Sheva Denehemta

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1. Seven Haftorot of Comfort

   Rabbi Yehuda Shaviv

   Why were these seven particular prophecies by Yeshayahu chosen to comfort us in the seven weeks following Tish'ah B'Av? Perhaps in addition to the comfort they offer, they are linked with the parshiyot they follow.

2. The Difference Between Haftarat Nahamu and Haftarat Ekev

   Haftarot: Ekev/Nahamu

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   The nation's suffering is intensified due to the length of the exile, and the feeling that God has abandoned them. The prophet encourages the nation by reminding them of the stable elements in their relationship with God: The fact that God relates to them as a parent, and views them as children; the fact that God vies them as a precious treasure; and the parable to a divorced wife to whom God continues to be loyal. The prophet later claims that God has not forgotten His nation, but the nation has shown that they are not ready for redemption.

3. Shabbat Nahamu

   Haftarot: Vaethanan

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   Tisha B'Av has a dual nature of mourning and teshuva. Appropriately, we seek comfort on this day from a dual message of consolation and a call for teshuva. Immediately after Tisha B'Av we begin the process of the seven haftarot of consolation, which are followed by a reading of chapters relating to teshuva.

4. "O You Afflicted, Tossed with Tempest, Not Comforted"

   Haftarot: Re'eh

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   The haftara focuses on material consolation, previously ignored in chapters offering comfort to the exiled nation. While previous prophecies emphasized that redemption is based on the connection between God and Israel, but never conditioned on Israel's actions, this haftara introduces a new principle - redemption through repentance; when man mends his ways he will be redeemed.

5. The Difference Between Haftarat Shoftim and "Nahamu"

   Haftarot: Shoftim/Nahamu

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   There are many parallels between the haftara of Shoftim and the haftara of Shabbat Nahamu. The repetition is part of the emotional process of being comforted. This haftara offers a detailed account of the fears and concerns of Bnei Yisrael that were mentioned in general terms in the previous haftara - "Nahamu." The prophet focuses on fear as a problem in itself.

6. Roni Akara

   Haftarot: Ki Tetze

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   In this haftara, the prophet copes with the desperation and absence of hope for the future, which are created in the reality of exile. The literary device used to describe this state is the metaphor of infertility. The comfort of the present reality does not alleviate the distress of their future futility as a nation. The prophet offers comfort by making the future redemption more tangible. The haftara ends with God's promise that the covenant will always be valid, and never reconsidered.

7. "Kumi Ori"

   Haftarot: Ki Tavo

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   This haftara describes the replacement of the natural illumination of the world with divine-spiritual light - the light of God. The change will affect the righteous and the entire nation, as well as the attitude of other nations toward Am Yisrael, when everyone will be focused on recognizing God as the light of the world.

8. "Sos Assis ba-Hashem"

   Haftarot: Nitzavim - Vayelekh

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   "Sos Assis" is the height of comfort in the Sheva Denechemta prophecies, and all of the book of Isaiah. Am Yisrael is analogous to an energetic and vital bride, who is heading toward her groom. The redemption is a byproduct of uniting God and his nation, instead of the essence of the prophecy.

9. The Difference Between "Roni Akara" and "Aniya So'ara"

   Haftarot: Noah

   Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

   Infertility symbolizes the lack of hope for a better future, even if the present reality is tolerable, while desolation represents present suffering with the hope of a better future.