Ezekiel 28:25-29:21.
This week's haftorah begins with a mention of the ingathering of the exiles, echoing G‑d's promise mentioned in the Torah portion: "I will take you out of the suffering of Egypt." The prophet then goes on to discuss the decimation of Pharaoh and Egypt, reminiscent of the primary theme of the Torah portion—the devastation G‑d wrought upon Egypt.
Ezekiel begins with a description of what will occur during the ingathering of the exiles. "When I gather in the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, and I have been sanctified through them in the eyes of the nations, then shall they dwell on their land that I gave to My servant, to Jacob. And they shall dwell upon it securely..."
The prophet then proceeds to convey a prophecy regarding Pharaoh and Egypt, foretelling the fall of the Egyptian empire. Egypt merited this punishment for two reasons: a) They had reneged on their promise to come to Israel's aid against the attacking Babylonians. b) They had incredible arrogance, considering themselves un-reliant on G‑d, instead attributing their success to the bounty their deified Nile afforded them. Therefore, Ezekiel warns: "And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and in ruins, and they shall know that I am the Lord! Because he [Pharaoh] said, 'The river is mine, and I have made it.'" G‑d warns that the land of Egypt will be empty and desolate for forty years, after which G‑d will return the people to the land to reinhabit it, but it will no longer be an important nation to be reckoned with.
The haftorah ends with another prophecy wherein G‑d informs Ezekiel that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, will be the one to conquer Egypt and take its spoils. This as a reward for his effort in defeating the wicked nation of Tyre.
Nutshell for Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Haftorah
When Rosh Chodesh — the “head of the month,” the one or two semi-festive days marking the beginning of each Jewish month — falls on Shabbat, as is the case this week, a special haftorah is read instead of the above one. This haftorah concludes with the assurance that during the Messianic Era all Jews will once again come to the Holy Temple to worship on every (Shabbat and) Rosh Chodesh.
Isaiah 66:1-24.
The prophet Isaiah relays G‑d's message: one of encouragement to the poor on those of a contrite spirit, and reproach to the sinners who offer insincere sacrifices, thinking they can atone for their immoral lifestyles. The prophet continues to prophesy about the Future Redemption and the ingathering of all exiled Jews, comparing the process to childbirth, "Who heard anything like this? Who saw anything like these? Is a land born in one day? Is a nation born at once, that Zion both experienced birth pangs and bore her children? For so says the Lord, '...Like a man whose mother consoles him, so will I console you, and in Jerusalem, you shall be consoled. And you shall see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall bloom like grass...'"
These rewards, however, are reserved for those "tremble before G‑d's word." Those who oppressed Israel, however, will then be justly punished for their deeds.
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