Rabbi's Blog

For several years I included the OU‘Parsha Tidbits’  in our weekly handout. These tidbits  typically included a number of verses and other interesting information about the Parsha of the week. The steady reader of these weekly messages may have noticed that the Torah component of the message is taken from the Haftorah and not from the actual Torah portion of the week. If I were to add a tidbit regarding this week’s Haftorah, it would be the following: Did you know there are only two sets of Haftorahs that are read from the Navi that are a continuation from the previous week’s Parsha? In other words the Haftorah for Parshas Mattos concluded with Yirmiyahu 2:4;  the Haftorah for Maasei started where it left off the previous week. At first glance many would think this is coincidental or just random. I think not.

There are several reasons for the weekly reading the Haftarah.The most common explanation is that in the year 168 BCE, when the Jews were under the rule of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, they were forbidden from reading the Torah and therefore made do with a substitute. When they were again able to read the Torah, they continued reading the Haftorah as well. This explanation, however, was not articulated before the 14th century, when it was suggested by Rabbi Dovid Avudraham and put into practice.

An alternative explanation, offered by Rabbis Reuven Margolies and Shamshon Raphael Hirsch, is that the Haftarah reading was instituted to fight the influence of those sects in Judaism that viewed the Torah or Bible as consisting only of the five books of Moshe and not the Prophets. Certainly the Haftarah was read — perhaps not obligatorily nor in all communities nor on every Shabbos — as far back as circa 70 CE: The Talmud mentions that a Haftarah was read in the presence of Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus, who lived at that time.

As I mentioned earlier, there are two places in the yearly cycle of consecutive Haftorah readings that continue from the previous Parsha, the second being Vayakhel and Pekudei at the end of Shmos. The irony of these selections is that they represent the impending destruction of the Beis HaMikdash prophesied by Yirmiyahu at the end of Bamidbar and the construction of the Beis Hamikdash at the end of Sefer Shmos. The only two sets of consecutive and continuous storyline deals with the building and the destruction of the Temple! Is it possible to suggest that there is a lot of material that needed to be discussed and therefore two Haftorahs are required to reflect adequately upon the topic. Alternatively, we could suggest that the Navi read from Yirmiyahu regarding the destruction of the Temple occurs during the Three Weeks of tragedy, and the Haftoras detailing the building of the Temple are connected to each weekly portion discussing the building of the Mishkan, the portable Temple.

The juxtaposition of the Haftorahs’ back to back message of the impending destruction of the Beis HaMikdash is appropriate during the Three Weeks. It appears to me that every summer a call for national unity among the Jewish people cries out. This year is no different, and perhaps this call grows more crucial as time goes on. With the agreement signed by the six major powers of the world, led by the United States’ team, regarding a nuclear deal with Iran is definitely one of the scariest situations Israel and the Jews have faced since the Holocaust. I will not go into the details that are available to everyone, but I strongly encourage everyone to write letters of protest and to call our representatives in Congress in order to voice disapproval of this “deal with Iran”. I also wish to share an insight from the Haftorah that will always send a message of hope and a glimmer of light for the future of Am Yisrael.

The Haftorah for Parshas Masei was read from Yirmiyahu 2:4 and again describes Hashem’s dissatisfaction with His people.  In 2:9 the Navi states: “Lachein Ode Ariv Itchem N’oom Hashem, V’Es B’neichem Ariv”: “Therefore, I will still contend with you, says the Lord, and with your children’s children will I contend”. It appears that God’s wrath has no end in sight affecting future generations. Nevertheless, there is a Midrash that states “there are three places or times that God came to rebuke the Jews and contend with them, and the nations of the world rejoiced at the prospect the Jews will finally be destroyed and eradicated from the world”. When Hashem saw the United Nations celebrating, He turned His favor back to the Jews for the good”. The Rabbis understood from the verses that when the debate against the Jews is open and in front of the leaders of the world, God has to carry out the punishment, but yet one cannot be punished unless being warned in front of others. In the Haftorah we should be nervous because Hashem takes us aside, separately from the other nations, and speaks to us alone. Under such circumstances we must be concerned regarding the Navi’s statement: “Ariv Eschem” : “I contend only with you, the House of Jacob”.

I deeply hope that the open antagonism which the current leaders of the United States and other foreign nations have shown towards Israel is in actuality the very joy and elation spoken of in the Midrash. Despite the verbage of assurance being given to Israel by our State Department, I fear that all the signers of this agreement are looking toward the destruction of Israel. The greatest ally of Israel and the Jewish people has been the United States. For the United States to extend a hand of friendship to a regime that openly calls for Israel’s destruction must surely beanother one of the three times that Hashem will look upon us for good.

We are all aware that for the ultimate redemption to come, we as a people must to do far more on many levels. This usually occurs when there isn’t an existential threat to us that we need to correct our ways when there is little open anti-Semitism. But when there is open hostility towards Am Yisrael, when other nations of the world seek to destroy us, we read into the Midrash that Hashem’s love for His children will cause Him to look favorably upon us. May Hashem bring the Geulah Shelaima speedily in our day.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky