Dear Friends,
I’m not going to lie; I’m a bit spent, so I’m going to let Isaiah do the talking this week (via the weekly haftarah), and I’m just going to chime in to comment (in italics). Grab a cup of coffee and imagine we’re doing some torah study together.
Here’s Isaiah chapter 60:
ק֥וּמִי א֖וֹרִי כִּ֣י בָ֣א אוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּכְב֥וֹד יְהֹוָ֖ה עָלַ֥יִךְ זָרָֽח׃
1.Arise, shine, for your light has dawned; The Presence of GOD has shone upon you!
Okay, Isaiah’s in a good mood today; I’m here for it 🙂
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֤ה הַחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ יְכַסֶּה־אֶ֔רֶץ וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל לְאֻמִּ֑ים וְעָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יִזְרַ֣ח יְהֹוָ֔ה וּכְבוֹד֖וֹ עָלַ֥יִךְ יֵרָאֶֽה׃
2.Behold! Darkness shall cover the earth, And thick clouds the peoples; But upon you GOD will shine, And God’s Presence be seen over you.
I do feel the darkness and the thick clouds. Curious what God shining on us is supposed to look like. The word that’s translated here as “Presence” is kavod – literally, honor or respect. What does it mean for God’s honor or God’s respect to be seen over us? Does it mean that our behavior is doing justice to God? Does it mean that we honor God just by virtue of being alive and being human?
וְהָלְכ֥וּ גוֹיִ֖ם לְאוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּמְלָכִ֖ים לְנֹ֥גַהּ זַרְחֵֽךְ׃
3.And nations shall walk by your light, Kings, by your shining radiance.
So we’re supposed to be a blessing, be a good example, or make a positive impact on others. Ken yehi ratzon, may it be so?
שְׂאִֽי־סָבִ֤יב עֵינַ֙יִךְ֙ וּרְאִ֔י כֻּלָּ֖ם נִקְבְּצ֣וּ בָֽאוּ־לָ֑ךְ בָּנַ֙יִךְ֙ מֵרָח֣וֹק יָבֹ֔אוּ וּבְנוֹתַ֖יִךְ עַל־צַ֥ד תֵּאָמַֽנָה׃
4.Raise your eyes and look about: They have all gathered and come to you. Your sons shall be brought from afar, Your daughters like babes on shoulders.
This is intense; it sounds joyful at first glance but I think the implication is that we’ve been previously displaced and separated from family, even children. Isaiah is speaking to people who are going through trauma.
אָ֤ז תִּרְאִי֙ וְנָהַ֔רְתְּ וּפָחַ֥ד וְרָחַ֖ב לְבָבֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־יֵהָפֵ֤ךְ עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ הֲמ֣וֹן יָ֔ם חֵ֥יל גּוֹיִ֖ם יָבֹ֥אוּ לָֽךְ׃
5.As you behold, you will glow; Your heart will throb and thrill—For the wealth of the sea shall pass on to you, The riches of nations shall flow to you.
“Your heart will throb and thrill” – the medieval commentator Rashi explains this as our hearts being startled into wonder, and then becoming enlarged as a result.
Okay, I’m skipping ahead because it’s a long haftarah…
לֹא־יִשָּׁמַ֨ע ע֤וֹד חָמָס֙ בְּאַרְצֵ֔ךְ שֹׁ֥ד וָשֶׁ֖בֶר בִּגְבוּלָ֑יִךְ וְקָרָ֤את יְשׁוּעָה֙ חוֹמֹתַ֔יִךְ וּשְׁעָרַ֖יִךְ תְּהִלָּֽה׃
18. The cry “Violence!” Shall no more be heard in your land, Nor “Wrack and ruin!” Within your borders. And you shall name your walls “Victory” And your gates “Renown.”
This feels very real to me. What it means to be victorious and what it means to be renowned is to live a life without violence – as individuals and as a people.
לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֨ךְ ע֤וֹד הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לְא֣וֹר יוֹמָ֔ם וּלְנֹ֕גַהּ הַיָּרֵ֖חַ לֹא־יָאִ֣יר לָ֑ךְ וְהָֽיָה־לָ֤ךְ יְהֹוָה֙ לְא֣וֹר עוֹלָ֔ם וֵאלֹהַ֖יִךְ לְתִפְאַרְתֵּֽךְ׃
19. No longer shall you need the sun For light by day, Nor the shining of the moon For radiance [by night]; For GOD shall be your light everlasting, Your God shall be your glory.
Now this is kind of a downer because I feel like it’s implying that such a time – a time of nonviolence – is fantastical, as fantastical as a world that doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine. Is peace really literally possible, or is it just a dream?
לֹא־יָב֥וֹא עוֹד֙ שִׁמְשֵׁ֔ךְ וִירֵחֵ֖ךְ לֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑ף כִּ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה־לָּךְ֙ לְא֣וֹר עוֹלָ֔ם וְשָׁלְמ֖וּ יְמֵ֥י אֶבְלֵֽךְ׃
20. Your sun shall set no more, Your moon no more withdraw; For GOD shall be a light to you forever, And your days of mourning shall be ended.
I think this is supposed to be comforting but for the reason articulated above… it’s not.
וְעַמֵּךְ֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם צַדִּיקִ֔ים לְעוֹלָ֖ם יִ֣ירְשׁוּ אָ֑רֶץ נֵ֧צֶר (מטעו) [מַטָּעַ֛י] מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדַ֖י לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר׃
21. And your people, all of them righteous, Shall possess the land for all time; They are the shoot that I planted, My handiwork in which I glory.
These first few words – v’amech kulam tzadikim, “and your people, all of them righteous” – are part of a really catchy Zusha song that I have a love/hate relationship with. It’s so beautiful but it’s also kind of painful to listen to. Because obviously we’re not all righteous, or our behavior isn’t all righteous. But I also know that we’re meant to believe that each one of us is righteous deep down, or at least that we have the capacity to be righteous, and that’s what teshuvah is about. I think you can read these words as a pat on the back – like congrats, you’re already great and you deserve to live in comfort and safety – or you can read them as a motivational speech – like one day you are going to figure out how to live righteously and peacefully, and then you’ll know true comfort and safety. Given the idealistic verses earlier about the sun and the moon, I think we’re meant to read this as the latter.
הַקָּטֹן֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאֶ֔לֶף וְהַצָּעִ֖יר לְג֣וֹי עָצ֑וּם אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּעִתָּ֥הּ אֲחִישֶֽׁנָּה׃ {ס}
22. The smallest shall become a clan; The least, a mighty nation. I GOD will speed it in due time.
This is who we are – a people that identifies with the underdog. May all who are oppressed find empowerment. May all who abuse power find humility and make teshuvah.
Thanks for being my chevruta, my learning partner. Would love to know your thoughts on the text, and just generally how you’re processing life these days. Hope to see you tomorrow night for Selichot.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Hannah