Forever United: The Land of Israel and Its Eternal Bride

This week, we continue the series of ten Haftorot that are connected to the time of year rather than a haftorah thematically related to the weekly Parsha. This week’s Haftorah is the second of the seven Haftorot of consolation.

Yeshayahu 49:14-51:3

שְׂאִֽי־סָבִ֤יב עֵינַ֙יִךְ֙ וּרְאִ֔י כֻּלָּ֖ם נִקְבְּצ֣וּ בָֽאוּ־לָ֑ךְ חַי־אָ֣נִי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה כִּ֤י כֻלָּם֙ כָּעֲדִ֣י תִלְבָּ֔שִׁי וּֽתְקַשְּׁרִ֖ים כַּכַּלָּֽה׃

 Look up all around you and see: They are all assembled, they have come to you! As I live —declares Hashem —You shall don them all like jewels, deck yourself with them like a bride.

In a vivid description of the return of the exiles to the Land of Israel, Hashem swears that the land will don the people like jewels, and be adorned with them like a bride. When the people come back to the Land of Israel, the land will “wear” the people in a manner that will beautify the land, adding grace and charm. 

What does the phrase “as adorned like a bride” add, aside from a more flowery presentation of the original image? The Aderet Eliyahu, Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad (1833-1909), suggests that while a woman generally wears her jewelry on special occasions, a bride so long as she is a bride wears her adornments and doesn’t remove them. Hashem swears that the return of the people to the land will be permanent, as represented by the bride who wears her jewelry constantly. 

Normally, a bride bedecked in jewelry glows in her unique “bride” status for a short window of time as she gradually transitions into everyday life. The navi assures us that we will be blessed to remain the land’s bride, sparkling in her jewelry for all time. Yeshayahu comforts the people that in the time of the redemption, the Jewish people will not sin and our holy land will adorn our people forever.