Parashat Lekh Lekha: Haftarah
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ByHadar Institute

Haftarah הַפְטָרָה

Like the haftarah we read last week, the haftarah for Lekh Lekha is a prophecy from Yeshayahu, addressed to the Jewish people who were having a rough time during גָּלוּת בָּבֶל (galut Bavel, the Babylonian exile).
One of the main themes is tiredness and energy. The שֹׁרֶשׁ (shoresh, root) for tiredness here is י.ע.פ, and you can spot this shoresh a bunch of times in the haftarah.
  • בּוֹרֵא קְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ לֹא יִיעַף וְלֹא יִיגָע
The Creator of the earth never gets tired or weak
  • נֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ
(God) gives strength to those who are tired
  • וְיִעֲפוּ נְעָרִים וְיִגָעוּ
Young people may become tired and weak
  • וְקוֹיֵ ה’ יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ
Those who trust in God will renew their strength, like eagles grow new feathers. They will run without getting weak, they will walk without becoming tired.
  • What kinds of tiredness are described here? Why is it important to learn that God does not get tired, and God can give strength to people who get tired?
  • How many words can you find in the haftarah that connect to the shoresh ח.ז.ק, meaning strength?
  • In our haftarah, God describes the Jewish people as זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אֹהֲבִי (the children of Avraham, My friend). When might Avraham have felt tired, and why? How does God help him through that? How do the themes of tiredness and energy connect to the story of Avraham and the Jewish people?
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