Parshat Eikev: Listen to Isaiah

Last week we marked the fast day of Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’Av is the national day of tragedy for the Jewish people. Both Temples were destroyed on that day along with other terrible events throughout history. But we Jewish people never like to leave on a negative note, so right after Tisha B’Av we read seven passages for the weekly Haftara, all from Isaiah that are referred to as Shiva DeNechemta which is Aramaic for The Seven (Haftarot) of Consolation. 

Consolation or Comfort are really lame translations of the Hebrew word Nechama, but the basic gist is that God is providing, through His prophet Isaiah, a more positive chapter of Jewish history to look forward to after the tragic events of the Temple’s destruction and subsequent exile and dispersion of the Jews to the four corners of the globe.

Last week I wrote that the power of prophecy is not when they are being made but when they are being fulfilled. Today I want to share with you examples of this that are expressed in these Haftarot.  And in these examples we need to keep in mind that Isaiah is expressing a vision from God to the people who probably have no real sense of what he is seeing but can only take comfort in the joy of the message. 

The very beginning of the first of these readings, read last week, sets the tone. Isaiah 40:1ff declares, “Take comfort, take comfort, My people” proclaims your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that the time of her exile has been fulfilled.

And what happens during this wonderful period when the time clock of our exile is up and the time of her exile has been fulfilled? Isaiah speaks of the ease by which the Jewish people will be able to come to God and to Jerusalem. Clear the Way of God. Make a straight road through the desert; a highway to God. Every valley shall be raised and every mountain and hill shall be made low.  

Have you ever been to Jerusalem? If you have you know that it is a very hilly city. The old, original city where the Temple Mount sits is surrounded by valleys and hills. The Kidron valley sits between it and the Mount of Olives. The Hinnom Valley stretches from Zion Gate to Jaffa Gate with Silwan down below. For most of history, going to Jerusalem from the rest of Eretz Yisrael was an arduous trek. 

But not anymore and not today for the road through the desert has been made straight. The Tel Aviv-Jerusalem railway and newly constructed auto tunnels dug through surrounding mountains gets you to Jerusalem in about a half hour from Ben Gurion. The roads and rail cut straight through the mountains and hills that in essence have now been made low. The Gey Ben Hinnom Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in Israel at 202 meters (663 feet) and connects Mount Zion to the slopes of the Hinnom Valley, in essence raising the valley up just as the prophet foresaw. 

But there’s more. This week’s Haftara (49:14ff) makes reference to the desolation of Jerusalem and how that will radically change in a future time. First God declares that he has not forgotten His people for can a women forget her baby; lose compassion for the child of her womb?… Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands. Your ruined walls are before Me continuously. And then, through the vision via Isaiah, God declares:  Your (places of) ruin and desolation and destroyed land will become cramped and crowded with inhabitants who will say, “This place is too tight for me, move over so I can sit down.” 

Have you been to the Kotel on a Friday night? To Machane Yehuda before Shabbat? Been on the light rail in Jerusalem? Gone to Tel-Aviv beach? There are soooo many people that you sometimes cannot move. For thousands of years Jerusalem and Israel lay desolate (no, there was no Palestinian nation there) but look at it now. This is what Isaiah saw in his prophecy that his contemporaries could never appreciate, but that only today we fully understand and witness with our own eyes.

Ok, this all sounds so nice and well, but I suspect I know what you are thinking. What about the fact that there are still so many enemies and haters of Israel and haters of Jews all over? We are certainly not out of the woods. To that we must look to the Haftara that we will read next week. 

We face two battles. The military battle against those who wish to destroy us. And the PR battle for the hearts and minds of people all over the world who look disdainfully upon Israel and the Jewish people. It is frightening to see the increase in antisemitism that abounds, both verbally and physically. But have no fear for addressing this we have Isaiah’s reassurances that appear in next week’s Haftara (54:14ff):  You shall be safe from oppression for you need not fear it, and from ruin since it shall not come near you… Any weapon sharpened against you shall not succeed. And any tongue that rises against you in Judgement you shall defeat.

We have witnessed the miraculous military protection that HaShem has provided Israel through the IDF these past number of months. (Follow Hillel Fuld to get updates on these numerous miracles.) And we also witness, Any tongue that rises against you in Judgement you shall defeat. Just recently we saw a perfect fulfillment of this prophecy.

International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was removed from office on July 24, 2026, after member states voted to oust him following findings of serious misconduct regarding sexual misconduct allegations. This marks the first time in history an ICC chief prosecutor has been fired. Yeah, this is the dog who wanted to put on trial Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for so-called war crimes in Gaza. Gone. Bye Bye. Any tongue that rises against you in Judgement you shall defeat. Mamdani and his ilk need to take note of this prophecy.

The power of prophecy is not when they are being made but when they are being fulfilled. May we merit to continue to see the many prophecies of Isaiah and company come alive in our day. 

Oh, oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning
The prophet he said…

Oh, oh children of the land
Quicken to the new life
Take my hand
Fly and find the new green bough
Return like the white dove
-Queen