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Yeshaya 49:14–51:3

Hashem Anticipates our Redemption

This week’s Haftarah continues the series of the Jewish people’s comfort and console and projects their feelings during their final phases of exile. It reflects the period of time prior to redemption when there will be no trace of it happening in the near future. Yeshaya Hanavi shared with them Hashem’s assurance that He forever awaits to redeem them and to be with them.

Hashem Never Forgets His Children

Yeshaya presents the Jewish people forlorn state and quotes their expression of abandonment, “Zion said ‘Hashem has forsaken me and forgotten me.’” (49:14). Radak explains that since Zion was the primary location for the Jewish people to frequent, Yeshaya therefore referred to the collective Jewish nation by the name Zion. The Jewish people’s long, dark years of exile will lead them to feel that Hashem temporarily abandoned them. With no tangible sign of redemption in their near future, the nation’s rapid spiritual decline will not reflect the upcoming era of Mashiach. Reluctantly, most people will claim that at present, Hashem lost interest in them and that their magnificent era of redemption is far in the future. Yeshaya quoted Hashem’s response, “Can a mother ever forget her young one; [or cease] to be compassionate to her suckling?!” Hashem continued, “Even if she would forget [her child], I will not forget you!“ (49:15) Hashem revealed to the Jewish people
that His relationship with them is an inseparable one. He cares about them far beyond a mother’s concern for her child and He is prepared to do anything to reunite with them. Hashem continued, “Behold I engraved you on My palms; your walls are constantly before Me” (49:16) Hashem told His people that they remain His constant focus throughout the day. He awaits their return with such an endearment that He affixes them to His palm and continuously anticipates their redemption.

Opening the Flood Gates of Redemption

Yeshaya continued and conveyed to Zion Hashem’s vision of its people’s return and stated, “Your children will rush [home]; those [your sinners and rebels] who caused your overturn and destruction will leave you. Lift your eyes around and behold everyone returning to you…they [your children] will dress you like expensive garments and bridal ornaments…they will say…make room for me to settle. And you will ask in your heart, ‘Who begot me all these [children] after [I] have been so lonely and childless?’” (49:17- 21) The massive number of Jewish people rushing back home from their exile will make it difficult to grasp its totality. Yeshaya adds an incredible dimension to this and quotes
Hashem saying, “The world monarchs will accompany your children’s return, and their wives will nurse your babes. The kings will fall to the ground out of respect to you and will lick the dirt of your feet.” (49:43) At the time of redemption, the Jewish people will be so highly regarded that world powers will personally escort all Jewish children home- bound and display unprecedented signs of reverence.
Apparently, Hashem shared this breathtaking vision of the future to prove that He never forsook or forgot His children. From His vantage point, He is always awaiting their return to Him, as one can readily sense from what He has prepared for them. For in fact, if they had been truly forsaken, it would require years of devotion to Him during their process of return to reach those prescribed proportions. We must conclude from the predicted immediate and all-encompassing ingathering of the exiles, that Hashem is perpetually awaiting His children’s return to His proper ways, so that He can open the floodgates and rush untold numbers of Jewish people back to their homeland in a most
respectful and honorable way.

Hashem’s Interest in Our Relationship

Accordingly, Yeshaya continued and said in Hashem’s name, “Where is the divorce document I sent your ancestors or to which of My creditors have I sold you; you were sold because of your sins and sent away on account of your rebelliousness. Why did I come and not find one there, [why did] I call and [there was] no response? Do I lack the ability of redeeming you?… Behold with one shout I can dry a sea!” (50:1,2) Radak explains here that Hashem stated emphatically that the Jewish people withhold their own redemption, because He is prepared and eager to accept their repentance. He sent them countless prophets to lead them back to Him, but they did not
respond, and at times, did not even attend the assemblies that were intended for their own good.

Hashem Eagerly Awaits Communal Prayer

Chazal expand this message and interpret these words in a unique manner – one that relates to the Jewish people even in our times. They explain Hashem’s words to refer to His disturbance over one’s absence from communal prayer service. To appreciate their message, it is essential to discuss Chazal’s perspective about communal prayer and our present-day Bais Haknesses. They state, “How do we derive that Hashem is found in the Bais Haknesses?” They answer, “Because it says in Tehillim, ‘Hashem stands firmly in His congregation.’” They continue, “How do we derive that the Divine Presence accompanies a quorum of ten?” They answer, “Because it says in Tehillim, ‘Hashem
stands firmly in His congregation.’” (Berachos 6a) The rationale for these words is the halachic ruling that when one supplicates Hashem during the Amidah service one should regard oneself standing in Hashem’s Divine Presence. (Orach Chaim 98:1) In fact, Chazal instituted that after concluding the Amidah service, that one should respectfully take leave of Hashem’s Presence by facing forwards while stepping backwards and bowing towards His Presence. Ramchal sensitizes us to this institution and quotes Chazal’s admonition regarding the Amidah
service, “Know before whom you stand!” He explains that with some degree of sincere contemplation one can confirm in his mind the reality that during the Amidah service he literally stands before Hashem’s Presence and converses with Him and that Hashem is there harkening to his words to respond to them. (Mesillas Yesharim chap. 19) The underlying principle for this is that during select moments one can sense to a degree Hashem’s concealed Presence even in this world. When one supplicates Hashem and speaks to Him in a direct manner while solemnly standing before His Presence one can sense the reality of his experience.
Now, if this is the potential relationship that results from an individual’s supplication, one can imagine the potential relationship of group prayer with a quorum of ten! Chazal reveal that Hashem is so eager to respond to the Jewish people’s ‘collective’ needs that He precedes their quorum in anticipation of their supplication to Him. But if they fail to assemble their quorum, then Hashem expresses His disturbance over their indifference they showed towards His interest in their needs and He wastefully extended them. We learn from this that even during the Jewish people’s darkest periods of exile Hashem is focused on their needs and displays His interest to bestow His goodness on
them, provided they approach Him in supplication. In addition, we learn that Hashem always provides opportunity for one to develop a relationship with Him through prayer and to sense himself conversing with the Divine Presence and that He is hearkening to
his prayer.
With this thought Ramban interprets Hashem’s response to Moshe Rabbeinu’s request to convey to the Jewish people His name that clearly identifies Him as the source of existence and the providential provider to all. The Torah states Hashem’s response, “Tell the Jewish people, ‘I will be with them’ [is the one who sent you].”(Shemos 3:14) Ramban explains that Hashem answered that Moshe should tell
them that His response to their prayer is the greatest proof of all. The fact that He will always respond to their supplication when they collectively call on Him in their stressful times is the clearest evidence of His existence and providential involvement in their lives,
always ready to assist them, upon call. (Ramban ibid 3:13)

Prayer: Our Bonding with Our Provider

This week’s Haftarah reading is apropos to this week’s Parsha, the one that introduces prayer and its guaranteed results. The Torah quotes Moshe stating, “It shall be that if you carefully adhere to My mitzvos…to love your Hashem and to serve Him with all your heart. I shall give the rain of your land in a timely fashion… and you will reap your produce… and you will eat and be satisfied.” (Devarim 11:13-15) Chazal
explain that the phrase “serve with your heart” connotes a service to Hashem that is based on intent and feeling. They exclaim, “What indeed is service of the heart, sincere supplication!” (Sifrei ad loc) Interestingly, The Torah describe prayer as an act of service to Hashem and
specifically the service of the heart (and the mind). Evidently, Hashem fashioned our vehicle for obtaining sustenance and provisions in the form of service, to provide His people the everlasting opportunity of relating to Him and forging their bond with them, at
all times. Indeed, their hearts and minds are key factors in created that relationship since they reflect their sincere interest to bond with Him through supplication. May we, Hashem’s beloved people, realize our privilege of supplication to Him and utilize it to its utmost, thereby progressively developing a relationship with Him that will ultimately lead to our final redemption, speedily in our days.

Author’s Note: The above message describes the Jewish People’s sense of abandonment prior to redemption up to the year 5785. Miraculous and historical events of these past months are clear testimony to a shift in time and that we have passed the era of apparent abandonment and our rapidly approaching the era of incredible revelations and global recognition of Hashem and His devoted people. May we merit to utilize all Hashem’s grace and flavor and to develop through them the coveted relationship that will produce our final redemption, speedily in our days.