Haftarah of Shuva

Haftarah of Shabbat Shuva

Hoshea 14:2-14:10, Michah 7:18-20, Yoel 2:15-27

This Haftarah is taken from three different prophets, who originally addressed the Kingdom of Israel, which had split off from the Kingdom of Yehuda several centuries earlier. Since their first king was from the tribe Ephraim (one of the two tribes of Yosef), the entire kingdom of Israel is referred to as "Ephraim" by the prophets.

Even though their worship of G-d was tainted with several forms of idolatry, at the time of Hoshea, the Kingdom of Israel enjoyed economic prosperity and impressive military success. Their arrogance and self-aggrandizement is recorded in several stories in the Tanach. Their society was infamous for injustice and deceit.

The first part of the Haftarah is the continuation of a prophecy where Hoshea attempted to rebuke Israel and get them to realize that they are on a path to destruction. Now, he begs Israel to choose to return to Hashem. All they need to do is say the word, to realize that Hashem is their true hope; not military power, not political alliance, not false idols, only Hashem.

2) Return, Yisrael,

to Hashem your G-d!

For you have stumbled in your sin.

(ב) שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל

עַד ה’ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ

כִּי כָשַׁלְתָּ בַּעֲוֹנֶךָ:

3) Take with you words,

and turn back to Hashem.

Say to Him,

“Forgive all sins, and take only the goodness,

the words of our lips replacing sacrificial cows.”

(ג) קְחוּ עִמָּכֶם דְּבָרִים

וְשׁוּבוּ אֶל ה’

אִמְרוּ אֵלָיו

כָּל תִּשָּׂא עָוֹן וְקַח טוֹב

וּנְשַׁלְּמָה פָרִים שְׂפָתֵינוּ:

4) Ashur will not save us,

on horses we will not ride,

and we will no longer say, “You are god”

to the works of our hands.

For in You will the orphan find comfort.

(ד) אַשּׁוּר לֹא יוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ

עַל סוּס לֹא נִרְכָּב

וְלֹא נֹאמַר עוֹד אֱלֹהֵינוּ

לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ

אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ יְרֻחַם יָתוֹם:

G-d will eagerly welcome them back, nurturing them with His love. Ephraim will reject all foreign worship, and flower under G-d's protection.

5) I will heal their backsliding,

I will love them freely;

for My anger has turned from him.

(ה) אֶרְפָּא מְשׁוּבָתָם

אֹהֲבֵם נְדָבָה

כִּי שָׁב אַפִּי מִמֶּנּוּ:

6) I will be like dew to Yisrael,

he will blossom like the lily,

and strike his roots like a cedar in Lebanon.

(ו) אֶהְיֶה כַטַּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל

יִפְרַח כַּשּׁוֹשַׁנָּה

וְיַךְ שָׁרָשָׁיו כַּלְּבָנוֹן:

7) His offspring will spread out,

like an olive tree will be his glory,

and his smell like a cedar in Lebanon.

(ז) יֵלְכוּ יֹנְקוֹתָיו

וִיהִי כַזַּיִת הוֹדוֹ

וְרֵיחַ לוֹ כַּלְּבָנוֹן:

8) They’ll come back, those who sit in his shadow,

they’ll revive like grain, blossom like the vine,

his fragrance like the wine of Lebanon.

(ח) יָשֻׁבוּ יֹשְׁבֵי בְצִלּוֹ

יְחַיּוּ דָגָן וְיִפְרְחוּ כַגָּפֶן

זִכְרוֹ כְּיֵין לְבָנוֹן: ס

9) Ephraim: “What do I care about idols?”

I will respond, and care for you,

I am like a leafy cypress,

from Me will come your fruit.

(ט) אֶפְרַיִם מַה לִּי עוֹד לָעֲצַבִּים

אֲנִי עָנִיתִי וַאֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ

אֲנִי כִּבְרוֹשׁ רַעֲנָן

מִמֶּנִּי פֶּרְיְךָ נִמְצָא:

The prophet warns us that those who are themselves crooked will falter on the path of G-d. People can talk themselves into believing that what they do is justified and even laudatory; it is the prophet's job to tell them what G-d actually thinks of their actions.

10) Whoever is wise, understand this:

whoever is discerning, know this:

the ways of Hashem are straight;

and the righteous walk on them,

but the crooked stumble on them.

(י) מִי חָכָם וְיָבֵן אֵלֶּה

נָבוֹן וְיֵדָעֵם

כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי ה’

וְצַדִּקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם

וּפֹשְׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם:

The middle part of the Haftarah is from Michah, who describes how, ultimately, G-d will forgive the Jewish People for everything.

Michah 7:18) Who is a G-d like You,

tolerating sin and overlooking iniquity,

for the remainder of His inheritance;

He does not hold on to His anger forever,

because He prefers kindness.

(יח) מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ

נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וְעֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע

לִשְׁאֵרִית נַחֲלָתוֹ

לֹא הֶחֱזִיק לָעַד אַפּוֹ

כִּי חָפֵץ חֶסֶד הוּא:

19) He will continually show us mercy,

will capture our sins,

and cast all our transgressions to the depths of the sea.

(יט) יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ

יִכְבֹּשׁ עֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ

וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם כָּל חַטֹּאותָם:

20) Give truth to Yaakov,

kindness to Avraham,

as You have sworn to our fathers in the days of old

(כ) תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב

חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם

אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ מִימֵי קֶדֶם:

The last part of the Haftarah is from Yoel, who had prophesied a terrible plague of locusts that would devastate the Land of Israel. He describes the Jewish People calling out to G-d to save them from famine.

Yoel 2:15) Blow the Shofar in Tzion,

sanctify a fast, call for an assembly!

(טו) תִּקְעוּ שׁוֹפָר בְּצִיּוֹן

קַדְּשׁוּ צוֹם קִרְאוּ עֲצָרָה:

16) Gather the people,

sanctify the congregation, convene the elders,

gather the children

and the nurslings;

the groom should leave his rooms,

and the bride, her canopy.

(טז) אִסְפוּ עָם

קַדְּשׁוּ קָהָל קִבְצוּ זְקֵנִים

אִסְפוּ עוֹלָלִים

וְיֹנְקֵי שָׁדָיִם

יֵצֵא חָתָן מֵחֶדְרוֹ

וְכַלָּה מֵחֻפָּתָהּ:

17) Between the Hall and the Altar,

shall cry the Cohanim,

the servants of Hashem;

and say, "Hashem, spare Your people,

do not let Your country be a symbol of disgrace for the nations!

Why should they say among the peoples,

'Where is their G-d?' "

(יז) בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ

יִבְכּוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים

מְשָׁרְתֵי ה'

וְיֹאמְרוּ חוּסָה ה' עַל עַמֶּךָ

וְאַל תִּתֵּן נַחֲלָתְךָ לְחֶרְפָּה לִמְשָׁל בָּם גּוֹיִם

לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ בָעַמִּים

אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם:

G-d has mercy, sends away the locusts, and the land is blessed again with abundance and G-d's Presence.

18) Hashem was zealous about His land,

and had pity on His people.

(יח) וַיְקַנֵּא ה' לְאַרְצוֹ

וַיַּחְמֹל עַל עַמּוֹ:

19) Hashem answered,

He said to His people,

I am now sending you grain,

and wine, and oil,

and you shall be satiated with it;

I will no longer let you be disgraced among the nations.

(יט) וַיַּעַן ה'

וַיֹּאמֶר לְעַמּוֹ

הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֶת הַדָּגָן

וְהַתִּירוֹשׁ וְהַיִּצְהָר

וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם אֹתוֹ

וְלֹא אֶתֵּן אֶתְכֶם עוֹד חֶרְפָּה בַּגּוֹיִם:

20) The northern locusts

I will distance from you;

I will push them to the land of waste and desolation,

facing

the eastern sea,

as its reek goes up

its stench will go up

for it has done much.

(כ) וְאֶת הַצְּפוֹנִי

אַרְחִיק מֵעֲלֵיכֶם

וְהִדַּחְתִּיו אֶל אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וּשְׁמָמָה

אֶת פָּנָיו

אֶל הַיָּם הַקַּדְמֹנִי

וְסֹפוֹ אֶל הַיָּם הָאַחֲרוֹן

וְעָלָה בָאְשׁוֹ

וְתַעַל צַחֲנָתוֹ

כִּי הִגְדִּיל לַעֲשׂוֹת:

21) Do not fear, earth,

be glad and joyous,

for Hashem has done much.

(כא) אַל תִּירְאִי אֲדָמָה

גִּילִי וּשְׂמָחִי

כִּי הִגְדִּיל ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת:

22) Do not fear, beasts of My fields,

for the oases have sprouted grass,

for trees bear their fruit,

figs and grapes give their potency.

(כב) אַל תִּירְאוּ בַּהֲמוֹת שָׂדַי

כִּי דָשְׁאוּ נְאוֹת מִדְבָּר

כִּי עֵץ נָשָׂא פִרְיוֹ

תְּאֵנָה וָגֶפֶן נָתְנוּ חֵילָם:

23) And the sons of Tzion,

be glad and joyous in Hashem your G-d,

for He has given you the rain as a gift,

and it will come down for you,

rain of showers and streams, as in the past.

(כג) וּבְנֵי צִיּוֹן

גִּילוּ וְשִׂמְחוּ בַּה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם

כִּי נָתַן לָכֶם אֶת הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה

וַיּוֹרֶד לָכֶם

גֶּשֶׁם מוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ בָּרִאשׁוֹן:

24) The silos of grain will be filled,

the stores of wine and oil will rumble.

(כד) וּמָלְאוּ הַגֳּרָנוֹת בָּר

וְהֵשִׁיקוּ הַיְקָבִים תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר:

25) I will reimburse you for all the years,

that the locusts had eaten,

all of its different species,

My great army

that I had sent against you.

(כה) וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַשָּׁנִים

אֲשֶׁר אָכַל הָאַרְבֶּה

הַיֶּלֶק וְהֶחָסִיל וְהַגָּזָם

חֵילִי הַגָּדוֹל

אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָּכֶם:

26) You will eat, eating your fill and be sated,

and you will praise

the Name of Hashem your G-d,

Who has done amazing things for you,

and My nation will never be shamed.

(כו) וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אָכוֹל וְשָׂבוֹעַ

וְהִלַּלְתֶּם

אֶת שֵׁם ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם

אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה עִמָּכֶם לְהַפְלִיא

וְלֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ עַמִּי לְעוֹלָם:

27) And you will know

that I am in the midst of Yisrael,

I am Hashem, your G-d, there is no other.

and My nation will never be shamed.

(כז) וִידַעְתֶּם

כִּי בְקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנִי

וַאֲנִי ה' אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם וְאֵין עוֹד

וְלֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ עַמִּי לְעוֹלָם: