B"H


Week in Review
Friday, October 27 2000 / 28 Tishri 5761 Parshat Breshit
Genesis 1:1-6:8
Isaiah 42:5-43:10

"Fear not, for I am with you" says the L-rd.

The current situation in Israel is worrying for people everywhere. I hesitate to send out a lot of the stories I that come to me, because I feel the depressing weight of it myself. However, this is a time that we need to say, "Yes, I see what's going on, but even so... I will praise the L-rd." Naive, you think? It is amazing how many times the weekly Torah parsha with its accompanying Haphtorah speaks to some situation our Nation is facing at that very time. The way the messages of the Prophets were given shows that Hashem cared that the weight of a hard message be couched in comforting words of reassurance. So, too, was this last week's Haphtorah: Isaiah 42:5-43:10.

Israel is condemned as being unfaithful in taking the Teaching of G-d to heart and called "blind" and "deaf". Hashem says that He would pour His wrath out, His anger and the fury of war. Yet, toward the end of the prophecy we read:

But now thus said the L-rd--
Who created you, O Jacob,
Who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I will redeem you;
I have singled you out by name, You are Mine.
When you pass through the water,
I will be with you;
Through streams,
They shall not overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire,
You shall not be scorched;
Through flame,
It shall not burn you.
For I the L-rd am your G-d,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
-- Is. 43:1-2

G-d is saying that even while Israel goes through the punishments that He Himself ordained, He will go through it with them. His love is more perfect than any a human can conceive or understand in any way. His love is brings correction, but it also protects and shields. This is the perfect balance of justice without harshness and mercy without leniency.

Verse 5 picks up the theme of G-d's love and purpose for Israel:

"Fear not, for I am with you:
I will bring your folk from the East,
Will gather you out of the West;
I will say to the North, "Give back!"
And to the South, "Do not withhold!
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the end of the earth--
All who are linked to My name,
Whem I have created,
Formed, and make for My glory--
Setting free that people,
Blind though it has eyes
And deaf though it has ears."
All the nation assemble as one,
The peoples gather.
Who among them declared this,
Foretold to us the things that have happened?
Let them produce their witnesses and be vindicated,
That men, hearing them, may say, "It is true!"
MY WITNESSES ARE YOU
--declares the L-rd--
My servant, whom I have chosen.
To the end that you may take thought,
And believe in Me,
And understand that I am He:
Before Me no god was formed,
And after Me none shall exist--
Is. 43:5-10

Notice this passage says: 'I will say to the North, "Give back!"'. Above, in 42:22 He says : "They are given over to plunder, with none to rescue them; To despoilment, with none to say "Give back!" Yet here G-d is saying He Himself will demand "Give back!" He Himself will do what no one else will. The situation isn't hopeless, for He is the hope of Israel. And in Israel's hope, there's hope for the entire world. The justice that G-d brings about is to end the injustice in the earth and ultimately usher in the Redemption. The ingathering of the exiles back to Israel is beautiful promise of G-d's eternal love that never forgets His promises, His covenant, with Israel.

We are now in the time of the fury of war. We're seeing a playing out of the claims of the enemy, whose plans are the despoilment of Israel, with no one to say: "Give back!" But we can know that if this part of the prophecy is coming into fulfillment, that G-d is faithful to bring the rest into fruition. He will never leave us or forsake us -- no matter how bad things appear to be developing. We can look to the future with hope. Israel has a destiny according to the word of the Master of the Universe:

MY WITNESSES ARE YOU
--declares the L-rd.

Shalom from Zion,
~Miriam~


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