In a Moment of Raging

This week is the fifth haftara of consolation. The haftara is read twice during the year – a very rare occurrence, perhaps the only haftara that is doubled but not on a holiday. Our haftara references the waters of Noach (Yeshayahu 54:9) and, as such, it is read after Parshat Noach. It is also read now, during the period following Tisha b’Av, when the prophets come to console us. Mostly it is the Prophet Yeshayahu.

Here, Yeshayahu references the Flood to draw attention to Hashem’s promise that followed it: Just as Hashem promised never to destroy the world with another flood, so He promised never again to exile Israel after He has returned them.

As long as a flood doesn’t destroy the world, the latter promise may be relied upon. But the Navi brings images of destruction elicited by thoughts of the Flood. We see here, as has been a recurring theme throughout the haftaras of consolation, that the physical structures of the material world are being disrupted and overthrown. Following upon the reference to the Flood comes another description – this one of the flattening of mountains and hills. Whether beneath the floodwaters or in some other cataclysm, the emergent message is that Hashem’s kindness towards His people endures even if the world does not.

Hashem’s kindness and love are depicted here in terms of a husband loving his wife. This recalls the prophecy of Hoshea that we encountered some time ago but also continues a theme running through the haftarot of consolation. Hashem’s love for His beloved is unceasing; even when she is banished from Him, He waits to welcome her back. There was a brief moment of unpleasantness – this long exile and our suffering in it – which will be like a distant memory once Hashem has welcomed us, His beloved, back into our home. In a moment of raging, He hid His face for only one instant, but His kindness and mercy are eternal (Yeshayahu 54:8).

All this is the language associated with exile. The book that establishes the terms of our relationship with Hashem in exile is called Esther, a name derived from the same root as the word haster,as in “Haster astir Panai bayom hahu” – I will surely hide my face upon that day (Devarim 31:18). That day that Hashem hid His face from us – when the Churban occurred – was the worst day. But when He welcomes us back, as He has promised, the eternal outpouring of lovingkindess will erase the memory of the difficult time of separation.

The barren woman should rejoice, the Navi begins the haftara. She’s about to start having many children – so many that she will need to make arrangements to house them all. She’d better stretch out her tent and put up the walls of her pavilion. The language here (Yeshayahu 54:2) is very suggestive of the place of residence of Hashem in His world. The tent evokes the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle in the desert. The word for pavilion here is Mishkan, which in its more common usage refers to that same Tabernacle. She fixes her pegs and stretches the walls, creating a home in this world for the Divine to cohabitate with her. The strings that hold the walls of the tent could also be the strings of instruments – our house is built with music.

As a loving husband to his cherished wife, Hashem is promising us, “You will soon return to the house that we have always shared, and you will be consoled.”