One of the key verses in this week’s haftarah is Jeremiah’s famous indictment of the Israelite leaders: “The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ The teachers of the Torah did not know Me. The shepherds betrayed Me. The prophets prophesied in the name of Baal. They pursued that which was useless” (2:8). With these words, Jeremiah clearly decries the betrayal of God by the different echelons of the Israelite elite, even – or perhaps especially – by those of whom we would expect to know better, given their positions as His messengers.
Any of these offices can be misused, but the corruption of all of them, conveyed in the haftarah, is a sign that the people’s spiritual fabric has entered a stage of advanced decay.
At the same time, in the process of this criticism, Jeremiah gives us a window into the various types of leaders that the Jewish people looked to in his day. It is only by understanding the characteristics and roles of the different types of leaders – both in Jeremiah’s time and today – that we can strengthen and renew our spiritual state and connection to God.
For example, the “shepherds” are the political leaders, involved in the government and secular administration of the people, responsibilities that also require a degree of holiness. Meanwhile, the “teachers of the Torah” are those who are entirely dedicated to educating the nation in God’s ways and laws. The “priests,” to which Jeremiah also refers were responsible for the proper functioning of the Temple and its services; and the “prophets” were charged with bringing God’s messages to the populace.
Focusing on these last two categories of priests and prophets, it is especially important to note the distinctions between them: Not only do these two classes of leaders have very different responsibilities, but the manner in which they are qualified and chosen differs dramatically. A priest is defined by the external markers of lineage and dress: Only direct male-line descendants of Aaron can be priests, and they may only serve in the Temple while clothed in very specific garments.
A prophet, on the other hand, is defined by internal factors: One attains the potential for prophecy through internal, spiritual improvement and struggle (see Guide for the Perplexed book II, 32). And God can choose a person for prophecy regardless of parentage or extraction – think of King David’s humble origins and the prophetess Chuldah.
While they differ in many aspects, the priests and the prophets both are meant to be a spiritual north star for the people. The difference in the nature of their offices, therefore, symbolizes an important tension that exists within the world of Jewish spirituality. The priest is subject to formal, external qualifications because he bears the burden of ensuring that the public rituals of the Temple service are carried out correctly and consistently, day after day and year after year.
There is something to be said for the rooting of tradition in eternal and unchanging rituals. When I recite the same prayers that my grandmother recited, or when I use the same kiddush cup that graced my grandfather’s table, I gain a sense of the perpetuity of the Jewish experience. This feeling of sacred constancy was the priests’ charge; they were to ensure that the rituals and symbols at the heart of our national lives would never be compromised.
The job of the prophet, on the other hand, is to infuse these rituals and symbols with life and meaning. Ritual without meaning becomes rote, and symbols that signify nothing become empty. Such religious service is repugnant, as Isaiah bitingly critiques in next week’s haftarah: “Why, says the Lord, would I want all these offerings?” (Isaiah 1:11).
By contrast, when the prophets convey the divine ethos that stands behind the formalities of Judaism, they empower us to use our traditions to connect deeply and communicate freely with God and our fellow Jews, in every time and place. This allows not just for continuity, but lets us find spiritual meaning. Shabbat becomes not just about tradition, but about truly understanding its divine source and relevance today.
When priesthood and prophecy are understood in this way, we can see that in our modern context, each and every one of us needs to be both the priest and a prophet. On the one hand, we must adhere scrupulously to our rituals. On the other, we must ensure that all our rites and practices are imbued with meaning.
In our haftarah, Jeremiah reminds us that when both the priest and the prophet cease to perform these functions – even if they are viewed as otherwise effective and inspiring leaders – they doom the Jewish people to a state of spiritual exile – disconnected from God and the deeper purpose of our rituals – even while physically living in the Land of Israel.
Today, we must seek out and cultivate modern spiritual leaders who understand the roles of the priest and the prophet – who can convey the beauty of the rituals, and who can also communicate the deeper significance that these practices are meant to embody for us in every age.
In addition, coming back to the roles of “shepherds” and “teachers of Torah,” the haftarah also reminds us that these positions have a unique job, with built-in limits and borders. After all, according to the Rambam (Hilkhot Shemita Veyovel 13:13), the devotion and self-sacrifice of such teachers of Torah gives them a sanctified status just like the priests or Levites. That also implies they should have certain ethics and standards in how they carry out their roles.
Perhaps this haftara reminds us to be wary when “teachers of Torah” – rabbis and spiritual mentors – stray from these missions and encroach on the responsibilities of other types of leaders – shepherds. Endorsing political movements or candidates, for example, takes the teacher of Torah far from the realm of Judaism’s form and content, into fields less familiar and suited to his or her expertise.
While there are occasional exceptions to this rule, we as a people are better served when we look to the appropriate “shepherds” to help us navigate the political world, allowing our modern-day priests and prophets – men and women of Torah and Jewish education – to focus fully on their true mission. They are our spiritual compass, our guides, and they must be free to give us the vision we need to lead productive and meaningful Jewish lives.