Haftarah of Parshat Ekev

The connection between the Haftarah and the Parasha.

This Haftarah is the second of seven Shabbatot of consolation that are read as Haftarah starting from the Shabbat after Tisha B'Av.

Content of the Haftarah

• Zion thinks that because of the length of the exile, Hashem forgot and abandoned her, but Hashem says to her that He did not forget her and she is always before His eyes to do good for her, and in the end, He will redeem her with an eternal redemption.
• Her children will return to her midst and build the ruined cities and the people of Israel will be numerous, until the place will be crowded and tight, so that each one will say to the second, "Move away a bit so that I too can dwell."
• Kings of the nations of the world will raise the children of Israel, noblewomen will nurse the children of Israel, and nations of the world will surrender and be humbled before the children of Israel.
• The nations that thought there is no rising up for the nation of Israel, Hashem will give their flesh as food for the beasts of the field and for the birds of the heavens.
• And then everyone will recognize that Israel, they are the nation of Hashem, and He did not divorce them permanently, like a woman who received a bill of divorce from her husband, but rather she is similar to a woman whose husband was angry with her and is destined to bring her back. So, Israel were expelled in their transgressions, and when they return in repentance they will be saved immediately.
• And therefore, Hashem complains, why are you not returning in repentance, and are you placing, Heaven forbid, doubt about His capability, blessed be He? For did He not, by His word, blessed be He, split the sea before the children of Israel, and has the ability to turn rivers into a desert.
• The prophet Yishayahu (Isaiah) says that he received from Hashem a clear tongue, to go and reprove Israel, and he testifies about himself that every day Hashem opens his ears to understand the prophecy, and he did not fear blows nor humiliations that they might hit him or humiliate him, but trusted in Hashem, did not fear them, and reproved them with a harsh tongue because Hashem is with him. And all those who do not desire to hear the voice of Hashem, they will perish, and the sin that they committed will afflict them, and they will die in sadness and in sorrow. But he who endures the darkness of troubles and exile and walks in the way of Hashem, behold he trusted in Hashem and He will save him.
• Likewise, the prophet says to Israel that they should look from where they came, from Avraham and Sarah whom Hashem blessed and grew, and so He will do to their children, that Hashem will comfort them and will turn Zion and the ruined cities of Israel into the Garden of Eden; gladness and joy will be found in them, thanksgiving and the voice of song.

Yishayahu Chapter 49 Verse 14 – Chapter 51 Verse 3.

14 Since the time of exile was prolonged and Israel did not return to Zion, And Zion said, I think that [a] Hashem has forsaken me and it also seems to me as if (Rashi and Radak) and my Master has forgotten me:

15 And Hashem may He be Blessed says to her, Heaven forbid that this should be: Will a woman forget her nursing child, her infant; but if she will harden her heart from having compassion and not have compassion on the child of her womb? and even if it is possible that at some time even these will forget, that they will abandon their children, in all this yet I will not [b] forget you (Rashi):

16 Behold, upon my palms [c] I have engraved you, I have recorded and engraved you by being revealed to remember you always [another explanation: upon the palms — above the Clouds of Glory] (Rashi); your walls [that are] destroyed (Radak) are before Me continually to rebuild them again (Metsudat David):

17 Your children have hurried when your children hurry to return in repentance, then those wicked ones who are your destroyers and your devastators who destroyed and ruined you and caused your destruction and exile shall go out from you, that there will no longer be among you evil and transgression (Radak):

18 Hashem, may He be Blessed, says to Zion: Lift up your eyes round about [d] and see how all of them all your children are gathered, they have come to you; from all directions of the world to Zion. As I live I am swearing (Radak) says Hashem that all of them, you will be glorified with all your children like an ornament [a fine ornament] (Metsudat Tzion) you shall dress yourself like fine clothing (Metsudat David) [inlaid with diamonds] and bind them on and tie them upon with a strong knot like a bride who guards the ornament that the groom gave her for betrothal (Malbim):

19 For answer to her: do not worry about your ruins and your desolate places the ruined mountains and desolations and your destroyed land, for all of them now are settled and populated, until it will be too narrow for you for settlement to dwell in them because of overcrowding and those who swallowed you up shall be far away at the end of the land, those who destroyed you, meaning that a destroyer will not enter your border (Radak):

20 Again they will say, and you will hear (Metsudat David in your ears what the children will say, the sons of your bereavement the sons that you were bereaved from them The place is too narrow for me; from the multitude of the nation make room move over there on my account for me that I may dwell, that I too, will be able to dwell (Rashi, Radak):

21 Then you shall say in your heart, from where has this great nation come, and I was bereaved [without children] Who has begotten me these, from where did they come with such great power, for many days seeing I have lost my children [without children] a solitary, alone [without men] [and there are those that explain without a husband] (Malbim) an exile and a wanderer, exiled and removed from me and who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they coming from? (Metsudat David):

22 Thus says my master, Hashem: Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations to hint to them that they should bring my children from the exile and to the peoples [which they will not hear immediately] (Malbim) I will lift up My banner a flag to hint to them to bring the children of the exile (Rashi), and there are those that explain: a miracle of the war of Gog and Magog that there they will fall amongst the fallen ones,   and they shall bring your sons in their arms, in a throne carried on shoulders [in fast airplanes] and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders they will carry them on a shoulder with great honor and with gentle care to their land (Malbim):

23 And kings shall be [e] your foster fathers, they will be busy with raising your children (Metsudat Tzion) [they will be baby sitters for your] and their princesses your wet nurses;  they will nurse your children [and another explanation: they will protect your child from any harm] (Malbim)  until in the end they will bow face down to the earth and prostrate themselves to you and lick the dust of your feet they will surrender to you as if licking the dust of your feet and you shall know then you will know that I am HASHEM, for the ability is in My hands and you shall know that I am Hashem for they shall not be ashamed from now on that wait for me Israel who trusts in Me (Radak):.

24 The Holy One, blessed be He, [f] says: Shall the prey be taken from the mighty? as they think, that it is impossible to take from the mighty Eisav the captive that was taken from our father Yaakov and the verse doubled itself and said or the captive of the righteous [g] rescued? [in their astonishment], and they think that it is impossible to rescue from him the captive of the righteous Yaakov, but it is not so:

25 For so said HASHEM, "Even the captives in the hand [h] of a mighty warrior can be taken from him, for I am mightier than them and the prey what they took of a tyrant in tyranny, without justice shall escape, and will leave from the hand of the tyrant (Radak in the name of his father) and with your contender those who fought with you and distressed you (Metsudat Zion) will I contend with them, and your sons I will save.

26 And those who taunt you those who tormented you [the Babylonians I will feed their flesh, to the beasts of the field (Rashi) and as Asis wine and like wine of grapes or wine of fruit, the birds will drink they shall become drunk (Rashi) [from] their blood [Radak]; and all flesh shall know that I am Hashem Who saves you, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One he is the strength and might (Metsudat David) of Yaakov.

Chapter 50

1 He reproves Israel so that they will repent, So said [i] Hashem, although I distanced the assembly of Israel (according to Metsudat David), but "Where is your mother's bill of divorce [j] that she received from me that I sent her away through it? Or, who is it of My creditors my lenders to whom I sold you to pay them as repayment of a debt [do I have a debt to anyone?] Behold for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions and on account of your rebellious sins (Metsudat David) your mother was sent away and the sending away is not on account that I have rejected you, Heaven forbid, rather, because you rebelled against Me (Malbim) and when you improve your actions and return in repentance, they will be redeemed (Metsudat David):

2 Why are you delaying the redemption, for behold I am ready to receive you in repentance if you return, and why then have I come and there is no man? [k] from you turning to Me [Why] have I called to return in repentance through the prophets [return to Me and I will return to you] and no one answers who responds to Me to return in repentance? Is My hand too short to redeem to redeem you, or do I have no strength to save you? Behold, with My scolding when I scold, I dry up the sea, I make rivers into a desert that is dry; their fish become foul their fish will stink from lack of water and die because of thirst [l] (Radak).

3 When I want, I clothe [m] the heavens with darkness [n], as I did in Egypt when there was darkness for them for three days, and they did not see light from the heavens as if and I make sackcloth their raiment the sackcloth covers them (Radak):

4 Yishayahu the prophet says: My master, Hashem sent me to prophesy, gave me a tongue a clear tongue suitable for the learned for teaching, to know to establish times to say words at their proper time for the faint [for His] word to desire, to  hear the words of prophecy; He awakens me every morning [o], He awakens My ear, to hear prophecy according to the teachings like a master awakens his students to hear his words (Metsudat David):

5 My master, [p] Hashem opened my ear to hear the words of prophecy [who said "Whom shall I send"], and I did not rebel to refuse His mission; I did not turn away backwards I did not turn back to refuse a thing, but rather I said "Here I am, send me" (Rashi):

6 I gave my back my back (Targum Yonaton) my body (Metsudat David) to smiters and my cheeks the hair of my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair and I did not fear from reproving them (Radak); I did not hide my face with my hands from embarrassments and spitting (q) from the hands of the blasphemers and those who spit on me (Malbim):

7 But My master, Hashem helps me if they rise up against me (Rashi) or else to fulfill my prophecy, therefore, I was not embarrassed I was not embarrassed by the words of my prophecy to say them in public (Radak); therefore, I made my face like flint [like a strong rock] to speak to them harsh words (Metsudat David), and I knew for I knew that my words would be fulfilled (Radak) that I would not be ashamed.

8 The Holy One, blessed be He, He Who vindicates me to make me win in judgment (Rashi) is near to me, whoever wishes to quarrel with me-let us stand together I and he and he doubled the matter and said; whoever is my contender who wants to come with me to judgment shall approach me and I am confident that he will not be able to prevail over me (Metsudat David):

9 Behold, in truth My master, Hashem shall help me; and if so, who is he that will condemn me and obligate me? Behold all of them who stand against me to refute my words (Radak) shall wear out and rot like a garment, a moth [worm of garments] (Rashi) shall consume them.

10 Who among you who is one that fears HASHEM, who obeys the voice of His servant [r] the prophet, even though who until now went in darkness in darkness of troubles and exile and did not walk in the way of Hashem and who has no light (illumination) for him, let him trust in the name of Hashem that salvation will come and lean on his L-rd and it will be good for him (Radak):

11 Behold all of you meaning most of you (Radak) do not listen to the voice of the prophet who kindle fire angering the wrath of Hashem, who give power to flames strengthening with great sparks of fire; go in the flame of your fire for in the fire that burned, and in the flames those very sparks you have kindled by means of your transgressions, it will burn you; from My hand has this evil come to you, in grief in sadness and in sorrow you shall lie down you will die, and there will be no power in you to stand before your enemy (Rashi and Radak):

Chapter 51

1 Hearken to Me, you that pursue righteousness, who pursue to do righteousness you that seek HASHEM; look unto the rock whence you were hewn, from it, namely, Avraham and to the hole of the pit whence you were dug. [s] that you were dug from it, and came out from it, and that is Sarah (Rashi and Radak):

2 Look unto Avraham your father, and unto Sarah that bore you; for I called him when he was but one, who was single in the world believing in the L-rd of the world and I called him and raised him and I blessed him, and increased him. and I blessed him and multiplied him, and just as he was single and I raised him, so I will raise you who are single to Me (Rashi):

3 For HASHEM shall console Zion; He will console all her ruins; He will return and establish all the ruined places in her and He will make her wilderness that is desolate like Eden, like a garden planted and fruitful like the Garden of Eden, and He doubled and said and her arid region [like a desert (Rashi)] that is desolate, where thorns and briers and thistles grow in it, will turn to be like the garden of HASHEM; joy and gladness [t] shall be found therein in Zion, thanksgiving, and thanks for the miracles and wonders and the voice of melody, that they will praise the Ominpresent, blessed be He (according to Malbim):