Through the Storms of Today: Yeshayahu's Message of Hope

Yeshayahu 54:1- 55:5

כִּי־מֵ֥י נֹ֙חַ֙ זֹ֣את לִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁבַּ֗עְתִּי מֵעֲבֹ֥ר מֵי־נֹ֛חַ ע֖וֹד עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כֵּ֥ן נִשְׁבַּ֛עְתִּי מִקְּצֹ֥ף עָלַ֖יִךְ וּמִגְּעָר־בָּֽךְ׃

For this is to Me as Noach’s waters: just as I swore never again to pass Noach’s waters over the earth, so have I sworn never again to be furious at you, or to shout at you.

In this week’s Haftorah, Yeshayahu refers to the eternal nature of the covenant of Noach. Just as Hashem’s word remains steadfast and He will not bring another flood, Hashem commits to not be eternally angry with His people. The Radak and Abarbanel both observe that there is a dispute as to how to read the phrase כִּי־מֵ֥י נֹ֙חַ֙. In some ancient texts, the initial words of the posuk are written as two separate words,כִּי־מֵ֥י נֹ֙חַ֙, because of or like the waters of Noach, while in other texts, the phrase actually appears as only one word, כִּימֵ֥י נֹ֙חַ֙, like the days of Noach.  The Abarbanel elaborates suggesting that there are two messages conveyed in this verse. The first message describes the challenges and difficulties of the days of Noach, כִּימֵ֥י נֹ֙חַ֙. The people were sinful and rejected G-d. Yet, there was a beacon of hope with Noach and through him, the world was rebuilt. The Jewish people are here to fulfill this mission of bringing Hashem into the world and change the dark days into days filled with spiritual light. The second message is that just as the waters of Noach, כִּי־מֵ֥י נֹ֙חַ֙, destroyed nearly all the world but a remnant remained, so too Yerushalayim and her people will survive. 

This twofold message resonates deeply today. We are faced with two challenges - the first is that of the war in Israel and the second is the time period we find ourselves in now. The war has ravaged our community. We are filled with sensations of wrath, rage, sadness and sorrow. We are also keenly aware that war ahead will last not only days, but likely months. This knowledge creates a sense of anxiety and stress. These two sets of feelings cause us to wonder whether Hashem is angry with us. The Haftorah, also one of the seven of consolation, provides words of comfort and compassion. Just as the days and waters of Noach are manifestation of Hashem’s word, so too we pray that we see the fulfillment of the second half of the posuk, כֵּ֥ן נִשְׁבַּ֛עְתִּי מִקְּצֹ֥ף עָלַ֖יִךְ וּמִגְּעָר־בָּֽךְ, so have I sworn never again to be furious at you, or to shout at you.