Haftarah for Parshah Noach - No demand, all deliverance
Isaiah 54:1 - 55:5
Isaiah prophesies the triumphant return of the exiled Israelites from Babylonia to Zion. Once again, his theme is redemption, God's promise being kept: "For a little while I forsook you, / But with vast love I will bring you back. / In slight anger, for a moment, / I hid My face from you; / But with kindness everlasting / I will take you back in love / - said the Lord your redeemer."
This is one of the more stirring haftarot, in that Isaiah is not asking anything of the Israelites; this is pure promise, the goodies without pain, all carrots and no stick. There is a time to reproach and a time to reward, a time to demand and a time to deliver.
The is also one of the haftarot with only a tangential at best connection to the parshah it accompanies. Isaiah sayeth, "For this to Me is like the waters of Noah: / As I swore that the waters of Noah / Nevermore would flood the earth, / So I swear that I will not / Be angry with you or rebuke you. / For the mountains may move / And the hills be shaken, / But My loyalty shall never move from you. / Nor My covenant of friendship be shaken / - said the Lord, who takes you back in love." No mention of why God had sent the flood, no sense that the exile to Babylonia was in retribution for any wickedness of the exiled, no requirement that the Israelites requite their return from exile with repentance.
On the other hand, there is also no sense that the Israelites deserve their return. And Isaiah wants to make sure they understand this. His prophecy is one of hope, but also one of challenge. The Flood was a punishment to people who may not have understood what they were being punished for. But the Israelites cannot offer that excuse. Those who perished in the Flood may not have known God. The Israelites, however they may have strayed from the Torah, however they may have quarrelled amongst themselves, know that ultimately everything good in their lives comes from God. When they return to the Land, Isaiah wants them to appreciate God's gift and earn it after the fact with their loyalty. "Incline youre ear and come to Me; / Hearken, and you shall be revived. / And I will make with you an everlasting covenant, / The enduring loyalty promised to David." If we did not deserve to be brought back to Jerusalem before the fact, we can deserve it after the fact.
God, who ran out of patience with the first group of people he created, has made a promise to the Israelites. He is keeping His promise now. Isaiah wants the people, finally, to be worthy of it.
Isaiah prophesies the triumphant return of the exiled Israelites from Babylonia to Zion. Once again, his theme is redemption, God's promise being kept: "For a little while I forsook you, / But with vast love I will bring you back. / In slight anger, for a moment, / I hid My face from you; / But with kindness everlasting / I will take you back in love / - said the Lord your redeemer."
This is one of the more stirring haftarot, in that Isaiah is not asking anything of the Israelites; this is pure promise, the goodies without pain, all carrots and no stick. There is a time to reproach and a time to reward, a time to demand and a time to deliver.
The is also one of the haftarot with only a tangential at best connection to the parshah it accompanies. Isaiah sayeth, "For this to Me is like the waters of Noah: / As I swore that the waters of Noah / Nevermore would flood the earth, / So I swear that I will not / Be angry with you or rebuke you. / For the mountains may move / And the hills be shaken, / But My loyalty shall never move from you. / Nor My covenant of friendship be shaken / - said the Lord, who takes you back in love." No mention of why God had sent the flood, no sense that the exile to Babylonia was in retribution for any wickedness of the exiled, no requirement that the Israelites requite their return from exile with repentance.
On the other hand, there is also no sense that the Israelites deserve their return. And Isaiah wants to make sure they understand this. His prophecy is one of hope, but also one of challenge. The Flood was a punishment to people who may not have understood what they were being punished for. But the Israelites cannot offer that excuse. Those who perished in the Flood may not have known God. The Israelites, however they may have strayed from the Torah, however they may have quarrelled amongst themselves, know that ultimately everything good in their lives comes from God. When they return to the Land, Isaiah wants them to appreciate God's gift and earn it after the fact with their loyalty. "Incline youre ear and come to Me; / Hearken, and you shall be revived. / And I will make with you an everlasting covenant, / The enduring loyalty promised to David." If we did not deserve to be brought back to Jerusalem before the fact, we can deserve it after the fact.
God, who ran out of patience with the first group of people he created, has made a promise to the Israelites. He is keeping His promise now. Isaiah wants the people, finally, to be worthy of it.
posted by Tom Beck at 6:47 PM
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