This year, the final (8th) day of Passover coincides with Shabbat (except in Israel which observes only 7 days of Passover; hence, the Torah readings in Israel will diverge with those of the Diaspora until August, where the rest of us “catch up” to the cycle in Israel by combining the parshiot Matot and Masei). The reading for this Shabbat is essentially a repetition of the reading on the 2nd day, that is, the cycle of festivals in the calendar.
I wanted to use this d’var to focus on the Haftorah for this Shabbat (Isaiah 10:32-12:6). It includes a foretelling of the end of foreign oppression of the Jewish People and a time we usually call the Messianic Era. This will be, the prophet tells us, heralded by a King (a descendant of King David) who will rule with justice and usher in a period of peace. This peace, according to Isaiah, will encompass not only all of humanity, but all of Earth as well.
We thus conclude Passover, which began we a celebration with of our own Exodus from slavery to freedom, with a message of transcendent peace on Earth. Now, at a time when war is raging, when a pandemic remains with us, when the potential destruction of so much life due to climate change seems ever closer, this dream of the prophet appears to be far away from us. But the message does contain a promise that we may yet ultimately live in a world where justice and peace prevail for all. May it come speedily and in our lifetimes.
No comments:
Post a Comment