A YEAR OF EVEN GREATER COMFORT
Ki Savo - Haftarah
Between Tisha B’av and Rosh Hashana we read seven Haftoras of comfort known as the Shiva D’nechemta. These prophesies come from the Book of Yishaya, the prophet of consolation. They contain assurances of the Redemption, in-gathering of Exiles and the message that Hashem still cares about the Jewish people and will bring us back.
The 14th Century scholar Rabbi Dovid Avudraham, quotes a Midrash that explains how the opening verses of these seven Haftaros form a three-way dialogue between Hashem, the Neviim and the Jewish people.
After the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash on Tisha B’av and the ensuing exile, in the first Haftorah, Hashem directs the prophets to go and “comfort My people” נחמו נחמו עמי.
When the prophets deliver these words of comfort, the Jewish people respond with the opening line of the second Haftorah; ותאמר ציון עזבני ה' “and Zion said that it is Hashem who has abandoned me” and so He should comfort them directly instead of delegating it to the prophets.
In the third Haftorah, the prophets relay this message back to Hashem, saying עניה סוערה לא נוחמה “she is an unhappy, storm-tossed one who is not comforted” by our words.
Hashem accepts the argument of the Jewish people and declares at the opening of the fourth Haftorah, אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם “I will be the one to comfort them”.
Hashem’s comfort comes in the opening words of the fifth and sixth Haftorah; רני עקרה לא ילדה “rejoice O barren one who bore no child”, and קומי אורי כי בא אורך “arise and shine, for your light has come”.
Hearing Hashem’s direct consolation, the Jewish people are truly comforted and say שוש אשיש בה' “I will rejoice in Hashem”
This Midrash explains the sequence of Haftaros as they are read in most years. But in this year’s calendar, when the third week of Shiva D’nechemta (Parshas Re’eh) falls on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the order is changed as the Haftorah for Rosh Chodesh supersedes the regular Haftorah which would have been עניה סוערה.
Instead, we push off reading this Haftorah for two weeks, reading it immediately after the Haftorah for Ki Seitzei - רני עקרה. (We read it on this week because in the Tanach, these two passages follow directly on from one another).
So how does this change in sequence play out in the dialogue described in the Midrash?
According to this new order, even after Hashem says “I will comfort them” and shares the comfort of “rejoice O barren one”, they remain “a poor and storm-tossed one who will not be comforted”.
In order to comfort them with this week’s Haftorah קומי אורי כי בא אורך, Hashem must shower us with an even greater light than in other years, giving us the ability to achieve a greater level of Redemption.
This calendar pattern also occurred in the years that both the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe were born, Wednesday Chai Elul, during the week of Parshas Ki Savo. Their teachings of Chassidus is a brilliant source of G-dly light. By increasing in our study of their teachings, we will “arise and shine” with a greater light and merit the ultimate comfort and joy of the light of Moshiach and the Final Geulah.
The 14th Century scholar Rabbi Dovid Avudraham, quotes a Midrash that explains how the opening verses of these seven Haftaros form a three-way dialogue between Hashem, the Neviim and the Jewish people.
After the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash on Tisha B’av and the ensuing exile, in the first Haftorah, Hashem directs the prophets to go and “comfort My people” נחמו נחמו עמי.
When the prophets deliver these words of comfort, the Jewish people respond with the opening line of the second Haftorah; ותאמר ציון עזבני ה' “and Zion said that it is Hashem who has abandoned me” and so He should comfort them directly instead of delegating it to the prophets.
In the third Haftorah, the prophets relay this message back to Hashem, saying עניה סוערה לא נוחמה “she is an unhappy, storm-tossed one who is not comforted” by our words.
Hashem accepts the argument of the Jewish people and declares at the opening of the fourth Haftorah, אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם “I will be the one to comfort them”.
Hashem’s comfort comes in the opening words of the fifth and sixth Haftorah; רני עקרה לא ילדה “rejoice O barren one who bore no child”, and קומי אורי כי בא אורך “arise and shine, for your light has come”.
Hearing Hashem’s direct consolation, the Jewish people are truly comforted and say שוש אשיש בה' “I will rejoice in Hashem”
This Midrash explains the sequence of Haftaros as they are read in most years. But in this year’s calendar, when the third week of Shiva D’nechemta (Parshas Re’eh) falls on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the order is changed as the Haftorah for Rosh Chodesh supersedes the regular Haftorah which would have been עניה סוערה.
Instead, we push off reading this Haftorah for two weeks, reading it immediately after the Haftorah for Ki Seitzei - רני עקרה. (We read it on this week because in the Tanach, these two passages follow directly on from one another).
So how does this change in sequence play out in the dialogue described in the Midrash?
According to this new order, even after Hashem says “I will comfort them” and shares the comfort of “rejoice O barren one”, they remain “a poor and storm-tossed one who will not be comforted”.
In order to comfort them with this week’s Haftorah קומי אורי כי בא אורך, Hashem must shower us with an even greater light than in other years, giving us the ability to achieve a greater level of Redemption.
This calendar pattern also occurred in the years that both the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe were born, Wednesday Chai Elul, during the week of Parshas Ki Savo. Their teachings of Chassidus is a brilliant source of G-dly light. By increasing in our study of their teachings, we will “arise and shine” with a greater light and merit the ultimate comfort and joy of the light of Moshiach and the Final Geulah.