Learning how to establish ourselves

How Israel is treated by other nations depends on Israel itself.”

In the first verse of our third Haftarah of Consolation this Shabbat (Isaiah 54:11-55:5), Israel still sees itself storm-tossed in exile. Jerusalem has not been comforted. Israel had not taken comfort from what Isaiah had said in the previous two haftaroth. This week, Isaiah offers Israel another path out of exile: “establish yourself through righteousness” (Is. 54:14).

But Isaiah doesn’t spell out what constitutes righteousness. Instead, he draws on what Moses had said in Re’eh, this week’s parsha. These cross-references both amplify what Moses said in the parsha and support what Isaiah says in the haftarah.

For instance, Moses in the parsha told the Children of Israel what they were to do once they had settled in the Promised Land — destroy all evidence of idolatry (Deut. 12:2-3), eat sanctified foods only at the place where G-d will indicate (Deut. 12:11-14,17-18, 26-27), and observe the pilgrimage festivals (Deut. 16:1-17). All of these actions pertain to the relationship between Israel and G-d.

Moses also told the Israel how to act towards each other. For instance, they are periodically to cancel outstanding debts (Deut. 15:1-2), generously support the destitute (Deut. 15:7-11), and free the slave after at most seven years of service (Deut. 15:12-15). When saying that Israel should establish itself through righteousness, Isaiah is alluding to these Mosaic commandments. According to Isaiah, the Israelites must first protect each other before G-d will protect them; G-d will protect Israel because of its good deeds.

In addition to relying on the parsha to complete his teaching by showing how Israel is to establish righteousness, Isaiah also expresses himself in words that recall those of Moses. In the parsha, Moses had enjoined Israel not to worship the gods of others, “that you did not know” (Deut. 11:28). He also warned the Israel against false prophets, who would encourage them to follow the gods of others “that you did not know” (Deut. 13:3). Isaiah foresees the time when a nation that Israel “did not know” will run to you for the sake of G-d (Is. 55:5).

By sharing with Moses the idea that unknown nations or gods will affect Israel for either benefit or harm, Isaiah is saying that it depends on Israel itself how it will be treated by other nations. When Israelites establish righteousness in how they act towards each other, other nations will see Israel as a people to be emulated.

Even when Israelites act righteously towards each other, however, G-d will nonetheless continue to withhold His protection if Israel follows other gods. According to Isaiah, Israel must establish both aspects of righteousness spoken of by Moses in the parsha, towards other Israelites and towards G-d.

Isaiah’s words recall the parsha in another way as well. Moses had granted permission for Israel to slaughter animals for the purpose of satisfying their appetite for meat, with the proviso that they do not eat the animal’s blood, but instead spill it on the ground like water. According to Moses, the animal’s life is contained in its blood; to eat the animal’s blood would implicitly usurp G-d’s authority over life and death (Deut. 12:15-16, 20-25).

Isaiah, also, refers to water — “everyone who is thirsty, go to the water” (Is. 55:1). To Isaiah, water symbolizes G-d’s commandments, which He gives to all without payment. The false prophets and the makers of idols, on the other hand, demand monetary payment. Moses and Isaiah both envision water as associated with G-d.

And Moses says even more than this.

Most people find the eating of blood repugnant. If there is to be a reward even for spilling the blood of slaughtered animals on the ground like water, then the reward will be so much greater for refraining from acts that are attractive to many people. Isaiah foresees how great the reward will be when Israel establishes itself through righteousness: G-d will “lay your floor stones upon pearls and make your fountains of sapphires, your windows of rubies and your entire boundary of precious stones” (Is. 54:11-12).

Isaiah asks Israel to receive comfort and consolation by establishing the righteousness described in the parsha. In doing so, he is relying on what Moses had said in the parsha: G-d’s will bless Israel when it hearkens to His commandments (Deut. 11:27).

Richard Golden is president of Congregation B’nai Avraham, the Orthodox shul in Brooklyn Heights. Excerpted from a forthcoming book.