Isaiah 40:27-41:16.
The haftorah for this week discusses Abraham's journey to the land of
Canaan at G‑d's behest, and touches upon Abraham's miraculous battle against the
four kings, both of which are described in this week's Torah reading.
The prophet Isaiah addresses Israel's complaint: ""My way [of serving G‑d]
has been ignored by the Lord, and from my G‑d, my judgment passes [unrewarded]."
Isaiah reminds Israel of the Creator's greatness. The time will come when "He
will give the tired
strength, and to him who has no strength, He will increase strength. Youths shall become tired and weary, and young men shall stumble,
but those who put their hope in the Lord shall renew [their] vigor, they
shall raise wings as eagles; they shall run and not weary, they shall walk and
not tire." Nevertheless, "there is no comprehension of His wisdom," and as such,
at times we cannot understand why He chooses to delay the reward of the
righteous.
The haftorah then turns its attention to the idolatrous nations of the
world. Isaiah reminds them of Abraham's greatness, how after arriving in Canaan he
pursued and defeated four mighty kings. "The islands saw and feared; the ends of
the earth quaked." Nevertheless, the nations who witnesses these miracles did
not abandon their ways. "The [idol] craftsman strengthened the smith, the one who
smoothes [the idol] with the hammer strengthened the one who wields the sledge hammer;
the one who glues its coating
says, "It is good," and he strengthened it with nails that it
should not move..."
G‑d promises the Jewish nation to reward them for their loyalty to
G‑d. "Do not fear for I am with you; be not discouraged for I am your G‑d. . .
Behold all those incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded; those who
quarreled with you shall be as naught and be lost."
LOGIN
ASK THE RABBI
