Ki Tavo

Isaiah 60

In the penultimate of the seven haftarot of consolation (Aramaic: שבע דנחמתא), which encompasses the entirety of Isaiah chapter 60, all peoples look towards Jerusalem. The exiled Jewish people will certainly be returned and with much wealth. However, they will not be the only people coming to Jerusalem. All nations will look towards Jerusalem and her people as a source of inspiration and connection to God. They will gather to her, and rebuild her in luxury and splendor.

Haftarah Breakdown

Verses 1-3: A new light will shine on Jerusalem.

Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shone upon you.

ק֥וּמִי א֖וֹרִי כִּ֣י בָ֣א אוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּכְב֥וֹד ה' עָלַ֥יִךְ זָרָֽח׃

Verses 4-9: Jerusalem’s residents will be returned, and bring wealth back with them.

Isaiah 60:9

For the isles will hope for Me, and the ships of Tarshish [as] in the beginning, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, in the name of the Lord your God and for the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you.

כִּֽי־לִ֣י ׀ אִיִּ֣ים יְקַוּ֗וּ וָאֳנִיּ֤וֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ֙ בָּרִ֣אשֹׁנָ֔ה לְהָבִ֤יא בָנַ֙יִךְ֙ מֵֽרָח֔וֹק כַּסְפָּ֥ם וּזְהָבָ֖ם אִתָּ֑ם לְשֵׁם֙ ה' אֱלֹקיִךְ וְלִקְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כִּ֥י פֵאֲרָֽךְ׃

Verses 10-13: The nations will rebuild Jerusalem…

Isaiah 60:10

And foreigners shall build your walls, and their kings shall serve you, for in My wrath I struck you, and in My grace have I had mercy on you.

וּבָנ֤וּ בְנֵֽי־נֵכָר֙ חֹמֹתַ֔יִךְ וּמַלְכֵיהֶ֖ם יְשָׁרְת֑וּנֶךְ כִּ֤י בְקִצְפִּי֙ הִכִּיתִ֔יךְ וּבִרְצוֹנִ֖י רִֽחַמְתִּֽיךְ׃

Verses 13-16: … and serve her as well.

Isaiah 60:14

And the children of your oppressors shall go to you bent over, and those who despised you shall prostrate themselves at the soles of your feet, and they shall call you “the city of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”

וְהָלְכ֨וּ אֵלַ֤יִךְ שְׁח֙וֹחַ֙ בְּנֵ֣י מְעַנַּ֔יִךְ וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֛וּ עַל־כַּפּ֥וֹת רַגְלַ֖יִךְ כָּל־מְנַֽאֲצָ֑יִךְ וְקָ֤רְאוּ לָךְ֙ עִ֣יר ה' צִיּ֖וֹן קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Verses 17-22: Jerusalem will permanently live in comfort.

Isaiah 60:20

Your sun shall no longer set, neither shall your moon be gathered in, for the Lord shall be to you for an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be completed.

לֹא־יָב֥וֹא עוֹד֙ שִׁמְשֵׁ֔ךְ וִירֵחֵ֖ךְ לֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑ף כִּ֣י ה' יִֽהְיֶה־לָּךְ֙ לְא֣וֹר עוֹלָ֔ם וְשָׁלְמ֖וּ יְמֵ֥י אֶבְלֵֽךְ׃

Other Connections

The sixth stanza of Lekha Dodi is based, in part, on the opening of the Haftarah .

Lekha Dodi 6[1]

Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself! / For your light has come! Arise, shine! / Awaken! Awaken! Utter a song! / The glory of the Lord is revealed upon you.

הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי/כִּי בָא אורֵךְ קוּמִי אוֹרִי/עוּרִי עוּרִי שִׁיר דַּבֵּרִי/כְּבוֹד ה' עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָּה

The penultimate verse of the Haftarah is the source of the well-known Mishnah about the World to Come.

Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1

All of the Jewish people have a share in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting, the work of My hands in which I will glory.” (Isaiah 60:21).

כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ס) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר.

With emendations, biblical translations are by Rabbi A. J. Rosenberg and other translations are from Sefaria.org.

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1. The other phrases are based upon Isaiah 52:1; for details, see Haftarah Helper for Parashat Shoftim, https://outorah.org/series/4081