(Ashkenazi custom)
“[In the] days to come, Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and sprout, etc.” [27:6]. The Holy One says: you know well what I have done to Israel. When they first came to Egypt, they took root, sprouted and flowered, until the whole world became full of fruit.1Rashi, Isaiah, 27:6.
“Was he beaten as his beater has been? etc.” [27:7]. The Holy One said: you have you seen My might. With the beating that Pharaoh beat Jacob, the Holy One beat him in return, with the same beating. Pharaoh, who drowned the children in the water, the Holy One in return drowned them in water.2Yalkut Shimoni, Isaiah, Remez 436.
“Assailing them, with fury unchained” [27:8]. With the measure that they measured, they are being measured again, in their sending Israel from Egypt. Their measure was increased. That is to say, as they were measured, so was increased their measure to pay them.3Yalkut Shimoni, Isaiah, Remez 436.
“With his fierce blast He removed them in the day of the east wind” [27:8]. The Holy One spoke with his harsh words on the day that He brought the strong wind from the east, near the sea.4Rashi, Isaiah, 27:8.
“By this, the sins of Jacob will be expiated” [27:9]. With this, the sins of Jacob will be forgotten and they will be redeemed, just like they were redeemed from Egypt. So too, will they now be redeemed from this exile.
“And this will be the fruit of his removal of his sin, etc.” [27:9]. And what is the best fruit of all, to remove the foreign gods from everyone. He should take all the stones from the altar on which he has sinned and on which he worshiped foreign gods, and he should scatter the stones of that altar, like the chalkstones.
“No sacred groves or incense altars will remain standing” [27:9]. The linden trees and their foreign gods that they erected in the place where the sun is hot shall not remain standing.
“For the fortified city is solitary, etc.” [27:10]. When they will stop worshiping foreign gods, and even more so, other sins, then the cities of Esau, the fortified cities, will sit alone and without people.
“A city deserted and forsaken, like in the wilderness” [27:10]. The habitations of Esau will be forsaken and uninhabitable, deserted by people, like the wilderness.
“The calves graze there, etc.” [27:10]. There, in their cities, Ephraim, who is called a calf, will graze. They will be desolate and their branches of the nations will be destroyed.5Rashi, Isaiah, 27:10.
“When its boughs are broken, women” [27:11]. When the merit of Esau, because he honored his father, will end. This is the meaning of the verse “When its boughs are broken.” That is, the merit from respecting his father is compared to a small branch that is easily broken. Men who are weak as the women will come and will light a fire under Esau. Just like a dry branch is soon burned in the fire, so too will Esau.
“They are a people without understanding” [27:11]. They are a people who do not understand anything and therefore, God will have no compassion for them.
“And on that day, God will beat out, etc.” [27:12]. In the day that the Messiah will come, the Holy One will beat out, just like one beats out and threshes wheat from the straw. The Holy One will beat out Israel from the nations and ingather them from the flow of the river. Israel was exiled from the land of Assyria to the river of Egypt. Waiting by the river of Egypt, all of Israel will be ingathered and will go to Jerusalem.6Rashi, Isaiah, 27:12.
“You will be gathered one by one, children of Israel” [27:12]. You will be ingathered one by one, you children of Israel.
“On that day, a great shofar will blow, etc.” [27:13]. All of Israel will be ingathered quickly, like one would blow with a great shofar, so that the whole world will hear and those who were lost in the land of Assyria, behind the river Sambatyon, will come. Those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will bow down to God on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.7Rashi, Isaiah, 27:13.
“The proud crowns of the drunkards of Ephraim, etc.” [28:1]. The prophet tells how they showed that they made themselves crowns of arrogance with their wealth, out of their arrogance. That is, just like the arrogance and haughtiness were a crown. Ephraim drank good wine, and was the greatest kingdom of Israel, and the wine caused them to sin. However, when their wealth was lost, it is like a beautiful flower or rose that grows well at first and then a wind comes or the sun grows very hot and the flower or rose is destroyed. So too will be the desirability and beauty of evil Israel.8Radak, Isaiah, 28:1.
“On the heads of those bloated, etc.” [28:1]. The same crown of arrogance is on the heads of Israel who are haughty, who drink wine and go after other pleasures. They are overcome by wine when they drink. He falls on the ground and injures himself. This is the meaning of “overcome by wine,” injured by wine.9Radak, Isaiah, 28:1.
“Lo, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty, etc.” [28:2]. It is a strong day of God that will come upon them, like a great rain with hail that shatters all the trees. So will it come on Israel, like a storm in which people are lost and killed, like a rain that floods many good fields.
“With his hand He will hurl them down to the earth” [28:2]. The Holy One will lay down their crown on the ground with violence.
“Trampled underfoot will be the arrogant crown of the drunkards of Ephraim” [28:3]. The prophet said: you will even see how the crown of the arrogance of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled underfoot. That is to say, after their crown will fall down from your heads, then they will trample on them with their feet.
“Like a first ripe fig before the summer, etc.” [28:4]. The wealth of Ephraim will be torn quickly, just like a fig that grows quickly, before other fruits. Every person comes running and desires to see it and eat it.
“Devours it as soon as it comes to hand” [28:4]. Every person has the desire to eat this fig even while it is still on the tree branch. Just as every person desires to eat it, so too will the hands of the enemies tear the wealth of Ephraim.
“In that day, the Lord of Hosts will be, etc.” [28:5]. In the same day that Ephraim will be exiled, the Holy One will be a beautiful crown and a glorious crown for the other Israelite nation, that is Judah and Benjamin who were not yet exiled. And Hezekiah will be king over the remainder of Israel.10Radak, Isaiah, 28:5.
“And a spirit of judgment for him who sits in judgment, etc.” [28:6]. The Holy One will be to him a spirit to him, that he will issue just rulings to the one who will sit in judgment. This is King Hezekiah, to whom the Holy One will give him a good spirit of prophecy and wisdom. The Holy One will also be a strength to them, so that they will be strong to study Torah. They will have great might to wage war with their enemies, to the gates of the enemy’s fortified cities.11Radak, Isaiah, 28:6.
“But those are also muddled by wine and dazed by strong drink, etc.” [28:7]. Those who sit in judgment and study Torah in that time will also make mistakes as a result of drinking wine.
“Priest and prophet are muddled by strong drink” [28:7]. The priest and prophet who used to give judgments and rule regarding the Torah; they too will be drunk with old wine. They will be corrupted from drinking too much wine.
“Their vision is blurred, they stumble in judgment” [28:7]. They will err and make mistakes in things that any child would not mistake. They stumble in their judgment.
“All the tables are covered with filth and vomit, there is no place” [28:8]. When their tables are covered with sacrifices for foreign gods, full of filth and garbage, there is no place that is clean and beautiful.12Rashi, Isaiah, 28:8.
“To whom would he teach knowledge, etc.” [28:9]. Whom shall he teach Torah and explain the importance of learning Torah. “You shall say.” You should tell it to the young children.
“To those newly weaned from milk, just taken away from the breast” [28:9]. That is to say, they should teach wisdom to the small children that were weaned from milk and those that have been removed from the breast of their mother after two years. That is to say, the old men drink wine and have no sense, because of their wine drinking. Therefore, one cannot teach them.
“That mutter upon mutter, murmur upon murmur, etc.” [28:10]. The prophet commands them a commandment from the Holy One and the people respond: we have long had a commandment from the foreign gods. It is better than your commandment. When the prophet says to them to do justice according to the measures and weights. They answered: we have a better measure than yours for judging than you have. The prophet says to them: Reflect that it will tarry little and the evil will come from the Holy One. They answered: let Him do what He wants to the evildoers. Let him not delay his deeds.13Rashi, Isaiah, 28:10.
Another explanation is: “mutter upon mutter” [28:10]. That is to say, the prophet punished them by commanding them mitzvot. Today a small commandment, tomorrow, another small commandment, just like one commands children a small amount of Torah in the hope that they will begin. Similarly, the prophet taught them commandments and laws. Just like a carpenter works with a measure, and works very slowly until the building is properly built. In the same way, the prophet slowly taught a few commandments today and a few more tomorrow. However, it does not help and they do not accept it. 14Radak, Isaiah, 28:10.
“With stammering tongue and with an alien language, he will speak to this people” [28:11]. When the prophet tells them something about a commandment, they respond: what crooked thing is he saying and in a foreign language? That is to say, they do not want to understand him. Therefore, their rest will be exhaustion and troubles.
“The word of the Lord will be to them: mutter upon mutter, murmur upon murmur” [28:13]. The Holy One will repay them with the same measure that they measured God. God will repay them. He will impose a commandment from the nations, who will be commanded to work them in the exile. The nations will command troubles on them. Their hopes for relief from their troubles will be measured against the measure of their transgressions.15Rashi, Isaiah, 28:13.
“Now here, now there” [28:13]. It will certainly come upon them in a very few days. They will also soon become few. That is to say, they will soon be destroyed in the lands of the enemies. That is to say, this is the meaning of “now here, now there.” They will soon become few.16Rashi, Isaiah, 28:13.
“They will be snared and captured” [28:13]. They will stumble and will be subdued in the hands of their enemies.17At this point the haftorah skips more than a chapter, from 28:13–29:22, so that it can end on a positive note, as is traditional for haftorot.
“Therefore, thus says the Lord to the House of Jacob, etc.” [29:22]. Therefore, the Holy One said to the House of Jacob. The one who redeemed Abraham, will not be ashamed. Jacob and his face will not become pale from embarrassment. Jacob is much better with his children than his grandfather, Abraham, since Ishmael was Abraham’s evil son.
“For when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, etc.” [29:23]. When the children of Jacob will see My wonders, that I have done for Israel, then they will sanctify My name and they will sanctify the Holy One of Israel. They will strengthen the God of Israel, like Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah sanctified the Name of God and allowed themselves to be thrown into the fire, for the sake of God. The face of Jacob will not be shamed, because of this.18Midrash Shohar Tov, 114.5.
The Talmud writes in [tractate] Berakhot. Rabbi Eliezer said that the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt in the month of Nisan. When the Messiah will come, they will be redeemed in the month of Tishrei. We learn this from the haftorah where it is written, “on that day, a great shofar will be blown” [27:13]. Concerning the first day of Tishrei, it is also written: “blow the shofar on the new moon” [Psalms, 81:4]. Rabbi Joshua said: they were redeemed from Egypt in Nisan, and in the days of the Messiah they will be redeemed in the month of Nisan, as the verse says: “it is a night of vigil” [Exodus, 12:42]. The night was given from the six days of creation for the redemption in the days of the Messiah.19B. Rosh Hashanah, 11b.
Pirke de-Rabbi Eliezer writes: Rabbi Haninah the son of Dosa said. Every part of the ram that Abraham offered as a sacrifice instead of Isaac, his son, had its use. The veins of the sheep were taken for the harp that King David made to play upon. The hide of the sheep became the belt for the prophet Elijah. The left horn of the ram was used as a shofar and blown on Mount Sinai. The right horn will be blown in the days of the Messiah. Concerning this, the verse in the haftorah says, “on that day, a great shofar will be blown” [27:13].20Pirke de-Rabbi Eliezer, chap. 31.
The Talmud in the first chapter of [tractate] Megillah says concerning the verse from the haftorah “those who are weaned from milk, those taken from the breast” [28:9]. This is Moses our Teacher. Pharaoh’s daughter wanted to nurse him, but Moses did not want to be nursed by a gentile. He said: the mouth that will talk to the Holy One should not take milk from a gentile, who is impure.21B. Sotah, 12b. From this we learn that one should not give their child to be nursed by a gentile, particularly a son who might study Torah.
The Talmud in [tractate] Sanhedrin, chapter two writes concerning the verse in the haftorah “who redeemed Abraham, concerning Jacob” [29:22]. With what did Jacob redeem Abraham? Rav Huna and Rabbi [Judah the Prince] say in the name of Rabbi Samuel the son of Isaac. Abraham was protected from the fire of the oven through the merit of Jacob. A parable: a person has a court case before a minister and the judgment is that he should be burned. That minister saw that this person will have a daughter and the king will take her as a wife. Therefore, the minister says: because he has accrued merit from his daughter who will marry the king, I will save him from death. In this way, the judgment of Nimrod to burn Abraham was abrogated. The Holy One saw that Jacob would come out of Abraham. The Holy One said: it is correct to protect Abraham because of the merit of Jacob. Concerning this the verse says in the haftorah, “who redeemed Abraham, concerning Jacob” [29:22].22This passage is found in Genesis Rabbah 63.2. It is also found in Yalkut Shimoni, Isaiah, Remez, 436. There are several consecutive stories about Jacob and Abraham in the Yalkut Shimoni. The story immediately preceding the one cited here is from tractate B. Sanhedrin, 19a. That is probably the source of this error.
(Sephardi custom)1It is also the Haftorah for the portion Matot.
“The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, etc.” [1:1]. Jeremiah was descended from Rahab the prostitute.2B. Megillah, 14b. The Holy One said that Jeremiah, who was descended from a prostitute, should come to punish Israel, who were descended from a very proper mother.3Rashi, Jeremiah, 1:1. That is, the son of a prostitute who has done good deeds should come and punish Israel who have done bad deeds and who have a good father and mother. Jeremiah came from a city of priests called Anatot.
“The word of the Lord came to him, etc.” [1:2]. The Holy One spoke to Jeremiah in the days of Josiah the son of Amon the king of Judah. This was also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah.
“The word of the Lord came to me saying” [1:4]. God said to me: “before I created you in the womb, I knew you, etc.” [1:4]. The Holy One said: before I created you in the womb, I knew you. Before you came out of your mother’s womb, I have prepared you to be a prophet. I will give you among the nations.
“I said: Ah Lord God, etc.” [1:6]. Jeremiah said: I shout, God You Lord, I do not know how to speak or how to punish a people, since I am a youth. We find the same thing with the prophet Samuel, who was a youth and was a prophet.4Radak, Jeremiah, 1:6.
“And the Lord said to me, do not say, etc.” [1:7]. He said to me, you should not say that you are a youth, since I will send you to prophesy to Israel and also to the nations.5Rashi, Jeremiah, 1:7.
“Do not fear them, for I am with you, etc.” [1:8]. Jeremiah, you should not fear the nations, for I will protect you, so says God.
“And the Lord put out His hand and touched, etc.” [1:9]. God put His hand on my mouth and God said to me, I have put My words in your mouth.
“See, today I appoint you over the nations” [1:10]. I have made you an overseer over the nations and over Israel, for good and for evil. Everything that you will say will certainly happen to them. When you will say, they will be defeated, destroyed and dispersed, and to build and to plant. That is to say, what you will say, good and evil. It is shown in this verse that Jeremiah in his day prophesied much evil, but he proclaimed very few good things all of his days. That is why there are many terms of defeat, destruction and dispersion. However, when he proclaims good tidings, he only uses two terms, to build and to plant.6Radak, Jeremiah, 1:10.
“The word of the Lord came to me: What do you see Jeremiah? I said: I see a branch of an almond tree” [1:11]. The word of God came to me and said: what do you see Jeremiah? I said: I see a branch of an almond tree. The branch was without blossoms or leaves and it was difficult to recognize the wood, but he recognized the branch through prophecy. That is why the Holy One said: you have seen well and correctly. If the branch had leaves and blossoms, it would not have been a novelty that he recognized it.7Radak, Jeremiah, 1:11.
“You have seen right, for I am watchful, over My word to bring it to pass” [1:12]. God said: you have seen correctly. I will hasten to soon fulfill My words to punish the nations. Just like a branch of almond wood blossoms before all the other trees, so will the trials and tribulations come upon Israel.8Radak, Jeremiah, 1:12. The Midrash writes that when the almond begins to blossom, it blossoms for twenty-one days and the fruit is ripe. So will the Temple be burned in twenty-one days, from the seventeenth of Tammuz until the ninth of Ab.9J. Ta’anit, 4.8; Yalkut Shimoni, II Kings, Remez 249.
“And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, etc.” [1:13]. God said to me a second time: what do you see? I said: a hot, steaming pot, and the face of the pot was to the north. That is, the rim of the pot on the side where one pours out from the pot, this is called its face. That is to say, from the north indicates that the evil and the steam from the pot comes from the north. This is the land of Babylon. They have committed transgressions and the pot is steaming because of their transgressions.10Radak, Jeremiah, 1:13.
“The Lord said to me: from the north shall disaster break loose upon all the inhabitants of the land” [1:14]. The Holy One said: the troubles from the north will be opened on all the inhabitants of the earth.
“For I am summoning all the peoples of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord” [1:15]. I will implant a thought in all the families of the evil people, and to the kings that they should come to Jerusalem. Just as I might call them to come, so will I give into their hearts that each king should place his throne near the gates of Jerusalem, and near the walls and there will be kings over the cities of Judah.
“And I will argue My case against them, for all of their wickedness, etc.” [1:16]. I will argue my case with them about the evil that they committed by leaving Me. They have offered incense to foreign gods and have left Me.
“So you, gird up your loins, etc.” [1:17]. You Jeremiah, strongly gird up your loins, stand up and speak to them everything that I have commanded you. You should have no fear before them. That is to say, do not be afraid and you will believe that I can protect you. However, if you will be afraid, then I will make you fearful.
“I will make you this day a city, etc.” [1:18]. I will make you a strong city and an iron pillar and a bronze wall, for the whole land and the kings of Judah, to their princes, and the whole people. You should not be afraid of any person.
“They will attack you, but they will not overcome you, etc.” [1:19]. The nations will fight with you, but they will not be able to do anything to you, since I am with you, to protect you. Thus says the Lord. That is to say, they will wage war with you. They will say that your prophecy is not true.11Rashi, Jeremiah, 1:19.
“The word of the Lord came to me saying, etc.” [2:1]. The word of God came to me. You should go and should proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem. That is to say, just like you would speak with the city of Jerusalem, to punish the people of the city of Jerusalem.
“I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride” [2:2]. Say to Israel, just as I would bring troubles upon them because of their evil deeds, but I will in no way destroy them completely. I will also pay those nations who have troubled Israel and will bring troubles upon them. I remember the good deeds that Israel did for me in its youth, during the giving of the Torah. They are compared to a bride and the Holy One to a groom. This is the meaning of “your love as a bride,” the love of a bride at the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.12Radak, Jeremiah, 2:2.
“How you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown” [2:2]. I remember the good deeds that Israel did. They followed me in the wilderness, where no grain, fruit, or grass grows and they relied on me.
“Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest” [2:3]. Israel is compared to holiness. Just like terumah, which is holy and an Israelite should not eat it, but only the priests. If an Israelite eats the terumah, he is strongly punished. In the same way, God will punish whoever persecutes Israel. They are the first fruits, that grow first and no person should eat of them before they bring the Omer offering.13Rashi, Jeremiah, 2:3.
“All who ate of it were held guilty; disaster befell them, says the Lord” [2:3]. All those who will eat from it will be punished with evil. This will come upon all those who do evil to Israel, so says God.
The Rabbati writes about the verse in the haftorah “before I created you in the womb, I knew you” [1:5]. What a child in its mother’s womb will become, is recognized, as the verse says, “the children struggled in her womb” [Genesis, 25:22]. When Rebecca went past a house of study where Torah was being studied, Jacob wanted to get out of his mother’s body. When Rebecca went past a pagan temple where foreign gods were worshiped, Esau wanted to get out.14Genesis Rabbah, 63.6; Yalkut Shimoni, Jeremiah, Remez 261.
A story happened to a woman who was carrying a child in her womb. The woman smelled some food and she wanted to eat, but it was Yom Kippur. They came to Rabbi Haninah and asked if the woman was to be fed? Rabbi Haninah responded. If someone would tell her that today is Yom Kippur, and but the desire did not go away and she had to eat or she would miscarry the child, then she must eat on Yom Kippur. The child that was born to that woman was an evildoer. Another story occurred to a woman who also wanted to eat on Yom Kippur. Rabbi [Judah the Prince] said: one should tell her that today is Yom Kippur. As soon as she was told that today was Yom Kippur she no longer had any desire to eat. The child who was born to this woman was Rabbi Johanan. Concerning her, the verse was said, “before you were born,” I recognized you before you were born.15Yalkut Shimoni, Jeremiah, Remez 261.