Illustration Credit: Noa Kelner
Haftarah הַפְטָרָה
This Shabbat is also Rosh Hodesh; we’re celebrating the beginning of the month of Iyyar. When Rosh Hodesh falls on Shabbat we read a special haftarah. It’s the final chapter of the Book of Yeshayahu.
This is a haftarah we read pretty frequently! Every year there are at least two Shabbatot that are also Rosh Hodesh, and some years there are three. (Though sometimes Shabbat-Rosh Hodesh falls on Hanukkah, and then we read a Hanukkah haftarah. But still, the haftarah for Shabbat-Rosh Hodesh comes up a lot!)
It can be divided into three parts, with three different themes:
1.
The Beit Ha-Mikdash is not enough. No Temple on earth can really contain God.
הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלָי אֵי זֶה בַיִת אֲשֶׁר תִּבְנוּ לִי וְאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם מְנוּחָתִי
The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where could you build a house for Me, what could really be My resting place?
2.
God will bring renewal and joy (and some punishments for the bad guys).
כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אִמּוֹ תְּנַחֲמֶנּוּ כֵּן אָנֹכִי אֲנַחֶמְכֶם וּבִירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם תְּנֻחָמוּ
As a mother comforts her son, that’s how I will comfort you. You shall find comfort in Yerushalayim.
3.
In the future all nations will gather together to serve God in Yerushalayim.
וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחׇדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ יָבוֹא כׇל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְפָנַי
And month after month, and Shabbat after Shabbat, all people shall come to bow down before Me
Rosh Hodesh is a monthly opportunity for renewing our connection to God.
- How can these three themes from the haftarah be part of how we celebrate Rosh Hodesh?
- When you say Mussaf for Rosh Hodesh, can you find words or phrases that connect to these themes?
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