Shabbat Shalom and Safe Weekend to all ✡🙏☮
This week’s Haftorah describes the vision of the ‘Valley of Dry Bones’ in the book of Ezekiel 37 יְחֶזְקֵאל. The Haftorah is a selection from the Prophets that follows the Torah reading during Sabbath services. It is chosen to complement the weekly portion.
Ezekiel, one of the major prophets in the Bible, was born in Jerusalem and taken to exile in Babylon in 597 B.C.E., after the destruction of the First Temple. Few details are known about his life, mainly that during his time in Babylon he lived in Tel Aviv on the Chebar Canal. He continued to deliver prophesies for twenty-two years during his exile, contrary to the belief that divine inspiration is limited to the Land of Israel. Ezekiel’s prophecies were compiled after his death by the Great Assembly around 360 BCE.
In his prophecy The Dry Bones, Ezekiel receives a vivid vision about bones coming to life. The dry and lifeless bones in the valley represent the scattered and disconnected state of the Jewish people during times of exile. The bones sparked with life and joined together is a beautiful metaphor for the reunion of the Jewish people and rebuilding of the Jewish nation in the Israel.
The prophecy is happening in real-time. In face of the current challenges and uncertainties, we witness a remarkable surge of unity in the Jewish community. The barbaric carnage and global hostilities sparked within us an unprecedented solidarity. It ignited a collective spirit that transcends differences and reflects the bond of ancestral heritage that bound us together for thousands of years.
Now, as never before, this prophecy of collective destiny and shared responsibility is a source of deep inspiration. This is a time of spiritual revival and reaffirmation of the resilience of our people. We have weathered endless storms and emerged stronger and more united. Our determination to live in peace, free and safe in our homeland Israel is a reality which the world can no longer ignore.
In the spirit of the holidays, let us remember that the principles of Judaism lay the foundation for both Christianity and Islam. Those who have been hypnotized by hatful groupthink and advocate for the destruction of Jews should reconsider the origins of their religious beliefs, if any. Ignorance is not bliss; it breeds confusion and devastation. As we celebrate the holidays, let us remember to carry the spirit of holiness within always, so we will merit to live in a peaceful world soon in our days.
The Prophet
Pencil paper 8″x10″
דַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כֹּה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִה֒ הִנֵּ֨ה אֲנִ֤י לֹקֵ֙חַ֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִבֵּ֥ין הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָֽלְכוּ־שָׁ֑ם וְקִבַּצְתִּ֤י אֹתָם֙ מִסָּבִ֔יב וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י אוֹתָ֖ם אֶל־אַדְמָתָֽם׃
וְיָשְׁב֣וּ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָתַ֙תִּי֙ לְעַבְדִּ֣י לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽשְׁבוּ־בָ֖הּ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וְיָשְׁב֣וּ עָלֶ֡יהָ הֵ֠מָּה וּבְנֵיהֶ֞ם וּבְנֵ֤י בְנֵיהֶם֙ עַד־עוֹלָ֔ם וְדָוִ֣ד עַבְדִּ֔י נָשִׂ֥יא לָהֶ֖ם לְעוֹלָֽם׃
וְהָיָ֤ה מִשְׁכָּנִי֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים וְהֵ֖מָּה יִהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם׃ יָֽדְעוּ֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה מְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בִּהְי֧וֹת מִקְדָּשִׁ֛י בְּתוֹכָ֖ם לְעוֹלָֽם׃
“I will make them a single nation in the land, on the hills of Israel…thus they shall remain in the land which I gave to my servant Yaakov and in which your fathers dwelt; they and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever… My Presence shall rest over them; I will be their God and they shall be My people… And when My Sanctuary abides among them forever…then the nations will know that I am the Lord who make Israel holy, and my sanctuary is among them forever.’”
