We continue our series on the Seven Weeks of Comfort, with the Haftara of Ki Tavo, which is a prophecy of Yeshaya, as many are. Chapter 60 opens with the words:
ק֥וּמִי א֖וֹרִי כִּ֣י בָ֣א אוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּכְב֥וֹד ה׳ עָלַ֥יִךְ זָרָֽח׃
Arise, shine, your light as arrived and the Glory of Hashem shines upon you.
The prophet Yeshaya was telling the Jewish people that good times are coming. He uses the word “light” quite often in this chapter, to describe all of the wonderful things that will be coming- some say it refers to the Third Bet HaMikdash, and others say it refers to Mashiah, both of which are “light.” The Torah is also called “light,” as in the pasuk
נר מצוה ותורה אור
There is also the light of the Or HaGanuz, the light from when G-d created the world, which was hidden. Light is always a symbol for spiritual power.
As we wind down the seven weeks of comfort, the prophet gives us these words of hizuk and talks about light. He tells us
כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֤ה הַחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ יְכַסֶּה־אֶ֔רֶץ וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל לְאֻמִּ֑ים וְעָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יִזְרַ֣ח ה' וּכְבוֹד֖וֹ עָלַ֥יִךְ יֵרָאֶֽה׃
Darkness may cover the earth, and a thick cloud may cover the kingdoms, but upon you, Hashem will shine, and His glory will be seen upon you.
That’s the theme of this haftara.
He goes on to describe all of the wonderful things that will happen, all of the tremendous wealth of the nations that will come upon us; and the wondrous serge of knowledge that will happen at that time.
His last words are:
וְעַמֵּךְ֙ כֻּלָּ֣ם צַדִּיקִ֔ים
Your nation will be a nation of the righteous;
יָב֥וֹא עוֹד֙ שִׁמְשֵׁ֔ךְ וִירֵחֵ֖ךְ לֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑ף כִּ֣י ה' יִֽהְיֶה־לָּךְ֙ לְא֣וֹר עוֹלָ֔ם וְשָׁלְמ֖וּ יְמֵ֥י אֶבְלֵֽךְ׃
the sun will never set, the moon will never be taken away, G-d will be an everlasting light.
A constant theme,
לֹא־יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֨ךְ ע֤וֹד הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לְא֣וֹר יוֹמָ֔ם וּלְנֹ֕גַהּ הַיָּרֵ֖חַ לֹא־יָאִ֣יר לָ֑ךְ וְהָיָה־לָ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ לְא֣וֹר עוֹלָ֔ם
The sun will not be a light, the moon will not be light, G-d will be the everlasting light.
This theme repeats itself through the haftara. But what does it have to do with Rosh Hashana?
Of course, it’s positive and upbeat, G-d will always be our light. Darkness is a symbol of negativity and light is positive.
As the pasuk says, אמונותיך בלילות-We need emunah at night .
What exactly does the light have to do with Rosh Hashanah?
I would like to share a very, very beautiful lesson from the Pele Yoetz, which is important for all holidays, but especially for Rosh Hashana. He says that G-d has tremendous love for the Jewish people. He put us into this dark world. (Mesilat Yesharim says that the Gemarah compares this world to darkness). We can’t see things because there is a lack of clarity. And in this darkness, says the Mesilat Yesharim, not only can you not see people clearly, but you can see a pole and think it’s a person, and vice versa.
Darkness symbolizes confusion, which is the times that we live in today. We live with the confusion and a lack of understanding.
The Pele Yoetz says that we are like a person in a dark room, with his eyes closed. The room is dark, so even if he opens up his eyes, he can’t see. And since his eyes are closed, even if you turn the lights on, he still can’t see.
We are in a world full of darkness, and we ourselves have inherent impediments that block us from seeing, understanding, and recognizing G-d in creation. So, we have a double challenge. But G-d has mercy on His people and He says, “I have to enlighten them.” He says that on Rosh Hashana, G-d turns the lights on.
David HaMelech says
לדודי ה׳ אורי
Hashem is my light
The Midrash says that this light is Rosh Hashanah. On Rosh Hashana, G-d turns the lights on. Therefore, the Pele Yoetz says that even people whose eyes are closed can feel this light on Rosh Hashana.
(like the OD counselor (On-Duty) who shined the flashlight in our faces at night in sleep-away camp, to check if we were sleeping. We had to keep our smiles to ourselves, but even though our eyes were closed, we were able to feel the light)
The Pele Yoetz says that the reason that every Jew feels something on Rosh Hashanah, when even the most distant Jew, who has no connection, comes to shul, is because the lights are on. But he says that the more we prepare and open our eyes, the more we will see. This knowledge and clarity, that we get through our Rosh Hashana, based on our preparations, will give us light for the entire year.
Our light has come.
On Rosh Hashanah we are planting the lights of Mashiach.
As the pasuk says,
אור זרוע לצדיק ולישרי לב שמחה
Light is sown for the righteous, radiance for the upright.
We plant light.
There are other pesukim that we say, that refer to this light that we plant. On Rosh Hashana, we say
עריכת נר לבן ישי משיחך
We want set up the candle for Mashiach.
On Rosh Hashanah we take in the light of clarity. We try to expand that light, which is the eventual light of Mashiach.
Yeshaya HaNavi is telling us that we have to have a positive attitude. As we wind down these seven weeks of comfort, we have to realize that our light has come.
Hashem is ready to turn on the lights for the Jewish people. Every year, on Rosh Hashana, He turns it on in a small way. It’s our job to take that light in, and keep it going.
Bezrat Hashem, this should be the Rosh Hashana that we take that light in, the light of Mashiach.
Shabbat Shalom