The Hebrew Scriptures are not readily or easily understood by native English speakers, we post a weekly addition to regular Torah commentary. "Cutting to the Root" is intended to promote an understanding of the complexity of the Hebrew language and thereby gain a richer and deeper understanding of the Scriptures. It is our goal that these notes will teach tolerance and understanding.Please visit our web site at www.shefaisrael.com

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Parashat Bo - the Haftara

Parashat Bo – the Haftara
Jeremiah 46:13 - 28
Reading date: 31st January 2009 – 6th Shvat 5769


Our highlighted Haftara text
“But you, have no fear,My servant Jacob, declares YHVH.For I am with youI will make an end of all the nationsAmong which I have banished you.But I will not make an end of you!I will not leave you unpunished,But I will chastise you in measure...”Jeremiah 46: 28

Only if we are prepared to filter the truths of the Bible through the lens of rational thought can we protect ourselves from the dangers of fundamentalism.

Last week's narrative of the ten plagues concludes with the final three (locusts, darkness, and the killing of the first-borns) and then our Parasha describes the celebration of the first Passover (still in Egypt). This week, a prophecy from the prophet Jeremiah has been chosen, and like last week, it is a message against Egypt. Again, YHVH will wreak judgment on Egypt and her gods. Egypt, already defeated at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (here written as Nebuchadrezzar) of Babylonia, would be further conquered. The haftara ends with a message of consolation that Israel should not fear for YHVH is with them.

The haftara begins 'The word which YHVH spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar to attack the land of Egypt (Jer. 46:13). This parallels the beginning of the parasha: Then Adonai said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh...; also note the word 'attack - lehakkot ' is related to ‘makkot’ - the Hebrew word for the plagues. Another linguistic connection is the description of the Babylonian army being as numerous as a swarm of locusts (Jer. 46:23).

Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah who restored the Temple order and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deuteronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and on route battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 586 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

Jeremiah promises that although the Israelites are in exile, YHVH will deliver them and return them from a land far away. He may be referring to both the exiles in Babylonia and his compatriots who are now in Egypt. This note of YHVH's redemption parallels the weekly reading of the exodus from Egypt and YHVH's fulfillment of the promise to redeem the Israelites. It is very popular to provide scientific accounts for the plagues, because otherwise the Torah seems like a children's fairy tale. But the Torah is not just a story. If the Torah is to have any meaning at all, these historic events must impact on our lives in substantial ways. We hold a Passover Seder because we believe. This belief helps instill in us the knowledge of the importance of knowing the difference between freedom and slavery. But what if a biblical account or commandment were to demand more radical behavior? Would we still do it?

This question separates moderates from extremists. Moderates try to balance religious values and truths with scientific facts and modern values. At its core, religion is a conservative force. It is very difficult for religious traditions to evolve (even though they do - at glacial speed); after all, how can Divine Truth change? Religious leaders and institutions are slow to adapt and admit change, but yes, we have made progress in some areas: most fundamentalists and Creationists admit the earth revolves around the sun, and not the other way around. It wasn't so easy, either, ask Galileo! The problem is that while many religious ideas are ennobling, some are simply wrong, and by its very nature, religion has no internal mechanism to be self-reflective, critical or self-correcting. So we see the importance of remaining adherent to the simplicity of the written Word and to deviate into doctrine or dogma.

Today, extreme examples (stoning a rebellious child, a blasphemer, or someone who desecrates Shabbat) have been tempered by rabbinic interpretation, and increasing scientific knowledge of the natural world explains illness from viruses and bacteria instead of demons or sin. Many either interpret or ignore problematic biblical passages, and after winnowing, generally only the 'good parts' remain. Liberals generally read biblical prophecies metaphorically, and are usually not too bothered by troublesome verses. Their religious wisdom and insights are filtered through the lens of scientific rationalism and the modern world's values.

But other groups, like us tend to have a more literal understanding of Scripture. And this is can be really frightening, because such readings of Scripture are, by definition, indisputable. This is largely where we find ourselves today – facing the reality of the fulfillment of prophecy! Belief in the absoluteness of the Word is beyond rational discourse. It doesn't matter what scientific evidence for evolution is brought to a believing mind.

What we believe informs how we act. Christian Scientists do not allow for medical intervention, not because they don't love their children, but because they believe that only YHVH can heal. But while others believe in the efficacy of prayer (and some studies demonstrate that patients who were prayed for, recovered more quickly), most of us (Christian Scientists excepted) would be concerned if our surgeon in the operating room put down his instruments and started chanting Psalms instead. There is certainly no harm done in reciting Psalms, and it may even be beneficial for the patient hearing them and the person reciting them. But the surgeon should rely on his medical training as well as his faith in the Almighty.

Jeremiah's oracle against Egypt ends, on what seems at first glance, to be a hopeful note. But when we consider it more closely, it contains a profoundly disturbing verse: "I will make an end of all the nations." Fortunately no one that I know of reads this verse to mean that one should strap explosives to one's belt and detonate oneself on a crowded bus. But there are extremists who do. If we are prepared to filter the truths of the Bible through the lens of rational thought will we be able to protect ourselves from these kinds of dangers of religious fundamentalism? I think not.

Shabbat Shalom

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Parashat Vayera - the Haftara

Parashat Vayera – the Haftara
Ezekiel 28:25 – 29:21
Reading date: 24th January 2009 – 28th Tevet 5769


Our highlighted Haftara text
“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh King of Egypt, you are like the great crocodile, crouching in the Nile, thinking, 'The Nile is mine, I made it for myself.' I will put hooks through your jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you up out of your river branches will all the fish of your River branches sticking to your scales. I will throw you out into the wilderness you and all the fish of your River branches. You shall fall on dry ground ungathered and unburied.” Ezekiel 28: 3-5

Only by remembering that we are just the servants in the palace, can we 'know' YHVH.
The extended narrative of the ten plagues that YHVH visits upon the Egyptians now begins. The first plague turns the Nile to blood. The theme of the plagues is "that Egypt will know that I am YHVH" a phrase that recurs ten times for each of the plagues. It is the answer to Pharaoh's retort: "Who is the Lord that I should heed YHVH and let Israel go? I do not know YHVH nor will I let Israel go." (Ex. 5:2). Indeed, this phrase is also repeated four times in our prophetic passage (Ez. 28:26b; 29:9; 29:16; 29:21).

Ezekiel's prophecy is directed against Egypt. Just like YHVH punished the Egyptians in the days of Moses, now too, YHVH will devastate Egypt and restore Israel to its homeland. YHVH reminds Pharaoh that his claim to self sufficiency because he made the Nile is arrogantly proud. Only YHVH is the Author of creation, and Pharaoh is compared to a sea monster (or Egyptian crocodile) that is hauled out of Egypt's irrigation channels and flung into the desert.

The prophet Ezekiel lived during the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (586 BCE) and was exiled to Babylonia. In the first half of the book of Ezekiel, the prophet warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem; in the latter half, he preaches a message of consolation and restoration. While Ezekiel still had hope that the Northern Kingdom would be restored and then united, in fact, this prophecy did not come to pass. Ezekiel's message against Egypt reflects Israel's disappointment that Egypt did not come to Israel's aid.
Pharaoh is described as boasting, 'The Nile is mine, I have made [it] myself.' The Hebrew word for Nile is ‘ye'or’, derived from the Egyptian word for river. Indeed, the Nile, is "The" River. The Nile was Egypt's lifeline. In addition to being an important seaway for easy transportation, it provided fish for food, papyrus and most importantly, rich, fertile soil with its yearly flooding. The Nile is prominent in the early Exodus narratives: Egypt's source of life is (ironically) the tool for the murder of the Israelites. Moses is rescued from the Nile (and indebted to it), it is therefore Aaron who performs the first plague of blood against it instead of Moses). Many of the plagues are announced at the river's edge. In the prophets, the Nile becomes a symbol for Egypt (Amos 8:8), and the description of YHVH drying up the Nile represents the punishment and downfall of Egypt (Isa. 19:5-7; Zach. 10:11). In our passage, the fish of the Nile represent the nation of Egypt (Rashi).

For the ancient Egyptians, the Nile was a god (Hapi) and was worshipped. Not surprisingly, then, the first plague was on the Nile. Turning the Nile to blood (echoing the Egyptians earlier attempts at genocide) is also to demonstrate the power of YHVH over the Egyptians gods. The Midrash astutely understands that the plague of blood was an attack on the Egyptian pantheon.
Why were the waters first transformed to blood? Said the Holy Blessed One: I shall strike first his god, then his nation! As the saying goes, Strike the god, and the priests will tremble. Shemot Rabbah

The Torah tells us, that to show their own power, the Egyptian magicians did the same thing (Ex. 7:22). Ibn Ezra asks where the Egyptians got the water from to do the trick since even the water in stone and wooden vessels were transformed? The Egyptians were able to find unaffected subterranean water sources by digging around the Nile (v. 24). But the conjurers' trick pales in comparison to YHVH's act. More significantly, it seems that the magicians are powerless to reverse the effect: turning the blood back into water- although that is indeed how some commentators understand the phrase 'and the conjurers did the same' Restoring the blood back into water certainly would have been more impressive!

When Moses and Aaron approach Pharaoh the first time (actually at the conclusion of last week's parasha) and ask for the Israelites' freedom, he says: "I do not know this 'God'. In other words, 'I do not need this God.' In the ancient world, rain was seen as a gift from God, and the Israelites were dependent on rain for their harvest. Pharaoh, however, did not need rain. 'The Nile is mine' means the 'Nile takes care of me.' Ezekiel suggestively describes Pharaoh as a great crocodile, (usually ‘tannin’, although here written as ‘tannim’). The crocodile-headed god Sobek, who represented the power of the Pharaohs, created the Nile, and was the god of fertility and rebirth. In the Bible, the ‘tannin’ was also the mighty sea-monster that in ancient creation mythology is destroyed by YHVH.

In Ezekiel, we read of Pharaoh's boast that he created the Nile: 'I have made [it] myself.' Rashi adds: "By my own strength and my own wisdom I have enlarged my kingdom." The Midrash takes this one step further, reading the Hebrew to mean, 'I made myself.' By suggesting that the verse can refer to himself (as well as the Nile) the Midrash hints that he considers himself like the Nile, a god. In ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh, in fact, was worshipped as a god.

I see a dangerous progression here. First we deny YHVH. Then we claim that we run the world (or at least know how the world works). Soon we are ready to make ourselves into YHVH. In Ezekiel, YHVH says, 'I am against you' (Ez. 29:3). The Hebrew ‘alecha’ might also be rendered as 'Behold, I am above you.' That is, know that I am your master and can deal with you as I see fit. The Maggid of Dubnow compares this to a servant in a palace who tries boasting to a visitor that he is the owner of the palace, only to be interrupted by the actual master who chides him to not misrepresent his position. Only by remembering that we are just the servants in the palace, can we 'know' YHVH.

Shabbat Shalom

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Parashat Shemot - the Haftara

Parashat Shemot – the Haftara
Isaiah 27:6 – 28: 29:23 - 23
Reading date: 17th January 2009 – 21st Tevet 5769


Our highlighted Haftara text
“Therefore teach them: one command and then another, one line and then another, a little here, a little there! So the prophet must talk to this crowd with slow speech and simple words, and say to them: Here is rest; rest for the weary; repose is here. [Still] they refuse to listen. To them the word of the Eternal will come: one command and then another, one line and then another, a little here, a little there!”Isaiah 28: 10-13

It is easy to come up with reasons so we need to distinguish between legitimate obstacles and lame excuses.

We begin the book of Exodus and the familiar story of the enslavement of the Israelites and the birth of Moses. The Ashkenazi haftara is taken from the prophet Isaiah; the Sephardic rite chooses a passage from Jeremiah (1:1-2:3). Like Moses, many prophets were reluctant to deliver YHVH's message. YHVH's reply to Jeremiah's protest, "I don't know how to speak", (cf. Ex. 4:10) is similar to the reply given to Moses: "Go wherever I send you and speak whatever I command you... I put My words into your mouth" (Jer. 1:7, 9; compare to Ex. 4:12).

We find a number of word echoes between the Isaiah portion and Parashat Shemot: the first word of the haftara echoes the Israelites who 'come' down to Egypt ‘haba'im’, and the description that they 'fill' the world like they filled Egypt. The obscure phrase in verse 7 "Was he beaten as his beater has been" uses the Hebrew word ‘makah’ used to describe the Egyptian who was beating the Israelite.

Isaiah is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftara: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazi calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. The northern kingdom of Israel (also called Ephraim) comprised of the ten tribes (Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom) was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern kingdom would be restored (regrettably, the ten tribes vanished permanently), his prophecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next' if you don't change your behavior. Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remnant did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

Unlike Jeremiah, Isaiah was not a reluctant prophet. After the graphic description of the northern kingdom as gluttons and drunkards, Isaiah in a beautifully alliterative passage suggests that we have to be spoken to like little children: ‘tzav l'tzav, tzav l'tzav, kav l'kav, kav l'kav’: one command here one command there, one line here, one line there (28:10). According to the prophet, he must talk to this crowd with 'slow speech and simple words.' This, like the Jeremiah connection, echoes Moses' complaint that he is 'slow of speech and heavy of tongue' (Ex. 4:10). It is not clear what the nature of the handicap was and different commentators disagree on the meaning of this phrase. Although Rashi suggests that Moses stuttered, many commentators had different views. According to Rashbam, Rashi's grandson: I am not fluent in the Egyptian tongue because I ran away from the country and I am now eighty. For is it possible that a prophet whom God had known face to face and received the Torah should stutter, especially as there is no mention of this in Talmudic sources.

Like Rashi, Ibn Ezra considers a physical defect, but instead of a stutter, believes certain sounds were difficult for him to pronounce (a lisp?). This theory is supported by a very often told Midrash that comes to illuminate the nature of his speech impediment. The Midrash describes the infant Moses pulling off Pharaoh’s crown (like babies grab adult glasses today). Fearing that this was not an innocent playful act, but in fact a sign of future events Moses was tested with (and here different versions vary) rubies and gleaming, red-hot coals. Moses went to reach for the sparkling gems, but an angel diverted his hand. Burning his fingers, he instinctively brought them to his mouth, and touched and injured his lips.

Although the Midrashic version of the events describes an injury that might cause some speech impediment, it would not support Rashi's view of Moses stuttering. In addition, when YHVH calls to Moses at the burning bush, Moses raises a number of objections to his being chosen: He is not worthy; the leaders may not accept him; the Israelites might not believe him, and finally, he does not have the required verbal skills. If one had a physical impairment, why wait for the fourth objection? Wouldn't that be the first obstacle raised to answering the Divine Call?

Like Moses, many of the prophets were reluctant to accept YHVH's mantle of prophecy. Because it is easy to come up with reasons we need to distinguish between legitimate obstacles and lame excuses. While Moses' expression of humility is commendable, sometimes we shouldn't be too self-effacing. There are times we all feel inadequate to tackle certain tasks, but we should be careful that we are not being 'too humble' simply to avoid our responsibilities. It is easy to be overwhelmed: by work, by responsibilities at home, raising children, or the condition of the planet with global warming and other environmental disasters. It is tempting to say: I can't do it, or I'm the wrong person for the job. Isaiah's advice: don't be discouraged -- YHVH's word will come step by step, letter by letter and word by word. As YHVH reassures Moses, "I will be with you."

Shabbat Shalom

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Parashat Vayechi - the Haftara

Parashat Vayechi – the Haftara
1Kings 2:1 - 12
Reading date: 10th January 2009 – 14th Tevet 5769


Our highlighted Haftara text

“When the time came near for David to die, he gave this instruction to his son Solomon: 'I am going the way of all the earth; you must now be strong; show yourself to be a man.'”I Kings 2:1-2

We cannot finish everything we hope to do in the world --- but others who come after us can complete our efforts.

Our Haftara continues precisely where it left off from Chaye Sarah, where King David lies dying. There, Bat Sheva and the prophet Nathan orchestrated to have Solomon chosen as heir, and this week, David shares his final words of advice to his son Solomon. The parallel of David's death-bed instructions with Jacob's last will and testament to his household connects the Torah and Haftara portions.

Ironically, both parashot ‘Chaye Sarah’ and ‘Vayechi’ with the Hebrew root ch.y.h (meaning life, lived) in their names begin with the notice of the death of its major character. While we think of Genesis as a book of beginnings, it ends with the death of an era. All the patriarchs (including Joseph) die, and the Children of Israel people enter a new phase. The story turns its attention away from the lives of individuals to the lives of the Children of Israel.

This week's Haftara is taken from the book of I Kings which deals with the death of David and the monarchy of his successor, his son Solomon. The life of David is found in the book of II Samuel. After killing Goliath, David quickly rose in rank to become a captain in King Saul's army. After the death of Saul on Mt. Gilboa, David was anointed as King of Judah, and later, become king over all of Israel. According to legend, his strength was superhuman. He was a poet and a musician, and the Rabbis portrayed him as a Torah scholar. Jewish tradition considers David the author of the book of Psalms. His reign was idealized, and he became a symbol of hope for future redemption: the Messiah comes from the 'House of David.'

Let’s take a look at Israel’s modern leaders. Sharon, like many of Israel's leading politicians such as Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Rabin, began with a military career and was a decorated war hero. But as seasoned politicians, these soldiers-turned-statesmen had to deal with a different political reality. Even Menachem Begin, who began his career as a political 'hawk' eventually was the prime minister who signed Israel's peace treaty with Egypt's Anwar Sadat. King David, similarly, began his career as a military leader. The stories of the Book of II Samuel are less familiar to most of us- but they read like a political thriller with internal intrigue and lots of bloodshed. King David spent his lifetime fighting and conquering Israel's enemies: the Philistines, the Moabites, and others while dealing with internal conflicts. Even his final words are political advice: 'kill off my detractors (and your possible enemies)'.

King David succeeded in uniting the country (briefly- the Northern and Southern kingdoms separated after the death of Solomon), and reigned for 40 years. He lived in challenging times and had a hard life, yet his legacy was not only on the battlefield. King David was a complex personality. He had a deeply spiritual side, and his musical talents calmed Saul. After he conquered Jerusalem and established Jerusalem as the capital, he brought the Ark there and hoped to build YHVH's Temple. A divine edict, however, forbid him from doing so. "You will not build a house for My name," YHVH said to him, "for you are a man of battles and have shed blood" (I Chronicles 28:3). King David fought many battles, but he was not able to complete his work for peace. That work was continued by Solomon. Rabbi Tarfon says, "It is not incumbent for you to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it." There is some comfort in knowing that although we cannot finish everything we hope to do in the world, others who come after us can complete our efforts.

Shabbat Shalom

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Parashat Vayigash - the Haftara

Parashat Vayigash - the Haftara
Parashat Vayigash – the HaftaraEzekiel 37:15 - 28






Reading date: 3rd January 2009 – 7th Tevet 5769

Our highlighted Haftara text


“They shall live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, the land of your ancestors; they, their children and their children's children shall live there forever, and My servant David shall be their head forever.I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant with them. I will make them safe and increase their numbers, and place My sanctuary in their midst forever.My Presence will be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Ezekiel 37: 25-27

The dynamic tension of different cultures can be a source of great creativity, or painful polarization.


The connection between this week's parasha and the haftara is more subtle than in some weeks. In one of the most emotional scenes in all literature, the Torah portion relates how Joseph is climactically reunited with his brothers. In the passage chosen for the haftara, Ezekiel describes that the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim) which made up the bulk of the Northern Kingdom, would be similarly reunited with the Southern Kingdom of Judah.


The rabbis often see the patriarchal narratives as archetypes: 'Ma'aseh avot, siman labanim’ - The acts of the ancestors foreshadow the experiences of their descendants.' At the same time, the haftara provides an interesting counterpoint to the Torah: as Israel is about to descend and be exiled to Egypt, we already read of YHVH's promise to restore the nation under the united Davidic monarchy.Ezekiel used vivid imagery and metaphors (the famous passage: the valley of the dry bones, for example, is read on Passover) and often describes complex mystical visions of chariots and cherubs.


The prophet Ezekiel lived during the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (586 BCE) and was exiled to Babylonia. In the first half of the book of Ezekiel, the prophet warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem; in the latter half, he preaches a message of consolation and restoration. While Ezekiel still had hope that the Northern Kingdom would be restored and then united, in fact, this prophecy did not come to pass. The Northern Kingdom conquered by the Assyrians over a hundred years earlier (722 BCE), have disappeared from history, notwithstanding the fairly discredited attempts to identify various ethnic groups with the missing 'Ten Lost Tribes.' Yet we see today the people of Ephraim emerging from the Nations preparing to take their place amongst the Nation of Israel as witnessed in St. Louis MI in August 2008.


The prophets often used dramatic symbolic actions or visual aids to demonstrate their message. Our haftara begins with YHVH instructing Ezekiel to take two sticks: one for Judah (for the Southern Kingdom) and one for Joseph (for the Northern Kingdom). Ezekiel is to write the names on the sticks and the two sticks will become [as] one.Hebrew is a funny language.


Adjectives have to agree in number and gender to the noun they modify. Usually, the number one, of course, only modifies something singular. But occasionally, as in our verse (17), the word for 'one' ‘echad’ to describe the joined sticks takes the unusual plural form: ‘achadim’ because it refers to the two sticks. They are one (in Hebrew, literally ones!?). Rabbi Marsha Pik-Nathan, in The Women's Haftara Commentary, suggests that the idea reflected here is that the sticks will merge into a oneness and yet somehow will retain their individuality and independence. She illustrates this with the modern day ingathering of the Exiles ‘kibbutz galuyot’ since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Jews had lived separated from each other in many different communities around the world, and their languages, customs, food, and music all evolved, taking on the flavor of their adopted homes. When Jews returned to the land of Israel, it became a mosaic of couscous, kugel and malawah (Yemenite fried bread).


Idan Reichal's CD merges Yiddish klezmer, Arabic oriental influences with Ethiopian Amharic. Unity need not mean uniformity.The dynamic tension of these cultures (Ashkenazi and Sephardic, religious and secular) can be a source of great creativity, or painful polarization. So it is comforting to read Ezekiel's vision that YHVH will make a covenant of peace. We associate the rainbow with a covenant of peace because the first covenant YHVH made with Noah was sealed with the rainbow. The bow, normally a symbol of war, is turned on its head, like the Prophet Joel's vision, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks..." (3:10). In this case, YHVH beats the bow of war into a sign of peace.The rainbow has been adopted by various groups as a symbol of peace because it’s many colors represents diversity:Just a rainbow is made of different colors and shades, which are joined into a unified wholeness, so too [must be] the differences between people, societies, groups or nations. Life is based on understanding and measured tolerance, upon harmony and peace- these are the basis for the continued existence of the world, "a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." (Z. Hillel, quoted in Itturei Torah)If Joseph's embroidered multi-colored coat was indeed a rainbow of stripes (as it is depicted in many illustrations) then the rainbow symbol of covenant connects Joseph and Ezekiel's haftara message of hope and unity.


Not only will Israel and Judah be restored, but they will be united, just like Joseph is reunited with his brothers.In our day, this message of unity is all the more relevant as the community of the Children of Israel is in danger of breaking apart. However, calls for unity must, like the rainbow, acknowledge the multi-hued approach of each of our movements and ethnic and cultural traditions. Then may Ezekiel's vision come to pass, "I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant with them. I will make them safe and increase their numbers, and place My sanctuary in their midst forever. My Presence will be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people."


Shabbat Shalom.