Torah Reading is Pinchas; Haftorah is Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
By Irv Jacobs, M.D
LA JOLLA, California — This extract, more prose than verse, from the opening chapters of Jeremiah’s book (52 chapters), was selected by the rabbis as the first of Haftorahs of admonition, to be read during the three shabbatot between the fast of the 17th of Tammuz and that of Tish-a b’Av. The former of these two dates (in 586 BCE) recalls Babylon’s breach of Jerusalem’s wall, the latter the actual destruction of Jerusalem, shortly later in 586 BCE.
Tish-a b’Av is also assigned as the date of the second Jerusalem destruction, by Rome, in 70 CE.
I have described Jeremiah’s frustration as prophet in an earlier essay. Here he opens with his initial resistance to feeling ‘called’ by God to prophecize to the Judeans plus foreign kings of his day, sadly a recurrent theme in his writings. In Judea, he was hardly ever heeded, and indeed was hated, imprisoned twice, his writings burned and rewritten, and his life threatened by the priests and kings of Judea. This occurred in spades in the reign of King Zedekiah (597-586 BCE). [1]
His career as prophet extended from c. 626 BCE to 586 BCE, after which he was swept into exile in Egypt, with his few followers, at the fall of Jerusalem. It is believed he died there. His writings, a mixture of prose and poetry, did not reach the literary quality of Isaiah or Ezekiel, but he is remembered for the passion in his personally described suffering.
Jeremiah, like other prophets, castigated his audiences for social injustice and perversion of the legal system, but his most repeated prophetic concern was Judah’s “whoring after strange gods” and the devastation this would cause the nation. [2]
Jeremiah was accurate in his prediction that Judah, in attempted alliance with Egypt, was a hopeless match against Babylon’s power.
As an ‘insertion’ during the three weeks of admonition, this Haftorah is not connected to the theme of parasha Pinchas. [3] This is true as well of the two Haftorot that follow in successive weeks, with regard to their accompanying Torah portions.
The text of this Haftorah goes as follows: In the the introduction, in prose, Jeremiah describes himself, a young man in his 20’s, to whom the word of the Lord came, which ultimately recurred/persisted at noodging him over 40 years during the reigns of five kings. See footnote [1].
Now follows poetic verse:
“Before I fashioned you in the belly I knew you
and before you came out of the womb, I consecrated you. [4]
A prophet to the nations I made you.
And I said, ‘Alas, O Master, Lord,
for, look, I know not how to speak,
for I am but a lad.” [5]
‘And the Lord said to me,
Do not say, “I am but a lad.”
for wherever I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I charge you, you shall speak.
Do not fear them, [6]
for I am with you to save you,
said the Lord.
Jeremiah reverts to prose: “And the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth…and…said… ‘…I have put My words in your mouth’…(then added)… “What do you see, Jeremiah?” …I said, “An almond-tree wand (branch)…[7]
And the…lord came…a second time…”What do you see?”…I said, “A seething pot…turned to the north.”…Lord said…”From the north…the evil shall…be…on all dwellers (in Judah)” [8]
He goes on to relate that, because of its violations of God’s law, with worship of pagan gods, Judah’s punishment will be Babylon’s invasion.
God, however will make you personally strong,…’a fortress town…an iron pillar and walls of bronze…’ [9]
Here the text becomes poetic again, with God now in ambiguous sympathy with the Judeans—i.e. for the necessary upbeat ending of the Haftorah,
I recalled for you the kindness of your youth,
your bridal love,
your coming after Me in the wilderness,
in an unsown land. [10]
Israel is holy to the Lord,
the first fruits of His harvest.
All who eat it bear guilt,
evil shall come upon them,
said the Lord.
*
NOTES
Jeremiah is seen as a pathetic character, driven by an imposed ‘calling’ which he did not want, but to which he succumbed repeatedly. He believed he was doing God’s will. How many of us would be so driven, apparently against conscious will?
[1] During the succession of kings -Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachim, and Zedekiah
[2] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, Prophets Vol. 2, W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2019, p. 850
[3] Etz Hayim,The Jewish Publication Society, 2001, New York, p. 968
[4] Op. cit., Alter, p.853 Jeremiah conveys a familiar notion, that God fashioned him and his purpose even before his birth.
[5] Ibid, Alter, p. 854 With hyperbole, Jeremiah exaggerates his young age.
[6] i.e. his Judean audience
[7] Ibid, Alter, p. 854 The Hebrew word for almond is a play on words, as it resembles the Hebrew word for ‘vigilant,’ i.e. homonyms. Almonds ripen and are harvested in August, i.e. the usage here has nothing to do with seasonal characteristics of almonds.
[8] Ibid, Alter, p. 855 This refers to an anticipated attack from Babylon, the new prevailing empire.
[9] Ibid, Alter, p. 855 A strong metaphor to describe what Jeremiah will be, in opposition to the corrupt Judean kings, officials, and people. This did not happen.
[10] Ibid, Alter, p. 856 These lines recollect positively the wilderness wanderings of the Torah’s book of Numbers, as if the Judeans were loyal and uncomplaining then!
*
Irv Jacobs is a retired medical doctor who delights in Torah analysis. He often delivers a drosh at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, and at his chavurah.