Haftarah of Parshat Vayishlach - 5761

http://www.ou.org/torah/frankel/haftarot/vayishlach61.htm

Introduction

The Haftarah that is read on Shabbat Parshat Vayishlach is the entire Book of
Ovadiah. This "Sefer" is the shortest book in the entire "TANAKH," or Hebrew
Bible, not to mention its being the shortest book in the "Trei Asar," the twelve
"Minor" Prophets. Those twelve books are "minor" only in quantity, not in quality
or significance "L'dorot," for all generations.

Who was the Ovadiah of our Haftarah?

There is some doubt about the identity of the prophet who received these
prophesies from HaShem and transmitted them to the People of Israel; that is,
which Ovadiah was it? According to CHAZAL, the Rabbis of the Talmud, he
was one and the same with the Ovadiah who served, oddly enough, as a high
official in the court of Achav and Izevel. Now this not-so-royal pair had a strong
penchant for idol-worship and, especially the foreign-born Queen Izevel
(Jezebel), harbored a murderous hatred for the Prophets of HaShem.

Unbeknownst to the King and Queen, Ovadiah protected and supported one
hundred prophets who were hidden in a cave, exhausting all his resources in
this effort. This impoverished his own family, to the point where his widow was
on the verge of losing their two sons to a creditor, until she was helped
miraculously by the Prophet Elisha. But that was the tale of another Haftarah;
namely, that associated with Parshat Vayera, taken from II "Melachim"/Kings
Chapter 4, that we read recently.

In our Haftarah, Ovadiah prophesies terrible punishment for the nation of Edom,
that was his national origin, before his conversion to Judaism. But, as we shall
see, the reference may include all the nations who persecuted Israel.

The Haftarah begins with one of the harshest expressions associated with
prophecy; namely, "Chazon," a dark vision of punishment. The Midrash Yalkut
Shimoni on the Book of Iyov (Job) comments that HaShem, as it were, criticized
Eliphaz the son of Esav, Esav being the Father of Edom, who was one of
the so-called "friends" who came to comfort Iyov over his great losses, "You
'comforted' Iyov falsely and began with the word 'Chazon,' implying falsely that
Iyov had sinned. So will I bring from the ranks of your own People a Prophet
who will denounce and proclaim disastrous punishment against your People,
because of its sins."

Another occurrence of the word "Chazon" is at the beginning of the famous

prophecy that Yeshayahu spoke to the Jewish People, and which is recited on
"Shabbat Chazon," the Shabbat before Tishah B'Av, the day of the destruction
of both of the Holy Temples, the saddest day on the Hebrew Calendar.

Summary of the Haftarah with Selective Commentary

Ovadiah 1:1

RASHI answers the implicit question, "Why was Ovadiah specifically chosen to
deliver the harsh condemning message to Edom, the descendants of
Esav?" He says that Ovadiah lived in close company with two wicked
individuals, King Achav and Queen Izevel, and yet did not learn from their
behavior! Esav, on the other hand, lived in "close company" with two righteous
individuals, his parents, Yitzchak and Rivkah, and should have learned from
their behavior!

RADAK begins his commentary on this Chapter by stating that Esav/Edom is

being criticized here for the evil and non-brotherly behavior that they exhibited
at the time of the Destruction by Rome of the Second Temple (see more on
this in connection with Ovadiah 1:10).

He also makes the historical observation that the People of Edom no longer live
in the Land of Edom for, as the Talmud says, the nations were blended and
mixed one with the other by the conquering Babylonians, but rather are
dispersed among the Christian and Moslem nations. But HaShem will be able
to find and punish them nonetheless at the "End of Days," when the Jewish
People return to the Land of Israel.

Ovadiah 1:2

"Behold, I have made you small…"

RASHI explains the meaning of this statement by HaShem, "Your parents,

Yitzchak and Rivkah, both considered you their eldest son. But in My eyes,
says HaShem, you are the youngest and the least worthy. In a similar vein,
CHAZAL say that "You are primitive, because you have developed neither a
distinctive language nor a distinctive script.

RADAK quotes the Targum Yonatan who interprets "small" as wicked; that is,
"you are the most wicked among the nations."

"You are greatly despised"

(Unlike Yaakov, about whom the Torah records that when he left "Be'er Sheva,"
it made an impression there), "your departure and absence would make no
impression; you would be missed by no one."
Ovadiah 1:3

"O Thou who dwells in the clefts of the rock…"

RASHI explains that this means that Esav/Edom relied on the tremendous merit
of his parents, Avraham and Yitzchak, to save him from his wickedness, but
HaShem tells him that it will be to no avail.

RADAK explains the term "chagvei ha-sela," that RASHI interpreted as "clefts
of the rock," as something different; namely the "top" of the rock, specifically,
the tower built upon the rock.

Ovadiah 1:5 - 1:6

"If thieves come to rob you, …they will only take what they need; if trespassers
come to steal from your vineyards…they will leave at least the young
grapes. How was Esav cleaned out completely…"

Ovadiah compares the fate that awaits Esav, when he will be reduced to
nothing, to the fate of victims of ordinary infringement upon their property rights,
when the perpetrator takes some things, but leaves others. When HaShem
punishes Esav, it will be the end of him.

Ovadiah 1:10

"For the violence done to your brother Yaakov, shame shall cover you…"

There is a dispute among the commentators as to what was the "violence"

referred to in this "Passuk"/Verse.

RASHI and the Ib'n Ezra are of the opinion that it refers to actions done and
words said, and other actions not done by Edom at the time of the Destruction
of the First Temple by the Babylonians, as referred to by the dirge,
"Remember, HaShem, to the Children of Edom the Day of Yerushalayim, when
they said 'Destroy, O destroy it to its very foundations!' " And this song was
sung in "Bavel," Babylonia, by the Jews in mourning over their Exile from
Jerusalem.

And, the Ib'n Ezra continues, "It is written 'Your sin is done with, O daughter of
Zion, He will not return to exile you again; your sin is remembered, O daughter
of Edom.' Nevuchadnezzar did indeed conquer and destroy Edom, and
Yechezkel prophesied that Israel would return after being exiled to Babylon, but
Edom would never return."

RADAK is of the opinion that the violence referred to occurred at the time of
the Destruction of the Second Temple, when the People of Edom actually took
an active role in the destruction, but they and much of that section of the world
were under the rule of the Roman Empire and in that sense only, the role of
Edom could be seen as indirect.
Ovadiah 1:11

“On the day that you stood apart…”

RADAK asks on his own interpretation that the crime Esav/Edom is being
accused of relates to events that occurred during the destruction of the Second
Temple, it would seem that the involvement of Edom in that event was direct,
not indirect! For the wicked Titus himself who, according to the Talmud in
Masechet Gittin desecrated the Holy of Holies in a very despicable way, and
who was the commander of the Roman Legions who destroyed the Temple
Mount and the City of Jerusalem, was an Edomite! He answers that since the
central power of the Roman Empire was in Rome, and not in Edom, the
participation of that nation, now even more horrendous, can still be called
“indirect.”

Ovadiah 1:12

“On the day of his estrangement…on the day of their destruction…on the day of
their suffering”

The Hebrew words for “estrangement,” “destruction,” and “suffering” - “nachro,”

“avdam,” “tzarah” - have almost the same Hebrew letters as “Nevuchadnezzar;”
- a possible support for RASHI and the Ib’n Ezra, who say that Esav/Edom is
being punished for lack of support for the Jews at the time of the destruction of
the First Temple, when the Destroyers were the Babylonians, led by
Nevuchadnezzar.

Ovadiah 1:13

“You should not have entered the gate of my people on the day of their tragedy
nor observed his misfortune on the day of his tragedy nor put forth your hand
into his treasure on the day of his tragedy.”

The three-fold repetition of the word for tragedy “Eidam,” “Eido,” “Eido” is like a
drumbeat on a word that sounds like “Edom.”

Ovadiah 1:14

“You should not have stood at the cross-roads to cut down the refugees…”

RASHI explains that the Edomites stood at the crossroads to tell the
Babylonians in which direction the fleeing Jews had run.

Now Ovadiah turns his attention away from Esav/Edom for a moment to
prophecy a similar fate for all nations who have persecuted the Jewish People:

Ovadiah 1:15

“For the Day of the L-rd is coming upon all the nations; as you did, so will be
done to you, your ‘reward’ will come back upon you.”
Here is invoked HaShem’s “Midah” (characteristic) of paying back “measure for
measure;” that is, reward for good and punishment for evil.

Ovadiah 1:16

“For as you feasted on My Holy Mountain, all the nations who did so will drink
from the cup of poison; they will drink, and groan, and become as nothing.”

Here again it seems that Ovadiah is using the effect of sound to achieve a
dramatic effect - “v’sha-tu, v’la-u, v’ha-yu k’lo ha-yu;” a measured march down
the road to oblivion.

Ovadiah 1:18

“And the House of Yaalov will be a fire, and the house of Yoseph will be a torch,
and the House of Esav will be stubble - and the fire will kindle them and
consume them, and there will be no remainder from the House of Esav, for the
L-rd has spoken.”

Here we see Yaakov acting with his “ben ze-kunim,” the child of his old age, his
beloved son Yoseph, who magnified Yaakov’s power in the world, acting
together at the “end of days” to finally bring an end to Esav and the rule of evil
in the world.

Ovadiah 1:20

“And the Exiles of the Children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites,
even unto Tzarfat; and the Exiles of Yerushalayim, who are in Sepharad, shall
possess the cities of the south.”

RASHI identifies “Tzarfat” as France, and “Sepharad” as Spain.

RADAK cites a Midrash that the reference to Canaanim refers to nations who
escaped from the conquest of Yehoshua and fled to “Ashkenaz,” or Germany,
and are still called “Canaanim.” Perhaps the reference is to Nazi Germany,
which attempted the genocide of the Jewish People, but were crushed in World
War II, and the Jewish People emerged from that conflict to return to “Eretz
Yisrael.”

Ovadiah 1:21

“And the saviors will rise up on the Mt. Of Zion, to judge the Mountain of Esav,
and the Kingdom will be HaShem’s.”

RASHI explains that this verse teaches that the Kingdom of HaShem will not be
complete until Amalek, a descendant of Esav, a nation that was and perhaps is
the essence of evil, will be totally eradicated. With the destruction of Nazi
Germany, perhaps that goal was accomplished. Or perhaps, as the RADAK
said above, Esav/Edom is now intermixed among the Christian and the Islamic
nations, and we still must fight against the ceaseless hatred of the Arab world.
But Ovadiah prophesies here that ultimately that goal will be accomplished,
and HaShem will be King over all the earth.

Connections

The major connection is:

• In the Parshah, Esav confronts and terrifies Yaakov, but Yaakov

emerges victorious.

In the Haftarah, which speaks of the long run of history,

Esav/Edom/Amalek/Nazi Germany/Arab Nations will continue to confront and
terrify the Jewish People until ultimately, we will unite and return to HaShem,
and the L-rd will come to our aid and “remove the rule of evil from the land”
(from the prayers of the High Holy Days).

Other connections are:

• In Parshat Vayetze, the Torah records that when "Rachel Imenu,"

Rachel our Mother, gave birth to Yoseph (Bereshit 30:23), Yaakov
suddenly realizes that it is time for him to leave the house of Lavan
(Bereshit 30:25). He is now ready for the confrontation with Esav. It is
somewhat puzzling exactly what triggered this resurgence of confidence
in Yaakov.

In the Haftarah, we may have the answer. In Ovadiah 1:18, we read “And the
House of Yaakov will be a fire, and the House of Yoseph will be a torch, and
the House of Esav will be stubble - and the fire will kindle in them and consume
them, and there will be no remainder from the House of Esav, for the L-rd has
spoken.”

It is the combination of Yaakov and Yoseph that possesses the formidable

power that can destroy Esav. Perhaps this pair is identical with the combination
of "Mashiach ben David" and "Mashiach ben Yoseph," the combination of whom
will accomplish, according to our tradition, the Salvation of Israel.

We see also the reverse - Yaakov coming to the aid of Yoseph, when later, in
Mitzrayim, the den of immorality, Yoseph is nearly seduced by the wife of
Potiphar (Bereshit 39:11-12). Yoseph is nearly overpowered by his "Yetzer
HaRa," his desire to sin with her, but he is saved, according to the Midrashim
Bereshit Rabbah and Tanchuma and Masechet Sotah in the Talmud, by "the
image of Yaakov that appeared to him in the window."

• In Parshat Beshalach, in the Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea, that
was sung by Moshe and the entire People of Israel, in verse Shemot
15:15, we find "Then the chieftains of Edom were confounded, trembling
gripped the mighty ones of Moav, and all the inhabitants of Canaan
melted in fear."
According to Jewish Tradition, this Song relates to the Future, the "Acharit
HaYamim," the End of Days, the Time of the Mashiach.

• In the Haftarah, Ovadiah prophesies that in the End of Days, Edom will
be judged and convicted (Ovadiah 1:21), “And the saviors will rise up on
the Mountain of Zion, to judge the Mountain of Esav, and the Kingdom
will be HaShem’s.”

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel

Rabbi Frankel is an Educational Coordinator at the OU