Haftorah Parshat Ekev: Isaiah 49:14 - 51:3

This weeks Haftorah is the second in the series of Hoftorot of Consolation. These Prophecies are meant to strengthen our resolve in the Long Exile and to instill faith in our hearts concerning the Ultimate Redemption. The Navi (Prophet) Isaiah announces the details of the "Geulah" (Redemption), bringing to our minds a vivid picture of the soon to be emancipated Israeli soil. However, prior to the depiction of a renewed Jewish State, the Prophet "sneaks" us in to a conversation between G-d and his People.

"And Zion says: Hashem has forsaken me, and G-d has forgotten me (Isaiah 49:14)." The People of Israel voice a complaint against G-d, "You, G-d, insist that we should be comforted, but we sit on foreign terrain and we endure Holocausts and Expulsions. How do You, G-d, expect us to find any comfort under these circumstances?"

But, Hashem replies in exquisite fashion, "Is it possible for a woman to forget her young infant, can she forget to be compassionate to the son of her womb? Even if these women forget, I will never forget you (Isaiah 49:15)." Even if the impossible happens, if a woman is not sympathetic to her own child, still I will never forget my child Israel. And Hashem continues, "Behold you (Israel) are engraved on My palms, your ramparts face Me eternally (Isaiah 49:16)." The imagery of these verses is beyond compare. The force of the words used to alleviate the fears of the Israelites is very compelling.

"Thus say the Lord, G-d: Behold, I will raise My hand toward the nations (Gentiles), and to the peoples (Gentiles) I will lift My banner; and they will bring your (Israel) sons in their arms and your daughters they will carry upon their shoulders. Kings will be your nurturers and princes your nursemaids. They will bow their faces to the ground before you; they will lick the dust of your feet. And you will know that I am G-d, that those who hope unto to me will not be ashamed (Isaiah 49:22-23)." There will come a time when the Lord will make it evident to the Jewish People that they must return to their Homeland. But, it seems from the Navi that it will not be in the dead of night like the Exodus from Egypt with Moses. In fact, all of the countries of the world will make themselves available to the Jews in their historic return. The Arab Nations threw out close to six hundred thousand Sephardic Jews right after Israel declared its Independence. These refugees had no choice but to flee to Israel, thereby strengthening the Jewish demographic in the Holy Land.

"The children of your bereavement will yet again say in your ears, this place is too narrow, give me more room and I will settle (Isaiah 49:20)". There will come a time, G-d willing soon, when the inhabitants of the once torn apart, desolate land will be so numerous that they will feel cramped and insist they need more room.

Then G-d changes gears and goes on the offensive: "Thus says the Lord, where is the bill of your mother's divorce that I have sent her away, or to whom do I owe money that I have sold you? Behold, it is because of your iniquity that that you were sold; and because of your transgressions that your mother was sent away (Isaiah 50:1)." Hashem wants to know why we have forsaken him for idols (western civilization is the idolatry of today); He reminds us that it is our fault that we are in this predicament. In the subsequent verse Hashem asks us a question that is really unanswerable. "Why, when I come visit no one is home; I call and no one answers? Is My hand too small to save; do I not a have the power to save? Behold, in My anger I dry up the sea, I make rivers into wilderness. Their fish dry up from lack of water, and die of thirst. I clothe the heavens in blackness; and place sackcloth on their covering (Isaiah 50:2-3)." Why do we Jews not return to G-d? Are we afraid he cannot rescue us? Is G-d's track record with us not impressive enough?

The end of the Haftorah is magical and powerful as well. "For G-d has comforted Zion, He has comforted all her destroyed places. He set the wilderness like Eden and the desert like the garden of G-d. Gladness and joy will be found there; thanksgiving and the voice of (sweet) song (Isaiah 51:3)." The desert outside of Jerusalem has been moved to Beersheba, please G-d it will grow much, much more. And may we all be there to see it.

Shabbat Shalom.
Moshe Lerner