Shabbat Chazon: What's the Vision?

(1) These are the words [devarim] that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan.—Through the wilderness, in the Arabah near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab,

(1) The vision [chazon] of Isaiah son of Amotz, who visioned concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For YHVH has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up—And they have rebelled against Me!..."

Discussing the verse (Gen 15:1) "And the word of YHVH came to Abram in a visionary state, saying..." the rabbis comment:

There are ten different terms used in the Bible to connote prophecy, and these are they:

Nevuah [prophecy], chazon [vision], hatafah [preaching, exhortation], dibbur [speech], amirah [saying], tzivui [enjoinder], massa [burden, theme], mashal [parable], melitza [figurative speech] and chida [riddle, puzzle].

Which is the most intense of them all? R Eliezer says chazon [vision] - as it is said: "A grievous vision [chazut kashah] has been told to me..." (Isaiah 21:2)

(27) ה' uprooted them from their soil in anger, fury, and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as is still the case today.

(21) Alas! How [eicha] she has become a whore! The faithful city that was filled with justice, Where righteousness dwelt—But now murderers.

(1) Alas! How [eicha] lonely sits the city Once great with people! She that was great among nations Is become like a widow; The princess among states Is become a thrall.

(12) How [eicha] can I bear unaided the trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering?

(17) Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

(17) You shall not be partial in judgment: hear out low and high alike. Fear neither party, for judgment is God’s. And any matter that is too difficult for you, you shall bring to me [Moses] and I will hear it.

(11) “Why would I want all your sacrifices?” says GOD. “I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, and suet of fatlings, and blood of bulls; and I have no delight In lambs and he-goats.
(12) That you come to appear before Me—Who asked that of you? Trample My courts (13) no more, nor bring pointless offerings; incense is an abomination to me. Your new moons and sabbaths and calling of convocation — I cannot endure earnest meetings overlooking gross injustice. (14) Your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, and I am weary of bearing them. (15) When you reach out your hands to me I shall avert My eyes; though you wax long in prayer I shall not listen, for your hands are full of blood. (16) Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; (17) learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."

(5) Is such the fast I desire, A day for people to starve their bodies? Is it bowing the head like a bulrush And lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call that a fast, A day when GOD is favorable?

(6) No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke.
(7) It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe them, And not to ignore your own kin.

§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, who is preventing You from giving the Torah without these additions? God said to him: There is a man who is destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each and every thorn of these crowns mounds upon mounds of halakhot. It is for his sake that the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, show him to me. God said to him: Return behind you. Moses went and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva’s study hall and did not understand what they were saying. Moses’ strength waned, as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. When Rabbi Akiva arrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said to him: My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva said to them: It is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this too was part of the Torah that he was to receive. Moses returned and came before the Holy One, Blessed be He, and said before Him: Master of the Universe, You have a man as great as this and yet You still choose to give the Torah through me. Why? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, You have shown me Rabbi Akiva’s Torah, now show me his reward. God said to him: Return to where you were. Moses went back and saw that they were weighing Rabbi Akiva’s flesh in a butcher shop [bemakkulin], as Rabbi Akiva was tortured to death by the Romans. Moses said before Him: Master of the Universe, this is Torah and this is its reward? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me.

(2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For GOD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up— And they have rebelled against Me!...(4) Ah, sinful nation! People laden with iniquity! Brood of evildoers! Depraved children! They have forsaken GOD, Spurned the Holy One of Israel, Turned their backs.

(27) Zion shall be saved in the judgment; Her repentant ones [teshuva-niks], through justice.