Parshiyot Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

This week’s haftarah is taken from “Trei Asar,” the prophecies of the 12 “minor” prophets (“minor” only insofar as the size of the book is concerned), from Sefer Amos. The central message is a painful yet necessary one. Israel, the navi contends, is no different from any other nation. God loves all of His children and has redeemed the Plishtim and the Aramim as well. What makes Yisrael “chosen” is that they were chosen to fulfill a Divine mission: to be a “mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh,” a nation of God’s servants and a holy people. Israel’s specialness is her holiness, and sanctity is achieved only through careful observance of God’s mitzvot and by faithfully adhering to His will. It is this definition of sanctity, the very theme of the parsha, that inspired Chazal to have this short selection read on these parshiyot of Acharei Mot-Kedoshim.

But on this Shabbat, only one week following Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s 70th Independence Day, I find myself drawn to the final pesukim of the haftarah, pesukim that seem to be completely unconnected (if not contradictory) from the essence of the prophet’s message. In these few verses Amos closes his prophecy of criticism and reproach of the sinful people with words of comfort and hope, foretelling a bright and blessed future, when Israel will return to Hashem. A future when God, in turn, will redeem His nation, says Amos, and bring them back to their land.

The navi even goes on to describe this time of redemption as a time of great economic prosperity when “the hills will drip juice” and a time when the people will return to the land and “rebuild desolate cities and dwell in them.” This Messianic period will be one when we will “plant vineyards and drink their wine, cultivate gardens and eat of their fruits.” And so, at this time especially, when I read these words, I wonder: Are these the prophetic words of 2,500 years ago or are they news reports taken from today’s papers?

We who live in this blessed time see the fruition of the words of the nevi’im every day! And for this reason we can proclaim that our people will not abandon this land. After all, we are simply quoting the final words of Amos: “I will plant them on their land and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them, says Hashem, your God.”

By Rabbi Neil N. Winkler

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