A Promise of Peace: The Powerful Haftarah of Parashat Re'eh

The Haftarah of Parashat Re'eh is taken from Isaiah 54:11 through 55:5. It is the third of the seven Haftarot of consolation read on the Shabbatot following Tisha B'Av.

At the heart of this Haftarah is a powerful promise. Zion, Jerusalem, has endured poverty, persecution, and suffering and remains "unconsoled." Hashem promises that a time will come when her suffering will be replaced not only by extraordinary abundance, but also by lasting peace and security.

The Haftarah of Parashat Re'eh

(11) "O afflicted, storm tossed, unconsoled, behold, I will set your stones in fair colors and lay your foundations with sapphires.

(12) I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling stones, and all your borders of precious stones.

(13) All your children will be taught by Hashem, and great will be the peace of your children.

(14) You will be established in righteousness; you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear, and from terror, for it will not come near you.

(15) Behold, they may gather, but not because of Me; whoever gathers against you will fall because of you.

(16) Behold, I created the craftsman who blows the coals into fire and produces a tool for his work, and I created the destroyer to wreak destruction.

(17) No weapon formed against you will succeed, and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Hashem, and their righteousness is from Me, says Hashem.

55: (1) Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and whoever has no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

(2) Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, eat what is good, and let your soul delight in abundance.

(3) Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the faithful kindnesses promised to David.

(4) Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of nations.

(5) Behold, you will call a nation you did not know, and a nation that did not know you will run to you, for the sake of Hashem your God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you."

Why Is Jerusalem "Unconsoled"?

The Haftarah begins with three striking words: "Afflicted, storm tossed, unconsoled" (Isaiah 54:11).

Before the redeemer arrives, Hashem sends the prophets to comfort Israel, telling them that the time for consolation has come. But when the prophets approach the Jewish people, Israel is unable to accept their words of comfort.

The prophets return to Hashem and explain: Master of the Universe, Your children are bitter in spirit after so much killing, destruction, and hardship. They have suffered so greatly that they cannot yet accept consolation.

Two forms of suffering have left them unable to be comforted: poverty and constant turmoil.

Israel’s experience in exile is unlike that of other nations. The Jewish people have often been poor, vulnerable, and scattered among the nations, like a scattered sheep. Logically, such a people should attract little attention. They possess no great empire or territory that others need to envy.

Yet throughout Jewish history, the opposite has repeatedly occurred.

Despite the Jewish people’s vulnerability, the so called "Jewish question" has remained on the agenda in country after country. People everywhere have expressed opinions about the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, while enemies have repeatedly sought to destroy them, God forbid.

This is the meaning of the prophet’s description: "Afflicted, storm tossed, unconsoled."

Israel is "afflicted," poor and deprived. Under normal circumstances, the nations should therefore turn their attention elsewhere and leave her alone.

Yet she is also "storm tossed." Despite her vulnerability, she remains at the center of turmoil, stirring the attention and emotions of nations around the world as though she possessed a vast and prosperous empire that everyone wished to conquer.

And therefore, she is "unconsoled."

She suffers from both sides. She experiences poverty without the peace that might ordinarily accompany it, while also experiencing the fear and insecurity that often accompany great wealth and power.

She has been struck with a double blow.

Hashem Promises a Double Consolation

The prophet therefore offers a double consolation.

The Jewish people will ultimately receive the goodness that had been missing from both sides. Instead of poverty, they will experience tremendous abundance. And instead of constant fear and turmoil, they will enjoy peace and security.

"Behold, I will set your stones in fair colors and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling stones, and all your borders of precious stones."

The prophet describes extraordinary wealth and abundance through the image of a city built from precious stones.

But such wealth might seem to create a new problem.

A wealthy nation normally needs a powerful military to defend its possessions and protect itself from those who desire its land and resources. Will the Jewish people finally receive abundance, only to spend their lives worrying about how to protect it?

The prophet answers:

"All your children will be taught by Hashem, and great will be the peace of your children."

The children of Israel will not need to devote themselves to training for war. Instead, they will be "taught by Hashem," studying Torah and wisdom in synagogues and study halls.

And nevertheless, "great will be the peace of your children."

They will have abundance without fear, prosperity without insecurity, and wealth without constant war.

This is the double consolation that corresponds to Israel’s double suffering.

Instead of being "afflicted" and poor, Jerusalem will be filled with abundance. Instead of being "storm tossed," surrounded by danger and unrest, she will experience extraordinary peace.

The Haftarah of Parashat Re'eh is therefore more than a promise that suffering will eventually end. It is a vision of complete consolation, in which what was once missing will be restored in full.

Jerusalem will be comforted with both abundance and peace.