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Haftorahman

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Reuben Ebrahimoff
Reuben Ebrahimoff

Devarim

Haftorahs

for Sefer

Devarim

 
 
 

The Haftorah for Parshat Ki-Tetzei

The Haftorah is read from the book of Yishayahu (Isaiah), 54:1-10

The City of Jerusalem

The connection of the Haftorah to the Parsha: This week is the fifth of the “Shiva D’Nechemta”, the seven weeks of comfort, that begin following the fast of Tisha Be’av, the 9th of the month of AV. It is the anniversary of the destruction of the Bait HaMikdash (Holy Temple) and the Exile of the Jewish people, to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Whose comfort? Jerusalem’s. When will she be comforted? In the Messianic age.  The 7 weeks conclude just before Rosh Hashanah. There is no direct connection between the Parsha and the Haftorah.

  The Prophet Isaiah predicts that the Holy Temple will be rebuilt in the time of the Messiah. 

The storyline of this week’s Haftorah: “Rani Akara Lo Yalada.” The Haftorah begins with a lament of the city of Jerusalem who is grieving over the loss of her people.  However, there is comfort given and the land is told that her people will be restored to her and that she will not be shamed. Yishayahu instructs Jerusalem to make a lot more room for the incoming exiles. He tells the land that Hashem is bringing back all her inhabitants and that they have not forsaken her.  Hashem will not let Jerusalem suffer any more. Hashem then makes a promise similar to the one made to Noah; He will never become angry again. Hashem's kindness will not leave the nation of Israel and His peace will endure ever more.

The 2000 year old Isaiah Scroll and the Cave it was found in Qumran, Israel

Yishayahu’s Biography:

  • The meaning of his name is “Salvation of G-d”.
  • Born circumcised in the year 765 B.C.E. (8th century) about 2760 years ago to his father Amoz, also a prophet. They belonged to a royal family who had access to the Bait Hamikdash.
  • Received his first vision at age 25, and was considered the greatest of all prophets after Moses. He claimed to have seen the throne of G-d. He predicted Israel’s demise. Yishayahu wrote his own lengthy (66 chapter) book.
  • Lived through the reigns of four different kings; Uzziah, Yotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah. Three other prophets were Yishayahu’s contemporaries: Hosea, Amos, and Micah.
  • Lived 120 years, having two children with his only wife.
  • Was killed by Menashe, the King of Judah. Yishayahu was hiding from Menashe, the King of Judah, in a tree, but as Menashe was passing by the tree, he spotted Yishayahu’s tzitzit hanging out of the tree. Menashe then cut clean through the tree, killing Yishayahu. Yishayahu was killed cut through his mouth as a midah kineged midah, measure for measure, for speaking lashon ha’ra about the nation of Israel.

Famous Phrases: Isaiah 8:10, “Utzu aytzah v’sufar dabru davar v’lo yakum ki emanu Kel” “Plan a conspiracy and it will be annulled, speak your piece and it shall not stand for God is with us.” This verse is found at the end of the Aleynu L’shabai’ach prayer.

Haftorahman’s lesson of the week: When Yishayahu tells the nation of Israel that Jerusalem will be open once more, he does not specify any specific group. There is a saying that “We are all the children of one man, so we are all family.” The whole family is invited to Jerusalem; no one is excluded. It is important to remember that we need to give to the community. We need to care for one another and take care of each other, and this way we will be fulfilling Hashem’s will of being one nation. There is no true separation between Ashkenazim and Sephardim  or Chassidim and Orthodox. We are all one people and we should take care to remember that. Why judge another Jew harshly because they do not live exactly like you do? We need to remember the dream of our forefathers that we will be as one nation, functioning together and loving one another. Do not be critical about a person because they have different customs; allow them to do what as they will. As long as they are not having a truly negative effect on your life, let them be. Not only let them be, but love them just for being. Then and only then can we rebuild the Holy Temple, for that is when we realize that not only as individuals can we make a difference but as a whole group, each with his own talent, can we have a tremendous impact.

Map: Yishayahu prophesied in Jerusalem.

Timeline: This Haftorah takes place just before the Bait Hamikdash was destroyed about 2600 years ago.

 

Dor L’Dor by Ephraim Waxman Feldheim Publishing

 

Written by: Reuben Gavriel Ben Nissim Ebrahimoff 5769-2009

E-mail: Haftorahman@Haftorahman.com

Haftorahman