Explanation of the Haftarah of Parshat Masei 15 Tammuz 5785 – July 11 2025

The Explanation of the Haftarah - Parshat Masei

15 Tammuz 5785 – July 11 2025

The Connection Between the Haftarah and the Parsha

This haftarah is read on the second Shabbat of the three dealing with punishment before Tisha B'Av. For it tells of the prophecies of punishment that the prophet Yirmiyahu prophesied regarding the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, because of the sins of Israel.

Content of the Haftarah

Hashem contends with Israel and says to them: What injustice did your fathers find in Me that they became ungrateful, distanced themselves from Me and went after vanity, and did not remember My kindnesses with them, that I brought them out of Egypt, and led them in the desert, supplied them with all their needs, brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey.

And instead of thanking Me and serving Me, behold they left Me, who was to them like a spring of living water that does not cease, for I bestowed upon them an abundance of good.

And they went after broken cisterns that have no water in them, for they went to serve idols that have no substance in them, and even the nations of the world do not exchange their gods, despite the fact that there is no substance in them at all, and if so, how did Israel exchange Me for idols that will not benefit them, and instead of trusting in Me, behold they lean on Egypt and Assyria, that they should save them in the time of their distress, and instead of walking in the ways of their holy forefathers, behold they became estranged and did deeds of abomination, therefore your sin is written before Me, and even if you increase in good deeds it will not help the matter, for the decree has already been decreed that we will be given into the hand of the enemy in the month of Av.

Because despite My warnings that you should return in repentance, behold you despaired of My service, and your decision is to go after the Baalim, and if so, why in the time of your distress do you turn to Me with a request that I should help you, and where are your many idols that are not helping you.

Yet despite all this, if you return in repentance truly and sincerely, behold you will be to Me a treasured nation as at first, and if you swear in My name in truth alone and do righteousness and justice, behold you will rise in the eyes of the nations, who will bless themselves through you so that each one will say to his fellow: "May the L-rd make you like Israel," also when they praise themselves and glory, behold each one will say to his fellow "I am successful like Israel."

Yirmiyahu Chapter 2' Verse 4' -28 and Chapter 4' Verses 1' 2'.

[4] Hear the word of Hashem, House of Yaakov they are the masses of the nation and all the families of the House of Israel the prominent ones (Malbim): [5] Thus said Hashem: What wrong did your fathers the first generations that entered the land  find in Me that they distanced themselves from Me on account of this, and walked after vanity foreign worship that has no substance at all and became vain because of it they too were degraded and became like something that has no substance at all (M"D): [6] And they did not return with Teshuva say: Where is Hashem we will return to serve Hashem (M"D): who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness without us straying on the way (M"D) in a land of deserts where thorns grow and pits a place of deep pits in the ground (M"D) in a land of drought a desolate place that is burning hot (Malbim) and deep darkness a shadow of death (M"D) and great darkness (Rashi), and we lacked nothing even when we walked in a land where no man passed and where no man dwelt in permanence (Malbim): [7] And I brought you to the land of Carmel a place of fields and vineyards and good trees (Radak)  to eat its fruit and its goodness and instead of improving your ways and you came and defiled My land that you served stars and constellations (M"D), and he doubled the matter and said, and My inheritance the land of Israel that is fitting for the revelation of the Shechina you made into an abomination idols and matters of abomination (Radak): [8] The priests that before Hashem they serve all day long, also lacked gratitude and did not warn did not say: to the nation, saying Where is Hashem, and those who handle the Torah the sages of the Torah (Radak) and the Sanhedrin (Rashi) forgot the good things I did with them. they did not know Me they did not learn Torah for its sake (Radak) and did not want to know the extent of my greatness (M"D) and the shepherds the kings of Israel (Radak) and the princes (Malbim) rebelled against Me and the prophets the false prophets (T"Y) prophesied by Baal  in the name of the Baal (Rashi) and after idols that those things that do not profit did they walk: [9] Therefore before I bring the evil I will yet contend argue with you, by my prophets (Rashi) says Hashem, and you should know that also and with your children's children will I contend if they make evil their ways in accordance with your deeds (T"Y): [10] For pass over when you go to the isles of Kittim to the nation of the Kittim who dwell in their islands (Rashi) and see their deeds and to Kedar and to the state of Kedar where they dwell in the wilderness in tents (Malbim) send messengers and consider diligently and investigate very much to see their custom and see the deeds of those nations, and whether there has been like this if truly there has not been among them like this abomination (M"D): [11] Has a nation changed its gods, though they are no gods? and even though their gods are nothing but vanity and emptiness, nevertheless they did not change them and My nation has changed its glory of the Omnipresent (M"D) for that which does not profit for foreign worship that provides no benefit (Rashi): [12] Be appalled, be astonished and astounded (Rashi) O heavens be at wonder, at this,  that they go after that which does not benefit and that will not save and be horribly afraid, about the magnitude of destruction be utterly desolate Israel (Malbim): says Hashem: [13] For two evils a double evil My nation has done, that they left me and went after the idols and this is what is written: Me they have forsaken,  the source fountain of living waters who influences upon them goodness without cessation (M"D) to hew for them to dig for themselves (Rashi) cisterns, many broken cisterns, which cannot hold the water (M"D) because they flowed out through the broken walls, so they who trust in other gods (Rashi): [14] The Holy One Blessed be he and Israel are as if asking Is Israel a servant? bought with money or is he a home-born slave? son of a maid-servant to be abandoned, behold I have called him my firstborn son why has he Israel become a prey? why was Israel given up so that his enemies should plunder him (Radak) and there are those explain to be as booty (M"Z): [15] And Why (Radak) Over him Israel lions roared [lions] the young ones [the young lions] the kings of the nations they gave forth their voice and they made his land a desolation (Metsudot) his cities are burned were burned (Rashi) and left without inhabitant because there is no man inhabiting them (M"D): [16] Also the children of Noph (and Tachpanes) and Tahpanches Egypt, whom you trust for help (Rashi) [who are a lowly kingdom] shall break the crown of your head will break your skull (Radak) and in the T"Y: will kill your warriors and plunder your property: [17] Is it not this that you do to yourself it does not come upon you by chance of time (M"D), but this evil comes because of iniquity (Rashi)  [in that] you have forsaken Hashem your L-rd to go after other gods (Radak) at the time He led you guided you Hashem in the way the good and upright [way] (Rashi): [18] And now that you have seen that all is by providence (M"D) what have you to do to go in the way of Egypt, to trust in them to drink the waters of Shihor this is the Nile that was used to drown within it the children of Israel (Rashi) and what have you to go to do in the way of Assyria, to trust in them to drink the waters of the River [Euphrates (M"Z)], to request from them help to be saved by their hand (M"D): [19] In the end Your own wickedness shall chastise you at the end your wickedness will bring evil upon you and suffering (Rashi) and your backslidings shall reprove you the backslidings that you went in your ways will reprove you with pains, and know and see know therefore and see understand (M"D) that it is an evil and bitter thing, and bitter will come upon you [Jerusalem], by (T"Y) that you have forsaken Hashem your L-rd and that My fear is not in you, and fear from Me it was not in your heart (Rashi) says the Master, Hashem of Hosts: [20] For of old I was for help to you I have broken your yoke that the nations made heavy upon you [and] burst detached your bands the restraints and yokes of the nations from you and you said: I will not transgress (I will not serve) transgress against the word of Hashem, but you did not keep your promise, and you returned to serve idols now for upon every high hill in every place, and from place to place and under every green tree you go to serve idols you are like a filthy harlot who goes and wanders from place to place to fulfill her lust (Radak): [21] Yet previously I had planted you a noble vine that there should come out from it good and praised fruit wholly a right seed  the fathers who were upright and the righteous (Rashi) and it was fitting that a good and praiseworthy fruit would emerge from them. how then are you turned to depart from after me into the degenerate plant bad branches of a strange vine unto Me? like the turnings of the evil branches from the vine which each one becomes a foreign vine [to it] and a branch that it was as if not produced from the original (Radak) and in the T"Y: how did you turn before me to be like a vine whose fruits give no benefit? [22] For though you wash yourself with nitre with lye [24] sand that is designated for washing and scouring and take you much Borit [25] for cleaning (Rashi) and there are those explain it as soap or else a grass that cleans, meaning even if you do repentance it will not avail you and I will  punish you because your iniquity is marked stamped and engraved like a stain before Me and there are iniquities that it is not sufficient repentance but rather suffering cleanses says my Master Hashem: [23] So open is your iniquity that if you wish to deny it you won't be able to do so (Radak) How can you say: how can you deny and lie to say I am not defiled by idolatry after the Baalim I have not gone at all? (Radak) see your way in the valley opposite the house of Peor that you serve the Baal and still cling to it know what you have done opposite the house of Peor, and also now in your land you want to go and return to serve idols [you are] a swift young dromedary a small female camel (Radak) traversing that is corrupting her ways and she does not go in the straight path (according to T"Y): [24] A wild ass behold the wild ass (Radak) which is used to running in the wilderness, according to its desires that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure (her soul) in her passion [she snuffs] the wind of the air to the lungs, in order to run quickly in the lust of her heart, (according to Rashi) in her occasion when she invites herself to go to the place of desire who can turn her away? who can return her (Radak) all they that seek her need not weary themselves they do not need to tire themselves, those that seek her; in her month they shall find her for there is one month in the year that she sleeps and then she is trapped, so too, you have one month (that is Av) which was prepared for you already from the days of the spies that your forefathers by crying for nothing, set for you that within it (the month) you will be caught (Rashi): [25] In this you resemble the wild ass, that my prophets tell you to return in Teshuva Withhold your foot from being unshod so that you will not go to exile on foot, [withhold] your throat from dying from thirst in a drought, but instead of accepting their rebuke and you said: There is no hope despaired I am from the service of Hashem, and there is no concern about your words (Rashi) no; I will not return to Him, let he be blessed for I have loved strangers foreign worship and after them will I go to serve them (M"D) that I see them succeeding (Radak): [26] Shame will come to you As the thief is ashamed when he is found  like a trusted person that it was discovered  now that he is a liar and a thief so is the house of Israel ashamed; so will come to you shame in the eyes of the nations that had assumed you to be servants of Hashem they, the masses of the nation their kings, their princes, and their priests, priests of the Baal and their prophets the prophets of falsehood who were found to be servants of idols (Radak): [27] Be ashamed over your saying to wood Who say to wood: You are my father; and to a stone to an idol made of stone: You have given birth to us you created us for they have turned their nape unto Me, and not their face they denied Me and did not want to hear Me but in the time of their trouble they will say: Arise, and save us when they see that there is no savior in their gods they will say and pray to Me: rise up and save us (Radak)

[28] Hashem, may He be blessed, as if asks But where are your gods that you have made for yourself? try them let them arise, if they are able to do it they can save you in the time of your trouble: and do not say I have no other gods for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Yehuda you made image of gods (Radak) [and in every city and city another god] (Rashi)

[1]  If you return in repentance, O Israel, says Hashem, to Me, then you shall return, to your honor and greatness as at first (Rashi) and to be a treasured nation before Me from all (M"D) and if you remove your detestable things idols from My Presence, from my land and Jerusalem my city (M"D) then you shall not wander. then you will not be moving and wandering to go to exile (Rashi):

 [2] And you shall swear if in a time that you swear by my name: Hashem lives, swearing only in truth and not like one who responds if they swear falsely (Rashi), and you will conduct yourselves in judgment and in righteousness then and they shall bless themselves in Him, Israel among the nations that they will say one to his friend, may the L-rd make you like Israel and in Him shall they glory [31] the one who praises himself behold he will say regarding himself behold I am successful like Israel (M"D).