"Three
of Punishment, Seven of Consolation and (Much
of the following material was found in "Chazon HaMikra," by Rav
Yissachar Yaakovson, Published by Sinai, Tel Aviv, 5719) Rabbi
Avraham ben David of Luneil, the author of "Sefer HaManhig,"
writes, "From Parshat
Bereshit through the 17th
of Tammuz, the Haftarah
is chosen to correspond to the Parshah topic by topic; but from there on -
the choice of Haftarah is determined
entirely by the time of year and the corresponding historical
events" (Hilchot Taanit, Din 16).
There
is a sequence of ten, really twelve Haftarot (the two of
"Teshuvah," Repentance, are usually not counted): Three of
Punishment, Seven of Consolation, and Two of Repentance. The
"Shulchan Aruch" identifies the Haftarot: Three
of Punishment
Seven
of Consolation
Two
of "Teshuvah,"
Repentance
The
Ratio Rationale The
reason for the ratio of three to seven of "punishment" to
"comfort" is that it takes a
long time to be comforted when one has sustained a major loss, as
we see in the Torah, in connection with Yaakov
Avinu, when his children sought to comfort him with the
happy news that Yosef was still alive, that at first he refused to
believe them (45:26). It was
only Serach bat Asher, with her sweet and gentle manner, who could
convince him that indeed, his long-lost son was still alive. "Here
too, after such destruction, it would be impossible to accept consolation
delivered with such rapidity. It
would be like saying to one who has been begging in the streets, 'tomorrow
you will be king!' which could not be believed, as it says in (Shemot
6:9), 'And they didn't (couldn't) listen to Moshe, from shortness of
breath and from hard labor.' " (Machzor Vitry) The
Conversation The
Avudraham makes the leading verses of the Seven Haftarot of Consolation
into a conversation between the Holy One, Blessed be He, the People of
Israel and the Prophets, as cited by Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, ZT"L. "On
the first Shabbat, the Holy One says through the Prophets, 'Be comforted,
Be comforted, My People.' But
the People refuse to accept the words of the Prophets.
So that we hear on the second Shabbat, 'And Zion answered,
"HaShem has left me, and the L-rd has forgotten me!" '
On the third Shabbat, the Prophets report to HaShem 'The
impoverished, the storm-tossed one has not been comforted' - 'She refuses
to accept comfort from us; she wants to hear it from You alone!' " "Therefore,
on the fourth Shabbat, the Holy One, Blessed be He, assures the People, 'It
is I, even I Who is comforting you.'
And on the fifth Shabbat, He continues to raise their spirits,
'Sing out, you who were barren, who had not yet given birth.'
And even on the sixth, 'Arise, give forth light, for your light has
come.' "Then
and only then, on the seventh Shabbat does the People of Israel believe
that her time of suffering is over, 'I will rejoice in HaShem, my soul
will delight in my G-d…' " Thus,
by allocating three Haftarot to "Mussar," reproof and warning of
dire punishment, and seven to consolation and promises of future
redemption, did the Rabbis take note of human nature, and of the principle
that "HaShem's reward is greater than His punishment." (RASHI
on Shemot 20:6, based on Tosefta to Masechet
Sotah, Chapter 4) The
Repentance Exception Although the historical and psychological sequence would normally be: Warning of Punishment, then Repentance, and only then Redemption, that order could not be maintained here, because it was necessary to put the Haftarot whose content relates to Repentance at the Time of Repentance, between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. |
