We approach Yom Kippur 5785, when we will hear these verses from Isaiah as the Haftarah: "is this the fast I desire"...
(ה) הֲכָזֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ צ֣וֹם אֶבְחָרֵ֔הוּ י֛וֹם עַנּ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם נַפְשׁ֑וֹ הֲלָכֹ֨ף כְּאַגְמֹ֜ן רֹאשׁ֗וֹ וְשַׂ֤ק וָאֵ֙פֶר֙ יַצִּ֔יעַ הֲלָזֶה֙ תִּקְרָא־צ֔וֹם וְי֥וֹם רָצ֖וֹן לַה׳׃ (ו) הֲל֣וֹא זֶה֮ צ֣וֹם אֶבְחָרֵ֒הוּ֒ פַּתֵּ֙חַ֙ חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת רֶ֔שַׁע הַתֵּ֖ר אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת מוֹטָ֑ה וְשַׁלַּ֤ח רְצוּצִים֙ חׇפְשִׁ֔ים וְכׇל־מוֹטָ֖ה תְּנַתֵּֽקוּ׃ (ז) הֲל֨וֹא פָרֹ֤ס לָרָעֵב֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וַעֲנִיִּ֥ים מְרוּדִ֖ים תָּ֣בִיא בָ֑יִת כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֤ה עָרֹם֙ וְכִסִּית֔וֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִתְעַלָּֽם׃ (ח) אָ֣ז יִבָּקַ֤ע כַּשַּׁ֙חַר֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲרֻֽכָתְךָ֖ מְהֵרָ֣ה תִצְמָ֑ח וְהָלַ֤ךְ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ כְּב֥וֹד ה׳ יַֽאַסְפֶֽךָ׃ (ט) אָ֤ז תִּקְרָא֙ וַה׳ יַעֲנֶ֔ה תְּשַׁוַּ֖ע וְיֹאמַ֣ר הִנֵּ֑נִי אִם־תָּסִ֤יר מִתּֽוֹכְךָ֙ מוֹטָ֔ה שְׁלַ֥ח אֶצְבַּ֖ע וְדַבֶּר־אָֽוֶן׃ (י) וְתָפֵ֤ק לָֽרָעֵב֙ נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ נַעֲנָ֖ה תַּשְׂבִּ֑יעַ וְזָרַ֤ח בַּחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲפֵלָתְךָ֖ כַּֽצׇּהֳרָֽיִם׃ (יא) וְנָחֲךָ֣ ה׳ תָּמִיד֒ וְהִשְׂבִּ֤יעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת֙ נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶ֖יךָ יַחֲלִ֑יץ וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙ כְּגַ֣ן רָוֶ֔ה וּכְמוֹצָ֣א מַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְכַזְּב֖וּ מֵימָֽיו׃ (יב) וּבָנ֤וּ מִמְּךָ֙ חׇרְב֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם מוֹסְדֵ֥י דוֹר־וָד֖וֹר תְּקוֹמֵ֑ם וְקֹרָ֤א לְךָ֙ גֹּדֵ֣ר פֶּ֔רֶץ מְשֹׁבֵ֥ב נְתִיב֖וֹת לָשָֽׁבֶת׃
(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.
(8) Then shall your light burst through like the dawn
And your healing spring up quickly;
Your Vindicator shall march before you,
The Presence of GOD shall be your rear guard.
(9) Then, when you call, GOD will answer; When you cry, [God] will say: Here I am.
If you banish the yoke from your midst,
The menacing hand, and evil speech, (10) And you offer your compassion (Some Heb. mss. and ancient versions read “bread.”) to the hungry
And satisfy the famished creature—
Then shall your light shine in darkness,
And your gloom shall be like noonday. (11) GOD will guide you always—
Slaking your thirst in parched places And giving strength to your bones.
You shall be like a watered garden,
Like a spring whose waters do not fail. (12) Some from your midst shall rebuild ancient ruins,
You shall restore foundations laid long ago. And you shall be called
“Repairer of fallen walls,
Restorer of lanes for habitation.”
There is so much to unpack in these verses, and this year, engaging with Isaiah feels particularly urgent.
At a time when so many of us feel lost, don't we long for the outcome described in Verse 9: "Then, when you call, GOD will answer; When you cry, [God] will say: Here I am."
אָ֤ז תִּקְרָא֙ וַה׳ יַעֲנֶ֔ה תְּשַׁוַּ֖ע וְיֹאמַ֣ר הִנֵּ֑נִי
Wouldn't this be remarkable, amazing: to call out to God, to our guiding principles, and to hear God saying to us, Here I am. Hineni. הִנֵּ֑נִי
Don't we long for our light to shine in the darkness? (Verse 10: Then shall your light shine in darkness)
These verses in Isaiah offer a "to do list" of what's required of us, in order to hear God's "Hineni".
So, let's get started. What do we need to do, to hear God's "Here I am"? Let's consider the instructions.
Verse 6:
-- unlock the fetters of wickedness
--untie the cords of the yoke to let the oppressed go free
--to break off every yoke
Verse 7:
--to share your bread with the hungry
--to take the wretched poor into your home --when you see the naked, to clothe them --not to ignore your own kin
Verse 9:
--banish the yoke from your midst --banish the menacing hand
--[banish] evil speech
Verse 10:
--offer your compassion (Some Heb. mss. and ancient versions read “bread.”) to the hungry
--satisfy the famished creature
This is a daunting list of instructions. Where to start?
Which of these instructions can you start with, to set your intention - your kavanah - entering into the new year, to create your very own peace academy, promoting peace and justice in your every day actions?
I suggest, that at a time when so many parts of the world are embroiled in violence and war, that we would do well to incorporate another verse from Isaiah into our Yom Kippur reflections and planning:
(4) Thus [God] will judge among the nations
And arbitrate for the many peoples,
And they shall beat their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks:
Nation shall not take up
Sword against nation;
They shall never again know war.
(11) GOD will guide you always—
Slaking your thirst in parched places
And giving strength to your bones.
You shall be like a watered garden,
Like a spring whose waters do not fail. (12) Some from your midst shall rebuild ancient ruins,
You shall restore foundations laid long ago.
And you shall be called
“Repairer of fallen walls,
Restorer of lanes for habitation.”