(ה) הֲכָזֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ צ֣וֹם אֶבְחָרֵ֔הוּ י֛וֹם עַנּ֥וֹת אָדָ֖ם נַפְשׁ֑וֹ הֲלָכֹ֨ף כְּאַגְמֹ֜ן רֹאשׁ֗וֹ וְשַׂ֤ק וָאֵ֙פֶר֙ יַצִּ֔יעַ הֲלָזֶה֙ תִּקְרָא־צ֔וֹם וְי֥וֹם רָצ֖וֹן לַיהֹוָֽה׃ (ו) הֲל֣וֹא זֶה֮ צ֣וֹם אֶבְחָרֵ֒הוּ֒ פַּתֵּ֙חַ֙ חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת רֶ֔שַׁע הַתֵּ֖ר אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת מוֹטָ֑ה וְשַׁלַּ֤ח רְצוּצִים֙ חׇפְשִׁ֔ים וְכׇל־מוֹטָ֖ה תְּנַתֵּֽקוּ׃ (ז) הֲל֨וֹא פָרֹ֤ס לָרָעֵב֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וַעֲנִיִּ֥ים מְרוּדִ֖ים תָּ֣בִיא בָ֑יִת כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֤ה עָרֹם֙ וְכִסִּית֔וֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִתְעַלָּֽם׃ (ח) אָ֣ז יִבָּקַ֤ע כַּשַּׁ֙חַר֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲרֻֽכָתְךָ֖ מְהֵרָ֣ה תִצְמָ֑ח וְהָלַ֤ךְ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ כְּב֥וֹד יְהֹוָ֖ה יַֽאַסְפֶֽךָ׃ (ט) אָ֤ז תִּקְרָא֙ וַיהֹוָ֣ה יַעֲנֶ֔ה תְּשַׁוַּ֖ע וְיֹאמַ֣ר הִנֵּ֑נִי אִם־תָּסִ֤יר מִתּֽוֹכְךָ֙ מוֹטָ֔ה שְׁלַ֥ח אֶצְבַּ֖ע וְדַבֶּר־אָֽוֶן׃ (י) וְתָפֵ֤ק לָֽרָעֵב֙ נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ נַעֲנָ֖ה תַּשְׂבִּ֑יעַ וְזָרַ֤ח בַּחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲפֵלָתְךָ֖ כַּֽצׇּהֳרָֽיִם׃ (יא) וְנָחֲךָ֣ יְהֹוָה֮ תָּמִיד֒ וְהִשְׂבִּ֤יעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת֙ נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶ֖יךָ יַחֲלִ֑יץ וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙ כְּגַ֣ן רָוֶ֔ה וּכְמוֹצָ֣א מַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְכַזְּב֖וּ מֵימָֽיו׃ (יב) וּבָנ֤וּ מִמְּךָ֙ חׇרְב֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם מוֹסְדֵ֥י דוֹר־וָד֖וֹר תְּקוֹמֵ֑ם וְקֹרָ֤א לְךָ֙ גֹּדֵ֣ר פֶּ֔רֶץ מְשֹׁבֵ֥ב נְתִיב֖וֹת לָשָֽׁבֶת׃
(5) Is such the fast I desire,
A day for men to starve their bodies?
Is it bowing the head like a bulrush
And lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call that a fast,
A day when the Eternal is favorable? (6) No, this is the fast I desire:
To unlock fetters of wickedness,
And untie the cords of the yoke
To let the oppressed go free;
To break off every yoke. (7) It is to share your bread with the hungry,
And to take the wretched poor into your home;
When you see the naked, to clothe him,
And not to ignore your own kin.
(8) Then shall your light burst through like the dawn
And your healing spring up quickly;
Your Vindicator shall march before you,
The Presence of the Eternal shall be your rear guard. (9) Then, when you call, the Eternal will answer;
When you cry, God will say: Here I am.
If you banish the yoke from your midst,
The menacing hand, and evil speech, (10) And you offer your compassion to the hungry
And satisfy the famished creature—
Then shall your light shine in darkness,
And your gloom shall be like noonday. (11) The Eternal will guide you always;
God will slake your thirst in parched places
And give strength to your bones.
You shall be like a watered garden,
Like a spring whose waters do not fail. (12) People from your midst shall rebuild ancient ruins,
You shall restore foundations laid long ago.
And you shall be called
“Repairer of fallen walls,
Restorer of lanes for habitation.”
- This reading, commonly known as "The Fast I Desire," is part of the Yom Kippur liturgy. What is the tension between Yom Kippur, a literal day of fasting from food and drink, and its Haftarah portion, which concerns a metaphorical fast of justice?
- Why do you think the liturgists who organized the Yom Kippur service chose this Haftarah reading? What was their goal with this reading when they could have chosen more positive portrayals of fasting, like Esther and Mordechai?
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר גָּדוֹל הַמְעַשֶּׂה יוֹתֵר מִן הָעוֹשֶׂה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָיָה מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה שָׁלוֹם וַעֲבֹדַת הַצְּדָקָה הַשְׁקֵט וָבֶטַח עַד עוֹלָם זָכָה הֲלֹא פָרֹשׂ לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ לֹא זָכָה וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת
Rabbi Elazar says: One who causes others to perform [me’aseh] a meritorious act is greater than one who performs that act himself, as it is stated: “And the causing [ma’aseh] of righteousness shall be peace, and the work of righteousness, quietness, and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17). If one merits, the following verse is applied to him: “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry?” (Isaiah 58:7), i.e., one will wholeheartedly give charity to the poor. If one does not merit, the latter clause of that verse is applied to him: “You shall bring the poor that are cast out to your house,” i.e., he will be compelled by the government to billet soldiers in their house and sustain them against their will.
- Rabbi Elazar extols the virtue of one who causes others to perform good deeds. Do you agree that the merit of one who inspires good deeds is greater than the merit of one who performs good deeds?
- What are some modern ways we inspire others to do good?
(א) רבי חנניה סגן הכהנים אומר הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות שאלמלא מוראה. שהוא קשה עלינו:
(ב) איש את רעהו חיים בלעו. זה הענין ר"ל שיש לאדם להתפלל על שלום כל העולם ולהצטער על צער של אחרים. וכן דרכן של צדיקים כמו שאמר דוד ע"ה (תהלים ל"ה י"ג) ואני בחלותם לבושי שק עניתי בצום נפשי שאין לאדם לעשות תחנוניו ובקשתו לצרכיו לבד אך להתפלל על כל בני אדם שיעמדו בשלום ובשלומה של מלכות יש שלום לעולם:
(1) Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest, says: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it: As it is harsh upon us.
(2) man would swallow his fellow alive: This matter is wanting to say that a person should pray for the peace of the whole world and be in pain about the pain of others. And this is the way of the righteous ones, as David, peace be upon him, stated (Psalms 35:13), "As for me, when they were ill, my dress was sackcloth, I afflicted myself in fasting." As a person should not make his supplications and his requests for his needs alone, but rather to pray for all people, that they be at peace. As with the welfare of the government, there is peace in the world.
- Rabbeinu Yonah expands upon a mishnah from Pirkei Avot, saying that rather than simply pray for the government that keeps the community in order, one should feel a sense of personal responsibility for the community. How does this text compare to Isaiah? How does it compare to Rabbi Elazar?
- How do personal responsibility and empathy relate?
The Talmud teaches that when a scholar is seeking a place to live, among the things his/her city must have is a legal court, a tzedakah fund that is collected by two people and distributed by three, a synagogue, a scribe, a healer, and a teacher of children. (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 17b)
Where we live matters. Our city’s system of justice, its structures to support the needy such as affordable housing, its health care, businesses, educational system, and synagogues are all variables that are central to our wellbeing.
- Think about where you live. Does your neighborhood have everything that the Talmud lists as essential for a community?
- How do you support these institutions?
The Reform Jewish Movement’s 2022 Every Voice, Every Vote Campaign is a nonpartisan effort, grounded in our Jewish values and commitment to racial justice, to strengthen our democracy by encouraging and protecting voter participation. As Reform Jews, we believe democracy is strongest when the electorate reflects the population – and it suffers when citizens are shut out from the democratic process. Voting is how we determine our future. It is how we fulfill the Talmudic teaching that a ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted. It is our prayer. It is our voice.
- Isaiah points out that the ritual of fasting has become rote and lost its heart: empathy, community, responsibility. Do you feel sometimes that participating in democracy has become rote and lost its heart, too?
- Isaiah also offers a pathway to recommitment and revitalization of the core mission of the people of Israel. Do you see that same pathway for our democratic mission?
- How do you connect your Jewish identity to your American identity? How do you show up in a Jewish way when America needs you? Or, how do you show up in an American way when your Jewish community needs you?
- How do you plan to show up--in a Jewish American way--for the midterm elections?