Haftarah of Ki Tavo

Yeshayahu 60:1–22

This Haftarah is the sixth of the "Chapters of Comfort" of that we read between Tisha B'Av and Rosh HaShanah. As with the other Haftarot in the series, its purpose is to give hope to all the generations of the Jewish People and to reassure them that one day, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, that the Jewish People will be living there in safety and security, that their unique relationship with G-d will grow and deepen, and the entire world will acknowledge it and create a world of justice and righteousness. According to this Haftarah, the sixth step of Redemption will be a time when the Temple is rebuilt, and the Jewish People will perceive G-d Presence as clearly as the light of day, and project it to the entire world. This time is called "Olam HaBa" - the world to come.

At a time of spiritual darkness for the world, Jewish People will be a beacon of G-d's light, reflecting His Presence.

1) Arise, my light, for your light has come,

and Hashem's Presence shines upon you.

(א) קוּמִי אוֹרִי כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ

וּכְבוֹד ה' עָלַיִךְ זָרָח:

2) For the darkness is about to cover the earth,

and fog, nations;

but upon you, Hashem will shine,

and His Presence upon you will be seen.

(ב) כִּי הִנֵּה הַחֹשֶׁךְ יְכַסֶּה אֶרֶץ

וַעֲרָפֶל לְאֻמִּים

וְעָלַיִךְ יִזְרַח ה'

וּכְבוֹדוֹ עָלַיִךְ יֵרָאֶה:

3) Nations will walk in your light,

and kings, in the glow of your shining.

(ג) וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם לְאוֹרֵךְ

וּמְלָכִים לְנֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ:

The Jewish People will be shocked to see how the Nations of the World, including those that have persecuted us in the past, will now come to us to seek Hashem. They will share their wealth so as to be a part of building Jerusalem and the Temple.

4) Lift up your eyes all around, and see;

all have gathered, come to you.

Your sons have come from afar,

your daughters were carried on the hip.

(ד) שְׂאִי סָבִיב עֵינַיִךְ וּרְאִי

כֻּלָּם נִקְבְּצוּ בָאוּ לָךְ

בָּנַיִךְ מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ

וּבְנֹתַיִךְ עַל צַד תֵּאָמַנָה:

5) Then you will see, and you will be overwhelmed,

you will be startled, but your heart will expand;

when the entire ocean turns towards you,

the wealth of nations comes to you.

(ה) אָז תִּרְאִי וְנָהַרְתְּ

וּפָחַד וְרָחַב לְבָבֵךְ

כִּי יֵהָפֵךְ עָלַיִךְ הֲמוֹן יָם

חֵיל גּוֹיִם יָבֹאוּ לָךְ:

6) A multitude of camels crowd you,

dromedaries of Midian and Eifah,

all have come from Sheba,

bringing gold and incense,

Hashem's praises they profess.

(ו) שִׁפְעַת גְּמַלִּים תְּכַסֵּךְ

בִּכְרֵי מִדְיָן וְעֵיפָה

כֻּלָּם מִשְּׁבָא יָבֹאוּ

זָהָב וּלְבוֹנָה יִשָּׂאוּ

וּתְהִלֹּת ה' יְבַשֵּׂרוּ:

7) All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you,

the rams of Nevayot, in your service,

to be brought willingly at My altar,

the House of My glory, I will make glorious.

(ז) כָּל צֹאן קֵדָר יִקָּבְצוּ לָךְ

אֵילֵי נְבָיוֹת יְשָׁרְתוּנֶךְ

יַעֲלוּ עַל רָצוֹן מִזְבְּחִי

וּבֵית תִּפְאַרְתִּי אֲפָאֵר:

8) Who are all these, flocking like clouds,

like doves to their cotes?

(ח) מִי אֵלֶּה כָּעָב תְּעוּפֶינָה

וְכַיּוֹנִים אֶל אֲרֻבֹּתֵיהֶם:

9) To Me the islands gather, the ships of Tarsus in the lead,

to bring My sons from afar,

their silver and gold with them,

in the Name of Hashem, your G-d,

for the Holy One of Israel, who makes you glorious.

(ט) כִּי לִי אִיִּים יְקַוּוּ וָאֳנִיּוֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ בָּרִאשֹׁנָה

לְהָבִיא בָנַיִךְ מֵרָחוֹק

כַּסְפָּם וּזְהָבָם אִתָּם

לְשֵׁם ה' אֱ-לֹהַיִךְ

וְלִקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי פֵאֲרָךְ:

10) Sons of foreigners will build your walls,

their kings will be of service to you.

It was in My anger that I punished you,

and it is My will that I be generous to you.

(י) וּבָנוּ בְנֵי נֵכָר חֹמֹתַיִךְ

וּמַלְכֵיהֶם יְשָׁרְתוּנֶךְ

כִּי בְקִצְפִּי הִכִּיתִיךְ

וּבִרְצוֹנִי רִחַמְתִּיךְ:

11) Your gates will always be open,

day and night they will not be closed,

in order to bring to you the wealth of nations,

with their kings riding along.

(יא) וּפִתְּחוּ שְׁעָרַיִךְ תָּמִיד

יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִסָּגֵרוּ

לְהָבִיא אֵלַיִךְ חֵיל גּוֹיִם

וּמַלְכֵיהֶם נְהוּגִים:

12) Any nation or kingdom that does not serve you will fail,

and those nations will be destroyed.

(יב) כִּי הַגּוֹי וְהַמַּמְלָכָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא יַעַבְדוּךְ יֹאבֵדוּ

וְהַגּוֹיִם חָרֹב יֶחֱרָבוּ:

13) The best of the forests of Lebanon will come to you,

fir trees, pine trees, and boxwood, all together,

to make glorious the place of My Temple,

and the place of My abode I will make honored.

(יג) כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן אֵלַיִךְ יָבוֹא

בְּרוֹשׁ תִּדְהָר וּתְאַשּׁוּר יַחְדָּו

לְפָאֵר מְקוֹם מִקְדָּשִׁי

וּמְקוֹם רַגְלַי אֲכַבֵּד:

14) The sons of your oppressors will go cowering to you,

all your persecutors will kneel at your feet,

and they will call you, the City of Hashem,

the Tzion of the Holy One of Israel.

(יד) וְהָלְכוּ אֵלַיִךְ שְׁחוֹחַ בְּנֵי מְעַנַּיִךְ

וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ עַל כַּפּוֹת רַגְלַיִךְ כָּל מְנַאֲצָיִךְ

וְקָרְאוּ לָךְ עִיר ה'

צִיּוֹן קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל:

There will be a complete reversal of the way the nations have treated the Jewish People throughout history. Everything that had been taken from us will be repaid with interest, and there will be no reason to fear oppression and injustice, neither external nor internal.

15) Instead of being abandoned and hated, with no commerce,

I will make you the pride of the world, the joy of generations.

(טו) תַּחַת הֱיוֹתֵךְ עֲזוּבָה וּשְׂנוּאָה וְאֵין עוֹבֵר

וְשַׂמְתִּיךְ לִגְאוֹן עוֹלָם מְשׂוֹשׂ דּוֹר וָדוֹר:

16) You will nurse from the milk of the nations,

from the breast of kings you will nurse,

and you will know that I am Hashem, your protector,

your Redeemer, the Might of Yaakov.

(טז) וְיָנַקְתְּ חֲלֵב גּוֹיִם

וְשֹׁד מְלָכִים תִּינָקִי

וְיָדַעַתְּ כִּי אֲנִי ה' מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ

וְגֹאֲלֵךְ אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב:

17) Instead of brass I will bring gold,

instead of iron, I will bring silver,

instead of wood, brass,

instead of stones, iron.

I will make your officials, peace,

and your tax agents, justice.

(יז) תַּחַת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אָבִיא זָהָב

וְתַחַת הַבַּרְזֶל אָבִיא כֶסֶף

וְתַחַת הָעֵצִים נְחֹשֶׁת

וְתַחַת הָאֲבָנִים בַּרְזֶל

וְשַׂמְתִּי פְקֻדָּתֵךְ שָׁלוֹם

וְנֹגְשַׂיִךְ צְדָקָה:

18) Oppression will be unheard of in your land,

nor robbery or looting, in your borders.

Your walls will be called salvation,

and your courts, a source of praise.

(יח) לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס בְּאַרְצֵךְ

שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּגְבוּלָיִךְ

וְקָרָאת יְשׁוּעָה חוֹמֹתַיִךְ

וּשְׁעָרַיִךְ תְּהִלָּה:

The Haftarah describes a new reality, where the only source of light is G-d, where the Jewish People will never falter or have reason to grieve. The entire Jewish People will be part of this reality, with no exceptions. G-d promises that He will make this happen, in its proper time yet suddenly.

19) The sun will no longer be for you the light of day,

the glow of the moon will not give you light.

Hashem will become your eternal light,

your G-d will become your glory.

(יט) לֹא יִהְיֶה לָּךְ עוֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לְאוֹר יוֹמָם

וּלְנֹגַהּ הַיָּרֵחַ לֹא יָאִיר לָךְ

וְהָיָה לָךְ ה' לְאוֹר עוֹלָם

וֵא-לֹהַיִךְ לְתִפְאַרְתֵּךְ:

20) Your sun will never set again,

your moon will not wane,

for Hashem will be your eternal light,

your days of mourning will be over.

(כ) לֹא יָבוֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ

וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף

כִּי ה' יִהְיֶה לָּךְ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם

וְשָׁלְמוּ יְמֵי אֶבְלֵךְ:

21) Your nation will all be righteous,

forever they will inherit the land;

the blossoms that I planted, My handiwork, in which I glory.

(כא) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים

לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ

נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר:

22) The smallest will grow a thousand-fold

and the youngest, into a great nation.

It is I, Hashem, who hastens it in its time.

(כב) הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף

וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם

אֲנִי ה' בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה: ס

In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l

לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל