Embracing the Mission: The Message of the Almond Branch

Yirmiyahu 1:1 - 2:3

This week begins the series of ten Haftoros that are connected to the time of year rather thematically to the weekly Parsha. The Gimmel d’Puranusa, the three Haftarot of Punishment, are read on the three Shabatot that precede the Ninth of Av.The following seven in the series are known as the Shiva d’Nechemta, the Seven Haftorot of Consolation. Our Haftorah this week, the opening chapter of Yirmiyahu, is the first of the Haftorot of punishment. 

As the book of Yirmiyahu begins, we witness Hashem’s selection of Yirmiyahu as a prophet of Israel. As with Moshe, Yirmiyahu is given signs to accept his role as a prophet, a role he does not want to readily assume. Hashem shows Yirmiyahu a branch, a מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד, and asks him to identify what he sees. The commentaries explain that Hashem showed Yirmiyahu a branch without any leaves or blooms. How could he know what tree the branch was from and furthermore, what was the message that Hashem was telling Yirmiyahu and by extension us, the readers?  

The fact that Yirmiyahu was able to discern that the bare branch was from an almond tree was a message to Yirmiyahu that he was destined to be a prophet. Hashem responds, הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ לִרְא֑וֹת כִּֽי־שֹׁקֵ֥ד אֲנִ֛י עַל־דְּבָרִ֖י לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ,You have seen right, For I am hasten to bring My word to pass. The word שקד almonds is linguistically related to hasten. By showing Yirmiyahu an almond branch, Hashem was describing His judgment as efficient and swift. Rashi points out that the almond tree blooms more quickly than other trees. He shares poignantly that it takes three weeks for the almond tree to bloom, alluding to the three weeks from 17 of Tammuz to 9th of Av.  

The message of the almond branch is two-fold - for Yirmiyahu to embrace his mission and for the people to understand the power of Hashem’s word. As we read the Haftorah today, we too must hear the dual message - the call for each of us to recognize our own talents and abilities and to use them to spread Hashem’s presence in this world. At the same time, we must be awed by Hashem’s incredible power and the haste He uses to implement His will. We pray that we are able to serve Hashem with the abilities we were imbued with from birth as Yirmiyahu is urged to do and that we see Hashem’s salvation as quickly as the almond tree blooms.