Parshat Devarim
Shabbat Chazon

This pre-Tisha B’Av reading, the last of the three haftarot of punishment (“telat de puranuta”), begins by describing the punishments that would befall Israel and continues with a forceful condemnation of the sinful people. Although this haftarah is taken from the opening chapter of sefer Yeshayahu most rabbinic authorities agree that it is not the prophet’s earliest vision—something that is reserved for the prophecy found in the sixth chapter, where Yeshayahu receives his charge from God to undertake the responsibility of being a Navi. It is curious, therefore, why the ancient editors chose this specific vision to open the entire Sefer Yeshayahu—the longest book in all of the neviim acharonim (latter prophets), rather than the prophet’s first message to the nation. To better understand why this was done, we turn to the text itself to uncover the prophet’s primary theme that would have impacted the ancients in choosing it as the opening message to Israel.

Although his book is filled with criticisms over the nation’s widespread idolatry and faithlessness to God, Yeshayahu does not focus on that at all in this opening perek. Likewise, although he does denounce Israel’s sacrificial rite, repeating how God rejects their offerings and even refers to them as being “wearisome” (“nileiti neso”) and, worse, “abominable” to God (“toeva”), he does not see that ritual service as being “sinful,” only that they are regarded as meaningless. Rather, the one precise sin upon which the Navi focuses, the one sin that sets the tone for the first chapter and, in turn the entire sefer, is injustice and corruption.

Yes, it is true that Hashem has rejected the people’s sacrifices, He is “weary” of them, “disgusted” (!) by them, “burdened” by them and even turns a deaf ear to their prayers—calling them “worthless.” But why does Hashem reject their korbanot? Why are their prayers worthless?

The prophet is quite clear. The city of Jerusalem was once “mileati mishpat—filled with justice,” “tzedek yalin bah—righteousness dwelled within her,”—but now, murderers do! Justice and Righteousness, “tzedek” and “mishpat,” were no longer pursued and this failure, Yishayahu declares, has God turn His back to them. It was not how the people treat Hashem or how they worshiped Him—as improper as that was—it was the way they treated each other that would bring destruction upon the nation!

This was the message that ancient scholars chose to begin Yeshayahu’s book of condemnation and consolation. It is the message of this perek that had to echo in the ears of that generation and all future generations. And the final pesukim make our path to repair and return very clear.

Yeshayahu completes his message by explaining what Hakadosh Baruch Hu demands: “Dirshu mishpat—seek justice,” he cries, “Ishru chamotz—support the victim,” and “Rivu almana—and fight for the widow.” This call for social justice fills the words of Yeshayahu and every prophet who followed. It is an essential challenge to the descendants of Abraham who was himself chosen “lemaan asher yetzaveh et banav … —so that he will charge his descendants,” “veshamru derech Hashem—to keep God’s ways, “laasot tzedek umishpat—and practice justice and righteousness.”

The prophet calls out to his generation and ours as well to repair our relationship with others, our treatment of our fellows, our care for the unfortunate so that we will see the fruition of the haftarah’s final words: “tzion bemishpat tipadeh, veshaveha btzedek,” Tzion will be redeemed through justice and those who return to her—through righteousness!

Rabbi Neil Winkler is the rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Fort Lee, and now lives in Israel.