Every sacred text, in its essence, imparts wisdom from our past. Yet, for ten weeks during the late summer, we have the unique privilege of receiving direct and specific messages from our rabbinic ancestors.
Following the devastation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the rabbis curated a sequence of Haftarah portions to be recited in the weeks from Tisha b’Av leading up to the High Holy Days. The initial three weeks feature the Haftarot d’Puranuta—warnings that culminate in Tisha b’Av, marking the day our Temple was lost.
The subsequent seven weeks are designated for the Haftarot d’Nechamu, or the haftarot of consolation. As we find ourselves in the fourth week of this period, our haftarah portion shares the comforting words from Isaiah 51:12-52:12:
“Awaken, awaken, put on your strength, O Zion; put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem the Holy City…Shake yourselves from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; free yourself of the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. Burst out in song, sing together, O ruins of Jerusalem, for God has consoled His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.”
As we draw near to our most revered days, may these consoling words from our ancestors instill in us comfort, peace, and a sense of completeness.
Rabbi David Gerber is the senior rabbi of Congregation Gates of Prayer (Sha’arai Tefillah). This marks the first of his columns and the first commentary written for the CCJN by a Reform rabbi. We look forward to this continued collaboration.
Following the devastation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the rabbis curated a sequence of Haftarah portions to be recited in the weeks from Tisha b’Av leading up to the High Holy Days. The initial three weeks feature the Haftarot d’Puranuta—warnings that culminate in Tisha b’Av, marking the day our Temple was lost.