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HAFTARA MISHPATIM "But Afterward they Changed their Mind!"

1/25/2022

שמעו וישלחו וישובו אחרי

They listened, and they let them go. But afterwards, they changed their minds;
(Jer 34:10-11 CJB)

REPENTANCE IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
The country is in trouble. Enemies from within and enemies from without threaten its downfall. From within, the sin of the people brought on HaShem's wrath. From without, the Babylonians, under HaShem's command prepare a siege against Judah (Jer 43:10).

As a show of repentance, Zedekiah orders that everyone frees their slaves and indentured workers. This was indeed a law in the Torah (Ex:21:2) but because of greed, people did not want to honor the Day of Jubilee as HaShem required of them. By giving this law, as well as other laws concerning the poor and the disenfranchised in the Land, HaShem teaches us mercy and compassion, which are sadly not part of our human nature. If it were, HaShem would not have had to make this a commandment.

Our Master Yeshua says:

For the way you judge others is how you will be judged -- the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you.
(Mat 7:2)

Thus, by the same lack of mercy the people of Judea had shown to their brothers, they were going to be judged. In a desperate "Hail Mary*" move, Zedekiah ordered that all Judeans should free their slaves. Did it help? Let's see what happened as Jeremiah recounts it.

HaShem speaks to Jeremiah right after the King decreed the release of all the slaves and indentured workers.

This word came to Yirmeyahu from Adonai after King Tzidkiyahu had made a covenant with all the people in Yerushalayim to emancipate them. Everyone who had a male or female slave who was Hebrew was to let him go free; none was to keep as his slave a fellow Jew.
(Jer 34:8-9)

Jeremiah continues his discourse:

All the leaders and all the people listened who had entered into the covenant, wherein everyone was to free his male and female slaves and not keep them in bondage any longer.
They listened, and they let them go.
(Jer 34:10)

It seems that they did well.

Let's see what happens next:

But afterwards, they changed their minds; they made the male and female slaves, whom they had freed, return; and they brought them back into subjection as slaves.
(Jer 34:11)

Uh-oh! This was a very short-lived repentance. What happened?

In the fever of the moment, the people had repented but then learned that Pharaoh Hophrah from Egypt was coming to help them so they regretted having so quickly let go of their workers. They reneged on their repentance.

We will learn how HaShem saw the whole thing from the mouth of Jeremiah.

"Therefore this word of Adonai came to Yirmeyahu from Adonai:Here is what Adonai the God of Isra'el says: 'When I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, where they lived as slaves, I made this covenant with them:
(Jer 34:12-13)

The Covenant at Mount Horeb taught the Children of Israel the laws of Jubilees.

"At the end of seven years, every one of you is to set free his brother Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years. You are to let him go free from you." But your ancestors did not listen to me or pay any attention.
(Jer 34:14)

The laws of freeing slaves every seven years has been one of the least practiced Law in the Land. People are naturally materialistic. In all things, especially in business, we naturally look to our own interests. But the financial laws of the Torah are totally against "commonsense" business laws. This was very hard for the Children of Israel. It is still very hard for anyone to do them. Can you imagine anyone being elected under the premise that every seven years, banks and credit card companies have to forgive loans and return assets taken as collateral?

This is not a lesson solely for the Children of Israel of then, this is a lesson for us all today. The Master will deal with us in the same way that we deal with those who are indebted to us as we pray the very prayer He taught us to pray:

and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
(Mat 6:12 ESV)

Back to Jeremiah's sad, pleading rebuke. Jeremiah helps the people to feel the guilt of their actions by putting them in front of their selfish rebellious deeds by telling it in his own words, as HaShem leads him:

Now you repented, you did what is right from my viewpoint when each of you proclaimed freedom to his fellow; and you made a covenant before me in the house bearing my name. But then you changed your minds. You profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free to live as they wished, and brought them back into subjection as your slaves.' (Jer 34: 15-6)

Now comes the punishment. In the unmerciful way you treated others, you shall be treated.

Jeremiah reminds the people of the covenant they made with HaShem. In this covenant, they used an ancient form of contract making that involves cutting an animal into pieces and walking between them. The idea behind it is to say, "Thus shall be done to me if I break the terms of this covenant. HaShem went through a similar ritual with Abraham in Genesis 15:

Therefore here is what Adonai says: 'You did not heed me and proclaim freedom, each to his brother and each to his neighbor; so now I proclaim for you a freedom,' says Adonai, 'for sword, plague and famine. I will make you an object of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. As for the men who violated my covenant by not living up to the conditions of the covenant which they made in my presence when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts -- the leaders of Y'hudah, the leaders of Yerushalayim, the officials, the cohanim and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf; I will hand them over to their enemies, hand them over to those who seek their lives; and their corpses will become food for birds in the air and wild animals.
(Jer 34:17-20)

The following part of Jeremiah's oracle implies that though the people had reneged on their promise to release the slaves, Zedekiah had not.

Tzidkiyahu king of Y'hudah and his officials I will hand over to their enemies, to those who seek their lives and to the army of the king of Bavel, which has withdrawn.
(Jer 34:21)

This teaches us that repentance is never fruitless, as James says:

My brothers, if one of you wanders from the truth, and someone causes him to return, you should know that whoever turns a sinner from his wandering path will save him from death and cover many sins.
(Jas 5:19-20 CJB)

Because the people had turned back on their promise, HaShem called the Babylonians back against them

I will give the order,' says Adonai, 'and cause them to return to this city. They will attack it, capture it and burn it to the ground; and I will make the cities of Y'hudah desolate and uninhabited.' " (Jer 34:22)

The sages of Israel did not want to finish this Haftarah on such a negative note. They knew that though we do not keep our word and constantly violate the covenant He makes with us, they want to remind the people that unlike them, HaShem is a "Man" of His Word.

Though the people don't deserve it, though if He could He would rather not bless them, just because He promised that he will, He will eventually show mercy on them and return them. As Paul also quoted, "For God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. (Rom 11:29 CJB).

Here is what Adonai says: 'If I have not established my covenant with day and night and fixed the laws for sky and earth, then I will also reject the descendants of Ya`akov and of my servant David, not choosing from his descendants people to rule over the descendants of Avraham, Yis'chak and Ya`akov. For I will cause their captives to come back, and I will show them compassion.' " (Jer 33:256)

MAY WE ALSO BE PEOPLE OF OUR WORD,
WITH GOD, AS WELL AS WITH MAN.

R' Gabriel Lumbroso

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HAFTARA YITRO יתרו "My eyes have seen the King!"

1/17/2022

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ואמר אוי־לי כי־נדמיתי כי אישׁ טמא־שׂפתים אנכי ובתוך עם־טמא שׂפתים אנכי יושׁב כי את־המלך יהוה צבאות ראו עיני׃

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
(Isa 6:5 ESV)

BETWEEN TWO KINGS
Isaiah's calling happened in the year of King Uzziah's death, at the beginning of King Ahaz's reign. At that time, Judah was at war with the Northern Kingdom, which had formed an alliance with Aram in the North to fight against their brother in the South.

THE VISION OF THE GREAT THRONE ROOM
Isaiah is said to be the son of Amoz (not the prophet), who was the brother of King Amaziah, which would make Isaiah of royal Davidic blood.

He is the most quoted prophet in the Brit Chadasha and truly earned the attribute of "messianic prophet."

Isaiah received visions and messages at the end of the reign of King Uzziah and during the reigns of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. On the year of the death of King Uzziah, he received this vision and oracle:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
(Isa 6:1-4 ESV)

ISAIAH THE HUMBLE MAN
Isaiah was humbled by the awesome sight.

People sometimes tell me of their personal spiritual experiences. They talk about it in a very cavalier, almost familiar way as in trying to impress upon me that these are familiar event sto them. When I read the Biblical text though, whether in the Tanach or the Brit Hachadasha, spiritual experiences are anything but casual. They often leave their participants in a state of shock and awe. They usually very humbled by it and sometimes even sick. In the case of Isaiah, he felt extremely unworthy that he wanted to hide from it. Isaiah acknowledged that he was a sinful man; that he was not worthy of standing in the Holy Presence.

And I said:
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips,
and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
(Isa 6:5 ESV)

As we read these words, we remember Ezekiel, a prophet who had the same experience (Ez 1:4-28). We also remember John on the Isle of Patmos who also was granted an audience in the Great Throne Room (Rev 4:1-8).

The original such experience was at Mount Sinai, which is why the Rabbis connected this section of Isaiah's prophecy with this week's parasha.

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off
(Exo 20:18 ESV)

It is said by the sages of Judaism that HaShem came down on Mount Sinai with His Throne. When Moshe was asked to build the Tabernacle, he was charged:

And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
(Exo 25:40 ESV)

Isaiah's confession of sin opens the door for repentance and forgiveness. His sin is expiated by one of the coals of the altar (Rev 8:5). Targum Yonathan explains this scene, which finds similarity with personal experiences as related by Ezekiel and Jeremiah, symbolically saying, "And in his hand was a word ... and he placed it in my mouth, and said, "Behold, I have put the words of prophecy in your mouth, and your iniquities are put away, and your sins are expiated.""

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. (Isa 6:6 ESV)
And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
(Isa 6:6-7 ESV)

Coals from the same altar will be sent to earth at the end of times as part of the seventh seal of the Book being broken.

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
(Rev 8:3-5 ESV)

Now that Isaiah's sins are expiated, he is ready for the mission HaShem has for him.

THE MISSION

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
(Isa 6:8 ESV)

Notice that Isaiah is rearing to volunteer before he even knows what the mission is going to be. An attitude we should all do well to emulate!

HaShem gives Isaiah a message designed to expose the people of Judea to their poor, dull, spiritual condition.

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
(Isa 6: 9-10 ESV)

MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND PARABLES
Due to a translation mishap, this section sounds like HaShem is the One provoking the heaviness of the heart of the people in order to make sure they do not understand the message. Wouldn't that be counterproductive? A better understanding of the verb tenses in the text as referenced by Rashi, Kimhi, and Luzzato in the Septuagint reads differently:

Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand:
and ye shall see indeed, but ye shall not perceive.
For the heart of this people has become gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing,
and their eyes have they closed:
lest they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and be converted,
and I should heal them.

Understood with the proper verb tense, context, and translation, we now see that the resistance to the Word of God belongs to the people and not a matter of divine purpose.

There is another passage that is usually misunderstood in the same manner:

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
(Mat 13:10 ESV)

This passage is usually understood as Yeshua purposely hiding His important message from certain people, but wouldn't that be counterproductive? Jewish teachers used parables in order to explain complicated spiritual principles to simple folks in simple ways, not to hide it from them. In this chapter, Yeshua speaks to the people in parables but to His disciples who were closer to Him and who have been learning from Him, such tools were not needed and He could talk to them plainly.

THE RESULT OF BEING DULL OF HEARING
Isaiah knows the situation all too well. He knows that the people have not been serious with HaShem. He knows that they have rationalized sin for too long. Their heart was now so far from God, and what was worse, they didn't know it!

The sinner who is remains conscious of his prior sins is closer to Heaven than the self-righteous person who doesn't even know that he is far from God! Yeshua proclaimed the same message to self-righteous religious people of His generation:

“Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
(Mat 21:31 ESV)

Grieved over the situation, Isaiah asks:

“How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is a desolate waste,
and the LORD removes people far away,
and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
And though a tenth remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
whose stump remains when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.
(Isa 6:11-13 ESV)

In His mercy, HaShem will keep a remnant! Remnants mean hope; salvation; resurrection!

STUBBORN KING AHAZ
King Pekah of the Northern Kingdom had made an unholy alliance with Rezin the King of Syria in order to attack Judea.

In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it.
(Isa 7:1 ESV)

Ahaz was not used to praying to God. He and the people of Judea were afraid.

When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.
(Isa 7:2 ESV)

HaShem will send the prophet and his son, whom Isaiah prophetically called, "Shear-jashub," meaning, "a remnant will return!"

And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field.
(Isa 7:3 ESV)

Isaiah tries to strengthen king Ahaz:

And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord GOD: “‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’” (Isa 7:4-9 ESV)

Ahaz will not listen. Isaiah pleads with the King to ask God for a sign, any sign to prove that the prophecy he just uttered against Pekah and Rezin will come true.

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz:
“Ask a sign of the LORD your God;
let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”
(Isa 7:10-11 ESV)

King Ahaz doesn't budge. He even has the nerve to give his stubborn pharaonic stubbornness a semblance of religiosity:

But Ahaz said,
“I will not ask,
and I will not put the LORD to the test.”
(Isa 7:12 ESV)

Now it seems that Isaiah is getting a little irritated with King Ahaz,

And he said,
“Hear then, O house of David!
Is it too little for you to weary men,
that you weary my God also?
(Isa 7:13 ESV)

Isaiah then proclaims that whether King Ahaz wants a sign or not, HaShem will give him one.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.
(Isa 7:14 ESV)

The sign that King Ahaz would receive was that one of his young wives would become pregnant and have a son.

The Hebrew word translated as "virgin/alma/עלנה" is really "young maid." A young maid can be a virgin, or not. Hebrew has another word, "Betulah/בתולה" for virgin. When coming to that section, the Jewish writers of the Septuagint chose to write the Greek equivalent of virgin, as they felt it was closer to the intent. Thus Matthew's use of the word "virgin" in Mat 1:23.

The fulfillment of this prophecy in the days of King Ahab was that Abi gave birth to who would become King Hezekiah, whom people for a time had thought might have been the Messiah.

This fact doesn't take away the exactness of Matthew's application, but it teaches us a lot on the Jewish use, application, and understanding of the prophetic word.

More details are given about this Hezekiah.

Isaiah predicts that he will be a good man trying to do God's will, that God would dwell with him and in him. Though King Hezekiah was not the Messiah he was a forerunner and an ancestor type of Messiah still respected by Jewish teachers.

He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
(Isa 7:15-16 ESV)

PROPHECIES, PARTIAL AND ULTIMATE
When reading prophetic material, it is important to read it as Jewish sages read it. When a prophet utters a prophecy, it usually starts with some event that is contemporary to his time. As the oracle continues, it seems to take a "life of its own" if I may say so. Sometimes, a prophecy is given and only a part of it is fulfilled. In the mind of the sages, that means the part not yet fulfilled belongs to another time or even to World-to-Come. Many prophecies also have partial and ultimate fulfillments. This is a testimony to HaShem's atemporal nature.

THE SIGN
In the parasha this week, we have talked about "stubborn Pharaoh." Now we are talking about "stubborn Ahaz." In both of these cases, stubbornness refused to be conquered because of personal pride and a mind already made up, regardless of the signs HaShem profusely accorded them in order to help them change their mind.

We may look at these and say, "How could they?", but can we sincerely look at ourselves and say that we respond positively to all HaShem strives hard to make us see?

We are entering into times that are getting more and more difficult. May we not be like Pharaoh and Ahaz. May we see the signs that are all around us, and especially look to Him who is our "Sign":

In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
(Isa 11:10-13 ESV)

R' Gabriel Lumbroso

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HAFTARA BESHALACH בשלח

1/17/2022

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נחל קישׁון גרפם נחל קדומים נחל קישׁון תדרכי נפשׁי עז׃
אז הלמו עקבי־סוס מדהרות דהרות אביריו׃

The Kishon River swept them away, that ancient river, the Kishon River. O my soul, march on with strength! Then the horses' hoofs pounded the ground, their mighty steeds galloping at full speed.
(Jdg 5:21-22 CJB)

DEBORAH: JUDGE AND PROPHETESS
Now D'vorah, a woman and a prophet, the wife of Lapidot, was judging Isra'el at that time. (Jdg 4:4 CJB)

This is the introduction of Deborah. The name Deborah in Hebrew means "bee." Most translations translate the Hebrew text, " אשׁת לפידות as "the wife of Lapidot", but the word "lapid", means"torch," so some well-known Talmudists translate the phrase, "a woman of torches", or "of fiery decisive spirit." Which is right or wrong, Messiah will tell us when He comes. May it be soon, HaShem!

She used to sit under D'vorah's Palm between Ramah and Beit-El, in the hills of Efrayim; and the people of Isra'el would come to her for judgment. (Jdg 4:5 CJB)

In Biblical history, the position of sitting under a tree infers studying or rendering judgment. Israel at that time had no central authority. It was a loose tribal federation, not unlike the United States before the Constitutional Convention when all the states worked independently from each other.

That state of affairs was dangerous for Israel. Four times in the Book of Judges we are told:

At that time there was no king in Isra'el; a man simply did whatever he thought was right. (Jdg 17:6 CJB)

Just like the United States were before the institution of the Constitution, this lack of federalism made Israel vulnerable not only to attacks from the outside, but also to heresies from the inside. The book of Judges seems to be a litany of what happens when man is left to his own devices without government or king. It was only after Saul united the whole country under one flag that the country found its strength under King David and its glory under King Solomon. Its post-Solomonic division only led to disaster.

TROUBLE BREWING IN THE NORTH
In the absence of unifying leadership, Israel relied on judges to solve their complaints. One such complaint was about Jabin the Canaanite who had rebuilt the city of Hazor and, with a chariot force, exercised control over the strategic Hazor-Megiddo Highway (Judg 4:3). The situation later described in the Song of Deborah was dire (Judg 5:6-8).

Deborah understood that sin was at the root of Israel's problems in the North (Judg 5:8), but she empathized with the soldiers who tried to defend the country (Judg 5:9).

So she took the decisive action of sending support to the troops. Note that the decision was not totally pragmatic. She received an oracle from HaShem and thus was able to send Barak, whose name in Hebrew means "lighting," not with her own marching orders, but with HaShem's.

She sent for Barak the son of Avino`am, from Kedesh in Naftali, and said to him: "Adonai has given you this order: 'Go, march to Mount Tavor, and take with you 10,000 men from the people of Naftali and Z'vulun. I will cause Sisra, the commander of Yavin's army, to encounter you at the Kishon River with his chariots and troops; and I will hand him over to you.' " (Jdg 4:7 CJB)

BARAK, THE SHY LIGHTNING
Barak who already had a reputation within his Naphtali tribe trusted the prophetess but seemed to have low self-esteem. He didn't trust himself so.

Barak answered her: "If you go with me, I'll go; but if you won't go with me, I won't go." (Jdg 4:8 CJB)

If one had to choose, it is better to have a low-esteem than arrogant pride, which HaShem hates. But sometimes, humility can even be a form of pride. It happens when maybe we become "proud that we are humble." But that was not Barak's case. His case was a kind of pride that doesn't believe in HaShem's Words. We may not be sure of ourselves, but when we know HaShem said it, it can be a form of pride to resist the Word of HaShem.

Barak asked for the prophetess to go with him. Could it be that he gave more honor to HaShem's mouthpiece than to His words? Regardless of the reasons for his reservations, they were noted and Deborah chided Barak for it.

She replied, "Yes, I will gladly go with you; but the way you are doing it will bring you no glory; because Adonai will hand Sisra over to a woman." Then D'vorah set out and went with Barak to Kedesh. (Jdg 4:9 CJB)

Ouch! The price, the trophy of victory would be taken from Barak and given to a woman!

SUMMONING THE TROOPS TO MOUNT TABOR
Barak summoned Z'vulun and Naftali to come to Kedesh. Ten thousand men followed him, and D'vorah went up with him. (Jdg 4:10 CJB)

Hever the Keini was there:

Now Hever the Keini had cut himself off from the rest of Kayin, the descendants of Hovav Moshe's father-in-law; he had pitched his tent near the oak at Tza`ananim, which is close to Kedesh. (Jdg 4:11 CJB)

Sisera stationed his forces on the plain of the Jezreel Valley between Megiddo and Mount Tabor, the plain of Armageddon (Daniel Lancaster TC 3 p 359).

Sisra was informed that Barak the son of Avino`am had gone up to Mount Tavor. So Sisra rallied his chariots, all 900 iron chariots, and all the troops he had with him, from Haroshet-HaGoyim to the Kishon River. (Jdg 4:12- 13 CJB)

Then Deborah, in tune with the Word of HaShem yells to Barak:

"Get going! This is the day when Adonai will hand Sisra over to you! Adonai has gone out ahead of you!" So Barak went down from Mount Tavor with 10,000 men following him; and Adonai threw Sisra, all his chariots and his entire army into a panic before Barak's sword; so that Sisra got down from his chariot and fled on foot. (Jdg 4:14-15 CJB)

WHAT HAPPENED!
In her victory song, Deborah reflects:

"Kings came; they fought. Yes, the kings of Kena`an fought at Ta`anakh, by the waters of Megiddo; but they took no spoil of silver. (Jdg 5:19 CJB)

Daniel Lancaster, whose brother is a historical geographer, explains with the help of famous historian Josephus:

For most of the year, this united Kishon is only a shallow meandering creek that winds its way northwesterly through the Jezreel Valley and below Mt Carmel before emptying in the Mediterranean Sea at Haifa Bay. As Barak's warriors descended upon Sisera's armies, the Lord unleashed a great cloudburst: "There came from heaven a great storm with a vast quantity of rain and hail."

Deborah reflects on this supernatural event in her victory song:

They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses; yes, they fought against Sisra. (Jdg 5:20 CJB)

Daniel continues explaining, "Sisera's charioteers found their wheels haplessly mired and their horses wild with terror as the waters pounded down on them like hoofbeats."

Deborah also describes in her song:

The Kishon River swept them away, that ancient river, the Kishon River. O my soul, march on with strength! Then the horses' hoofs pounded the ground, their mighty steeds galloping at full speed. (Jdg 5:21-22 CJB)

The narrator continues:

But Barak pursued the chariots and the army all the way to Haroshet-HaGoyim. Sisra's entire army was put to the sword; not one man was left. (Jdg 4:16 CJB)

REMEMBER THE PROPHECY FROM DEBORAH THAT A WOMAN WOULD TAKE THE TROPHY?

However, Sisra ran on foot to the tent of Ya`el the wife of Hever the Keini, because there was peace between Yavin the king of Hatzor and the family of Hever the Keini. Ya`el went out to meet Sisra and said to him, "Come in, my lord; stay here with me; and don't be afraid." So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink -- I'm thirsty." She opened a goatskin of milk, gave him some to drink, and covered him up again. He said to her, "Stand at the entrance to the tent; and if anyone asks you if somebody is here, say, 'No.' " But when he was deeply asleep, Ya`el the wife of Hever took a tent peg and a hammer in her hand, crept in to him quietly and drove the tent peg into his temple, right through to the ground; so that he died without waking up. So here is Barak pursuing Sisra, and Ya`el steps out to meet him and says, "Come, I will show you the man you are looking for." He goes into her tent; and there is Sisra, lying dead with the tent peg through his temple. Thus God on that day defeated Yavin the king of Kena`an in the presence of the people of Isra'el. The hand of the people of Isra'el came down more and more heavily against Yavin the king of Kena`an, until they had completely destroyed Yavin the king of Kena`an. On that day D'vorah and Barak the son of Avino`am sang this song: (Jdg 5:1 CJB)

CONNECTION WITH THE PARASHA
In the parasha this week we read a similar story:

"Then the people of Isra'el went into the sea on the dry ground, with the water walled up for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians continued their pursuit, going after them into the sea -- all Pharaoh's horses, chariots and cavalry. Just before dawn, Adonai looked out on the Egyptian army through the column of fire and cloud and threw them into a panic. He caused the wheels of their chariots to break off, so that they could move only with difficulty. The Egyptians said, "Adonai is fighting for Isra'el against the Egyptians! Let's get away from them!"
(Exo 14:22-25 CJB)

We also read how Moshe sang a song of victory when they were on the other side (Ex 15:1-21), just like Barak and Deborah sang a song of victory.

"When leaders in Isra'el dedicate themselves, and the people volunteer, you should all bless Adonai. Hear, kings; listen, princes; I will sing to Adonai! I will sing praise to Adonai the God of Isra'el. "Adonai, when you went out from Se`ir, when you marched out from the field of Edom, the earth quaked, and the sky shook; yes, the clouds poured down torrents. The mountains melted at the presence of Adonai, at Sinai, before Adonai the God of Isra'el. "In the days of Shamgar the son of `Anat, in the days of Ya`el, the main roads were deserted; travelers walked the byways. The rulers ceased in Isra'el, they ceased, until you arose, D'vorah, arose a mother in Isra'el. "They chose new gods when war was at the gates. Was there a shield or spear to be seen among Isra'el's forty thousand men? My heart goes out to Isra'el's leaders and to those among the people who volunteer. All of you, bless Adonai. "You who ride white donkeys, sitting on soft saddle-blankets, and you walking on the road, talk about it! Louder than the sound of archers at the watering-holes will they sound as they retell the righteous acts of Adonai , the righteous acts of his rulers in Isra'el. "Then Adonai's people marched down to the gates. "Awake, awake, D'vorah! Awake, awake, break into song! Arise, Barak! Lead away your captives, son of Avino`am! "Then a remnant of the nobles marched down; the people of Adonai marched down to me like warriors. From Efrayim came those rooted in `Amalek. Behind you, Binyamin is with your peoples. From Makhir the commanders marched down, and from Z'vulun those holding the musterer's staff. The princes of Yissakhar were with D'vorah, Yissakhar, along with Barak; into the valley they rushed forth behind him. Among the divisions of Re'uven they made great resolutions in their hearts. But why did you stay at the pens for the sheep, and listen to the shepherd's flute playing for the flocks? Concerning the divisions of Re'uven there were great searchings of heart. Gil`ad lives beyond the Yarden. Dan -- why does he stay by the ships? Asher stayed by the shore of the sea, remaining near its bays. The people of Z'vulun risked their lives, Naftali too, on the open heights. "Kings came; they fought. Yes, the kings of Kena`an fought at Ta`anakh, by the waters of Megiddo; but they took no spoil of silver. They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses; yes, they fought against Sisra. The Kishon River swept them away, that ancient river, the Kishon River. O my soul, march on with strength! Then the horses' hoofs pounded the ground, their mighty steeds galloping at full speed. " 'Curse Meroz!' said the angel of Adonai, 'Curse the people living there with a bitter punishment for not coming to help Adonai, to help Adonai against the mighty warriors.' "Ya`el will be blessed more than all women. The wife of Hever the Keini will be blessed more than any woman in the tent. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; In an elegant bowl she brought him curds. Then she took a tent peg in her left hand and a workman's hammer in her right; with the hammer she struck Sisra, pierced his skull, yes, she shattered and crushed his temple. He sank down at her feet, he fell and lay there; he sank at her feet, he fell -- where he sank down, there he fell dead. "Sisra's mother looks out the window; peering out through the lattice she wonders, 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why are his horses so slow to return?' The wisest of her ladies answer her, and she repeats it to herself, 'Of course! They're collecting and dividing the spoil -- a girl, two girls for every warrior, for Sisra booty of dyed clothing, a plunder of colorfully embroidered garments, two embroidered scarves for every soldier's neck.' "May all your enemies perish like this, Adonai; but may those who love him be like the sun going forth in its glory!"
(Jdg 5:2-31 CJB)

Then the land had rest for forty years.

THE VALLEY OF JEZREEL/ARMAGEDDON
The Valley of Jezreel/Megiddo has been the site of great battles. Napoleon Bonaparte declared it as "the most natural battleground of the whole earth." Here are some of the most important ones: Thutmose III vs. the Canaanites in ca. 1472 BCE; Deborah & Barak vs. Sisera (Judges 5); Saul vs. the Philistines (1 Sam 31) Solomon vs. Pharaoh Shishak (2 Chr. 12:3-4); Josiah vs. Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29); Four separate battles between Saladin and the Crusaders in the 12th century; Egyptian Mamlouks vs. Mongols in 14th century; Napoleon Bonaparte vs. Ottomans in 1799; General George Allenby vs. Ottoman Turks in 1918; Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek vs. Arab Liberation Army in 1948.

At least one final one will be fought:

The sixth one poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water dried up, in order to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs; they came from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet. They are miracle-working demonic spirits which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited world to assemble them for the War of the Great Day of Adonai-Tzva'ot. ("Look! I am coming like a thief! How blessed are those who stay alert and keep their clothes clean, so that they won't be walking naked and be publicly put to shame!") And they gathered the kings to the place which in Hebrew is called Har Megiddo.
(Rev 16:12-16 CJB)

But as with what happened with Barak and Deborah, our enemy will lose:

Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, "THE WORD OF GOD." The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations -- "He will rule them with a staff of iron." It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of Adonai, God of heaven's armies. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, "Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!" I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
(Rev 19:11-21 CJB)

Will it be because of a supernatural flood?

MAY HASHEM ON THAT DAY PROVIDE US WITH FAITH WARRIORS SUCH AS BARAK AND DEBORAH!

MAY HE ALSO SEND THE STARS OF HEAVEN (ANGELS) TO FIGHT ON OUR SIDE, UNLEASHING THE FLOODS OF HEAVEN AGAINST THE ENEMIES OF GOD.

R' Gabriel Lumbroso

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HAFTARAH BO

1/11/2022

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כרתו יערה נאם־יהוה כי לא יחקר כי רבו מארבה ואין להם מספר׃

They cut down her forest," says Adonai, "for they cannot be numbered; yes, there are more of them than locusts, far too many to count.
(Jer 46:23)

CONTEXT OF THE HAFTARAH
The haftara this week takes us again to the place where HaShem uses Nebuchadnezzar as His “servant” to punish Egypt who has been an unreliable partner and even a snare to Israel. The wording of Jeremiah’s prophecy alludes to the plagues of Egypt as reported in this and last week’s parasha.

In parasha Bo this week:

Adonai said to Moshe, "Go (should be: 'come' to ...(explain))to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his servants hardhearted, so that I can demonstrate these signs of mine among them, (Exo 10:1)

The translated word “Go” in the Hebrew text is the word “Bo/בא”, which actually means “come.” It may not seem important, but it is significant of HaShem’s position at the time of the oracle.

When you tell someone to “go”, you are staying somewhere telling them to go away from you. But when you tell someone to “come” that means you are away and you tell them to come to you. In this case, the fact that HaShem tells Moshe to “come” to Egypt means that HaShem is in Egypt, just as is implied:

Adonai said, "I have seen how my people are being oppressed in Egypt and heard their cry for release from their slavemasters, because I know their pain. I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that country to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the place of the Kena`ani, Hitti, Emori, P'rizi, Hivi and Y'vusi. Yes, the cry of the people of Isra'el has come to me, and I have seen how terribly the Egyptians oppress them. (Exo 3:7-9 CJB)

From this wording, we know that in their afflictions, the Children of Israel were not alone. HaShem was right there with them as He always is at any time we go through troubles and affliction. We must always remember that he never promised to keep us from troubles and afflictions, but He promised to be with us through our troubles and afflictions.

ON TO THE HAFTARAH
The haftara this week connects with the parasha because it also starts with the same Hebrew verb “bo/בא”, but this time in the infinitive. This time, it is not Moshe who is asked to come to punish Egypt through plagues, but Nebuchadnezzar, the Emperor of the Babylonian Empire.

This word Adonai spoke to Yirmeyahu the prophet concerning how N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel would come and attack the land of Egypt: (Jer 46:13)

יג הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה, אֶל-יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא--לָבוֹא, נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל, לְהַכּוֹת, אֶת-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS
The children of Israel were only supposed to be in Egypt for the time of the famine. They were not supposed to settle there forever. At the time when Jacob died, about 230 years before, they were supposed to leave and go back home to Cana’an. But life was so comfortable in Egypt that they did not want to leave. But as it is said, “Chains of gold are still chains!” They relied on Egypt for protection and prosperity. When we do that, we commit blasphemy because we assign man to the job of protecting us, a job reserved for God only. So in the days of Moshe, the affliction of the children of Israel by Egypt was really of their own doing due to their lack of faith in HaShem.

The same happened in the days of Jeremiah. Under HaShem’s command to punish Israel, Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judea and exiled most of its people to Babylon. This was a time when the prophetic word thrived. It was a time when people learned to rely on Torah study in order to keep their connection with HaShem. Daniel was in the Capital City, Ezekiel in the province, and Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem with a remnant.

This Jerusalem remnant wanted to revolt, and they did so by first killing Gedaliah, the Babylonian appointed governor over Judea. Then relying on Egypt’s military strength, they wanted to go and find refuge there, something forbidden in the Torah as it says that,

Adonai told you never to go back that way again. (Deu 17:16 CJB)

Before going, they asked Jeremiah for his advice. When he told them that HaShem said not to do that but to stay put in Jerusalem and wait until the exile is over (after 70 years), they accused him of lying and kidnapped him with them to Egypt. When Egypt heard of the vast army Nebuchadnezzar was raising against Egypt in order to teach them and the children of Israel a lesson, Egypt turned its back and ended up becoming a staff of straw, unwilling to support Israel.

Sad to say, this is often the way HaShem’s children act. Unable to trust God, they took matters into their owns hands and persecuted the prophets who tried to tell them otherwise. Their redemption became then an affair of saving them from themselves as well as punishing the powers on whom they relied on.

Sad to say, Solomon was right in saying:

What has been is what will be, what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there something of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It existed already in the ages before us. No one remembers the people of long ago; and those to come will not be remembered by those who come after them. (Ecc 1:9-11 CJB)

Are we seeing the same thing in our days?

Another remarkable element of this prophecy is the plagues of Egypt, not only find similitude in the oracle Jeremiah received for Israel returning to Egypt, but also an echo in the Book of Revelation.

This should make us seriously think about our position as believers. We should seriously ask ourselves the question, “Just like with the children of Israel coming out of an overdue stay in Egypt in the days of Moshe, and them having gone back to Egypt in the days of Jeremiah, does our end of Days need for redemption come as a result of our own disobedience in relying on the world instead of HaShem?” Just something to think about.

NOW, TO THE HAFTARAH
As usual, the text of the Haftarah does not stand on its own. To understand it, one must start at Jeremiah 40, the summary of which you can read in my preceding section.

The children of Israel are in Tachpanches with kidnapped Jeremiah when Jeremiah receives an oracle:

This word Adonai spoke to Yirmeyahu the prophet concerning how N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel would come and attack the land of Egypt: "Proclaim in Egypt, announce in Migdol, announce in Nof and Tachpanches; say: 'Take your stand! Get ready! For all around you the sword is destroying. (Jer 46:13- 14)

War is coming, and it is coming right to the place where the children of Israel are camped. They may have remembered then the words of the Torah forbidding them to return to Egypt, and the advice of Jeremiah, but it was now too late. Jeremiah probably sent emissaries to warn people with the Word of Adonai.

Why has your strong one been overthrown?
He failed to stand because Adonai pushed him down. (Jer 46:15)

Or, “Why did these strongholds on which you trusted fail?” Because God did it!” An allusion to Exodus 12:12 and the punishments against Egypt.

Then, referring to 2 Kings 24 when Josiah needed the help of the same Pharaoh against Babylon, by the Spirit of HaShem, Jeremiah reminds them of “big noise but empty promises Pharaoh.” Anticipating the help of Pharaoh, Josiah had laid a siege but Pharaoh reneged and never came.

He caused many to trip; yes, they fell all over each other.' " Then they said, "Let's get up, let's return to our own people, back to the land where we were born, away from the sword that destroys."They cried there, "Pharaoh king of Egypt makes noise, but he lets the right time [for action] slip by." (Jer 46:16-17)

Then, speaking of the strength wherewith Nebuchadnezzar will come, probably unbeknownst to him, Jeremiah makes a proclamation that takes us to the Ends of Days:

"As I live," says the king, whose name is Adonai-Tzva'ot, "when he comes, he will be [as mighty] as Tavor among the mountains, as Karmel next to the sea. (Jer 46:18)

Tavor and Karmel are in the Valley of Jezreel, commonly known as the Valley of Armageddon. In Emperor Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah sees the big battle at the End of Days as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, as well as Revelation 16:16.

Then, drawing imagery from the Exodus events, Jeremiah gives a warning to Egypt. First the flies:

"Daughter living in Egypt, prepare what you need for exile; for Nof will become a ruin, laid waste, without inhabitant. Egypt is a beautiful female calf; but a horsefly from the north has come to attack her. (Jer 46: 19-20)

HaShem fought them by the sea:

Her mercenaries too, that she had with her, were like well-fed calves in a stable; but they too have withdrawn in retreat, they all ran away without standing their ground. For their day of disaster has come over them, the time for them to be punished. (Jer 46:21)

The locusts coming as lumbermen chopping trees:

Egypt hisses like a snake, as the enemy's army marches ahead, attacking her with their axes like lumbermen chopping trees.They cut down her forest," says Adonai, "for they cannot be numbered; yes, there are more of them than locusts far too many to count. (Jer 46:22-23)

Every one of the plagues in the Exodus attacked a god of Egypt:

The daughter of Egypt is put to shame, handed over to the people from the north."Adonai-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el, says: "I will punish Amon from No, Pharaoh, and Egypt with her gods and kings -- that is, Pharaoh and those who trust in him; (Jer 46:19-24-25)

Continuing with our midrash application to the end of days, which of the gods of this world will be targeted by the plagues of the end? Mammon, the god of money and materialism? The god of fame and self-aggrandizement as projected by entertainment media? The god of …

Egypt will be hit hard, but as we have seen in the previous haftara, it will not be lost forever. It will live again but never to its former glory.

I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel and to his servants. But afterwards, Egypt will be inhabited, as in the past," says Adonai. (Jer 46:26)

Again, Jeremiah makes a cosmic jump into the future redemption of Israel:

"Yet don't be afraid, Ya`akov my servant; don't be distressed, Isra'el. For I will save you from faraway places, and your offspring from the lands where they are held captive. Ya`akov will return and be at peace, quiet, with no one to make him afraid. (Jer 46:27)

Then a final prophecy for Israel:

Don't be afraid, Ya`akov my servant," says Adonai, "for I am with you. I will finish off all the nations where I have scattered you. However, you I will not finish off, I will discipline you as you deserve, but not completely destroy you." (Jer 46:28)

Indeed, no matter what happens to His people, we need to remember that:

God's free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. (Rom 11:29 CJB)

A WORD FROM THE RABBI
In this parasha, I challenge us to ask ourselves some serious questions, the same questions Israel probably failed to ask itself in both events studied above.

Let us remember that...

These things took place as prefigurative historical events, warning us not to set our hearts on evil things as they did. Don't be idolaters, as some of them were -- as the Tanakh puts it, "The people sat down to eat and drink, then got up to indulge in revelry." And let us not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, with the consequence that 23,000 died in a single day. And let us not put the Messiah to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. And don't grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the Destroying Angel. These things happened to them as prefigurative historical events, and they were written down as a warning to us who are living in the acharit-hayamim. Therefore, let anyone who thinks he is standing up be careful not to fall!
(1Co 10:6-12 CJB)

R' Gabriel Lumbroso

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HAFTARA MISHPATIM "But Afterward they Changed their Mind!"

HAFTARA YITRO יתרו "My eyes have seen the King!"

HAFTARA BESHALACH בשלח

HAFTARAH BO

כרתו יערה נאם־יהוה כי לא יחקר כי רבו מארבה ואין להם מספר׃

They cut down her forest," says Adonai, "for they cannot be numbered; yes, there are more of them than locusts, far too many to count.
(Jer 46:23)

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HAFTARA MISHPATIM "But Afterward they Changed their Mind!"

HAFTARA YITRO יתרו "My eyes have seen the King!"

HAFTARA BESHALACH בשלח

HAFTARAH BO

כרתו יערה נאם־יהוה כי לא יחקר כי רבו מארבה ואין להם מספר׃They cut down her forest," says Adonai, "for they cannot be numbered; yes, there are more of them than locusts, far too many to count. ​(Jer 46:23)

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כרתו יערה נאם־יהוה כי לא יחקר כי רבו מארבה ואין להם מספר׃

They cut down her forest," says Adonai, "for they cannot be numbered; yes, there are more of them than locusts, far too many to count.
(Jer 46:23)