Explanation of the Haftarah of Parshat Pinchas 13 Tammuz 5786
In the Haftarah, it is told about the prophecy of Yirmiyahu regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, and it is the first haftarah out of 3 haftarot that are read in the three weeks preceding the 9th of Av, which are called "Three of Punishment" [Aramaic: Tlata D'Puranutah]
Explanation of the Haftarah of Parshat Pinchas
13 Tammuz 5786 | 09/07/2026 | 20:56
The Connection Between the Haftarah and the Parashah
In the Haftarah, it is told about the prophecy of Yirmiyahu regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, and it is the first haftarah out of 3 haftarot that are read in the three weeks preceding the 9th of Av, which are called "Three of Punishment" [Aramaic: Tlata D'Puranutah] [A].
The Content of the Haftarah
The prophet Yirmiyahu prophesied in the days of Yoshiyahu [Josiah] son of Amon, king of Yehuda [Judah], and so too in the days of Yehoyakim [Jehoiakim] his son, and continued his prophecy until the exile of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Holy Temple.
And when Hashem revealed Himself to him for the first time, Yirmiyahu refused to go because he was a youth and "not a man of words," but Hashem told him that He would be with him and He chose him from his mother's womb for this role, and He appointed him over all the nations to prophesy about the bad and about the good, and therefore there is no need to fear.
Afterward, he sees in a prophecy a rod without leaves and flowers, and he in his wisdom understood that this was an almond tree branch. The Holy One, Blessed be He, confirms his observation and says to him that He is diligent [shoked] to perform His word and hastens to bring the evil upon the inhabitants of the land.
Afterward, Yirmiyahu sees in a prophecy a boiling pot. And the place where the boiling is intense is toward the north. And Hashem explains to him that from the north, which is Babylon, evil will come upon the inhabitants of the land, that nations of the world will gather and lay siege to Jerusalem and the cities of Yehuda [Judah], and their inhabitants will be paid according to their actions for having abandoned Hashem and worshiped foreign worship [idolatry].
Yirmiyahu Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 Verse 3
1.These are the words of Yirmiyahu [B] the prophet and the righteous the son of Chilkiyahu, [C] and he is Chilkiyahu son of Shaphan the High Priest (Radak), and if so Yirmiyahu is a prophet son of a prophet, a righteous man son of a righteous man (according to Malbim) of the priests who dwelled in Anathoth a city of the cities of the priests, which is in the land of Binyamin (Radak); 2. To whom at first the word of Hashem came—the resting of the Divine Presence upon him (Rashi)—in the days of Yoshiyahu the son of Amon, king of Yehuda, who was righteous, and his generation was righteous (Malbim) and he began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3. And he was so—Yirmiyahu was a prophet all the days of Yoshiyahu that remained, and also his prophecy was continuous (Rashi)—in the days of Yehoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehuda, for then the generation was righteous but the king was wicked until the end of the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Yehuda, for then the people were wicked and the king was righteous until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month for then all his prophecies were fulfilled (Malbim). 4. And the word of Hashem came unto me, saying: 5. Before I formed you previously when you were formed in the belly [D] I knew you, I recognized you that you are worthy and fit for prophecy and before you came forth out of the womb of your mother I sanctified you; [E] I sanctified you and designated you to be a prophet I appointed you a prophet unto the nations. [F] I appointed you and designated you to be a prophet to all the nations of the world (M"D); 6. Then said I: "Ah, My Master Hashem! Woe unto me that I should refrain from rebuking, but know, the reason that I refrain is Behold, I cannot speak; —I do not know how to arrange the words of prophecy in a clear tongue because for I am a youth." [G] I am youthful in days and I have not accustomed myself to this and they will not listen to me (M"D); 7. But Hashem said unto me: "Say not, 'I am a youth'; do not refuse because you are a youth (M"D) for to whomsoever (Radak) I shall send you, you shall go, For they look upon the sender and not upon the messenger and whatsoever I shall command you, you shall speak. For I will put the words in your mouth (Malbim) 8. "Be not afraid of them; lest you stumble in your language and they will be extremely angry against you for I am with you to deliver you," from their hand (M"D) says Hashem. 9. Then Hashem put forth...His hand, [H] and touched my mouth. And Hashem said unto me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth." (M"D) That you will speak with a sharp tongue without fear (according to the Malbim mentioned above); 10. "See, I have charged you appointed you (Rashi) this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to prophesy concerning them regarding calamities (Radak) to root out to uproot them from their place and to pull down parts of them, and to destroy them completely and to overthrow; to demolish the entire building (Malbim) to build, and to plant." And also he prophesies regarding the good concerning building and planting for the Children of Israel (T"Y, Radak); 11. Moreover the word of Hashem came unto me, saying: "Yirmiyahu, what do you see?" And I said: "I see a rod [staff (M"D)] of an almond tree." [I] from a tree where almonds grow (Radak); 12. Then Hashem said unto me: "You have seen well; you have seen good and correctly for the almond [shaked][J] is quick [memaher] to bring out its flower before all other trees, and this is a sign for I hasten [shoked] quickly (Rashi) My word to perform it." And so you have seen a matter hinting at what is destined to be (M"D); 13. And the word of Hashem came unto me the second time, saying: "What do you see?" in the prophetic vision And I said: "I see a seething boiling pot [K] ; a pot boiled with a lot of boiling water and the face thereof—the place where the boiling rises from is mostly from the north." From the side of the north and beyond (M"D); 14. Then Hashem said unto me: what you have seen is a sign that "Out of the north from Babylon, which stands to the north of the Land of Israel (Rashi) the evil shall break forth it shall be permitted to come (Radak) upon all the inhabitants of the land." For until now the evil was, as it were, bound up (M"D); 15. "For, lo, I will call I will put into their hearts[L] to all the families of the kingdoms of the north," to come says Hashem; "and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne like judges who sit on a throne of judgment, opposite at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Yehuda." to hear the claim of the master of the will (Malbim); 16. "And I will utter [M] and then I will speak my judgments My judgments against them, I will argue with them, with Yehuda and Jerusalem (Rashi) regarding on account of all their wickedness; 'A' - because of in that they have forsaken Me, and it is not only that they have forsaken Me but 'B' - and have offered incense unto other gods, and if there was benefit to them it would be less severe, but 'C' - and worshipped the works of their own hands." That they know that they are not effective at all (Malbim); 17 "You therefore gird up your loins, to go with strength like a man of valor (Rashi) and arise, and speak unto them all that I command you; be not dismayed at fearful on account of them, do not refrain from rebuking them (T"Y) and flattering them (Malbim) lest I dismay you before them." (Radak) I will break you and subdue you before them; 18. "For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, I have placed strength in you like a fortified city (T"Y) and an iron pillar that they cannot bend and break, and brazen walls strong like a barrier of brass so that you can overcome and be strengthened against the whole land, and he returns to define that he will overcome against the kings of Yehuda, to the officers thereof, to the priests thereof, and to the people of the land. And to the rest of the nation (Radak and M"D); 19. And they shall fight against you all of them will fight against you but they shall not prevail against you; [N] because of me for I am with you, says Hashem, to deliver you. from their hand (M"D).
Yirmiyahu Chapter 2 (ירמיהו פרק ב')
1. Moreover the word of Hashem came to me, saying: [O]; 2. "Go and call out [P] in the ears of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Hashem; if you would return to Me my desire is to have mercy upon you, for I remember recall for you for the devotion of your youth, [Q] the love of your nuptials, the love that I had for you at the time of your bridal state, when you were entirely mine (Rashi) at the standing at Mount Sinai at the receiving of the Torah (M"D), and likewise I remember for you the faith that you believed when you left to follow when you went after Me after My messengers Moshe and Aaron (T"Y) in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. to a wilderness where there is no seed sown and nothing to eat (M"D); 3. Israel is Holy and for this, Israel is considered like a heave-offering (Terumah) which is holy to Hashem that a stranger should not consume it (Radak); the firstfruits of His increase; [R] for Israel is the best and most praised of all the nations (M"D) all that devour him the pursuers that pursue him and plunder him (T"Y) shall be held guilty; because even though Israel is punished for their sin, even so, evil shall come upon them, upon the nations of the world who did evil to them, says Hashem." For I remember for them the devotion of their youth, the devotion (or kindness) of the Patriarchs (Radak).