Shabbat
Parshiyot Devarim - 5762
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Shabbat Chazon
The
Haftarah; A Brief Session with Yeshayahu and the GR”A (The Vilna Gaon)
The Haftarah opens with the verse (Yeshayahu
1:1), “The vision of Yeshayahu ben Amotz, which he saw concerning Yehudah
and Yerushalayim, in the days of Uzziah, Yotam, Achaz and Chizkiyahu, kings
of Yehudah.” The Gaon, in Beiur HaGR”A, the Interpretation of the Gaon,
Rabbeinu Eliyahu, comments, “This verse serves as an introduction,
identifying the nature of the document (a vision), the actor (Yeshayahu),
the object (Yehudah and Yerushalayim), the action (he saw) and the time (in
the days of Uzziah, etc.).”
On “The Vision of Yeshayahu,” the GR”A comments, “The Earlier Prophets (The
Avot, Yehoshua, Shmuel, David) saw with a clear vision, as it were, through
an unclear lens, except for Moshe Rabbeinu (who saw HaShem through a ‘clear
lens’), but the Later Prophets saw with an unclear vision through an unclear
lens; therefore they are called ‘visionaries,’ which is a lower level than
Prophets... and their visions can be understood as metaphoric, tied to a
particular place (e.g. the throne-room of G-d), or a particular object (e.g.
the Menorah), or circumstance (e.g. Exiled Jews sitting mournfully on the
banks of the River K’var in Babylon)... The Earlier Prophets saw a ‘place’
which was completely incorporeal and which could not even be described by a
physical metaphor, and there they ‘saw what they saw’...but from Yeshayahu
and onward we find their visions captured in metaphors, as it is written ‘I
saw HaShem sitting on a throne’ and similarly with regard to the ‘chariot’
of Yechezkel.”
The second verse in the Haftarah is “Hear, O Heavens, and give ear, O earth,
for HaShem has spoken...” This contrasts with the verse in Parshat Ha’azinu,
where Moshe says, “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth
hear my words.” The GR”A cites the Yalkut’s resolution of the conflict by
saying that “Moshe was closer to the heavens than Yeshayahu, and Yeshayahu
was closer to earth.” He explains the above as follows: “The human being is
formed of two components, the body, whose foundation is in the earth and the
spirit, that comes from the heavens above. Corresponding to these are the
two ‘components’ of Torah; namely, the essence of the Torah (possessed by
the Angels in Heaven for Ages before the advent of the People of Israel –
ed.), and the Commandments, that are bound to the earth. When the human
being fulfills the Torah and performs its Commandments, he unites heaven and
earth. This is hinted at by the verse in Shir HaShirim, where HaShem refers
to the People of Israel as ‘My dove, My perfect one,’ and CHAZAL say that
the Hebrew word tamati, My perfect one, is similar to teomati, My twin. The
twin-ship finds expression in the following statement of HaShem to the
People of Israel: ‘I, that is, My Torah, is not greater than the
Commandments performed by you, nor are your Commandments greater than My
Torah.’ Now behold, Moshe Rabbeinu was HaShem’s messenger in giving the
Torah to the Jewish People; that is the meaning of the statement that Moshe
was closer to Heaven. And Yeshayahu’s task was to rebuke the Jewish People
concerning their non-observance of the earth-bound Commandments; that is the
meaning of the statement that Yeshayahu was closer to the earth.”
In Verse 1:11 of the Haftarah, we find the rejection by HaShem of the
sacrificial worship of Israel, “Why do I need your numerous sacrifices? –
says HaShem – I am satiated with Burnt Offerings of rams, and the fats of
choice animals, and the blood of bulls and sheep and he-goats I do not
desire.” The GR”A explains “Burnt offerings, fats and blood, rejected here
by HaShem, symbolize those who study the Torah with no intention of
fulfilling its Commandments, of whom it is said, ‘It would have been better
for them not to have been born.’ And these three items correspond to
Scripture, Mishnah and Gemara. Blood, the basic object of the sacrificial
worship, corresponds to the study of Scripture, and that is why three
species are mentioned: bulls, sheep and he-goats, corresponding to the three
components of Scripture; namely, the Torah, the Prophets, and the Sacred
Writings. And as the Burnt Offering is burnt completely, so does the Mishnah
contain a complete catalog of the Laws of the Torah. And just as the fat is
the best and most savory part of the sacrifice, so are the probing and
analytical exchanges in the Gemara best suited to elicit the true meaning of
the Torah.”
In Verse 12 of the Haftarah, HaShem asks why the People of Israel continues
to “trample His courtyards.” The Gaon comments “These courtyards refer to
the two courtyards of the Temple; namely, the Courtyard of Israel and the
Courtyard of the Women. And these were arrayed opposite the two inner
chambers of the Temple, the Tabernacle and the Holy of Holies. Moreover,
this structure resembles the structure of the human heart, in which as well
can be found two outer courtyards arrayed opposite two inner chambers. And
this structure appears yet again in the universe of Prayer and Torah study,
where two aspects of Prayer, the simply understood meaning and the secret,
confidential meaning are arrayed opposite the two inner chambers of Torah
learning; namely, the ‘Pshat,’ the plain meaning, and the ‘Sod,’ the secret,
hidden meaning ...”
In Verse 15 of the Haftarah, Yeshayahu says in the Name of HaShem, “And when
you spread your hands, I will hide My eyes from you.” The GR”A cites the
Zohar, “This spreading of hands refers to two elements of the worship of the
Jewish People; namely, Prayer and the Priestly Blessings. The difference
between these is that in the Priestly Blessings, the palms of the Priests
are held downward, to bring the Divine Blessing down from the Heavens,
whereas in Prayer, the human being holds his palms upward, as if to lift his
prayers heavenward. And corresponding to these two are two “abodes” of
HaShem in Heaven; namely Maon and Mechon, as it says in the Torah, ‘Look
down from Your abode in Heaven (Maon), and bless Your People, Israel,’ and
it is also written, ‘And hear in Your abode in Heaven (Mechon) the Prayers
of your People.’ And these correspond, as it were, to the Heavenly Eye and
the Heavenly Ear, that ‘sees’ and that ‘hears,’ respectively. And that which
is written here means that G-d is saying that He will disregard what He sees
and pay no attention to the Prayers of His People that He hears.”
The “bright lining of the cloud” is seen at the end of the Haftarah where we
find in Verses 26 and 27, “And I will return your Judges as in earliest
times, and your Counselors as at the first; after that you shall be called
‘City of Righteousness,’ ‘Faithful City.’ Zion shall be redeemed with
Justice, and her returnees with Righteousness.” The GR”A identifies the
Judges as David and Solomon, and the Counselors as Moshe and Aharon, or men
of their caliber. Zion will be redeemed with Justice when its Judges
re-institute the Torah institutions as they were once, and because the
Nation has absorbed twice its required punishment. And the returnees, the
Ba’alei Teshuvah, those who will return (and are returning – ed.) from
non-Torah lives to seek the L-rd, will be accepted, in a manner ‘above and
beyond the strict requirements of the Law,’ in the spirit of the great
Counselors, Moshe and Aharon.”
Rabbi Pinchas Frankel
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