Irv Jacobs, MD

The relation of this Haftorah to the Torah parasha Balak is that in the parasha, we read of Balak, king of Moab, designing a plot against Moses and the Israelites; in the Haftorah Micah recalls that story. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

Torah reading is Hukkat (Numbers 19-22); Haftorah is Judges 11: 1-33 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — This short prose excerpt from the Book of Judges relates adventures of Jephthah, a man societally rejected because of his birth out of wedlock. The story unfolds in which he becomes a welcome victorious military commander

This simple short prose extract from I Samuel comes from the group of books artificially designated as the ‘Former Prophets.’ These are: Joshua; Judges; I & II Samuel; and I and II Kings. All of these arguably contain little of recognizable prophecy. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This prose extract from Joshua described as the work of  ‘Former Prophets.’ It tells of an alleged event en route toward the conquest of Jericho as inserted by the Deuteronomist writer(s). [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This poetic prose extract from Zechariah, a minor prophet (one of 12 in the Tanakh) was composed circa 520-510 BCE in Judea. His total writings consist of only 14 chapters. He lived in Judea, following the release of the Judean exiles by the Persian Emperor Cyrus, who had conquered the Babylon Empire (539 BCE). The then ruling emperor of Persia was Darius I (522-486 BCE). [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This short simplistic prose passage, from the time of the Judges [1], deals with an angel’s message. It is that the un-named wife of Minoah, both minor figures, was to bear a child. The child is Samson, who will be a lifelong Nazarite. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This mainly poetic text is half autobiographical, half metaphor for the Northern Kingdom’s idolatry, or whoredom, through adoption of the Baal religion of their neighbors. Hosea, who married the unfaithful harlot Gomer, depicts his entire country behaving as married to the whore Baal. [Irv Jacobs, M.D]

This poetic text of this week’s Haftorah reading indicates Jeremiah’s commitment to God, despite his failures to successfully correct Judea’s wayward behaviors. The background is the coming destruction of the Southern Kingdom and Solomon’s Temple, with exile of their leaders by Babylon. Jeremiah’s prophesy career is experienced as repeated rejection. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This short prose increment from the ‘strangest’ prophet canonized in the Tanakh is a dull example, in contrast to the drama of much other of his writings. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This short, entirely poetic message is from the writings of Amos, one of the 12 ‘minor’ prophets. He was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, but his preaching (760-755 BCE) was against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, notably its cities of Samaria and Bethel. This was during the reign of Jeroboam II (788-747 BCE), a time of foreign conquests, thus internal peace and prosperity in the North. [1] Amos’ preaching coincided with the reign in the Southern Kingdom of King Uzziah (785-733 BCE), considered one of the ‘good and righteous kings.’ [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This laconic, short, prose, exaggerated sequence of events is attributed to the time of Aram’s attack on the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) during the brief rule of Israelite King Joram (851-842 BCE). A key figure was the prophet Elisha. [Irv Jacobs, MD]

This is a short, entirely prose, sequence of events during the early reign of King David. It involves the ups and downs of moving the desert Ark to Jerusalem, to be housed in a tent at the City of David. The Temple, the ultimate house for the Ark, was to be built later by King Solomon. There are episodes of intrigue and hostility in this story, including within David’s relationship to Michel, daughter of the deceased King Saul, who is David’s wife. God, who punishes actors in these scenes, for innocent unavoidable setbacks, does not come across as loving or reasonable, though he ultimately blesses David and promises loyalty to his throne and successors. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This entirely poetic Haftorah by 2nd Isaiah was written during the Babylonian exile, in anticipation of the permitted return to Judea. The Persian conqueror Cyrus (c. 580-529 BCE) was soon to conquer Babylon and release the exiled Judeans in 538 BCE. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

This short Haftorah simply lists the components and furnishings of the completed Solomon’s Temple.  (Irv Jacobs, M.D.)