Haftarah of Parshat Lech-Lecha - 5761 

The Haftarah of Parshat Lech-Lecha, according to both the Sefardic and the Ashkenazic communities is taken this week from the Book of Yeshayahu, "Perek"/Chapter 40, "Passuk"/Verse 27 through "Perek" 41, "Passuk" 16.

Connections between the Haftarah and the Parshah

The Haftarah in Yeshayahu 40:30 speaks of the normal tiring of a person, even of a youth, referring to the enemies of Israel, who exerted themselves mightily to harm the Jewish People.  Then it continues in 40:31 with the idea that one who places his or her hope in HaShem will not become tired.  In fact, their youth will be renewed, and they will soar like youthful eagles.

In the Parshah, we find the idea of youth being restored to the Righteous Avraham and Sarah.  In "Perek" 17 in the Parshah, Avraham is described as a ninety nine year old man (17:1); but HaShem says to him (17:6) that "I will make you most exceedingly fruitful..", and in that same Perek, in 17:16, we see with reference to Sarah, then ninety years old, "I will bless her, and I will give you from her, a son…" 

In the Haftarah, in 40:31, the one who hopes in the L-rd is described as one who "shall run and not be weary; shall walk, and not faint."

In the Parshah, at the very beginning, 12:1, HaShem commands Avram, "Lech lecha," "Walk, Go…;"  Avraham is frequently described as one who walks, as a "holech," or one who runs, as a "ratz."  In 12:6, Avram and his household "depart, to go to the Land of Canaan.  In 12:9, Avraham is described as "journeying on, journeying steadily to the south."  In 13:3, we find "He went on his journeys…"  In 13:17, HaShem says to Avraham "Arise, walk about the Land  through its length and its breadth, because I will give it to you."  At the beginning of Parshat Vayera, after his "brit milah," when Avraham sees three guests approaching, the text says (18:2), "And he saw them and he ran towards them…"

In the Haftarah, we find (41:2), "Who was inspired to come from the East…?"

In the Parshah, Avraham continues his journey (begun in "Ur Kasdim" RASHI to 12:1) in the East of the Region), still moving further eastward, from "Charan" to the Land of Canaan (12:5).

In 12:8 we find, "From there he relocated to the mountain east of Beth-El and pitched his tent, Beth-El on the west and Ai on the east …" 

In the Haftarah, we find an allusion to the complete victory that Avraham achieved over the Four Kings.  In 41:2-3, we find "He spread nations before him and ruled over Kings; He turned them into dust with his sword, and into chaff with his bow.  He pursued them and passed without harm …"

In 41:12, we find, "They that warred against you shall be as nothing…"

In the Parshah, we find (14:15) "And (Avraham) pursued them to "Chovah," that is to the left of Damascus"

In the Haftarah, (41:8), Yaakov, the inheritor of Eretz Yisrael, is described as the "seed of Avraham."

In the Parshah, we find (12:7), "And HaShem appeared to Avraham, and said "To your seed will I give this land…", and in (17:8) we find, "And I will give to you and to your seed after you the land …"

In the Haftarah, we find (41:10), "Fear not, for I am with you…"

In the Parshah, we find, in 15:1, HaShem says to Avraham, "Fear not, Avram, I will protect you…"

In the Haftarah, we find in 41:10,13 and 14, we find HaShem using the phrase "Ani Azarticha," "I will help you," or very similar phrases.

In the Parshah, one opinion in the Talmud regarding verse (14:14), which indicates that Avraham defeated the forces of the Four Kings with only three hundred eighteen members of his household, is that it means that literally.  Another opinion is that only his trusted servant Eliezer accompanied him.  The "gematria" (sum of numerical letter equivalents of the letters of his name equals 318).  Another reason to assume that it was in fact only Eliezer who fought with Avraham, and the miracle was even greater, is that the name "Eliezer" means "my G-d helps me."

Translation of and Selected Commentary on the Haftarah

Preface:

In the verse immediately preceding the Haftarah; viz. Yeshayahu 40:26, we find a question very similar to that which Avraham, in the Midrash, is reputed to have asked.  In Yeshayahu, the question is,

"Lift up your eyes to the star-filled heavens, 
And see: Who created these?  
And the answer is "He Who brings them all out by number;  
He calls each one by name;  
By the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power, 
Not one is lost."

The Midrash describes Avraham as meditating constantly on the question, "Who is the owner of this beautiful palace?"

When he saw the sun providing light and heat to all the creatures of the world, he thought that the owner and the builder must be the sun.

But then the sun set, and the moon appeared.  He thought then that the maker of the palace must be the moon.  But when the moon disappeared and the sun returned, he realized that neither was.

Then he realized that the Creator of the World must be an invisible G-d and Avraham was "makir et bor'oh," "recognized his Creator."  And HaShem had mercy on him, and revealed Himself to him, and said "I am the Owner of the Palace."

Yeshayahu 40:27

"Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak (incorrectly), O Israel,
'My way is hidden from HaShem,
And from my Judging L-rd,
My Justice is passed over?' " 

Metzudat David: 

"Why do you say, People of Israel, that HaShem 'closed His eyes,' as it were, to all the good that we did, and did not reward us in proportion to our good deeds?"

Yeshayahu 40:28

"Did you not know,
Did you not hear,
HaShem, the Eternal G-d,
Who created the ends of the earth, 
Becomes neither weary nor tired,
There is no limit to His Understanding." 

Metzudat David:

We cannot comprehend the nature of HaShem's Justice, because as the Judge of all the Earth, and as the Creator of the entire universe, His perspective is the "perspective of eternity," while our own perspective, by comparison, is very limited.

Yeshayahu 40:29

"He gives strength to the tired,
And to him who has no might,
He gives power."  

Yeshayahu 40:30

"Even the youths shall become tired, and weary, 
And the young men shall utterly fall."

Metzudat David:

"The "youths" and the "young men" refer to the Babylonians or, in general, to the  "enemies of Israel," who use all their strength to harm Israel, the People of HaShem, but their strength ultimately fails, and they disappear from the stage of history."  

Yeshayahu 40:31

"But those who place their hope in HaShem,
Shall renew their strength,
They shall soar aloft with wings, as eagles,
They will run, and not become weary,
They will go, and not become tired."  

RADAK:

Quotes Rav Saadiah Gaon, who says that every ten years, the eagle flies extremely high and ("Icarus-like," not said by Rav Saadiah - pf) is burnt by the sun, it plunges into the sea, where it sheds its feathers, receives a new set and is reinvigorated, and again soars on high.  Until the age of one hundred, when it again flies high, is burnt, again plunges into the sea, but this time, dies.  The object of this metaphor (quite appropriate, except for the death of the eagle) is the People of Israel, who have the power of renewal.

Yeshayahu 41:1

"Be silent before Me,
(Residents of) the islands,
And gather your strength, you nations,
Come forward and let them speak,
Let us come together for Judgment." 

RADAK:

HaShem is addressing the enemies of the Jewish People.  He says, "Be silent, you nations.  Strengthen yourselves so that you will be able to approach me, and let us examine My claims versus yours." 

"They say that I lack the power to save Israel from their hands, and they worship idols that are empty, worthless things."

(Continue to next "Passuk")

Yeshayahu 41:2

"Who was inspired to come out of the East,
Taking Righteousness as his constant companion, 
He spread nations before him,
And ruled over Kings,
With his sword, he made them as the dust,
With his bow, he made them scatter with the wind." 

RADAK:

HaShem continues, "Who was it that inspired Avraham to come from the East, from Ur Kasdim where he was born, and extricated him from a house of idol-worship?  Everywhere he went, he spoke the Truth and told the people to abandon their worthless idols, and to worship instead the One Who created the universe."

"And he would teach the ways of faith to all.  Is there such a wonder as this, that one person opposes the entire world, and he didn't fear them, or their Kings?  Who inspired him to such extraordinary behavior?  Was it not I, the L-rd?"  

Avraham pursued and defeated the Four Kings, led by Kedarlaomer.  Avraham pursued them with only 318 troops, defeated them and recaptured all the booty, and this was accomplished by means of his great trust in HaShem!

Yeshayahu 41:3

"He pursued them, and passed through safely,
On paths that were strange to him."  

Yeshayahu 41:4

"Who was acting here (behind the scenes)?
It was the One Who called forth the generations from the beginning.
It was I, HaShem, Who was the First,
And Who will also Be the Last."  

Yeshayahu 41:5

"The islands saw, and were afraid,
The ends of the earth trembled;
But they drew near, and approached."  

Yeshayahu 41:6

"Each one helped his neighbor,
And everyone said to his brother,
'Be of good courage!' " 

Yeshayahu 41:7

"So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith;
The one who does fine work with the hammer
Gave support to the one who strikes the anvil;
Saying of the soldering, 'It is good.';
And the finisher attached it with nails,
Such that it should not move."  

RADAK (on previous three "P'sukim"):

The nations came, heard the greatness of Avraham's deeds, and came to the wrong conclusions.  Yeshayahu describes their reactions as similar to the builders of Migdal Bavel, who attempted to build a Tower, and to develop human civilization independently of HaShem. 

The carpenters would encourage the craftsmen, the artists who did fine work would work cooperatively with the workers who dealt with the raw materials, and everything was fitted together properly.  But ultimately human pride and ego would assert themselves, unity would be lost, and the project would collapse.

Yeshayahu 41:8

"But you, O Israel, My servant,
Yaakov, whom I have chosen,
The seed of Avraham,
Who loved Me;"  

Yeshayahu 41:9

"You whom I have strengthened (to come)
From the ends of the earth,
And called you from the most powerful nations,
And I have said to you,
'You are My servant,
I have chosen you,
And not rejected you.' "  

RADAK:

I have called you from the most powerful nations, and they will not be able to hold you back.  I chose you as My People; this choice will never change, even though the Exile is long.

Yeshayahu 41:10

"Be not afraid, for I am with you,
Do not despair, for I am your G-d,
I have made you strong,
And helped you,
And supported you,
With the Right Hand of My Righteousness!" 

Yeshayahu 41:11

"Behold, they who dealt with you in their fury,
Shall be ashamed and confounded;
They will become as nothing,
And be destroyed,
Those who fought with you." 

Yeshayahu 41:12

"If you look for them,
You will not find them,
Those who fought with you;
Those who made war against you
Will become as nothing, 
As something with no existence."  

Yeshayahu 41:13

"For I am the L-rd your G-d,
Who holds your right hand,
Who says to you, 'Fear not,
I will help you.' "

Yeshayahu 41:14

" Fear not, caterpillar, Yaakov,
You men of Israel,
I will help you, says the L-rd,
And your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel."

RADAK:  

In the Midrash "Yelamdenu," we find, "Why was Israel compared by HaShem to a caterpillar?  The answer given there is that just as the caterpillar attacks the mighty cedars only with its mouth, so does Israel triumph over its enemies only through the weapon of its mouth; namely, "Tefilah," or Prayer.

Yeshayahu 41:15

"Behold, I will make you a threshing tool,
Having sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains, 
And beat them small,
And make the hills as chaff."  

Yeshayahu 41:16

"You shall winnow them,
And the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind will scatter them;
But you will rejoice in the L-rd,
And be praised with the Holy One of Israel."  

Metzudat David:

You will rejoice in the Salvation of HaShem, and take pride in the fact that you put your trust in the Holy One of Israel.

I would add one point to the comparison of the Jewish People to a caterpillar.  The caterpillar is a rather lowly creature that metamorphoses into a butterfly, a creature of great beauty.  So may we hope that the Jewish People will likewise continue its metamorphosis from its lowly state forced upon it by the conditions of the Exile, to a nation that develops its spiritual potential in the Land of Israel and becomes a thing of great beauty, admired and respected and emulated by the entire world.

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel