Let's look back for a moment at a beautiful and encouraging moment in chapter 49.
At the beginning of this section, Zion, personified as a bereaving woman, is lamenting the fact that she has been abandoned completely by her god. And without missing a beat, YHWH responds.
Here is their back-and-forth:
(יד) וַתֹּ֥אמֶר צִיּ֖וֹן עֲזָבַ֣נִי יְהוָ֑ה וַאדֹנָ֖י שְׁכֵחָֽנִי׃ (טו) הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ עוּלָ֔הּ מֵרַחֵ֖ם בֶּן־בִּטְנָ֑הּ גַּם־אֵ֣לֶּה תִשְׁכַּ֔חְנָה וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א אֶשְׁכָּחֵֽךְ׃ (טז) הֵ֥ן עַל־כַּפַּ֖יִם חַקֹּתִ֑יךְ חוֹמֹתַ֥יִךְ נֶגְדִּ֖י תָּמִֽיד׃
(4) Zion says: YHWH has abandoned me! My lord has forgotten me!
(15) Can a woman forget her own babe? Withhold compassion (ר-ח-ם) from the child of her womb?
Even these, she can forget; Whereas I shall not forget you! Yes, on my palms I have inscribed you; your walls are before me always!
The rhetorical point here is that the chances of YHWH abandoning Zion is beyond miniscule.
And then look at what happens next:
(יט) כִּ֤י חָרְבֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ וְשֹׁ֣מְמֹתַ֔יִךְ וְאֶ֖רֶץ הֲרִֽסֻתֵ֑יךְ כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ תֵּצְרִ֣י מִיּוֹשֵׁ֔ב וְרָחֲק֖וּ מְבַלְּעָֽיִךְ׃ (כ) ע֚וֹד יֹאמְר֣וּ בְאָזְנַ֔יִךְ בְּנֵ֖י שִׁכֻּלָ֑יִךְ צַר־לִ֥י הַמָּק֖וֹם גְּשָׁה־לִּ֥י וְאֵשֵֽׁבָה׃ (כא) וְאָמַ֣רְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵ֗ךְ מִ֤י יָֽלַד־לִי֙ אֶת־אֵ֔לֶּה וַאֲנִ֥י שְׁכוּלָ֖ה וְגַלְמוּדָ֑ה גֹּלָ֣ה ׀ וְסוּרָ֗ה וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ מִ֣י גִדֵּ֔ל הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ נִשְׁאַ֣רְתִּי לְבַדִּ֔י אֵ֖לֶּה אֵיפֹ֥ה הֵֽם׃ (פ)
(19) As for your ruins and desolations and the land of demolition; For now it will be too tight to sit, and your destroyer will stay clear.
(20) And they will yet say in your ears, the children of whom you thought you were bereaved: There's not enough room! Move over so I can sit!
(21) And you shall say in your heart:
Who bore these for me? For I was bereaved and lonesome! Exiled and pushed off! And these - who reared them? Behold, I had remained alone, and these... where are they?
What could be worse? Being abandoned by a parent? Or bereaved of one's children? (May YHWH forbid any of us from experiencing such a thing; and may he be a source of the greatest comfort, strength and support to anyone in the world who does or has.)
In (Deutero)-Isaiah, Zion experiences the despair of both, at one and the same time. She had imagined herself dismissed, forgotten, even, by her dear mother YHWH; While her children, her beloved Judean inhabitants, could not possibly have survived the Babylonian massacre and following captivity.
(ב) נָֽתְנ֡וּ אֶת־נִבְלַ֬ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ מַ֭אֲכָל לְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּשַׂ֥ר חֲ֝סִידֶ֗יךָ לְחַיְתוֹ־אָֽרֶץ׃ (ג) שָׁפְכ֬וּ דָמָ֨ם ׀ כַּמַּ֗יִם סְֽבִ֘יב֤וֹת יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם וְאֵ֣ין קוֹבֵֽר׃ (ד) הָיִ֣ינוּ חֶ֭רְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ לַ֥עַג וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
(2) They have given over the corpses of your servants as food for the fowl of the heavens; the flesh of your loyalists to the beasts of the earth.
(3) They have spilled their blood like water all around Jerusalem; there is none to bury.
(4) We are humiliated before our neighbors; scorned and reviled to those around us.
(יא) תָּ֤ב֣וֹא לְפָנֶיךָ֮ אֶנְקַ֪ת אָ֫סִ֥יר כְּגֹ֥דֶל זְרוֹעֲךָ֑ ה֝וֹתֵ֗ר בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה׃
(11) May it come before you; the groan of the captive! In accordance with the greatness of your arm, release those doomed to die!
It seems that the witness writing out the words of this lament thinks that becoming "captives" is the least of the Judean prisoners' worries. Those that weren't killed during the razing are being led away "like sheep to the slaughter," to borrow a recurring motif (which even shows up in Isaiah 53).
(א) וַיְהִי֩ בִשְׁנַ֨ת הַתְּשִׁיעִ֜ית לְמָלְכ֗וֹ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָעֲשִׂירִי֮ בֶּעָשׂ֣וֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ֒ בָּ֠א נְבֻכַדְנֶאצַּ֨ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֜ל ה֧וּא וְכָל־חֵיל֛וֹ עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם
...
(ו) וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂוּ֙ אֶת־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּעֲל֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל רִבְלָ֑תָה וַיְדַבְּר֥וּ אִתּ֖וֹ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (ז) וְאֶת־בְּנֵי֙ צִדְקִיָּ֔הוּ שָׁחֲט֖וּ לְעֵינָ֑יו וְאֶת־עֵינֵ֤י צִדְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ עִוֵּ֔ר וַיַּאַסְרֵ֙הוּ֙ בַֽנְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ בָּבֶֽל׃ (ס
...
(יח) וַיִּקַּ֣ח רַב־טַבָּחִ֗ים אֶת־שְׂרָיָה֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן הָרֹ֔אשׁ וְאֶת־צְפַנְיָ֖הוּ כֹּהֵ֣ן מִשְׁנֶ֑ה וְאֶת־שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת שֹׁמְרֵ֥י הַסַּֽף׃ (יט) וּמִן־הָעִ֡יר לָקַח֩ סָרִ֨יס אֶחָ֜ד אֲֽשֶׁר־ה֥וּא פָקִ֣יד ׀ עַל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וַחֲמִשָּׁ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֜ים מֵרֹאֵ֤י פְנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצְא֣וּ בָעִ֔יר וְאֵ֗ת הַסֹּפֵר֙ שַׂ֣ר הַצָּבָ֔א הַמַּצְבִּ֖א אֶת־עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשִׁשִּׁ֥ים אִישׁ֙ מֵעַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֖ים בָּעִֽיר׃ (כ) וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֹתָ֔ם נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֖ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֑ים וַיֹּ֧לֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם עַל־מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶ֖ל רִבְלָֽתָה׃ (כא) וַיַּ֣ךְ אֹתָם֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ בָּבֶ֧ל וַיְמִיתֵ֛ם בְּרִבְלָ֖ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חֲמָ֑ת וַיִּ֥גֶל יְהוּדָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל אַדְמָתֽוֹ׃
(1) And in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar moved against Jerusalem with his whole army.
...
(6) They captured the king and brought him before the king of Babylon at Riblah; and they put him on trial. (7) They slaughtered [King] Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes; then Zedekiah’s eyes were put out. He was chained in bronze fetters and he was brought to Babylon.
...
(18) The chief of the guards also took Seraiah, the chief priest, Zephaniah, the deputy priest, and the three guardians of the threshold. (19) And from the city he took a eunuch who was in command of the soldiers; five royal privy councillors who were present in the city; the scribe of the army commander, who was in charge of mustering the people of the land; and sixty of the common people who were inside the city. (20) Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. (21) The king of Babylon had them struck down and put to death at Riblah, in the region of Hamath. Thus Judah was exiled from its land.
And as for Zion - the beginning of the first lament-poem in Lamentations says it all:
(א) אֵיכָ֣ה ׀ יָשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִי עָ֔ם הָיְתָ֖ה כְּאַלְמָנָ֑ה רַּבָּ֣תִי בַגּוֹיִ֗ם שָׂרָ֙תִי֙ בַּמְּדִינ֔וֹת הָיְתָ֖ה לָמַֽס׃ (ס)
(1) How!!!!
She sits alone; the city once great with people; now a widow.
Once great amongst the nations, a princess amongst the provinces, has become enslaved.
So with that, let's look back at the passage with which we started, and shift our focus from looking backwards with sadness to forwards with the unshakable optimism that the Herald seems so bent on cultivating:
(יט) כִּ֤י חָרְבֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ וְשֹׁ֣מְמֹתַ֔יִךְ וְאֶ֖רֶץ הֲרִֽסֻתֵ֑יךְ כִּ֤י עַתָּה֙ תֵּצְרִ֣י מִיּוֹשֵׁ֔ב וְרָחֲק֖וּ מְבַלְּעָֽיִךְ׃ (כ) ע֚וֹד יֹאמְר֣וּ בְאָזְנַ֔יִךְ בְּנֵ֖י שִׁכֻּלָ֑יִךְ צַר־לִ֥י הַמָּק֖וֹם גְּשָׁה־לִּ֥י וְאֵשֵֽׁבָה׃ (כא) וְאָמַ֣רְתְּ בִּלְבָבֵ֗ךְ מִ֤י יָֽלַד־לִי֙ אֶת־אֵ֔לֶּה וַאֲנִ֥י שְׁכוּלָ֖ה וְגַלְמוּדָ֑ה גֹּלָ֣ה ׀ וְסוּרָ֗ה וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ מִ֣י גִדֵּ֔ל הֵ֤ן אֲנִי֙ נִשְׁאַ֣רְתִּי לְבַדִּ֔י אֵ֖לֶּה אֵיפֹ֥ה הֵֽם׃ (פ)
(19) As for your ruins and desolations and the land of demolition; For now it will be too tight to sit, and your destroyer will stay clear.
(20) And they will yet say in your ears, the children of whom you thought you were bereaved: There's not enough room! Move over so I can sit!
(21) And you shall say in your heart:
Who bore these for me? For I was bereaved and lonesome! Exiled and pushed off! And these - who reared them? Behold, I had remained alone, and these... where are they?
(א) רָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֤ה וְצַהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה כִּֽי־רַבִּ֧ים בְּֽנֵי־שׁוֹמֵמָ֛ה מִבְּנֵ֥י בְעוּלָ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ (ב) הַרְחִ֣יבִי ׀ מְק֣וֹם אָהֳלֵ֗ךְ וִירִיע֧וֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתַ֛יִךְ יַטּ֖וּ אַל־תַּחְשֹׂ֑כִי הַאֲרִ֙יכִי֙ מֵֽיתָרַ֔יִךְ וִיתֵדֹתַ֖יִךְ חַזֵּֽקִי׃
(1) Shout for joy, O barren one, who had not borne children! Burst out joyfully and exult, you who never went into labor! For more-numerous shall be the children of the desolate one than the children of a spouse, says YHWH!
(2) Widen the space for you tent! The curtains of your dwelling places, stretch out - don't hold back! Lengthen your cords, and your tent-pegs strengthen!
In this chapter, after YHWH's initial pronouncement, it seems that the Herald himself - who had been the go-between for this whole exchange - begins to speak in verse 2, urging Zion to expand her dwelling places in anticipation of the arrival of the many children.
With that, take a closer look at the opening line of our Haftorah:
(א) רָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֤ה וְצַהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה
(1) Shout for joy, O barren one, who had not borne children! Burst out joyfully and exult, you who never went into labor!
Look at how:
- "Shout for joy" of the first verset parallels "burst out joyfully and exult" in the second verset, while;
- "Barren one" of the first verset parallels "never went into labor" of the second verset.
But then in its parallel in the second verset, the verb ר-נ-נ is replaced with פ-צ-ח, bursting forth!, while the verb ר-נ-נ of the first verset now becomes the noun, that which the פ-צ-ח emits, in the second.
As I try to imagine the scene in my mind, I picture Zion initially responding to YHWH's invitation to sing by doing just that - singing; but then very quickly she becomes utterly overwhelmed and carried away by the emotion, such that she is no longer doing the singing, but the singing itself is bursting, or gushing forth out of her, as she continually reaches new heights of bliss, playing out the moment in her minds eye when she and her children will finally be reunited!
- The place of the tent, i.e., the ground itself, has to be prepared - possibly by being cleared of debris etc;
- Stretch out the curtains;
- Lengthen the cords;
- Strengthen the tent pegs.
What emerges for me from all of this is that the Herald's excitement is matched by the urgency with which he says to Zion how close this moment of redemption is. Hurry! They're coming, they're coming! There's not a second to lose and much to be done!
Unfortunately for Jeremiah, his ministry was fated to be during the devastating beginning of the 6th century; the period in which all of the trauma we see Zion suffering from began. He dedicated his life to warning his fellow Judeans about the impending horror, begging them to take this possibility seriously and to act accordingly so as to hopefully change their fate.
Now with the above passage of the Herald in mind, take a look at what Jeremiah says in chapter 10 of his oracles:
(כ) אָהֳלִ֣י שֻׁדָּ֔ד וְכָל־מֵיתָרַ֖י נִתָּ֑קוּ בָּנַ֤י יְצָאֻ֙נִי֙ וְאֵינָ֔ם אֵין־נֹטֶ֥ה עוֹד֙ אָהֳלִ֔י וּמֵקִ֖ים יְרִיעוֹתָֽי׃
(20) My tents are ravaged, All my tent cords are broken. My children have gone forth from me And are no more; No one is left to stretch out my tents And hang my tent curtains.
While on the other side of history, our Herald of Hope draws on the same imagery and vocabulary in order to rouse up a downcast Zion.
Perhaps the underlying message of the Herald is the following:
Jeremiah spoke for our god, foretelling a future of destruction and darkness; and it was so. I now come in the name of the same god, proclaiming hope and redemption and a future of renewal and greatness; This, too, shall come to pass!
Remember our first verse above, in which we saw the songs of joy bursting forth from Zion?
Then look again at the tent-building of verse 2, and you'll see that each of the three verbs used tie back into this (widen the space, stretch the curtains, elongate the cords), and then of course we have the negative injunction to not to spare, or not to hold back.
Here is verse 2 again, but this time continuing on into verse 3:
(ב) הַרְחִ֣יבִי ׀ מְק֣וֹם אָהֳלֵ֗ךְ וִירִיע֧וֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתַ֛יִךְ יַטּ֖וּ אַל־תַּחְשֹׂ֑כִי הַאֲרִ֙יכִי֙ מֵֽיתָרַ֔יִךְ וִיתֵדֹתַ֖יִךְ חַזֵּֽקִי׃ (ג) כִּי־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֖אול תִּפְרֹ֑צִי וְזַרְעֵךְ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם יִירָ֔שׁ וְעָרִ֥ים נְשַׁמּ֖וֹת יוֹשִֽׁיבוּ׃
(2) Widen the space for you tent! The curtains of your dwelling places, stretch out - don't hold back! Lengthen your cords, and your tent-pegs strengthen!
(3) For right and left shall you burst forth, and your seed shall inherit the nations, and as for cities since desolate, they [your seed] will inhabit!
I'll leave you with but one possible interpretation for this one;
Perhaps the Herald is trying to poetically capture the moment when Zion - who had for far too long been curled or huddled up in solitude with her misery and her tears - begins returning to life!
She stands up, shakes off the dust (as we saw last week) holds her head high, and opens up her arms in anticipation of embracing, at one and the same time, her long-lost children as well as life itself once again.
