Yitro
In the year of King Uzziah’s death, ca. 740 BCE , God reveals Himself to Isaiah. With themes of fire, smoke, fear, and holiness similar to the revelation at Sinai described in the Parashah, Isaiah perceives God, His throne, garments, and angels, as well as the divine glory that fills a great hall and the entire world. Isaiah is terrified, so an angel purifies him of sin. God calls him to deliver His messages to Judah. Judah will reject his words, and God will destroy most of them while preserving a small portion of His holy people. A few years later, this vision has seemingly come to pass, with Judah under physical threat by its northern neighbors, Israel and Aram, and under spiritual threat by its idolatrous king, Ahaz. Isaiah tells Ahaz not to fear: Israel and Aram, not Judah, will soon be destroyed. The Haftarah ends on a positive note by skipping two chapters ahead to two verses that convey God’s promise of a morally and spiritually rejuvenated Davidic dynasty.
Haftarah Breakdown
Verses 6:1-4: Isaiah has a prophetic vision of God in a throne room. The chamber trembles as six-winged fiery angels recount God’s holiness, declaring that His glory fills the entire world.
Isaiah 6:1
In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the sanctuary.
בִּשְׁנַת־מוֹת֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ עֻזִּיָּ֔הוּ וָאֶרְאֶ֧ה אֶת־אֲדֹקי יֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסֵּ֖א רָ֣ם וְנִשָּׂ֑א וְשׁוּלָ֖יו מְלֵאִ֥ים אֶת־הַהֵיכָֽל׃
Verse 6:5: After this powerful vision of God, Isaiah is fearful since he and his nation are sinful and have defiled lips.
Isaiah 6:5
I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amidst a people of unclean lips- for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
וָאֹמַ֞ר אֽוֹי־לִ֣י כִֽי־נִדְמֵ֗יתִי כִּ֣י אִ֤ישׁ טְמֵֽא־שְׂפָתַ֙יִם֙ אָנֹ֔כִי וּבְתוֹךְ֙ עַם־טְמֵ֣א שְׂפָתַ֔יִם אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֑ב כִּ֗י אֶת־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ ה' צְבָקוֹת רָא֥וּ עֵינָֽי׃
Verses 6:6-7: A fiery angel cleanses Isaiah of sin by touching a coal from the altar to his lips.
Isaiah 6:7
[The angel] touched [a hot altar coal] to my mouth, and said, “Lo, this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is removed, and your sin is atoned for.”
וַיַּגַּ֣ע עַל־פִּ֔י וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה נָגַ֥ע זֶ֖ה עַל־שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ וְסָ֣ר עֲוֺנֶ֔ךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ֖ תְּכֻפָּֽר׃
Verses 6:8-10: God declares that He seeks a messenger, and Isaiah volunteers. His mission is to urge God’s people to repent - but they will refuse.
Isaiah 6:9
[God] said, “Go and tell this people, “Listen diligently, but you will not understand. See diligently, but you will not know.’”
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֵ֥ךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמ֙וֹעַ֙ וְאַל־תָּבִ֔ינוּ וּרְא֥וּ רָא֖וֹ וְאַל־תֵּדָֽעוּ׃
Verses 6:11-13: Isaiah asks how long the people will not understand. God answers that only a tenth of Judah will survive His punishing destruction- and even this stump-like, holy remnant will be afflicted.
Isaiah 6:13
One-tenth shall remain in [Judah], and it too shall be consumed - as a terebinth or as an oak, whose stump remains when casting off their leaves; its stump is holy seed.
וְע֥וֹד בָּהּ֙ עֲשִׂ֣רִיָּ֔ה וְשָׁ֖בָה וְהָיְתָ֣ה לְבָעֵ֑ר כָּאֵלָ֣ה וְכָאַלּ֗וֹן אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּשַׁלֶּ֙כֶת֙ מַצֶּ֣בֶת בָּ֔ם זֶ֥רַע קֹ֖דֶשׁ מַצַּבְתָּֽהּ׃ (פ)
Verses 7:1-7:6: A few years later, the Northern Kingdom, Israel (“Ephraim”), and its neighbor, Aram (Syria), allied to conquer Jerusalem. God instructs Isaiah to tell its terrified king, Ahaz, not to fear because the attack will fail.
Isaiah 7:2
The house of David was told, saying, “Aram is allied with Ephraim.” Its heart and the heart of its people was moved [with fear], as a forest’s trees move due to the wind.
וַיֻּגַּ֗ד לְבֵ֤ית דָּוִד֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר נָ֥חָֽה אֲרָ֖ם עַל־אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיָּ֤נַע לְבָבוֹ֙ וּלְבַ֣ב עַמּ֔וֹ כְּנ֥וֹעַ עֲצֵי־יַ֖עַר מִפְּנֵי־רֽוּחַ׃
Verses 9:5-6: Isaiah prophesies the birth and reign of a future righteous Davidic king.
Isaiah 9:6
[The wonder child is born] for the increase of the realm and for unending peace upon David’s throne and upon his kingdom- to found it and to establish it with judgment and righteousness, from now and forever. The Lord of Hosts’ zeal shall perform this!
לם רבה [לְמַרְבֵּ֨ה] הַמִּשְׂרָ֜ה וּלְשָׁל֣וֹם אֵֽין־קֵ֗ץ עַל־כִּסֵּ֤א דָוִד֙ וְעַל־מַמְלַכְתּ֔וֹ לְהָכִ֤ין אֹתָהּ֙ וּֽלְסַעֲדָ֔הּ בְּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט וּבִצְדָקָ֑ה מֵעַתָּה֙ וְעַד־עוֹלָ֔ם קִנְאַ֛ת ה' צְבָקוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־זֹּֽאת׃ (ס)
Connections
Parts of Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory can be found in Kedushah, recited during the repetition of the Amidah.
Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Amidah, Kedushah
We will hallow Your Name in the world as they hallow it in the heavens above, as is written by Your prophet’s hand, “One called to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.’”
נְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ בָּעוֹלָם כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמַּקְדִּישִׁים אוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁמֵי מָרוֹם. כַּכָּתוּב עַל־יַד נְבִיאֶֽךָ וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר: קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ ה' צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל הָאָֽרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ:
The Talmud presents a heavenly debate whether King Hezekiah deserved to be the Messiah, based on v. 9:6, above.
Sanhedrin 94a
Why is every [Hebrew letter] ‘mem’ in the middle of a word open, but this “mem” [of the word לם רבה], is closed? The Holy One, blessed be He, sought to designate King Hezekiah as the Messiah, and Sennacherib and Assyria as [his enemies,] Gog and Magog. The attribute of justice said before [God]: “Master of the Universe! David, king of Israel, who recited many songs and praises before You - You did not designate him as Messiah! But Hezekiah, for whom You did all these miracles, but he recited no song before You - You will designate him as the Messiah?” Therefore, the mem was closed. מפני מה כל מ"ם שבאמצע תיבה פתוח וזה סתום? ביקש הקב"ה לעשות חזקיהו משיח וסנחריב גוג ומגוג. אמרה מדת הדין לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע ומה דוד מלך ישראל שאמר כמה שירות ותשבחות לפניך לא עשיתו משיח. חזקיה שעשית לו כל הנסים הללו ולא אמר שירה לפניך תעשהו משיח! לכך נסתתם.
With emendations, all translations are from Sefaria.org. To dedicate, comment, or subscribe, email zbeer570@gmail.com.