Haftarah of Nitzavim

Yeshayahu 61:10–63:9

This Haftarah is the seventh 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. This Haftarah describes the final stage, where our relationship with G-d is unsullied by either guilt or anger, and there is only joy between us.

The time of Redemption will be marked by a feeling of unadulterated joy in G-d. The righteousness of the Jewish People will be visible to the entire world, and our reputation will add to the glory of G-d.

10) I will rejoice in Hashem, my soul will delight in my G-d,

for He has clothed me in the garments of Redemption,

in a coat of righteousness He has wrapped me;

like a bridegroom majestic in glory,

like a bride graced by her jewelry.

(י) שׂוֹשׂ אָשִׂישׂ בַּה' תָּגֵל נַפְשִׁי בֵּא-לֹהַי

כִּי הִלְבִּישַׁנִי בִּגְדֵי יֶשַׁע

מְעִיל צְדָקָה יְעָטָנִי

כֶּחָתָן יְכַהֵן פְּאֵר

וְכַכַּלָּה תַּעְדֶּה כֵלֶיהָ

11) For just as the earth brings forth her blossoms,

just as a seeded garden blooms,

so Hashem, G-d, will cause righteousness and praise to bloom,

in the face of all the nations.

(יא) כִּי כָאָרֶץ תּוֹצִיא צִמְחָהּ

וּכְגַנָּה זֵרוּעֶיהָ תַצְמִיחַ

כֵּן אֲ-דֹנָי ה' יַצְמִיחַ צְדָקָה וּתְהִלָּה

נֶגֶד כָּל הַגּוֹיִם:

62:1) For the sake of Tzion, I will not be silent,

for the sake of Jerusalem, I will not be quiet,

not until her righteousness bursts like a flare,

and her Redemption burns like a torch.

(א) לְמַעַן צִיּוֹן לֹא אֶחֱשֶׁה

וּלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֹא אֶשְׁקוֹט

עַד יֵצֵא כַנֹּגַהּ צִדְקָהּ

וִישׁוּעָתָהּ כְּלַפִּיד יִבְעָר:

2) The nations will see your righteousness

and the kings, your honor,

and you will be called by a new name,

that Hashem Himself selects.

(ב) וְרָאוּ גוֹיִם צִדְקֵךְ

וְכָל מְלָכִים כְּבוֹדֵךְ

וְקֹרָא לָךְ שֵׁם חָדָשׁ

אֲשֶׁר פִּי ה' יִקֳּבֶנּוּ:

3) You will be a crown of glory in the hand of Hashem,

a royal turban in the palm of your G-d.

(ג) וְהָיִית עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת בְּיַד ה'

וּצְנִיף מְלוּכָה בְּכַף אֱ-לֹהָיִךְ:

The joy of our relationship will also be reflected by the land of Israel.

4) It will no longer be said about you, "Abandoned",

it will no longer be said about your land, "Deserted",

but rather, you will be called, "Desired",

and your land, "Inhabited",

for Hashem desires you,

and your land will be inhabited.

(ד) לֹא יֵאָמֵר לָךְ עוֹד עֲזוּבָה

וּלְאַרְצֵךְ לֹא יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שְׁמָמָה

כִּי לָךְ יִקָּרֵא חֶפְצִי בָהּ

וּלְאַרְצֵךְ בְּעוּלָה

כִּי חָפֵץ ה' בָּךְ

וְאַרְצֵךְ תִּבָּעֵל:

5) As a young man marries a maiden,

your sons will inhabit you;

with the joy that a bridegroom feels for his bride,

your G-d will rejoice in you.

(ה) כִּי יִבְעַל בָּחוּר בְּתוּלָה

יִבְעָלוּךְ בָּנָיִךְ

וּמְשׂוֹשׂ חָתָן עַל כַּלָּה

יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ אֱ-לֹהָיִךְ:

G-d has sworn that the Jewish People will enjoy peace and prosperity, and the prophet urges the Jewish People to hold G-d to His promise.

6) Upon your ramparts, Jerusalem, I have appointed guards,

all day and all night, never will they fall silent.

Those who mention Hashem,

do not be still!

(ו) עַל חוֹמֹתַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִפְקַדְתִּי שֹׁמְרִים

כָּל הַיּוֹם וְכָל הַלַּיְלָה תָּמִיד לֹא יֶחֱשׁוּ

הַמַּזְכִּרִים אֶת ה'

אַל דֳּמִי לָכֶם:

7) And do not let Him be still,

not until He establishes, not until He makes Jerusalem

a source of praise in the world.

(ז) וְאַל תִּתְּנוּ דֳמִי לוֹ

עַד יְכוֹנֵן וְעַד יָשִׂים אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם

תְּהִלָּה בָּאָרֶץ:

8) Hashem swears by His right hand, by the strength of His arm,

"Never will I let your grain be eaten by your enemies;

never will foreigners drink your wine,

that you have toiled for.

(ח) נִשְׁבַּע ה' בִּימִינוֹ וּבִזְרוֹעַ עֻזּוֹ

אִם אֶתֵּן אֶת דְּגָנֵךְ עוֹד מַאֲכָל לְאֹיְבַיִךְ

וְאִם יִשְׁתּוּ בְנֵי נֵכָר תִּירוֹשֵׁךְ

אֲשֶׁר יָגַעַתְּ בּוֹ:

9) Rather, those who harvest it will eat it,

and praise Hashem,

those who gather it will drink it, in My holy courtyards."

(ט) כִּי מְאַסְפָיו יֹאכְלֻהוּ

וְהִלְלוּ אֶת ה'

וּמְקַבְּצָיו יִשְׁתֻּהוּ בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשִׁי: ס

The coming of the Redemption will be marked by a change in the reputation of the Jewish People and of the status of the Land of Israel.

10) Pass through, pass through the gates,

make way for the people;

pave, pave the road, remove the stones,

lift a banner over all the nations.

(י) עִבְרוּ עִבְרוּ בַּשְּׁעָרִים

פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָעָם

סֹלּוּ סֹלּוּ הַמְסִלָּה סַקְּלוּ מֵאֶבֶן

הָרִימוּ נֵס עַל הָעַמִּים:

11) Now Hashem has proclaimed to the ends of the world,

"Tell the daughter of Tzion,

now your Redeemer has come!"

Now His reward is with Him,

and His work is before Him.

(יא) הִנֵּה ה' הִשְׁמִיעַ אֶל קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ

אִמְרוּ לְבַת צִיּוֹן

הִנֵּה יִשְׁעֵךְ בָּא

הִנֵּה שְׂכָרוֹ אִתּוֹ

וּפְעֻלָּתוֹ לְפָנָיו:

12) And call them, "Holy Nation, liberated by Hashem!"

and call you, "Sought after",

a city that is not abandoned.

(יב) וְקָרְאוּ לָהֶם עַם הַקֹּדֶשׁ גְּאוּלֵי ה'

וְלָךְ יִקָּרֵא דְרוּשָׁה

עִיר לֹא נֶעֱזָבָה: ס

In this metaphor, G-d is portrayed as a warrior who takes vengeance on his enemies, specifically Edom and its capital, Batzra. G-d will be personally involved in the messy business of bringing about Redemption.

63:1) Who is this coming from Edom,

with soured garments from Batzra?

One whose clothing had been splendid,

who was storming with great power?

I speak of righteousness, great in redemption.

(א) מִי זֶה בָּא מֵאֱדוֹם

חֲמוּץ בְּגָדִים מִבָּצְרָה

זֶה הָדוּר בִּלְבוּשׁוֹ

צֹעֶה בְּרֹב כֹּחוֹ

אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר בִּצְדָקָה רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ:

2) Why is your clothing red,

and your garments like you have been stomping grapes?

(ב) מַדּוּעַ אָדֹם לִלְבוּשֶׁךָ

וּבְגָדֶיךָ כְּדֹרֵךְ בְּגַת:

3) An entire harvest I have stomped alone;

from among the nations, not a one was with Me.

I stomped in My anger,

crushed in My fury,

their essence splattered on My garments,

all My clothes have been ruined.

(ג) פּוּרָה דָּרַכְתִּי לְבַדִּי

וּמֵעַמִּים אֵין אִישׁ אִתִּי

אֶדְרְכֵם בְּאַפִּי

וְאֶרְמְסֵם בַּחֲמָתִי

וְיֵז נִצְחָם עַל בְּגָדַי

וְכָל מַלְבּוּשַׁי אֶגְאָלְתִּי:

4) For the day of vengeance, planned in My heart,

the year of My redemption has come.

(ד) כִּי יוֹם נָקָם בְּלִבִּי

וּשְׁנַת גְּאוּלַי בָּאָה:

5) I look and no one will give aid,

I wonder at this, that there is no one to lean on.

So it was My own arm that redeemed,

on My own fury I leaned.

(ה) וְאַבִּיט וְאֵין עֹזֵר

וְאֶשְׁתּוֹמֵם וְאֵין סוֹמֵךְ

וַתּוֹשַׁע לִי זְרֹעִי

וַחֲמָתִי הִיא סְמָכָתְנִי:

6) I defeated nations in My anger,

made them stagger in My fury,

and I hurled their essence to the ground.

(ו) וְאָבוּס עַמִּים בְּאַפִּי

וַאֲשַׁכְּרֵם בַּחֲמָתִי

וְאוֹרִיד לָאָרֶץ נִצְחָם: ס

The prophet looks back upon Jewish History from the vantage of ultimate Redemption. He sees that all of G-d's actions were based on His unconditional love for the Jewish People. Even through our suffering, He has always been with us, and He has been the one who carried us through.

7) The kindnesses of Hashem I mention, Hashem's praises,

for all that Hashem has bestowed upon us,

and much goodness to the House of Israel,

that He has bestowed upon them in His mercy and great kindness.

(ז) חַסְדֵי ה' אַזְכִּיר תְּהִלֹּת ה'

כְּעַל כֹּל אֲשֶׁר גְּמָלָנוּ ה'

וְרַב טוּב לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל

אֲשֶׁר גְּמָלָם כְּרַחֲמָיו וּכְרֹב חֲסָדָיו:

8) He said, "Ultimately, they are My people,

sons that would not betray."

He became their Redeemer.

(ח) וַיֹּאמֶר אַךְ עַמִּי הֵמָּה

בָּנִים לֹא יְשַׁקֵּרוּ

וַיְהִי לָהֶם לְמוֹשִׁיעַ:

9) In all their pain, He has felt pain,

His personal angel has redeemed them,

in His love and His compassion He liberated them

He has borne them and carried them for all eternity.

(ט) בְּכָל צָרָתָם )לא( לוֹ צָר

וּמַלְאַךְ פָּנָיו הוֹשִׁיעָם

בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ וּבְחֶמְלָתוֹ הוּא גְאָלָם

וַיְנַטְּלֵם וַיְנַשְּׂאֵם כָּל יְמֵי עוֹלָם:

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

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