Some general background on the "Haftarot"

Introduction to the Haftarah

The eleventh Principle of Faith of the RAMBAM is the Principle of Retribution: "I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed is His Name, rewards with good those who observe His commandments, and punishes those who violate His commandments."  This is the Divine version of the Principle of "Midah K'neged Midah," "Measure for Measure."

This Principle is derived from the words of Moshe throughout the Torah, but  emphasized in Parshat Nitavim (Devarim 30: 1-3,9), "And it will be when all these things  befall you, the blessing, and the curse, …, And you will return to Hashem your G-d, and you will obey Him, …, you and your children, with all your heart and all your soul.  And  Hashem will return your Exiles, and He will have mercy on you, and He will return, and gather you from all the nations throughout which he scattered you, … And He will  elevate you, in everything you do, with respect to your children, and the children of your  cattle, and the produce of your Land, for Hashem will return to delight in you for good, as He once delighted in your fathers."

And the Principle is derived from all of the Prophets and the Sacred Writings, but is  seen perhaps most clearly in this Haftarah, the closing Chapter of Malachi and the  closing chapter of Prophecy in the Bible.  At the close of the Second Chapter of the Book of Malachi, a challenge is placed in the mouths of the sinners of the last  generation, the generation of the Mashiach, or perhaps in the mouths of all sinners, "He who does evil seems to be good in the eyes of the L-rd because many sinners go  unpunished or, if this is not true, that is, that the sinner does evil in the eyes of G-d, "Ayeh Elokei HaMishpat?" "Where is the G-d of Justice?" 

Who was Malachi?

Malachi was among the group of Twelve Prophets known, not surprisingly, as "The Twelve."  He was also a member of the smaller set of three Prophets Chaggai, Zechariah and Malachi, all members of the "Trei Asar," the "Twelve," who were considered the "last of the Prophets."

Chronologically, the Talmud in Masechet Sotah 15a says that the three prophesied in the second year of the Persian King Daryavesh.

There seems to be some confusion as to who exactly Malachi was.  One tradition is that "Malachi is Ezra" (Megilah 15a); another is that "Malachi - this is Mordechai.  And why was he called by the name Malach-I?  Because he was made second-in-power to the King!"

There is a strong tradition that Chaggai, Zechariah and Malachi were the last of the Prophets of Israel.  (Bava Batra 14b)

There is another tradition that the Anshei K'nesset Hagedolah prayed to Hashem to remove the Inclination toward Idol Worship from the personality make-up of the human being.  When that was done, the Spirit of Prophecy was removed at the same time.  Apparently, according to this tradition, the Holy Spirit and the Inclination toward Idol Worship are somehow "two sides of the same coin."

Summary of the Haftarah

The beginning of the Third Chapter of Malachi speaks of the arrival of the "Master Who you have earnestly sought."  This Master refers to Hashem, and He is bringing the Final Redemption.  But He is described as a refining and purifying fire.  And the outcome of the purification will be the first verse of our Haftarah (Malachi 3:4): 

"Then shall the offering of Yehudah and Yerushalayim be as pleasant unto the L-rd as in days of old and as in ancient years."

Metzudat David explains that "Ki'yemai Olam," in days of old, refers to the time of  Mosheh and "Shanim Kadmoniyot," ancient years, refer to the time of Shelomo, builder of the First Beit HaMaikdash, when Hashem received sacrifices with good will and fire came down and consumed what was on the altar.

The purifying process is now described:

Hashem says, "I will come near to you to administer Justice (this is the answer to ‘Where is the G-d of Justice?’)  And I will be a swift witness against those who practice witchcraft, adulterers, those who swear falsely, those who withhold legitimate wages; those who persecute the widow, and the orphan, who pervert the Justice of the stranger and (in general) against those who do not fear me, said the L-rd of Hosts.”

“For I, Hashem, do not change, and you, sons of Yaakov, have not disappeared.”

RADAK explains the above as meaning that all prophesies as to the future that I gave through My Prophets will  yet come true.  And you, People of Israel, have not experienced the fate of other nations, who have disappeared from the arena of history.  Rather, you will never disappear, but will always remain a Special People among the nations.”

“Even though because of your sins I exiled you to all corners of the earth, nevertheless, just as it is true that I will never change, so is it true that you will never disappear.

And in the End of Days, you will return to your former greatness, and you will be seen by all as above the other nations.”

Hashem says to the Jewish People, “You have a long history of violating my commandments, going back to your fathers.  But now, return to me and I will return to you.  Yet, as if the list of your sins were not long enough, you have the nerve to ask, ‘How else have we sinned?’ “

Hashem says to the People, “How dare you rob from G-d!”

The Jewish People answer, in righteous indignation, “How did we rob from You?  Who can rob from G-d?”

Hashem answers, “By withholding Terumah and Maaser! That is, by not giving the authorized gifts to the Kohen and the Levi, my servants.”

“For the sin of withholding Terumah and Maaser, I have caused your crops to fail, and you still did not learn the proper lesson that your sins have caused your punishment, but instead accuse Me of stealing your rain!”

“Let us make a test,” says Hashem, Bring all the missing Maaser to the storehouse, and let ‘s see if I will not open the windows of Heaven, and I will pour blessings upon you until you will have insufficient vessels and storage space to contain it (father of RADAK).”

“And I will prevent any manner of curse from resting upon you, such as a swarm of locusts ruining your crops, or pre-mature falling off of the grapes from your vines.”

And all the nations shall call you “Happy,” for yours will be a delightful land!”

Hashem resumes His complaint and warning against the Jewish People, “Your words have been exceedingly harsh against me!”

Israel responds, “What is it that we have said?”

Hashem answers, “You said, ‘There is no Law and there is no Judge!’  (RADAK)  You further said, ‘It is fruitless to serve Hashem, and what profit is there in guarding His Laws, and walking humbly because of the commands of the L-rd of Hosts, as if to say that He takes no notice of our actions and does not pay retribution for observance of his commands!’ “

And you said, ‘Therefore we say that it is the wicked who are the most happy, because they tested G-d, and escaped!’

“I answer you as follows, ‘To walk humbly with Me and observe My commands is not fruitless!  And even though it may appear as such, My System of Justice has a time scale much longer than yours; all actions are recalled; none is forgotten.’ (RASHI)

“I will yet show you how I distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, on that Day that I will make a Special Day of Retribution, and I will have mercy on the righteous as a father has mercy on his son who obeys him.”

“For behold that Day is coming, and it is burning like a furnace; and all the proud, and all that are wicked shall be as stubble; And the Day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says Hashem, L-rd of Hosts, “that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”

“But unto you that fear me, shall the sun of righteousness rise with healing in its wings, and you shall go forth and frolic, as calves from the stall.  And you shall tread down upon the wicked; For they shall be as ashes under your feet, on the Day that I will make,” says the L-rd of Hosts.

RASHI and many commentators say that this “Day” refers to Hashem taking the sun out of its “box,” as it were, and its strong light will bring healing and life to the righteous of all the Ages, while it will burn to ash the wicked of all the generations.

“But there is a condition on which the Coming of the Day depends and that is that the Torah of Moshe be observed.  If it is observed, I will send Eliyahu the Navi, the Harbinger of the Mashiach, to unite parents with children and children with parents.”

RASHI quotes the Rabbis in the Talmud as explaining the actions of Eliyahu in paving the way for the Mashiach that “he will restore peace in the world.”

Eliyahu will be required to perform this mission of peace, before the Coming of the Great Day, the Day of Retribution for Good and Evil, in order to put an end to the cycle of destruction of Israel and its Exile, that would otherwise ensue.

Shabbat HaGadol 

Shabbat HaGadol means “the Shabbat of the ‘Great One.’ “  All doubt concerning the will of Hashem and the intention of Hashem as the “mevakesh et ha-nirdaf,” the “One Who is always on the side of the powerless” were and are resolved by his actions in Egypt  when He took the side of His People, Israel, whom He had selected to be the “Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation” and redeemed them from slavery to the Kingdom of Egypt, the Kingdom of Night, which had sunk to the fiftieth level of uncleanness.

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel