woman forget her baby?

Can she fail to have compassion on the child of her womb?

Even if these could forget,

I would not forget you.

(טו) הֲתִשְׁכַּח אִשָּׁה עוּלָהּ

מֵרַחֵם בֶּן בִּטְנָהּ

גַּם אֵלֶּה תִשְׁכַּחְנָה

וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ:

16) Truly, you are engraved upon My hand,

your ramparts are before Me always.

(טז) הֵן עַל כַּפַּיִם חַקֹּתִיךְ

חוֹמֹתַיִךְ נֶגְדִּי תָּמִיד:

G-d tells Jerusalem to expect her children, the Jewish People, to return to her, and all her enemies to go away. The switch from being barren to being overcrowded will be so drastic, it will be hard to fathom it.

17) Your sons are hurrying to you;

your destroyers and demolishers will go away from you.

(יז) מִהֲרוּ בָּנָיִךְ

מְהָרְסַיִךְ וּמַחֲרִבַיִךְ מִמֵּךְ יֵצֵאוּ:

18) Lift up your eyes and look around –

they are all gathered and have come to you.

I swear by My life, says Hashem,

you will wear them all like jewels,

tie them on like a bride.

(יח) שְׂאִי סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ וּרְאִי

כֻּלָּם נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ לָךְ

חַי אָנִי נְאֻם ה'

כִּי כֻלָּם כָּעֲדִי תִלְבָּשִׁי

וּתְקַשְּׁרִים כַּכַּלָּה:

19) From your devastation, your desolation,

and the land of your destruction,

now you will be too crowded for your residents,

and those who harm you will be far away.

(יט) כִּי חָרְבֹתַיִךְ וְשֹׁמְמֹתַיִךְ

וְאֶרֶץ הֲרִסֻתֵיךְ

כִּי עַתָּה תֵּצְרִי מִיּוֹשֵׁב

וְרָחֲקוּ מְבַלְּעָיִךְ:

20) They will yet say in your ears,

the sons whom you have lost,

"This place is too small – make room so I could live here!"

(כ) עוֹד יֹאמְרוּ בְאָזְנַיִךְ

בְּנֵי שִׁכֻּלָיִךְ

צַר לִי הַמָּקוֹם גְּשָׁה לִּי וְאֵשֵׁבָה:

21) And you will say in your heart, "Who bore these for me?

I am bereaved of children, alone,

exiled and homeless – who raised these?

Truly, I have been left alone ...

These, where did they come from?"

(כא) וְאָמַרְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵךְ מִי יָלַד לִי אֶת אֵלֶּה

וַאֲנִי שְׁכוּלָה וְגַלְמוּדָה

גֹּלָה וְסוּרָה וְאֵלֶּה מִי גִדֵּל

הֵן אֲנִי נִשְׁאַרְתִּי לְבַדִּי

אֵלֶּה אֵיפֹה הֵם: פ

It will be the nations of the world themselves that bring the Jewish People back to Jerusalem, and honor them.

22) Thus says Hashem, G-d:

I lift My hand to the nations,

and to the peoples I raise My banner,

and they will bring your sons in their arms,

they will carry your daughters on their shoulders.

(כב) כֹּה אָמַר אֲ-דֹנָי ה'

הִנֵּה אֶשָּׂא אֶל גּוֹיִם יָדִי

וְאֶל עַמִּים אָרִים נִסִּי

וְהֵבִיאוּ בָנַיִךְ בְּחֹצֶן

וּבְנֹתַיִךְ עַל כָּתֵף תִּנָּשֶׂאנָה:

23) Kings will be your nannies,

and princes will be your nursemaids.

They will bow to the ground before you,

and lick the dust of your feet.

And you will know that I am Hashem,

that those who hope in Me will not be shamed.

(כג) וְהָיוּ מְלָכִים אֹמְנַיִךְ

וְשָׂרוֹתֵיהֶם מֵינִיקֹתַיִךְ

אַפַּיִם אֶרֶץ יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָךְ

וַעֲפַר רַגְלַיִךְ יְלַחֵכוּ

וְיָדַעַתְּ כִּי אֲנִי ה'

אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ קֹוָי: ס

The Jewish People question if such a thing is possible - how could they escape from the clutches of those who took them captive? G-d reassures them that He has the power to take the Jewish People away from whomever He pleases, and make them pay for all the pain they have caused.

24) Can plunder be taken away from the warrior?

Can the captive of a victor escape?

(כד) הֲיֻקַּח מִגִּבּוֹר מַלְקוֹחַ

וְאִם שְׁבִי צַדִּיק יִמָּלֵט:

25) For thus says Hashem:

Even so, the captives of a warrior will be taken,

and the plunder of a tyrant will be rescued,

I will fight your battles,

and I will save your children.

(כה) כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה'

גַּם שְׁבִי גִבּוֹר יֻקָּח

וּמַלְקוֹחַ עָרִיץ יִמָּלֵט

וְאֶת יְרִיבֵךְ אָנֹכִי אָרִיב

וְאֶת בָּנַיִךְ אָנֹכִי אוֹשִׁיעַ:

26) I will feed your oppressors their own flesh,

and their blood will be drunk like juice,

and all mankind will know that I am Hashem, your savior,

your redeemer, the Mighty One of Yaakov.

(כו) וְהַאֲכַלְתִּי אֶת מוֹנַיִךְ אֶת בְּשָׂרָם

וְכֶעָסִיס דָּמָם יִשְׁכָּרוּן

וְיָדְעוּ כָל בָּשָׂר כִּי אֲנִי ה' מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ

וְגֹאֲלֵךְ אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב: ס

G-d tells the Jewish People that their relationship is not over; the distance between them is temporary and reversible. G-d asks that the Jewish People come back to Him, but they ignore Him. If the problem is that they do not believe He can get them out, then they are wrong.

50:1) Thus says Hashem:

Where is your mother's divorce bill when I sent her away?

Or, who is My creditor

that I have sold you to him?

Truly, you were sold for your sins,

and your mother has been sent away for your crimes.

(א) כֹּה אָמַר ה'

אֵי זֶה סֵפֶר כְּרִיתוּת אִמְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּחְתִּיהָ

אוֹ מִי מִנּוֹשַׁי

אֲשֶׁר מָכַרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לוֹ

הֵן בַּעֲוֹנֹתֵיכֶם נִמְכַּרְתֶּם

וּבְפִשְׁעֵיכֶם שֻׁלְּחָה אִמְּכֶם:

2) Why have I come and there's nobody here?

I call, and no one answers?

Is My arm too short to redeem?

Do I not have the power to save?

Truly, in My anger I would dry the sea, make rivers into deserts.

Their fish would rot for lack of water,

and die of thirst.

(ב) מַדּוּעַ בָּאתִי וְאֵין אִישׁ

קָרָאתִי וְאֵין עוֹנֶה

הֲקָצוֹר קָצְרָה יָדִי מִפְּדוּת

וְאִם אֵין בִּי כֹחַ לְהַצִּיל

הֵן בְּגַעֲרָתִי אַחֲרִיב יָם אָשִׂים נְהָרוֹת מִדְבָּר

תִּבְאַשׁ דְּגָתָם מֵאֵין מַיִם

וְתָמֹת בַּצָּמָא:

3) I would have the heavens wear mourning,

and place a sackcloth as their clothing.

(ג) אַלְבִּישׁ שָׁמַיִם קַדְרוּת

וְשַׂק אָשִׂים כְּסוּתָם: ס

G-d has sent the prophet on his errand. He is rejected, but he perseveres because the truth is with him. He challenges people to believe him, rather than blunder about in the dark and cause even greater damage.

4) Hashem, G-d, has given me a learned tongue,

to know how to sustain the weary with words.

He awakens me each morning, awakening my ear,

to hear as with lessons.

(ד) אֲ-דֹנָי ה' נָתַן לִי לְשׁוֹן לִמּוּדִים

לָדַעַת לָעוּת אֶת יָעֵף דָּבָר

יָעִיר בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר יָעִיר לִי אֹזֶן

לִשְׁמֹעַ כַּלִּמּוּדִים:

5) Hashem, G-d, has opened my ear,

and I have not rebelled,

I did not regress.

(ה) אֲ-דֹנָי ה' פָּתַח לִי אֹזֶן

וְאָנֹכִי לֹא מָרִיתִי

אָחוֹר לֹא נְסוּגֹתִי:

6) I gave my back to the hitters,

and my cheeks to those who pull my beard,

I did not hide my face

from the curses and spit.

(ו) גֵּוִי נָתַתִּי לְמַכִּים

וּלְחָיַי לְמֹרְטִים

פָּנַי לֹא הִסְתַּרְתִּי

מִכְּלִמּוֹת וָרֹק:

7) And G-d, Hashem, has aided me,

therefore I was not dishonored,

therefore I made my face like stone,

I knew that I will not be shamed.

(ז) וַא-דֹנָי ה' יַעֲזָר לִי

עַל כֵּן לֹא נִכְלָמְתִּי

עַל כֵּן שַׂמְתִּי פָנַי כַּחַלָּמִישׁ

וָאֵדַע כִּי לֹא אֵבוֹשׁ:

8) He who justifies me is near,

who will fight me, let us stand up together?

Who is suing me, let him step forward to me.

(ח) קָרוֹב מַצְדִּיקִי

מִי יָרִיב אִתִּי נַעַמְדָה יָּחַד

מִי בַעַל מִשְׁפָּטִי יִגַּשׁ אֵלָי:

9) Truly, G-d, Hashem, has aided me,

who can give me a guilty verdict?

Truly, they all will be worn out like a garment,

moths will eat them.

(ט) הֵן אֲדֹנָי ה' יַעֲזָר לִי

מִי הוּא יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי

הֵן כֻּלָּם כַּבֶּגֶד יִבְלוּ

עָשׁ יֹאכְלֵם:

10) Who among you fears Hashem?

Listens to the voice of his servant?

Who walks in darkness, and has no glimmer of light,

has faith in the name of Hashem,

and relies on his G-d?

(י) מִי בָכֶם יְרֵא ה'

שֹׁמֵעַ בְּקוֹל עַבְדּוֹ

אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ חֲשֵׁכִים וְאֵין נֹגַהּ לוֹ

יִבְטַח בְּשֵׁם ה'

וְיִשָּׁעֵן בֵּא-לֹהָיו:

11) Truly, all of you are setting fires, girded by flares,

go in the glare of your fire and the flares of your flames.

This has come to you from My hand,

you will lie down in grief.

(יא) הֵן כֻּלְּכֶם קֹדְחֵי אֵשׁ מְאַזְּרֵי זִיקוֹת

לְכוּ בְּאוּר אֶשְׁכֶם וּבְזִיקוֹת בִּעַרְתֶּם

מִיָּדִי הָיְתָה זֹּאת לָכֶם

לְמַעֲצֵבָה תִּשְׁכָּבוּן: פ

The prophet reminds the Jewish People of their beginnings - of Avraham and Sarah, who were barren for decades, waiting for G-d to keep His promise. Ultimately, G-d blessed them with many descendants.

1) Listen to me, those who pursue justice and seek Hashem!

Look at the rock from which you were hewn,

and to the chiseled quarry from which you were carved.

(א) שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי רֹדְפֵי צֶדֶק מְבַקְשֵׁי ה'

הַבִּיטוּ אֶל צוּר חֻצַּבְתֶּם

וְאֶל מַקֶּבֶת בּוֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּם:

2) Look to Avraham your father,

and to Sarah, your founder.

For he was alone when I called him,

I blessed him and multiplied him.

(ב) הַבִּיטוּ אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם

וְאֶל שָׂרָה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶם

כִּי אֶחָד קְרָאתִיו

וַאֲבָרְכֵהוּ וְאַרְבֵּהוּ: ס

Likewise, G-d will keep His promise and He will make the desert that was the Land of Israel bloom like Eden.

3) For Hashem has consoled Tzion,

consoled all her desolation.

He turned her desert into Eden,

and her dry valley into the Garden of Hashem.

Gladness and joy will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the sound of song.

(ג) כִּי נִחַם ה' צִיּוֹן

נִחַם כָּל חָרְבֹתֶיהָ

וַיָּשֶׂם מִדְבָּרָהּ כְּעֵדֶן

וְעַרְבָתָהּ כְּגַן ה'

שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יִמָּצֵא בָהּ

תּוֹדָה וְקוֹל זִמְרָה: ס

In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל